Like a king's jester with his head in the guillotine, "Arrested Development" keeps grabbing laughs while sticking out its neck to the very end of its run. As the gravediggers wait, shovels at the ready, to prematurely bury the funniest show on television, we offer up an obituary for "Arrested" and some other would-be classics that forever reside in the graveyard of unsupported brilliance. Hammer!, Sledge Detective comedy "Sledge Hammer!," 2 years old, died in 1986 of ratings wounds inflicted by "Dallas" and "Miami Vice." The critically acclaimed series starred David Rasche as tough-talking Sledge, a Dirty Harry-wannabe who never met a problem too small to be solved with violence. The show blended the smart-alecky tone of "Get Smart" with the fearlessness of "Monty Python," but never acquired more than a loyal cult following. Hammer! is survived by writer Al Jean ("The Simpsons") and theme composer Danny Elfman ("Spider-Man," "Desperate Housewives"). Visiting hours will be held at local DVD stores, with both seasons available on separate discs. Peaks, Twin  A groundbreaking drama that captivated an entire nation and then ticked off the majority of them, "Twin Peaks" died from acute backlash in 1991 at age 2. Friends and relatives will fondly remember the cherry pie, dancing midgets and damn fine cups of coffee. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Fund for People Who Just Want the Name of Laura Palmer's Killer. "Peaks" is survived by a rambling feature film from co-creator David Lynch that had Laura getting naked, Donna transforming into another actress, and David Bowie inexplicably walking down a hallway. Memorial services are held on DVD (first season only), at a yearly fan fest in Washington, and in the bi-monthly magazine "Wrapped in Plastic." Voyagers! A science-fiction family show that paved the way for Bill & Ted and Dr. Sam Beckett alike, "Voyagers!" proved to be much like the show's heroes: ahead of its time. The ambitious series had a Han Solo-esque time-traveler escorting a precocious moppet on adventures with Einstein, Robin Hood and Babe Ruth. The program died of extreme pre-emption in 1983, leaving fans to helplessly exclaim the hero's would-be catchphrase: "bat's breath!" Although reruns aired as recently as the '90s, no visiting hours are currently planned. Geeks, Freaks and A brilliantly accurate portrayal of high-school awkwardness, "Freaks and Geeks" died of extreme neglect in 2000 at age 2. Creator Paul Feig set his series during the '80s, but any former occupant of a locker-filled hallway could have identified with the characters and themes. Rather than recycle jock/cheerleader stereotypes, the show boldly asserted that it was the fringe characters who deserved remembrance. The show is survived by stars Linda Cardellini (the "Scooby Doo" movies, "ER") and James Franco ("Spider-Man 2"). Visiting hours may be held with the complete series on DVD. Page 1 of 2          Next