Arrested Development

We're getting the banana stand back together! Arrested Development — that cherished whip-smart comedy canceled by Fox in 2006 — is finally returning with a fourth season of 10-plus supersize episodes on Netflix. But don't expect a straight revival of the old series, in which the dutiful son (Jason Bateman) of a flailing real estate tycoon tried to save his narcissistic, eccentric family from itself. ''Although comedically it's very much in the same vein as the last series, structurally it's a next step,'' explains creator/executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz. ''Each episode is really about one character in the family, because this series tells the story of what happened after the family fell apart — as they're being drawn back together.'' While Hurwitz remains tight-lipped on the plot — ''The Bluths are caught off guard by the collapse of the housing market, even though they've long been in the business of making houses that do exactly that'' — he gushes about the good vibes surrounding this reunion: ''We had such a great time together on the set. And I think that sense of fun really comes across. I think people will see the show and say, 'Wow, they really didn't take this very seriously. What a shame. This could've been a great opportunity for them.' ''