Orange Is The New Black Gets An Arrested Development-style Promo

"Now the story of a wealthy girl who lost everything, and the one family who had no choice but to help her keep it together. It's Orange is the New Black."

Ok, Netflix, that's a pretty genius way to remind us that Orange is the New Black returns this Friday. The only problem is, now I'm torn between watching Arrested Development or binge-watching at least the last few episodes of Orange is the New Black's first season in preparation of Season 2. Fortunately, both are available on Netflix!

For those who aren't familiar with Arrested Development, here's a look at the series' opening theme, which has Ron Howard narrating the basic premise of this dysfunctional family's story...

So, is that Ron Howard on the Orange is the New Black ad? The caption doesn't say, but the voice sounds close enough for the bit to work, especially added with the frames, arrows and other Arrested Development-style graphics and music.

theme

This is the kind of great little mashup we might expect fans to do -- mixing one TV show's open with a contrasting series's video has been known to happen -- but the narration and music really take OITNB's video to the next level. And it reminds us of how great and memorable some opening themes can be.

The video also reminds us that this "family" of characters in Orange is the New Black will be returning for more unpredictable, funny and dramatic shenanigans in a matter of days. In the grand tradition of Netflix, the full second season will be unveiled at once, beginning Friday, June 6. Netflix has delivered some great promotional content for Season 2, the above spot included. We've also seen character posters and other video content.

Orange is the New Black comes from Weeds' Jenji Kohan and stars Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman, a bisexual Brooklynite who's ripped from her comfy life and fiancé to serve time for a crime she was involved in years prior. The series focuses on her efforts to acclimate herself to the unglamorous life of inmates. Among the cast are Laura Prepon, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, Natasha Leone, Laverne Cox, Dascha Polanco and Michael J. Harney. The second season airs this week, and the third season is already a go.

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.