OT - Sit Down, Shut Up

[cbrubaker]

FOX is premiering its new animated series, Sit Down, Shut Up, tonight, after the Simpsons. Who's watching?

I'll take a peek. Hopefully it's at least decent.

I don't know how long the show will last, though. It was originally pitched as a live-action sitcom, but that got shot down, so the creator changed it to animation and FOX expressed interest.

Mo Willems, who did a short-lived Sheep in the Big City, did the character designs for the show.

[nickramer]

FOX is premiering its new animated series, Sit Down, Shut Up, tonight, after the Simpsons. Who's watching?

I'll take a peek. Hopefully it's at least decent.

I don't know how long the show will last, though. It was originally pitched as a live-action sitcom, but that got shot down, so the creator changed it to animation and FOX expressed interest.

Mo Willems, who did a short-lived Sheep in the Big City, did the character designs for the show.
I thought Mr. Willems was somewhat involved with the show. I knew he wasn't going to direct the show since he's more focused on doing kids books.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

The character designs are ugly. They remind me of the ABC/Fox 90's animated sitcom The Critic.

[Leviathan]

They remind me more of Mission Hill and The Oblongs than the critic. No aesthetic appeal to speak of.

This show is not going to last more than one season. All signs point to that.

[cbrubaker]

I've noticed complaints about the art style in the show.

Am I the only one who has no problem with it? It's not the best design in the world, but it's far from the worst. It's more appealing than, uh, that show about a family with a talking dog and an evil baby who makes pop culture references all the time (see? I avoided mentioning the name)

[Mr. Semaj]

I'm willing to give this a chance, if only so we won't have to deal with THREE Seth MacFarlane shows next season. (Then all he'll have left is the Simpsons veteran before his armada is complete. :()

[jonmayo15]

It seems to have live-action backgrounds, there have been worse designed characters. I'll watch it and the Simpsons tonight. I wish King of The Hill wasn't getting cancelled. I seriously hate Family Guy, but am a fan of American Dad. How does that work?

[dandu]

Well, it is interesting. The humor is a little stale, but I am sure this show has a little potential. Sometimes the pilot doesn't reflect the rest of the series. This series reminds me of how much I miss the PJs....

[mailman641]

I agree with dandu about how a pilot doesnt always reflect the rest of the series. That said I wasn't too impressed with it but I'll give it a 2nd chance if it doesn't get canceled before next week.

[Steve Siegert]

Hopefully the pilot isn't an indication of what to expect for the next few episodes. 15 minutes into the show, I was just waiting for it to be over. Not once did I laugh. I have a feeling this show might get canceled before this season even finishes its run.

[Bugsy-Kun]

I just watched 2 or 3 minutes of this new show. Not bad but enough average like show. The characters designs is pretty murky at my opinion. and the ideas of mixed live-action and cartoons is not the century's idea.

[cbrubaker]

I thought it was okay. I liked the winking scene, one of the characters wanting a flashback of the hippy teacher stripping herself to prove that evolution is wrong, as well as one of the character's catch-phrase literally being "I need a catchphrase".

It wasn't great, but I liked it enough to look out for the next episode.

[Leviathan]

The difference is, there's a very basic aesthetic appeal to Family Guy's art style, even if it is simplistic. There's none of that in Sit Down, Shut Up's style. It looks too much like a UPN/WB cartoon that would be canceled halfway through its only season.

[AnthroCoon]

I do like the idea of cartoon characters in real life backgrounds. The show wasn't too funny, though I did like a couple moments like when they break the fourth wall ("We
HAVE to win! This is the (series) pilot!") Family Guy, which ran afterwards, was
better (incl. the song "Everybody Needs A Bag of Weed"). Sit Down...is set to
run five episodes, I think.

[AnthroCoon]

>>see? I avoided mentioning the name)

Though Peter Griffin took delight in pointing out he loves when movies, etc. say the name of the movie IN the movie--and a cop who arrests Brian for pot possession
says he wants no drugs in his community: "You see, I'm a real FAMILY GUY..."

One character did kind of remind me of young Grant (I think that was his name),
son of ..."The Critic".

I might watch Cleveland when it premieres; never did quite get into American Dad
(Seth rehashing his Carter Pewterschmidt voice , kinda, for Stan)

[The Silver Fox]

seen ths show, this will end up like Sheep in the big city.
In fact some of the designs remind me of that short live
series. (IMO one of CN worst shows, next to Eds and Cow )..

I give this new show 1/2 a season, as the Critic/Capital Critters lasted
on the networks.

I am Hoping that The Simpsons will end this coming season, cause its time
has come to bow out and end on a high note. I wish that Fox would see this and deside its time has come, I feel 2010 should be there end.

[cbrubaker]

seen ths show, this will end up like Sheep in the big city.
In fact some of the designs remind me of that short live
series.
Read my first post.

[wiley207]

I only saw clips on YouTube, mainly because I am a fan of Mo Willems (especially "The Off-Beats" segments from Nick's "KaBlam!") Was Curious Pictures responsible for the animation of this show?

