FOX tried to pass off Mitchell Hurwitz’s new animated series as an apology for cancelling the much-loved but little-watched Arrested Development. Unfortunately, though some of the talent might be the same, Sit Down, Shut Up clearly isn’t in the same league.
Sit Down, Shut Up is an animated comedy that revolves around the teachers and administrators at John Muir High School in Gainesville, Florida. Based on a live-action show from Australia, it stars the vocal talents of Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Will Forte, Tom Kenny, Nick Kroll, Kristin Chenoweth, Cheri Oteri, Kenan Thompson, and Henry Winkler.
The series has received overall negative reviews and poor ratings. The premiere attracted just 5.21 million viewers with a 2.3/6 among adults age 18-49. In week two, Sit Down, Shut Up fell to 4.2 million and a 1.9/5. FOX then moved it from Sundays at 8:30pm to 7pm. To no surprise the numbers got even worse.
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Though there’s little chance that Sit Down, Shut Up will be back for a second season, FOX didn’t even want to wait for the show to finish its first. They’ve pulled the fifth scheduled installment, titled “Math Lab,” from Sunday’s schedule. The action may be due to ratings, the episode’s content (a meth lab), or a combination of the two. In any case, the network hasn’t made any indication that the show will return anytime in the future.
There are reportedly 13 completed episodes of Sit Down, Shut Up, so this leaves nine episodes unaired. With that many on the shelf, FOX may burn them off sometime in the future or, more likely, or they could just forget about them.
The network sometimes posts extra episodes online so they may show up there or they’ll eventually show up on DVD, likely once the public has had a chance to forget the negative reviews.
Image courtesy FOX.
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i wish people would just give mitch hurwitz a real chance on this. i mean i think he’s earned it…ya know, creating one of the best comedies that’s ever been on tv and all.
and one of the best aspects of his writing style are subtle repeated jokes and self references, which come from watching over time. but of course, people are just faaaaaar too impatient to actually let something grow a bit, and now it looks like it won’t even get to go past 4 episodes. so my point’s moot anyway. it’s just kind of a shame.
ps – it’s weird to hear “a whole lot of weird and awkward conversations” cited as a reason something WASN’T funny. that’s kind of the definition of funny to me.
Look some shows just plain suck. Even if talented people come up with the ideas and talented writers write for the show. There is just nothing funny about a show trying to be like other animated shows out there. To me it just shows how much of a sell out mitch hurwitz is.
Sit Down,Shut Up is totally the best and hilarious show since it was first shown.The characters were absolutely funny,not to mention some of them remind me of myself.It’s kinda a combination of Family Guy and The Simpsons,but still WHY would they just cancel the show,I was just looking forward into enjoying Sunday evenings!!!!!!!
Yeah this was up there as one of the worse things Fox ever tried. It just wasnt funny. You hafe to be a real boring person if this iunterested you at all or made you even crack a smile. I watch the epidosdes hoping they would do something since Fox screwed up and cancelled King of the Hill and i am thinking so far the Cleveland show will be pretty bad tro and I luv Family guy. Bring King of the Hill back and slap yourselves for canceling Arrested Development which was hilarious..hell pick up my name is earl if you neede something and Fox pleeeaaaasssee stop the reality shows and the dancing shows and the talent shows please and dont show anymore nascar as It runs mt week
This is a great, smart, funny comedy. Perhaps those born in the 90’s don’t have the appreciation for bad 80’s jokes (and horrible puns); but many of us do. I never liked Arrested Development, it was smart but catered to a different demographic than I am. I just can’t believe they allow a fetid pile of garbage to run for more than a decade (King of the “No Joke”), but don’t allow a fresh, fun, and very punny show to have it’s due that people enjoy. You want art? Not your show. You want to be entertained (I do! I do!) Sit Down Shut Up is the best thing on TV.
This is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen!!!!!!!!! I didn’t think there would be so many bad reviews!!!!!!!!!!
