Thursday, March 2, 2023

Arrested Development Leaving Netflix Soon

Selome Hailu:

All episodes of “Arrested Development” are set to leave Netflix on March 15 — including Seasons 4 and 5, which Netflix produced itself.

[…]

Netflix co-produced Seasons 4 and 5 with 20th Television and Imagine Entertainment, and the licensing deal that allowed the streamer to host those seasons is now expiring.

Pete Volk:

The first three seasons of Arrested Development are also on Hulu, and there has been no indication they will be removed from that platform. Hulu adding the last two seasons to their platform once they’re removed from Netflix would sure make a lot of sense, but no announcement has been made.

Christina Warren:

[The] only way I’ll be able to be a completionist and get the 5th season and the season 4 remix is to pirate it off of sketchy sources? Like, just sell it to me, Netflix/Fox. Just sell me a box set.

This has been my biggest fear with streaming-only shows and it’s why I still buy stuff on Blu-ray and iTunes. Because I’ve never trusted these fuckers to let me be a digital hoarder.

They already removed the original cut of Season 4 when they made the remix version. Even for streaming shows that remain available, the music is often different.

2TonWaffle:

Thought the same as I believed “Oh, they wouldn’t remove things that they’ve made” Well, was wrong there with HBO. Westworld and Raised by Wolves gone and I hadn’t started season 2 of Wolves yet, now I can’t.

Apple’s original shows and movies are not available for purchase on iTunes, and I can’t imagine them ever being on Blu-ray.

Previously:

Update (2023-03-28): Christina Warren:

Netflix reupped the Arrested Development contract! There’s always money in the banana stand.

Update (2023-08-31): Dare Obasanjo:

Disney is joining Warner Bros in removing shows from streaming for the cost savings (tax write off + no residuals). Just like in the case of the Batgirl movie, the Spiderwick Chronicles has been completed but will never be aired.

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ProfessorPlasma

Wonder how much of this is related to bad music licensing terms.

It's hard to beat digital piracy and an app like Plex or Jellyfin, not only for being in control of your own digital library but also because neither of those two apps will try to manipulate you via dark patterns and algorithms into watching something it wants. It's too bad how bad of an experience streaming has become, when it held such promise earlier.

I also thought they removed the original Season 4 but they didn’t. It’s in the extras section.

> They already removed the original cut of Season 4 when they made the remix version.

It is still available, fortunately, albeit hidden under "Trailers & More."

I maintain that the original cut is far better than the recut, although it requires a second viewing to fully appreciate it. There’s a lot of setup that doesn’t deliver until the latter part of the season.

The remix cut some great moments, including some of Jason Bateman’s best line reads.

It’s pretty easy to separate the legit and sketchy torrents on more BT trackers, especially for popular media, and I don’t begrudge anyone who goes this route.

*most, not more.

> Apple’s original shows and movies are not available for purchase on iTunes, and I can’t imagine them ever being on Blu-ray.

Don’t have to imagine!

https://9to5mac.com/2021/09/06/on-the-rocks-is-the-first-apple-tv-movie-to-be-released-on-blu-ray-now-available-for-pre-order/

https://9to5mac.com/2022/10/12/apple-tv-shows-on-blu-ray-later-this-year/

Adjacent to the pitfalls of streaming content:

"Owners of Roald Dahl ebooks are having their libraries automatically updated with the new censored versions containing hundreds of changes to language related to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race."

https://archive.is/KAJlT

I somehow missed the earlier post here that discussed the Dahl situation. Apologies for the redundant commentary.
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/03/02/orwell-and-dahl-on-kindle/

@Someone Interesting, thanks. But I looked at that list of 8 Apple Original shows that are supposed to already be released by now, and it seems that none of them are actually available.

At least two of the Apple Originals movies are on Blu-Ray (On the Rocks and The Velvet Underground) so I suppose it is theoretically possible for more to get released. But overall, yes, huge problem.

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