Arrested Development was the perfect example of a show that was critically acclaimed, but was not highly rated. During its 3 seasons, though, it did develop a cult following, and many critics feel like it was one of the best television shows ever created. Is the TV viewing public now ready to watch another series from the creators of Arrested Development?
Here is the synopsis of Running Wilde straight from FOX:
“Running Wilde stars Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “30 Rock”) as STEVE WILDE, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, EMMY KADUBIC (Keri Russell, “Waitress,” “Felicity”), the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl. Steve Wilde has never performed a selfless act. But why should he – he’s rich! The son of an oil tycoon, Steve hasn’t had to work a day in his life and has always gotten everything he’s wanted – with one exception: the love of Emmy. The daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper, Emmy is an earnest do-gooder who has spent her adult life trying to save the world. And though Emmy is content living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, her 12-year-old daughter, PUDDLE (Stefania Owen, “The Lovely Bones”), just wants to be a normal kid experiencing her adolescence in a normal place. And she would speak up except for the fact that she hasn’t spoken in years. When Wilde Oil’s expansion in the rainforest threatens her adopted tribe, Emmy decides to attend Steve’s self-thrown “Humanitarian of the Year” award ceremony in hopes of convincing him to help her cause…and also maybe because she still has a thing for Steve. But same-old Steve is unwilling to help because fighting Wilde Oil (a/k/a Dad) means putting his meal ticket in jeopardy. Rather than run the risk of letting Emmy slip away again, Steve pulls out all the stops to win her heart. To do so, he enlists the only other people in his life who can help: MIGO SALAZAR (Joe Nunez, “Superbad,” “Prison Break”), Steve’s employee/sidekick/errand-boy, and GERTIE STELLVERTRETTER (Jayne Houdyshell, “Law & Order”), Steve’s nanny-turned-head-of-security as well as the biggest protector of Steve…and her own job. Despite having everything he ever wanted, Steve knows he can’t buy love and happiness, which falls in sharp contrast to Emmy, who has nothing but love and happiness. So with Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good for nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?”
My First 10 Thoughts on the “Pilot” Episode of :
1. Will Arnett is great as the spoiled, rich guy here.
2. It’s great to see Keri Russell back on television,
3. Arnett and Russell have surprisingly good chemistry with each other.
4. What kind of name is Puddle? I guess it’s better than Rainbow or Ketchup.
5. This is a “weird” comedy.
6. Arrested Development fans will obviously love all the weirdness.
7. An interesting supporting cast of characters around Russell and Arnett.
8. Some of those characters could become more annoying than funny as the season progresses.
9. Arrested Development fans might not like the whole romantic storyline that is at the center of this series, but this will allow Running Wilde to have a greater chance to be accepted by a larger audience.
10. If you have never seen Arrested Development, you will probably either hate it or not have an opinion on it. But this series really needs a few more episodes to develop into its own show and not just be a show that can only be loved by Arrested Development fans.
