Arrested Star: Showtime Wanted Us

Michael Cera, interviewed by The Onion's AV Club, breaks a lot of hearts today by revealing that it was Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz himself who decided to let the show die after just three seasons on Fox:

AVC: How close did it come to getting picked up by another network?

MC: Oh, it was ready. Showtime had all the money that it needed, and then it came down to Mitch Hurwitz not wanting to make any more. He created the show. They were ready to go, Showtime, it was just, Mitch decided he didn't want to do it.

AVC: They wouldn't have changed the show?

MC: No, I think they would have been cool with it.

JH: If they had just done one season on Showtime--

MC: To be honest, I like how it ended. I don't mind it dying early.

I agree. The short-season, limited-run phenomenon is the best thing that ever happened to TV in terms of quality. It's no coincidence that HBO dramas, with 12 episodes per season, are at least twice as good as 22-episode network dramas, or that the British version of The Office, which ended after 12 episodes, was the best series ever.

Network executives, ignore your fans. Kill the shows we love. Leave us wanting more.