The movie may be a cult favorite but the Napoleon Dynamite TV show wasn’t popular enough for FOX. They’ve cancelled the animated series after one season.
Napoleon Dynamite follows the continuing mis-adventures of “America’s most awesomely awkward teenager” and his quirky family and friends in rural Idaho. The voice cast includes Aaron Ruell, Diedrich Bader, Efran Ramirez, Jon Gries, Jon Heder, Sandy Martin, and Tina Majorino.
The series debuted on January 15th with a very healthy 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 8.31 million viewers. It benefited greatly from a lead-in from The Simpsons and an NFL game before that.
The second episode dropped like a rock by 25% in the all-important demo. The next two weeks fell a whopping 36% and then another 14% after that — to a 1.8 in the demo with 3.81 million viewers. Had there been more episodes, the numbers likely would have kept falling.
That downward trend likely concerned the FOX execs quite a bit and was likely the deciding factor in the show’s fate.
All six episodes have aired and, according to TVLine, there won’t be any more. The last was broadcast on March 4th.
What do you think? Did you think the Napoleon Dynamite series was worth a season two renewal? Would it have been more popular if it had been created a few years earlier?
Image courtesy FOX.
[…] TV show dates: January 15, 2012 – March 4, 2012 Series status: Cancelled […]
What! I think you guys need to bring it back, it was just as good as the Simpson if not better .
I’m a huge, huge Napoleon Dynamite fan. Some episodes of the series just weren’t funny, but there were others that made me laugh my balls off. I think if it just had more time, it could prove to be a success. I used to love Family Guy, but it’s just so repetitious and crap now. I didn’t watch American Dad and the other shows because they seem to basically copy Family Guy’s sense of humor. I wish Napoleon Dynamite was staying. It’s something different from the rest. I hope another station picks it up.
Some episodes were better than others. The pilot made me laugh my a** off, but the liger episode did not, for instance. The “school paper” did, but the “bed races” didn’t. They just need better stories to fill in the gaps.
enjoyed the show, totally different humor from family guy and american dad which i enjoy also, was hoping for a 2nd series with more episodes..
sort it out fox please
This is unforgivable. Napoleon Dynamite was the bomb. Ever since I saw the film, I thought it was well done and hilarious. I have waited for eight years for Napoleon Dynamite to come back in the spotlight. And the franchise did; the series was amazing.
It brought back great actors to voice the characters. Fox is such a screw-up for cancelling it like Family Guy. Bring it back, Fox! The show is just well done like the movie!
🙁 I really liked this show! Please bring it back! Come on!! American Dad sucks- cancel that! I love Bob’s Burgers, too. Thanks for renewing that, at least. And good call on Allen Gregory- that show sucked. But please please reconsider Napoleon! I thought it was hilarious! You just needed to advertise for it more to the college student demographic! I stumbled upon it by mistake on Hulu- had no idea it aired in January on Fox- and I’m a huge Napoleon film fan! Please give it another chance! Vote for Pedro!
Too bad now the wholesome kids will be left with garbage.
It’s still early. They could still bring it back. Don’t think that this should be the case, if they must cancel and animated show, please cancel Cleveland Show or Bob’s Burgers, those ones suck.
You’re joking, right? Bob’s Burgers is one of the best shows on television today. More inspired than anything on the networks sans Archer.
Napoleon Dynamite was too little, too late. If the show was developed in 2006 or so, maybe people would care.
I loved it. Finally, some good clean humor that the whole family can sit down and watch together without having to worry about crude inuendos and other offensive language. Very unfortuante. I hope another channel picks them up.
fox you got a bunch of morons running your network you have cancelled three good shows already so whats next another stupid reality show
I don’t get it–I LOVED this show! I was hesitant at first, but it just got funnier and funnier. I’m so bummed this is cancelled.
They’ve got to be kidding. This was by far the funniest show on TV, at least since *Arrested Development* went off the air. Last I checked, Napoleon’s ratings were significantly higher than *Family Guy* or *American Dad*, but both of them were inexplicably renewed.
Seriously, Fox, what the heck are you thinking?!
No big loss here. It just wasn’t good.
Are you insane, FOX?!?! First, you’ve cancelled King of the Hill and now you’ve cancelled Napoleon Dynamite!? It should have been on another channel like Comedy Central! BRING IT BACK!! 🙁