The Bluths Are Back: New ‘Arrested Development’ Episodes Coming to Netflix

The cult hit will be available in exclusive episodes beginning in 2013

The Bluths are back. 

For the first time since "Arrested Development" was cancelled in 2006, the dysfunctional and ethically challenged Southern California clan will return for all new episodes.

The show will be available exclusively to Netflix members beginning in 2013. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Also read: 'Arrested Development': 13 Things We Learned at the Bluth Family Reunion

Twentieth Century Fox Television and Imagine Television will produce the show. 

The move is a huge boost to Netflix, which has been trying to establish a presence in the original content world. Last summer, the subscription service beat out the likes of HBO for the rights to the David Fincher and Kevin Spacey political series "House of Cards." 

The cult hit aired for three seasons, 2003-2006, on Fox and won an Emmy for "Best Comedy."  Showtime had reportedly been pursuing rights to air the show, as well. 

Also read: Netflix Makes It Official: We're in the TV Game With 'House of Cards'

In a releasing announcing the shows, Netflix made no mention about whether the entire cast, which includes Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, David Cross, and Michael Cera, will return for another round. However, Cross, Bateman and Arnett have spoken enthusiastically about a reunion. 

"Netflix's bold entrance into original programming presents an exciting new opportunity for our two companies" Peter Levinsohn, Fox Filmed Entertainment's President of New Media & Digital Distribution, said in a statement. "Bringing a classic show back to production on new episodes exclusively for Netflix customers is a game changer, and illustrates the incredible potential the new digital landscape affords great content providers like Twentieth Century Fox Television and Imagine."

News that "Arrested Development" was getting a revival, broke after co-creator and executive producer Mitch Hurwitz announced at a New Yorker Festival reunion in October that he planned to bring back the show for an abbreviated season to lead into a long-awaited "Arrested Development" movie. 

At the time, Hurwitz said that the show would catch up viewers on what the members of the deeply disturbed Bluth family have done since the series ended, and would run for nine to ten episodes.

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