Book excerpt: Created by Mitchell Hurwitz for executive producer Ron Howard, the metatextual single-camera Fox sitcom ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT won five Emmys in its first season, including one for its 2003 pilot script. If you're trying your hand at a smart, half-hour original sitcom pilot, this is the perfect show to study first. While introducing the mockumentary style sitcom to American audiences that would later become popular with "The Office," "Modern Family," and "Parks and Recreation," "Arrested Development" followed a traditional sitcom structure of a cold open, two acts, and a tag. Analyzing the debut episode, ScripTipps examines how the series deftly ties together multiple subplots and season-long arcs amidst conflict in perpetually varying but ultimately cyclical permutations that had fans successfully demand the show’s return eight years after it was canceled. ABOUT SCRIPTIPPS ScripTipps helps aspiring screenwriters learn the craft of screenwriting through in-depth analyses of select screenplays that exhibit excellence in story structure, character development, and scene construction. Each ScripTipps ebook analyzes one movie (or television episode) and its story and screenplay in full, scene by scene, from beginning to middle to end, gleaning useful and practical screenwriting tips along the way. NOTE: This ebook does NOT include the actual screenplay being discussed. ALSO AVAILABLE: ScripTipps: Bridesmaids ScripTipps: Carrie (1976) ScripTipps: The Descendants ScripTipps: The Fault in Our Stars ScripTipps: The Hangover ScripTipps: Sleepy Hollow ScripTipps: Star Trek (2009) ScripTipps: Superman & Superman II ScripTipps: Waitress COMING SOON: ScripTipps: Breaking Bad ScripTipps: Community