contrapositive

ARRESTED INDEED Reader WL delivers the heartbreaking news:

The Bluth clan of Fox's ratings-challenged "Arrested Development" is also headed for the exit after Fox cut the third-season order on the Emmy-winning comedy to 13 episodes.

[...]

As for the demise of "Arrested," it comes just as the acclaimed comedy came back this week after a hiatus to make room for Fox's baseball coverage. The two back-to-back episodes averaged a paltry 4 million viewers Monday, sending Fox to fifth place in the 8 p.m. hour and putting a dent on the ratings of its lead-out, the rookie drama "Prison Break."

There is a possibility that the show will be shopped around, but its high cost is expected to be prohibitive for a cable network.

It's too early to know if there will be any organized campaign to save the cerebral, groundbreaking comedy. But CONTRAPOSITIVE will be keeping readers posted...

UPDATE: As you might imagine, the folks over at Fox's ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT message boards aren't taking the news particularly well.

One not-implausible idea that seems to be gaining currency is to try to persuade HBO to pick up the show. (If memory serves, a similar effort was mounted--unsuccessfully--by fans of Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night.)

You can send an e-mail to HBO here.