When a new television series announces that it’s “from the team behind Arrested Development”, I get skeptical. After all, Arrested Development was easily one of my favorite shows, and anything trying to capitalize on that is a low blow. But then, when you get a former actor from Arrested Development, Will Arnett, otherwise known as Gob Bluth, to play the lead, well, now I don’t know whether to be amazed or skeptical. But that was what I was going to find out with Running Wilde: Season One, a copy of which the folks at Lions Gate sent out for review. And thankfully, my skepticism was wholly unwarranted, because this is some terrifically funny stuff.

Running Wilde follows Steve Wilde, self-centered rich dullard, who’s decided to try and recover his childhood sweetheart’s affection. Trouble is, said childhood sweetheart is a dirt-poor econaut out to save the world who’s sufficiently econaut to name her daughter Puddle. Oh, and did I mention old Steve’s family made their fortune in oil? That’s going to be quite the comic mismatch, or so the series hopes.

The thing about Running Wilde is that it only lasted thirteen episodes, and on Fox, the network that was dumb enough to shut down Arrested Development in the first place. And frankly, Running Wilde will be every inch as hilarious as Arrested Development, largely because of the Arrested Development alums involved here. It’s not just Will Arnett, but also David Cross (the former never-nude Dr. Tobias Funke) shows up. The sheer amount of great comedy here, in the grandest Arrested Development tradition, is enough to get anybody interested. Frankly, I laughed on a variety of occasions, and when a DVD makes me laugh, I know it’s going to be a big deal indeed.

It’s a shame it didn’t last longer, and I can only hope that this will one day get the Futurama treatment and be brought back elsewhere. It’s probably the closest thing you’re going to get to new episodes of Arrested Development. There are more than enough wild situations here that revolve around Steve’s relative naivete and his massive ego despite same to make most anyone laugh. David Cross and Will Arnett’s interactions are also terrific fun.

The Screenhead Ten Scale can hardly believe it’s doing this, but for the second time this week, Running Wilde gets a full ten out of ten. It’s simply too funny to pass up.