As tonight marks the premier of Mitch Hurwitz's new cartoon starring a few folks from Arrested Development, I think that it’s all too befitting that I just finished reading an A/V Club interview with Will Arnett, aka Gob Bluth.

The role that he performed over three seasons has left some weird, yet indelible mark on the American television viewing public. Well, at least those that enjoy skewed comedies. And that’s actually probably more folks than most would think. It’s at least enough people that Fox has figured that a filmic extension of Arrested Development might make them a few dollars – it will.

Anyway, with his recently becoming a father, one might believe that Arnett has sought to lessen the work that he does so as not to be taken away from his new child and wife Amy Poehler. That’s not the case, however.

In that interview over at the A/V Club, Arnett recounts the problematic back story that most any actor can relate to. Arnett was turned down a number of times for work that he believed he was more than capable of. One such instance found the pilot he filmed, apparently being picked up, but his character was removed from subsequent scripts. Bummer.

The story behind his being cast on Arrested Development is pretty funny, though. Arnett, caught unawares, was hanging out at some watering hole and was pestered enough by studio folks that he went home to sign some sort of release for his audition to tape to be sent out. It’s a good thing that that occurred, though, otherwise, we’d probably not have any idea who he is.

The interesting thing about the piece posted at the A/V Club, though, is the quote coming from Hurwitz that concludes with Arnett being the funniest man on television. And while no actor should every shy away from such an accolade, especially if it’s laid upon you by such a personage, that idea is really only based upon Arnett’s work on Arrested Development and the few completed episodes of the cartoon Sit Down, Shut Up.

I can’t say that I can readily summon some other actor that would trump Arnett. Maybe, 30 Rocks’ Jack Donoghue (Alec Baldwin) is as dryly hilarious as Gob. But that’s still such a different approach to comedy that the comparison is almost invalidated. Tina Fey might be up there as well, but her role in 30 Rock, while not the straight man, is more quirky than genuinely funny.

Dwight. K. Schrute might be the most genuine comparison to make. Both that character from The Office and Gob are anything but self aware. And while Gob might deliver a punch line, Dwight is generally the butt of jokes. So, maybe Arnett is the funniest man on television. His style of joke telling, though, on Arrested Development at least is pretty one dimensional. He’s ridiculous.

This new cartoon will test the mettle of this newly minted star. Hopefully, though, with this slight fervor surrounding Arnett, the show won’t disappoint. But even if it does, fans can take solace in seeing Gob Bluth on the big screen in the not too distant future.