Fox decides to hold on to ”Arrested”

Fox has removed one of the biggest mysteries from its fall schedule announcement, saying it has renewed the Emmy-winning comedy “Arrested Development” for a third season.

The quirky show about a bizarrely troubled family has been a hit with critics – winning the outstanding comedy show Emmy last fall, and best comic actor for Jason Bateman at January’s Golden Globes – but not with viewers.

It is averaging 5.9 million viewers this season, ranking No. 122 on the Nielsen list. Already-canceled shows like “8 Simple Rules,” “Committed” and “Complete Savages” did better.

But Peter Liguori, the new Fox entertainment president, said he was making it his first official series pickup since taking the job.

” ‘Arrested Development’ is one of the best comedies on television,” Liguori said. “The decision to order another season becomes easy when you consider its amazing cast, creative brilliance, critical acclaim and advertiser appeal.”

Fox is scheduled to unveil its complete fall schedule on Thursday.