In a city known for its street vendors, a giant banana-shaped food stand may seem to many New Yorkers as a pretty mundane addition to the city's sidewalks. Yet hundreds of people lined up at the temporary stand when it appeared at several locations this week.
Its popularity was nothing to do with a new passion for fruit. Instead, these are fans of the cult TV show Arrested Development, which is back on the air, or at least on Netflix, soon.
For the uninitiated, Bluth's Original Banana Stand is one of the show's many beloved recurring jokes, and the big yellow joint has been set up in Manhattan all week as part of Netflix's PR campaign in support of the show's return – a day many feared would never arrive after its 2006 cancellation. Arrested Development narrator Ron Howard visited the Columbus Circle stand on Tuesday and on Thursday, never-nudes (don't ask) gathered in Times Square. It's also been stationed at Tower Bridge in London and is set to appear in Los Angeles.
On Monday afternoon, the stand made its first New York appearance at Radio City Music Hall. That day, Netflix released the first trailer for season four which premieres in its entirety on 26 May.
As the long-awaited day gets closer to becoming a reality, a question lurks in some fans' (and critics) minds – what if the season they begged for is terrible? The Guardian's Amanda Holpuch questioned some fervent Arrested Development fans about their hopes, fears and expectations for season four.
Share your thoughts on season four in the comments below.
