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.
This was a pretty decent series in my opinion. It just goes to show that alot of people do NOT know how to appreciate a good TV series.
If they actually showed people in other countries apart from America when it first airs, then they’d get more ratings. I don’t get why people think it’s a bad idea to bring the movie back in a tv series, if you liked the movie so much then why are you complaining about it being continued? Why is FOX trying so hard to impress the people who give negative feedback when there’s plenty of viewers who will gladly watch every single episode over and over because it’s the kind of show you can’t get sick of. So stop whinging about it,… Read more »
Bring it back.
Truly dissapointed in fox for their desicion to cancel Napoleon Dynamite, and after only one season. Wasn’t the start I expected but the show deffinelty had potential, Jon Heder would have created a show on a level with futurama or even (going out on a limb here) South Park. But hey maybe it’s not a bad thing and Jon can work on his next masterpiece. When one door closes another one opens. Good luck Jon and thumbs down Fox, you’ll regret this!
This is lame. Napoleon Dynamite was my favorite new show and now I learn it is gone after just six episodes. Bad choice Fox. Jon Heder and Jared Hess are comedy geniuses. Those first six episodes of the Office weren’t that great, but the second season was amazing and the show still continues strong 8 years later. napoleon could have been the same way if given the chance. Hopefully Cartoon Network will pick it up and give it new life like they did with Futurama.
I’m very dissppointed. I liked this cartoon very much. I was waiting so much for next season and just now i know it’s canceled.
I’m very angry of this stupid decision !!!
hello. i never wached a movie, but tv series was great (for few years in animated tv shows). i put it in one level with south park, futurama, bob’s burgers, unsupervised, agent archer.
thanks a lot for creators and fox – *** jorself, gready animals.
ps. sry for my english.
There is a new kind of weezle in the back office and 30 rock, “the office”, simply cannot do these dufus’s justice, they “ari gold” themselves around but ari they are not, they are bogus self important weezles that are conspiring mediocraty as their manipulative forte barfing down the public’s throats, most of them that make such decisions are not just un american, they are foreigners at hart quick to call anyone that disagrees with them racists or whatever else they can to fuel the hate that they have within them I hate these scums with a passion and its… Read more »
dude that show was classic. I tuned in every week, even watched the reruns. you need a sense of humor to get it, of course the movie was better but the show deffinitely had potential to go some where. how can you not find that hilarious?
that show was so funny i alone watched the guts out of the movie you suck fox ”GOSH”
come on that show friggin hilarious. people need to get a better sense of humor. how could u not find that show entertaining? i tuned in every week, even watched the reruns!
I loved the cartoon, RIP 🙁
Never give up on Napoleon Dynamite. Never forget about this show! Maybe it will pull a Futurama and come back! Fox did not deserve a great show like this, and maybe Comedy Central will pick it up. Write to Comedy Central, or other networks that show animated shows, and maybe with enough letters they will do it! Just pray that Fox will pick it up, or Comedy Central.
what??? that was the most awesome cartoon ever. I’m soooooo mad
It didn’t deserve a pilot. Let alone a pilot made over half a decade later. LET ALONE an entire goddamn series. Seriously, I liked the movie, but the cartoon just pissed on all of the charm of the movie, and far, far too late to be relevant.
Sign the petition to renew Napoleon Dynamite for a second season!
http://www.change.org/petitions/fox-renew-napoleon-dynamite-for-a-second-season