‘Arrested Development’ Set for Netflix Removal (Again) In March 2026

Three years after its last close call, Arrested Development is once again up for removal on Netflix. The series, including the Netflix Original seasons, is set to leave Netflix globally on March 15th, 2026, but could we see another renewal?

This feels like déjà vu for long-time subscribers. The Bluth family’s future on the service is hanging in the balance as the licensing agreement between Netflix and Disney (which owns 20th Television) comes up for renegotiation.

To quickly catch you up, Arrested Development began its life at FOX for its first three seasons before moving to Netflix for its fourth and fifth seasons, exclusively. Created by Mitchell Hurwitz, the sitcom series is often argued to be one of the greatest comedies of all time, with standout performances throughout all seasons by Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, and Michael Cera, amongst many others. 

Here is what we know about the potential removal and why there is still hope for a renewal.

Why is Arrested Development leaving?

The removal date—March 15th, 2026—is significant. It marks exactly three years since the show was last scheduled to leave the service. 

In February 2023, removal notices appeared on the show worldwide as we first reported at the time. It was a chaotic few weeks for fans, as it seemed Netflix was about to lose not only the classic Fox seasons (1–3) but also its own Original seasons (4–5). As we’ve been tracking, Netflix Originals leaving Netflix aren’t rare and often come with asterisks depending on their type. 

However, at the eleventh hour in 2023, Netflix and Disney struck a new deal. That deal reportedly gave Netflix exclusive streaming rights (forcing the show off Hulu at the time) for an additional three years.

That three-year clock has now run out, and we’ve been beating this drum for a while, given that we’ve covered over 100+ Netflix Originals leaving throughout 2026. 

Will it be renewed again?

Because Arrested Development is a unique show — owned by Disney/Fox, half commissioned by Netflix—the two giants have to come to the table to make it work.

• The Bull Case for Renewal: Netflix clearly values the show, evidenced by their fight to keep it exclusive in 2023. It remains a comedy staple with high rewatch value, as evidenced by its viewership in the Engagement Reports: the show chugs along at 10M views every year, with viewership on the series up in 2025 over 2024. In addition, we have seen Disney far more willing to license shows to Netflix in recent years and Netflix exclusively buys some of 20th Century Fox Television’s output. 
• The Bear Case for Removal: Disney may want to reclaim the property to bolster Disney+ or Hulu catalogs, especially as they lean harder into bundling their own services. While 10M views is worth having, could the money be better spent on newer titles that drive higher viewership? 

Picture Credit: 20th Century Fox Television

When will we know for sure and where will it stream next?

In 2023, the renewal wasn’t confirmed until just days before the removal date, and Netflix itself confirmed on social media that the Bleuths weren’t going anywhere. Fingers crossed it happens again.

If the deal falls through, all five seasons will likely leave Netflix and almost certainly head to Disney’s owned services: Hulu and Disney+. 

Are you hoping Netflix strikes a last-minute deal again to keep Arrested Development on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.