Fünke family

The Fünke family is a fictional family depicted on the American television satirical sitcom Arrested Development, which aired on the Fox Network (2003–2006) and later on Netflix (2013, 2018–2019).

The series, narrated by Ron Howard, mainly follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family, who made their money from property development; the Fünkes are related to the Bluths through Lindsay Bluth-Fünke (Portia de Rossi). The Fünkes consist of three family members; Tobias (David Cross), the patriarch; Lindsay, the matriarch; and Maeby (Alia Shawkat), the daughter, who is also the youngest member of the Fünkes and was conceived in a lab. Each member is unique, with Tobias being a physiatrist turned actor, Lindsay being a spoiled activist, and Maeby being a rebellious teenager often looking for ways to disobey her mother.

Cross was not the first person to be approached with the character of Tobias, that being Andy Dick; however, he already had a series he was working on, and an originally reluctant Cross was soon given the role. De Rossi was looking for a role similar to her previous work in Ally McBeal, and agreed to it upon reading the script. Named after a combination of series creator Mitchell Hurwitz's two daughters' names, Maeby, along with Michael Cera for George Michael Bluth, was the first cast member to officially join the series. The three would go on to receive multiple award nominations for their portrayals of the characters.