Skip to main content

In unsurprising news, ‘Arrested Development’ traffic skyrocketed this weekend

Arrested Development Netflix
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Arrested Development is a show about deeply delusional people, but Netflix was certainly not deluded when it decided to work with creator Mitchell Hurwitz to create a new season of the beloved-but-canceled sitcom seven years after it originally went off the air.

The experimental fourth season, a cachet of 15 new episodes, became available over Memorial Day weekend, prompting many TV fans to disappoint their families and bail on picnics. And even though critical reception has thus far been mixed, the “semi-original series” is definitely another successful notch on Netflix’s belt – and another sign that streaming entertainment will continue to be a major player. Screen Shot 2013-05-28 at 1.55.18 PM

Recommended Videos

Based on an initial report by Procera Networks on Netflix viewing habits, it seems like all of the hype and anticipation surrounding the return of the Bluth family culminated in a viewing frenzy just as enthusiastic as the rich, narcissistic clan’s chicken dancing. The report was not comprehensive, but it sampled Procera’s data in North America and Europe, and all of the data indicated the show was substantially bumping up Netflix use. One DSL network the company monitored had 36 percent of its users watching at least part of the series on Sunday, underlining the intense interest in the series renewal. The company estimates that 2 to 7 percent of total Netflix traffic over the weekend came from Arrested Development. 

“It seems as if the launch was a success by our metrics, especially when comparing to the subscriber counts to the House Of Cards. We did see a noticeable increase in Netflix traffic this weekend (and even though it was a holiday weekend, the traffic we can attribute to Arrested Development made a difference).”

arrested development
Image used with permission by copyright holder

So people were definitely watching. And the report confirms that Netflix users most often watch programs from gaming consoles like Xbox and PS3 – since they have the highest available streaming resolution, people like to use them to watch Netflix to have the best quality viewing experience.

The Procera report mainly just confirms that investing in Arrested Development was a good move by Netflix, which may encourage the streaming service to consider adopting other TV shows that started on network television.

Whether this is just the beginning of Netflix’s career as a show-reviver or just a unique convergence, the success of Arrested Development on Netflix affirms that original content on streaming services is big business. And Netflix isn’t the only company to realize this; Amazon just jumped full-throttle into the original content game by showing 14 pilots and letting users decide which ones get fleshed out into series.

Kate Knibbs
Former Contributor
Kate Knibbs is a writer from Chicago. She is very happy that her borderline-unhealthy Internet habits are rewarded with a…
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content -- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs
A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.

Read more