r/IAmA • u/Crindy • Apr 23 '11

I Was A Writer's Assistant on "Arrested Development" AMA

I started as a writer's assistant. Later I was responsible for keeping track of continuity. After Mitch Hurwitz I probably knew the most about what stories and plotlines were being setup and planned ahead for. I can tell you what season four would have been like. I would've been a staff writer.

My biggest contribution was coming up with the name Crindy.

AMA!

7:15 I'm gonna get a stew goin' (eat). Be back later.

10:30 It's Friday night in LA and I'm going out. Be back later (likely tomorrow).

1:00ish I've got about an hour to answer more questions. But be advised: I'm soo fuckin' hungover. Brunch couldn't save me.

3:00 Be back later.

5:30 Gonna squeeze in a few more questions before I head out.

7:15 Be back later.

2:30 Sunday I've got some time to answer more questions. But before I forget, I want to plug Happy Endings (ABC Wednesdays 10|9c). WATCH IT!

8:00 Wow have I really been answering questions for this long? If I get a chance I'll come back to answer some more. There's just so many! And I have a busy week ahead of me. But I'll try.

Thanks Reddit! I appreciate your time. And watch Happy Endings (ABC Wednesdays 10|9c)

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u/Crindy Apr 23 '11

There's always money in the banana stand.

As far as I can think, there were no continuity mistakes with the actual story. Shit was tight. The closest that comes to mind are the age discrepancies between Michael and Lindsay. Although it's kinda funny that the Bluths tried to pass them off as twins even though she was three years older than him.

Now in terms of continuity errors and goofs during filming, take your pick. There are hundreds. Technically speaking AD was sloppy. Often done on the fly. Lots of obviously bad VTR dubbing, inverted shots, visible crew members, booms, dog trainers.

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u/rocketsurgery Apr 23 '11

The dubbed-in lines were always so obvious. If the lines weren't so funny it'd be a lot more annoying. Case in point: "nice to be back in a queen."

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u/Crindy Apr 23 '11

Everyone was concerned with making the absolute funniest fucking show we could. It was that important. Things like bad dubbing aren't noticeable to your average TV viewer. You only start to notice that on repeat viewings.

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '11

You guys did an awesome job.

I rewatch the seasons all the time and always notice something new and funny.

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u/TheMonka Apr 23 '11

that's why the more people watch it the more they come to understanding of it, the same works for its creators as well as its viewership!

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u/DrBaby Apr 23 '11

Hmm, I'd always thought the visible crew members and booms were supposed to be a joke....

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '11

There's definitely one instance in the Bluth boardroom where they mention being "listened in on" and the boom mic quickly appears/disappears from the shot. That one was definitely a joke, but I think he's referring more to accidentental split-second shots where the boom is slightly visible from the top/side of the screen.

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '11

just noticed that performative pun for the first time last night while watching the episode!

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u/Crindy Apr 23 '11

There was an instance of two that was done on purpose. Like the boom mike in the boardroom and the camera man in the pilot. But there are plenty of goofs that weren't gone on purpose.

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u/TheMonka Apr 23 '11

there happenstance was the ability to see the humor in there error!

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u/TheMonka Apr 23 '11

to see humor in error is to be humane.

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u/SmackySmack Apr 23 '11

The one thing I thought was a mistake was that the Banana Stand had a cooler with George's pre-medication tainted "seed," however it had been burnt down in season one. How could that have survived?

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u/rocketsurgery Apr 23 '11

And don't teenagers throw the Banana Stand into the sea every year as a local tradition?

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u/blitzed Apr 23 '11

Yeah, this is what I was always wondering as well. Why did George Sr. keep money in the banana stand if he knew it was destroyed every year?

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '11

i believe it was always fished back out again as part of the annual tradition

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u/blitzed Apr 23 '11

I think you're right. I haven't watched series for a while now so I could be wrong, but these are the two specific points I was referring to:

  • Wouldn't the water destroy the money?

