In today's column, I review the disappointment that is Fox's "Sit Down, "Shut Up."
Friday, April 17, 2009
'Sit Down, Shut Up' review - Sepinwall on TV
In today's column, I review the disappointment that is Fox's "Sit Down, "Shut Up."
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This review pretty accurately sums up why "Arrested" lost me for most of season 3. The jokes were getting too over the top, and a lot of the subtler (or at least more verbal) jokes were getting displaced by broader ones- Wee Britain and the giant mole are pretty good examples of this. Between season 3 and the apparent disappointment of "Sit Down, Shut Up," I'm wondering whether I even want an "Arrested" movie. I might be happier just watching the first two seasons again.
Alan -- sorry to be off-topic, but I was wondering what the deal was with Fox airing 2 new episodes of "Bones" this week (and another 2 episodes are scheduled for Mon & Thurs next week) -- I still haven't watched the two that aired this week, so I don't know if the schedule is in aid of a multiple-episode arc, but it seems an awful lot like Fox is "burning" these episodes off. Is "Bones" in danger?
Not remotely. Because Obama bumped a few episodes with his primetime press conferences, Fox is doing this to make sure all of this season's episodes air before the official TV season's over. It's done quite well since moving to Thursdays.
Isn't Sit Down, Shut Up an adaptation of a live-action Australian series? I wonder how closely it follows that show. And if maybe the jokes did work better with real actors saying them. Between this and Kath & Kim, I'm glad at least we got the original version of Summer Heights High and not some watered down remake.
It'll be on for years even if it sucks a la FAMILY GUY.
USA Today had a list of shows on each network that are on the bubble. This show was already listed and it hasn't even been on yet.
That's too bad...and wasn't Hurwitz's first sitcom after Arrested Development not even picked up as a series? I think it had something to do with politics.
It sounds like it's not necessarily the animated part but the scattershot approach that's the problem. Arrested Development could make jokes that were very out there, but most episodes had a theme, and of course, the brilliant ways different jokes references each other was one of their claims to fame. Although animated shows tend to be out there since they can show anything they want.
With so many AD alums, though, I'll at least check out the pilot.
Alan, I thought your 'Simpsons'-framed premise was very thoughtful & interesting.
Though I'm sure that Hurwitz had a heavy hand in the pilot, the showrunner is Josh Weinstein... who half-showran 'Simpsons' in its classic-er seasons 7 & 8. He & partner-since-high-school Bill Oakley went on to produce 'Mission Hill', which, though animated, fits into your premise too. The pair hadn't been able to get a pilot off the ground themselves, worked on "The Pitts", and went to work on this to bring their animation-producing experience in for Hurwitz.
[Interestingly - and no one's interviewed either about it - the pair split over a Writer's Guild issue. This animated show was "surreptitiously" produced with writers under an IATSE contract(less $), instead of with/by WGA member-writers, because animated shows aren't necessarily required to do so. But Oakly & Weinstein were brought into the WGA through 'Simpsons', a (proudly) WGA show. The WGA was pissed the show was doing this, but that's how its being done, and Oakley quit over the issue.
Yeah, I know. I just thought it was kinda a neat side-issue.]
Wow. Somehow porn jokes don't seem as funny to me as when I was in 6th grade and we all would snicker at the very thought of even mouthing the word (no pun intended).
This was extremely lame. I hated the first King of The Hill episode, but I saw potential, and it evolved into greatness. I gave SD&SU a chance, I don't see that potential. It also just seemed desperate. Kinda reminded me of how desperate that show with the Geico Cavemen was. I think this one will last just as long, unless they write some quality content. Overall, it was unfunny, idiotic, unwitty, and down right SH*TTY...
I thought; What the hell? I'll give this show a try, I mean I really thought Family Guy was going to be stupid, but after one show of Family Guy, there was enough humor to keep me watching. After trying, and trying to watch this show it proved nothing to me; in fact, instead of wanting to catch the next show to see if it was a fluke, I'd rather poke out my eyes. The jokes in the show seemed to be quick puns told on the set of Arrested Development by camera guy one and overheard by a honcho who thought he would base an entire animated series around. The live action sets is distracting and a bit cheap. The characters, forgive the pun, are two dimensional and rely on their sarcastically unfunny names and porn jokes, to save the show. It won't last... PLEASE GOD DON"T LET IT LAST!
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