The fourth season of Arrested Development will be released this coming Sunday, May 26th, with hundreds of thousands of rabid fans eagerly awaiting its arrival. According to a report in Variety that cites data from social media analytics company NetBase, the upcoming debut has generated three times as much social media buzz as was generated in the lead up to the release of House of Cards.
Per the report:
“So far, Arrested Development has garnered 170,431 social interactions (77% positive, 23% negative) since April 26, compared with 51,045 for House of Cards (68% positive, 32% negative) in the 30 days leading up to its Feb. 1 premiere. For AD, Jason Bateman (and his character, Michael Bluth) is the most-cited talent, followed by Michael Cera and Tony Hale.”
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Given House of Cards‘ success, Netflix has to be very excited about the social media hype, which projects that Arrested Development will be an even bigger step towards legitimizing the platform.
A lot of this buzz can be attributed to the show’s clever social marketing campaigns. In addition to crafting individual posters based around each of the show’s characters (as well as some of its enduring symbols), Arrested Development has brought the Bluth banana stand on a world tour, which has garnered significant social media attention while also giving fans a chance to sample the tasty frozen treats.
It’s unclear if this buzz will turn into hits for Arrested Development. Even the recent trailer gives few clues as to what will happen. Still, all I can do is watch it over and over in anticipation.
