CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- FOX continued to throw its support behind its struggling comedy "Arrested Development" this week as the network has announced it plans to encore the show's first six installments on cable sibling FX on Sunday, March 21.
The news comes on the heels of FOX's recent decision to air a new episode of the series on Wednesday, March 17 following an expanded one-hour "American Idol" results show (read the story). FOX also ran a four-episode mini-marathon of "Arrested" on New Year's Eve last year.
The FX marathon begins at 2:30 p.m. EST:
2:30/1:30c - "Pilot" (ARR-101)
3:00/2:00c - "Top Banana" (ARR-102)
3:30/2:30c - "Bringing Up Buster" (ARR-103)
4:00/3:00c - "Visiting Ours" (ARR-104)
4:30/3:30c - "Key Decisions" (ARR-105)
5:00/4:00c - "Charity Drive" (ARR-106)
Viewers can also catch a new episode of "Arrested," featuring guest star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, on FOX later that night at 9:30/8:30c.
This isn't the first time FOX has featured one of its series on FX. The cable channel ran a marathon of the first seven episodes of "The O.C." back in October and both seasons of "24" have been rebroadcasted in day-long marathons.
To date this season, "Arrested" is averaging a disappointing 6.29 million viewers and a less than spectacular 72.54% audience retention rate of lead-in "Malcolm in the Middle." Overall that's down 7.50% and 15.91% respectively from last season's Sunday, 9:30/8:30c time period holders, "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" and "The Pitts," both of which didn't make it to the 2003-04 season. In terms of audience retention, "Arrested" is actually faring better than "Andy Richter" (67.68%), but behind "The Pitts" (75.87%).
|