While waiting for that mythic Arrested Development script to fall from the frozen banana stand in the sky, David Cross penned a pilot for himself called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. The series stars Cross as a hapless employee who flukes himself into a promotion abroad, Will Arnett as his brazenly inappropriate boss ("If I wanted to see you wear jeans, I would have gone to your sh*tty house!"), Spike Jonze in his first substantial role since Three Kings, and a cameo by Cross's real life girlfriend, Amber Tamblyn. On top of that star power, a three-minute clip (after the jump) proves that the series is funnier than Parks & Recreation. Alas, the series is being aired exclusively on UK's Channel 4. So which U.S. network is going to step up and purchase what could be the best overseas office comedy since The Office? Movieline investigates.
Broadcast frontrunner: NBC
Aside from the fact that the Peacock has a stranglehold on the Arnett-Poehler household, NBC has carved two hours on Thursdays exclusively for workplace comedy. Poor Decisions could be just the kind of edgy half hour program about misfits that Community never became, with the quirk appeal of Arrested Development (and a quarter of the cast!). And if NBC decides to snuff out Parks & Recreation to free up room in its Thursday line-up, I'm sure Cross could create a character for Poehler -- maybe as the comically unaware head of a rival energy drink company that faces off against Arnett's character in an environmentally-friendly caffeine drink-off, moderated by Al Gore. (Still, the bad language would need to be scrubbed -- but hey, they did that on Arrested Development too!)
Basic cable frontrunner: Comedy Central
The cable network has a reputation for fostering edgy series from established comedians and improv actors, and Comedy Central already has a relationship with David Cross after airing his animated series Freak Show in 2006. Since their lineup already includes the controversial humor of South Park and The Jeff Dunham Show, Comedy Central would welcome Poor Decisions in all of its politically incorrect glory with open arms. While they might not be able to pay as much as NBC, Cross could rest easy knowing that he would never be forced to tie in a Comcast endorsement or devote an entire segment to environmental consciousness.
Premium cable frontrunner: HBO
It's not TV, it's HBO, and it does not discriminate against profanity-laced language, sexually explicit self-help tape names, or overseas humor, as evidenced by its hand in Ricky Gervais's Extras. And with Curb Your Enthusiasm on a possibly permanent hiatus after its Seinfeld reunion season, there might be a half hour open at Home Box Office.