Now the story of a talent-wealthy TV family that won everything (at the Emmys). And the one FOX president who had no choice but to keep them all together (on the air).

Against his will, apparently. Arrested Development is no more.

Sure, it was previous president Gail Berman’s success story, but at first things seemed to be going well for the show, even when Berman left. Liguori’s first act as president was to renew AD for a full, 22-episode third season.

And, as is almost always the case on almost every episode of the show, after that optimistic opening, things progressively fell more and more spectacularly apart after that. The show was unceremoniously removed from its comfortable Sunday-night slot (to make room for some piece of crap laugh track extravaganza that nobody watches), and dumped in the Monday night graveyard. If FOX advertised this move, we must have missed it. It aired a grand total of four weeks in that spot: three in September, was yanked off to make room for this year’s exceptionally dull MLB playoffs, and brought back for one week (a full hour, at least) in November. Yeah, there were ads all through the playoffs and World Series for other FOX shows, even ones that won’t air in 2005 (such as season 5 of 24). But none visible for the show that accounts for the bulk of FOX’s Emmy haul. This from the exec who had success with Nip/Tuck and The Shield at FX?

Maybe if Mitchell Hurwitz had gone all-out in attracting must-see guest stars, or other such stunts, things would be different. Seriously, though: Frankie Muniz? Does anybody actually watch Malcolm in the Middle any more? Just think what could have happened if they’d had Michael, in a desperate, last-minute attempt to save the Bluth Company from bankruptcy, stage a concert featuring “Clay Fucking Aiken” (GOB’s words, of course. Certainly not ours. Okay, they’re also ours) at the site of their potential new development? Perhaps with Ann, the Veals, and George-Michael picketing outside, because Aiken isn’t “wholesome enough”? And Tobias manages to somehow sabotage the whole thing, Clay Aiken gets kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel in mid-song (as agent Jack Bauer jumps into action to save him), and Tobias has to close the show (to a chorus of boos and a hailstorm of produce) singing show tunes?

And that’s how you save a ratings-challenged show on FOX. But it’s too late now.

And finally, to channel Stephen Colbert: Emmy voters… you’re on notice. Now that AD is defunct, you can grow some balls, and shower it with awards this year. Michael Cera and Will Arnett deserve Best Supporting Actor nominations, and Jeffrey Tambor needs the trophy. And don’t try to tell us that Will & Grace deserves recognition for its “extended excellence,” or some other such crap, because you could put a clip show together of that show’s funniest moments, and it still wouldn’t last as long (or be as funny) as a single AD episode. You’ve been warned.

We don’t know what we’re saying!