Although many summers begins with the end of exams, for the true comedy series fan, summer doesn’t actually begin until May 26. That’s right: the day the new “Arrested Development” season streams on Netflix.
    For those of you unfamiliar with never-nudes, dangerous seals and a money-making banana stand, Arrested Development was a TV show that ran for three seasons on Fox from 2003 to 2006, before being canceled despite winning an Emmy and garnering a rather massive fanbase. While  it’s been seven years since the show was canceled, 15 new episodes – featuring the entire original cast – will be released in full on Netflix May 26.
    So, how did this happen? How could a show seven years in the ground be resurrected for a brand new season and possibly even a feature length movie? The answer lies in the fans. Many TV shows gather a following, but few have garnered the devotion and passion that the show has gathered from its fans – which can be seen through creative artwork (illustrator Kyle Hilton created a series of “Arrested Development”paper dolls), commentary and even through the popularity of the show itself (available on Netflix, with over five million rankings). Mitch Hurwitz, creator of “Arrested Development,” turned down an offer from Showtime just so he could keep the integrity of the show intact for the cast, as well as the fans. “I was not interested, at that point, in doing a smaller cast and a more simplified Arrested Development. I felt like I would lose the one thing we had, which was the devotion of the fans,” Hurwitz said.
    But “Arrested Development” is not the only show out there that realizes the importance of a strong fanbase. Many projects from TV, books, music, movies and more, found their place on Kickstarter, an Internet-based home for helping to fund creative ventures, usually with incentives (devised by the creators of the content), in order to spur the donor into making a donation. Through Kickstarter, graphic novels have been published, Chattanooga became the first U.S. city to have its own font and Sundance films have been created. It’s an innovative way for fans to show their support by donating to projects that might not be funded through more traditional means. For example, it’s hard to imagine a company interested in making posters based off a “squirrel census” in Atlanta, Ga., but with Kickstarter, all those squirrel enthusiasts can rest assured. Your squirrel poster is safe, since enough fans pledged money to get the project Kickstarted and off the ground.
    This takes us back to the idea of a loyal fanbase. If someone is truly devoted to something, a true “fan” if you will, they wield real power. Passion for something as simple as a 20 minute-long television show or good typography is no longer ignored but rewarded. Because of the connectivity through social media fans, can more easily express their approval (or disapproval) of their favorite show, poster, song, etc.
   These voices are more important than ever in the creation process, meaning that creators can be released from certain monetary constraints and can focus instead on doing what they do best: creating.
    So let’s take a step back, relax and continue to support all those television shows, movies, books and more. Because we have power, we have passion and we – like the famous banana stand in “Arrested Development” – are something of real value to any project. Because, as George Bluth Sr. puts it best, “There’s always money in the banana stand.”