'Arrested Development' could be a boon for Netflix

Netflix bids for episodes of the popular comedy series

The critically-praised comedy series, Arrested Development, is returning for one more season, along with a movie. It's great news for fans, but even better news for Netflix, which has been seeking original programs to distribute.

Television fans rejoiced when news broke about the additional season for the Emmy-winning show at an Arrested Development panel at The New Yorker festival this weekend.  

Arrested Devlopment creator and executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz told a New Yorker TV critic that he plans to air a season of the series with one episode devoted to each of the main characters, to bring the audience up to speed with what has happened with them over the 10 years since the show's initial run. Stars Jason Bateman and Will Arnett both Tweeted to confirm the news.

And while the resurrection of one of the most beloved comedy series of the 21st century, of course, has television fans salivating, another interesting "development" about the show's distribution has emerged. 

Both Netflix and Showtime are bidding for exclusive rights to air the show sometimes early in 2013, according to publisehd reports.

Either Netflix or Showtime would be a good candidate to air the show. Netflix has been gunning hard lately for original programming, having already closed a deal with DreamWorks Animation, as well as the new David Fincher-produced, Kevin Spacey-starring TV vehicle "House of Cards." But Showtime has a foot in the door, as their entertainment president David Nevins was at Imagine TV and served as an exec producer during the original production of Arrested Development.

If Netflix wins its bid to secure rights to new episodes of the show, it would be a much needed windfall in the wake of so much recent controversy.

Insiders are already calling this recent bid a boon for Netflix, as they had once made waves by securing high profile TV shows for their site, like Mad Men and Star Trek. Television already makes up for more than half of Netflix's programming.