Flight of the Phoenix (Arrested Development)

"Flight of the Phoenix"
Arrested Development episode
Seth Rogen (right) and Kristen Wiig (left) portray a young George Bluth, Sr. and Lucille, respectively.
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 1
Directed by	Mitchell Hurwitz Troy Miller
Written by	Mitchell Hurwitz
Cinematography by	Peter Lyons Collister
Editing by	Kabir Akhtar A. J. Dickerson
Production code	4AJD01
Original air date	May 26, 2013 (2013-05-26)
Running time	32 minutes
Guest appearances
Henry Winkler as Barry Zuckerkorn Kristen Wiig as Young Lucille Bluth Seth Rogen as Young George Bluth Christine Taylor as Sally Sitwell Ed Begley, Jr. as Stan Sitwell John Beard as himself Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero Adam DeVine as Starsky Blake Anderson as B. Lake Anders Holm as Supervisor Spoon
Episode chronology
← Previous "Development Arrested" Next → "Borderline Personalities"
Arrested Development season 4
List of episodes

"Flight of the Phoenix", also known as "Michael Part 1",^[1] is the fourth season premiere of the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development. It originally premiered, along with the rest of the season, on May 26, 2013, and was distributed by Netflix. It was written by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz, and directed by Hurwitz and executive producer Troy Miller. Each episode of the season follows a different character, with "Flight of the Phoenix" focusing on series protagonist Michael as he moves in with his son, George-Michael, at UC Irvine.

Arrested Development had been cancelled in 2006 due to low ratings, but was renewed for another season by Netflix in 2011. It was the first episode of the series to air after "Development Arrested", the original finale. The episode, along with the rest of the season, was re-edited in 2018 for Season 4 Remix: Fateful Consequences, which garnered negative reception.

The series, narrated by Ron Howard, follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family, who made their money from property development. The Bluth family consists of Michael, his adopted sister Lindsay, his older brother Gob, his younger brother Buster, their mother Lucille and father George Sr., as well as Michael's son George-Michael, and Lindsay and her husband Tobias' daughter Maeby. "Flight of the Phoenix" received mixed reviews from critics, with one calling the episode "extraordinary", and another calling it "overly long". Despite the lukewarm reception, the episode received several award nominations. It earned Jason Bateman a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.