Pilot (Arrested Development)

"Pilot"
Arrested Development episode
Michael Bluth (center) smiles for a photo with part of his family.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Directed by	Anthony Russo Joe Russo
Written by	Mitchell Hurwitz
Cinematography by	James Hawkinson
Editing by	Lee Haxall
Production code	1AJD79
Original air date	November 2, 2003 (2003-11-02)
Running time	22 minutes
Guest appearances
John Beard as himself Stacey Grenrock-Woods as Trisha Thoon
Episode chronology
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Arrested Development season 1
List of episodes

"Pilot" is the first episode of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It premiered on Fox in the United States on November 2, 2003. It introduces the Bluth family, which consists of Michael (Jason Bateman), his twin sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), his older brother Gob (Will Arnett), his younger brother Buster (Tony Hale), their mother Lucille (Jessica Walter) and father George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), as well as Michael's son George Michael (Michael Cera), and Lindsay and her husband Tobias' (David Cross) daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat). In the episode, George Sr. is about to announce his retirement from the Bluth Company, when he is arrested for using his company's funds for personal expenses. Aspects of "Pilot" have been likened to Allegory of the cave by the Greek philosopher Plato.

Arrested Development was created by Mitchell Hurwitz, who pitched the series as a satirical take on the American family. Katie O'Connell, who worked closely with the series' production, gave praise towards Hurwitz's script for the episode and noted its similarities to scandals like the fall of Enron. "Pilot" received positive reviews from critics, who praised its unique humor, wit and lack of a laugh track. Some criticism of the episode came from the unusual romantic interest that George Michael develops on Maeby, his cousin. An uncensored, extended version of the episode was released as a special feature on the DVD home release.