Michael, right, played by Jason Bateman meeting Nellie Bluth, played by his sister and guest star Justine Bateman, in the final season of Arrested Development. (Fox/Associated Press)

News of the return of the dysfunctional Bluth family broke in October, when the original Arrested Development cast announced a spinoff series and movie. On Saturday the shape of the much-lamented series' return became a little clearer, when Netflix announced it had an exclusive deal to stream the fourth season of the show online.

The Netflix deal with original broadcaster Fox and Imagine Television ensures the return of the quirky series, at least for its U.S. subscribers. Netflix announced the news in a tweet Saturday, saying, "Starting in 2013, all new episodes of Arrested Development will be available exclusively to US Netflix Members to watch instantly!" Netflix announced in August it had passed more than one million subscribers in Canada, but it hasn't said when it will stream the new Arrested Development to the Canadian market. This deal signals a fresh foray into the realms of exclusive content for Netflix, an expensive proposition.

Arrested Development, known for its corrosive satire of the spoiled rich, the political zeitgeist and excesses of capitalism, seems a ready fit for the post-Occupy Wall Street age. The show was cancelled in 2006 after just three seasons. Other smart sitcoms, such as The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, lack its edge.

The new instalment was outlined at a Bluth Family Reunion panel at the New Yorker Festival in October. Each episode will centre on a single cast member and where they have been in the intervening years. The spoiled, rich dysfunctional Bluth family was left with some members in rehab, some in jail and some continuing the family business. An Arrested Development movie is timed for when the new series ends.

Canadian actor Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor and Alia Shawkat are all believed to be on board, along with executive producer Ron Howard. Howard said fan support was a significant factor in the revival of the series, tweeting "Many thanks to you ever-so-vocal Arrested Development supporters. Wouldn't have gotten here without you."