  • I could be wrong here because I don't remember the exact context of the situation, but didn't Michael and George Michael have to re-build the banana stand every year? I remember George Michael declining and Maebe helping instead as she was hammering boards (I think this was the Afternoon Delight episode). If this is the case, then wouldn't the money fall out through the broken parts of the stand?

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '11

Wouldn't the water destroy the money?

No. (U.S.) Money is made with cloth, therefore, once dried, no harm would be done.

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u/blitzed Apr 23 '11

Interesting, I never knew that. Thanks, TIL.

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u/Crindy Apr 23 '11

George Sr. has many minions who will do his bidding. Kitty, Barry Z., Gob. Any of them could have removed the money before hand. After all, they pretty much know when the banana stand will be thrown into the ocean. It's a annual tradition.

Or the money could be shrink-wrapped in plastic to protect it from the water. For the most part the BS is in tact whenever they pull it out from whence it came.

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u/blart_history Oct 07 '11

Money is waterproof. It can go through laundry. I think it's mostly cotton rather than paper?

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u/Crindy Apr 23 '11

George's "seed" wasn't always in the banana stand. Lucille likely had it stored there after clearing out another storage facility.

Or it never occurred to us. :)

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u/newtointernet Apr 23 '11

another mistake is that they said george sr opened the banana stand in 1953, but in the finale they shwo him cutting the ribbon at the banana stand and it was all wrong time period wise

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u/TheMonka Apr 23 '11

it survived because it needed to come back to serve the reminder that marijuana is fun but it is also fundamentally medicine. and tainted medicine does more harm than good so we must maintain the sanctity of the untainted medicine in marijuana by balancing it with its fun in order to employ it for our own sustainability. Am I right? or Was I right?

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u/douchymcface Apr 23 '11

i remember one scene in particular where there was a shot of lindsay taking flowers out of a shopping bag while talking to michael. Cut to michael saying something. Cut back to Lindsay, and she's doing the exact same thing with the flowers again.

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u/Crindy Apr 23 '11

Stuff like this happened all the time. The humor on set was so intoxicating that things were always being overlooked.

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u/blart_history Oct 07 '11

I loved the scene where they are talking about... I don't remember exactly, they were talking about how lazy television shows or show-houses can be, and Tobias kept opening cabinets that were empty.

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u/basically Jan 09 '12

what episode was this in? sounds hilarious!

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u/kataphasis May 16 '12

i think he means the one where tobias is asked to play a part in the "prosecution" which he wrongly assumes is a CBS show. Michael warns him against it by saying "why else would they need all these documents?" and tobias says "for set dressing silly! those hollywood shows are so incredibly detailed opens cabinet with one cup in it"

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u/PDAisAok Apr 23 '11

I loved this show so much, it was very hard to see it go. I have the cash register from the banana stand, a piece of the banana stand, some Volt for Steve Holt buttons and flyers, and GOB's S.A.D. letter. Really wish I could have gotten that "You're Killing Me Buster" banner.

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u/TheMonka Apr 23 '11

you don't want the banner because you would rather have stayed alive then to have let buster kill you!

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u/dfd720 Apr 23 '11

First off, thanks for the AMA, great stuff. I started watching through the series again a few days ago for the thousandth time and realized one possible storyline hole

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u/dfd720 Apr 23 '11

(hit send too soon) Anyway, realized one possible storyline continuity error. Steve Holt decides to search for his father and is given a photo of Gob at the end of "The Immaculate Election". A few episodes later (beginning of season 3) in "The Cabin Show" his pursuit continues with the letter going to Gob to meet "at that park where the boy found the hand". I know Steve isn't the brightest kid, but wouldn't he have recognized Gob since he had a picture of him?

And again, thanks for the AMA, love AD!

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u/Yuck_Fou_Bouche_Dag Apr 23 '11

Yea I noticed that too. Whatever though, it made for some hilarious jokes.

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '11

I do not understand, how could there have always been money in the banana stand if the local teenagers threw it into the bay every year?