This show was terrible, and no one who appreciates good comedy will miss it. Frankly, I surprised there are people posting here in support of it. “Arrested Development” was brilliant, but “Sit Down, Shut Up” had none of its wit and sparkle (yes, I am a Simpson’s fan). Canceling the show actually gives me hope that a public that still puts up with the mediocre Simpson’s of today still has some sense. I’m not sure why some take the insults leveled at the show as some kind of sign that they were “doing something right.” Not exactly iron-logic there. Certainly some shows will draw criticism for being edgy, but this show was far too dull for that. I expect more out of Hurwitz than this lowest-common-denominator clap-trap. Good riddance.
@lalalalalala:
Are you some kind of ******? The show was terrible the first time I saw it. Even all of my friends agreed.
I’m not sure why people are saying this is a bad show. Look you can dislike the show, that’s your opinion. I respect that. But you don’t need to say “GOOD RIDDANCE TO THIS SHOW” or “EVERYONE WHO WATCHES THIS SHOW IS STUPID” or anything like that. People like this show, too. Sit Down, Shut Up, is a funny show and is one of those rare well-written new animated shows. Probably the reason why barely anyone saw it was because there was hardly any advertising. I didn’t even HEAR of the show until July! And when I saw it, it blew me away. I completely agree with you, Mike.
Don’t bother saying anything to me, people who dislike Sit Down, Shut Up, because I’m not going to read this again.
And you can’t change anyone’s opinion. Nothing will change my opinion. I like this show, and I am proud of it.
I LOVED this show. I found it to be much like all the other animated comedy series(Which so happens, I love them all) I wish they wouldn’t have cancelled it.
They should have atleast finished the series. Strictly for the fact that they are disappointing 5.21 million viewers. (I couldn’t watch them all because I could never find it! They moved it around from different time, to channel) I watched it whenever possible, but it clearly wasn’t. That may be the reason they lost so many viewers, they should have kept it on the same channel. How can you change something that many times when they only made 13 episodes?
They should make the last 9 episodes. King of the Hill, Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Futurama all had low ratings at one point or another, but they still have loyal viewer’s who watched it for all eighteen years(The Simpsons).
Make the last episodes, and see how it goes.
If you don’t like the show, don’t watch. Don’t put a bad word in for the show, you ruin it for the millions that DO. Say what you disliked about the show, and how they can improve it, but that’s no reason to take it off.
“Even all my friends agreed” You’re young. That much is obvious, so how can you relate?
No one who apprciates a good comedy will miss it” And I suppose Family Guy is a good comedy? No, it’s just insult and insult. Stereotype, and another.
“You hafe to be a real boring person to enjoy it” Opposed to watching friends, and Futurama all day?
“It’s trying to be like all other animated shows” Why, because it just so happens to be animated? How many animated shows have realistic backgrounds, and adults for the main characters? I’ve never seen an animated show this like before.
“Plain and awkward conversations” Take a look at this generations idea of television. You’ve got nowhere else to go. Plain and awkward? Try having to sit through a half hour of Peter’s non-stop ramble of his black history, how Quahog was made, and how fat and ugly Meg is. How about South park’s episodes of Kenny repeatably dying in every episode, Cartman making sexist/racist jokes, and Stan learning something new? That’s plain and awkward conversations. What are the punchlines to those jokes? Same thing everytime, “Don’t do it again”.
I completely agree that they should have never cancelled King of the Hill, but they didn’t cancel it for this show. They cancelled the show because it’s been the same old ‘Yup, Yup, Yup, Mhmm” for fourteen years.
South park runs shows about blow-up dolls, meth labs, cannibals, rape, racism and sexism all the time, but if this show were to air a show on a meth lab(Oh no!) it gets taken off the air? Well then we best we protesting Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park, Futurama, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, Robot Chicken, Moral Oral, Father of the Pride, and any other animated television series that so much as MENTIONS an illegal substance. Well, if we did that we would have nothing to watch on television.
I’ve summed up all of your comments, and it’s be shown that you have nothing worth sending this show off the air. Best be getting rid of all the other animated shows while we’re at it!
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