BTW, here's a somewhat funny story; a friend of mine told me he knows someone, once he was in some kind of public building (I think it was a hospital) and they had a TV on in the waiting room with the volume cranked up high, a promo for this show came on, and since it had a school bell ringing loudly, he actually thought it was the fire alarm going off and prepared to evacuate the building! :eek:

I also do have the feeling this show may not last long either. Especially ones that take place in schools and have commercials that make people think it's the fire alarm system in the building they're in!

[cbrubaker]

Was Curious Pictures responsible for the animation of this show?
The animation's handled by Rough Draft, headed by Gregg Vanzo.

[Gasmask Ted]

Jay Sherman's son in the Critic was Marty. Grant was Pete Shumacher's kid in It's Garry Shandling's Show. They looked like more or less the same kid tho (except for the one being animated).

[AnthroCoon]

Oh OK! That's who I was thinking of w/ re: the name.

[jonmayo15]

I wasn't impressed with this show, but I will watch next week to see if it improves. I tried to watch Family Guy after, but was disgusted when I saw the cat killed and shut it off.

[The "Chase"]

I wasn't impressed with this show, but I will watch next week to see if it improves. I tried to watch Family Guy after, but was disgusted when I saw the cat killed and shut it off.

Eh, you missed some funny gags and a musical number. You didn't really missed that much, unless you want to hear Brain "preaching" (oh, and something about his book) again...

Oh, and my opinion on "Sit Down, Shut Up"?

Meh.

I'll give it a couple a more episodes on whenever or not I should become a fan or not.

[looneytooney]

Only tuned in to the last 5 minutes of the show. Did not impress me at all. Not once did I laugh. I loved Family Guy and American Dad! last night, though.

[AnthroCoon]

Yeah, they do things like that at FG to show that the Griffins are dysfunctional, etc. I also wasn't too pleased that in the same episode he was introduced, "New Brian"
was killed off (he was friendly, helpful, and courteous...and a competitor to old
Brian, thus he had to go.) But usually I like FG

[cbrubaker]

I have to laugh at how so many people thinks the show's done in Flash.

Just so we're clear, this series is hand-drawn. Doesn't use Flash or tweening or anything.

[Mr. Semaj]

Yeah, they do things like that at FG to show that the Griffins are dysfunctional, etc. I also wasn't too pleased that in the same episode he was introduced, "New Brian"
was killed off (he was friendly, helpful, and courteous...and a competitor to old
Brian, thus he had to go.) But usually I like FG

Not that "New Brian" was that interesting of a character (he was clearly conceived as a one-timer), but FG has had pretty crappy characterizations lately.

Almost every recent episode begins with Peter, Joe, Cleveland, and Quagmire in some random activity. The one that pissed me off the most was in the OJ Simpson one where they were acting like teenagers while forgetting to babysit Stewie. Something that could've been more appropriate for Meg or Chris, two characters the writers hardly pay attention to is instead wasted on men in their 40's.

Incidentally, Sit Down, Shut Up's premiere turned out slightly better than the new Family Guy episode.

[aalong64]

I have to laugh at how so many people thinks the show's done in Flash.

Just so we're clear, this series is hand-drawn. Doesn't use Flash or tweening or anything.

I think it's because of the character designs. They REALLY look like they were designed to be, and actually were, broken up into symbols so that they could tweened in Flash. Apparently they weren't, which begs the question "why do they look so bad then?". There are a couple of exceptions, such as Miracle, who doesn't really look like she fits in with the rest of the cast in my opinion (I think she looks better because she doesn't look so Flash-y). She actually looks like an intentionally stylized character rather than one that just uses a half-flat look out of convenience. I don't think I've ever seen a show that looks anything like this in terms of character design, that wasn't done in Flash. I thought it was when I saw stills from it, but in motion it's pretty clear that it isn't Flash. Or at least if it is, it's animated better than usual.

[The "Chase"]

Anyone seeing this week's episode?

I will get the episode credit, the jokes are getting better. And Miracle is slowly becoming my favorite character (and it's not because she's hot)...

[mailman641]

the local fox station here broke in with severe weather updates right after the simpsons and right before family guy. They just broke in again during a commercial break probably so as not to interrupt family guy too much.

I saw most of it and it was better than last week, I'll keep watching it. Maybe I'll start to like it. I remember when "Don't Forget The Lyrics" first came out and I thought that wouldn't last over a month.

[jonmayo15]

And Miracle is slowly becoming my favorite character (and it's not because she's hot)...Sure it isn't Chase.;)
I saw this week's episode. I really liked it. Much more focus than last week's pilot. It actually kept me entertained.

[aalong64]

Anyone seeing this week's episode?

I will get the episode credit, the jokes are getting better. And Miracle is slowly becoming my favorite character (and it's not because she's hot)...
Yeah, I agree, about the show being better this week and about Miracle. I still don't really think it's that great, but it was definitely a step up from last week.