Sit Down, Shut Up gets Simpsons backers

Some Monday morning math for you television fans:

Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz + two producers from The Simpsons = a new Fox animated series.

Comedy gold, right? Fox seems to think so, and seems to be getting close to green lighting production of Sit Down, Shut Up, attaching Simpsons vets Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein on board.

Oakley and Weinstein will add plenty of animated comedy experience to “Sit Down, Shut Up,” which was initially set up by “Arrested Development” creator Mitch Hurwitz (who also wrote the first script) and his producing partners, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum.

[…]

“Sit Down, Shut Up” is based on a live-action sitcom from Australia. The animated U.S. version revolves around the lives of seven staff members at a dysfunctional high school in a small northeastern fishing town. Action centers on faculty members, as their egos and personal agendas trump the students’ needs.

“It’s extremely character based, like ‘Arrested Development,’ and has different rhythms than other animated shows like ‘The Simpsons’ or ‘King of the Hill,’” Oakley said. Voice talent includes several thesps from Hurwitz’s “Arrested Development”: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler. Show also features Cheri Oteri, Will Forte, Regina King, Tom Kenny, Nick Kroll and Maria Bamford.

Animator and children’s book author Mo Willems, who was behind Cartoon Network’s critically acclaimed “Sheep in the Big City,” is handling animation on the show.

Could be something good? Admittedly, Fox has a tendency to cancel shows before they even get a chance for the ink to dry. Still, they have a better track record with animated shows than any other prime time network, so if anyone can pull it off, it’s the big “F”.

(via Variety)