Fox’s new show Sit Down, Shut Up has everything. It features the voices of several notable actors and comedians. It was created, written and produced by a comedic mastermind. It was set to air at an ideal time between The Simpson’s and Family Guy. However, when viewers sat down to watch the show’s first episode, instead of seeing the next hit animated comedy, most of them were greatly disappointed.
Sit Down, Shut Up is about the bizarre problems teachers face at the dysfunctional Knob Haven High School. While school as a comedy subject is potentially hilarious, it seemed as though for the pilot, writer Mitchell Hurwitz (Arrested Development) attempted to throw as many mediocre jokes at the audience as possible.
The plot was immature, and the characters’ names are cheesy (the principal’s name is Sue Sezno). The show had flashbacks that seemed like blatant copies of Family Guy. The humor appealed to a very small demographic. The show appeared to have been heading nowhere.
However, since the pilot, each episode has been better than the one before it, and despite poor beginning, Sit Down, Shut Up has vastly improved from a crude, vulgar comedy to a clever, well-written show.
The show mainly focuses on gym teacher Larry Littlejunk’s (Jason Bateman, Hancock) desperate attempts to woo science teacher Miracle Grohe (Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies). Larry’s feelings towards Miracle constantly shift between love and hate. While being attracted to Miracle’s good looks, Larry often tries to correct her views on evolution, frequently leaving her upset. Naturally, this creates many awkward yet funny situations.
Sit Down, Shut Up also presents a new twist on the animated comedy. Rather than an animated background, the animated characters are shot in front of live-action photos of real life schools. This gives the show a distinct characteristic to separate it from the rest of Fox’s Animation Domination lineup.
Like many of Hurwitz’s past shows, Sit Down, Shut Up has many subtle jokes that initially go unnoticed by viewers. For example, in the teacher’s lounge, there are several humorous posters in the background showing raunchy school plays, misguided child care methods and advertisements of the school’s mediocrity.
Other jokes are much more obvious, yet just as funny. For example, despite the fact that she is a science teacher, Miracle is a diehard creationist who believes in prophecies and miracles rather than evolution.
Sit Down, Shut Up got off to a poor start but is slowly becoming as good if not better than the rest of Fox’s Animation Domination lineup. It is unfair to judge a show based on its first couple of episodes so give it a few more weeks and Sit Down, Shut Up will likely live up to its high expectations. The challenge will be surviving the fan drop off from such a disappointing pilot.
