According to this gossip column posted yesterday on E! Online, the brilliantly antic Fox sitcom Arrested Development will be returning for at least one more season. The show’s low ratings (in a very bad time slot) led Fox to shorten the show’s second season from 22 episodes to 18, and the network seemed unlikely to give the show another chance. Few people, myself included, actually expected Fox to green-light a third season. Anyway, if the facts in the E! Online column are true, this is fantastic news indeed:

Earlier this week, a friend here at E! interviewed Jason Bateman at a charity event with his good friend Ben Stiller. When asked the status of Arrested Development, he lit up like a banana stand: “Actually, great. Supergreat. There is a heartbeat. There is no flatline. And there may be twins. I’m going to let Kristin figure out what that means. I can’t comment any further, but there will be an announcement next week.”

… But glory be, after much badgering and pestering, two rock-solid Fox sources, who have never failed me before, caved and gave me the lowdown.

Arrested Development is coming back! These highly placed sources confirmed late Friday it has been renewed for a full season of 22 episodes. How freaking fantastic is that?

Initially, Fox president Peter Liguori’s plan was to order two seasons—hence, the “twins” reference—in order to keep the licensing fee down. But ultimately he went with a single season. And hey, I’ll take it.

According to these insiders, even though the ratings weren’t exactly American Idol numbers, Liguori, bless his perceptive little heart, has faith that the show will do well in a different time slot. He also wants to bring AD up to the magical episode number required for syndication and feels the show will do very well in repeats and also in DVD.

This is a relief—I thought I might have to brandish Lucille’s rape horn to help save the show.