Discover the most popular TV show the year you were born

2003: Arrested Development

Unlike a lot of the shows on this list, Arrested Development may have been wildly popular and critically acclaimed, but it really struggled to find a solid viewership and received low ratings during its original airing. But when the series first came along in 2003, it was a huge deal.

Arrested Development follows the dysfunctional Bluth family, a (formerly) wealthy family whose life is in disarray after patriarch George Bluth, a corrupt real estate developer, is arrested for defrauding investors and gross spending of the company’s money for “personal expenses”. This leaves his wife Lucille in charge of the crumbling company, instead of son Michael, who thought he was first in line for the job.

During its first season, Arrested Development received widespread critical acclaim, as well as six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe for Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV Series for Jason Bateman. Unfortunately, all the critical praise couldn’t save the show. The ratings still struggled, and the series was cancelled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons. Fans demanded more of the Bluth family, and after rumors of new seasons and even an Arrested Development movie, Netflix picked up the show and agreed to license new episodes. The power of Netflix has proved to be pretty powerful over the years.