Arrested Development series 4 "will redefine what television can be"

The 48-year-old actor will reprise his role as Tobias Funke (a doctor turned perennially out of work actor with a rare unrecognised condition known as “never nude”) when the American sitcom is revived by the streaming service in May.

Despite winning critical praise, Mitchell Hurwitz’s comedy was dropped during its third series on Fox in 2006, but will find a new lease of life with all the original cast members (including Jason Bateman and Portia de Rossi returning for 14 episodes that Netflix plans to “drop” on one day this spring.

“What Mitch did and how he’s able to tell the story through the Netflix model - I think it’s going to redefine what television can be and stories can be and how they’re presented.” Cross told the Hollywood Reporter.

“And I really think it’s gonna be historic in a sense; that we’re gonna look back on it in 10, 20, 30 years, and it will be a very important thing that Mitch and Netflix have done.”

Despite claims that this new series may lead to even more Arrested Development, including further television and perhaps even a film, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has confirmed there will be no more AD on Netflix, and Cross appears to be just as in the dark as the rest of us about the show's future.

“I think we all assumed back then that it was just for one short season of, I believe, 10 episodes, which got expanded. But there was never ever any talk or promise of doing an extra season beyond what we were doing.”

And are there firm plans for that much-rumoured movie conclusion? “Oh nothing, nothing at all. No.”

But the best news is that Cross is certain fans will be satisfied with the new episodes when they come, even if they are the last. “I think when it’s over, they’re gonna be aching…”

Arrested Development series 4 will be available exclusively on Netflix in May