Napoleon Dynamite

Napoleon Dynamite is an American animated sitcom created by Jared and Jerusha Hess for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is based on the 2004 indie film of the same name, which both Hesses directed and co-wrote. Mike Scully helped develop the series. Set in the small town of Preston, Idaho, it follows the adventures of the titular 16-year-old boy, who thinks he is skilled at everything. The series received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, with the slow pacing and humor receiving criticism, though the reception to its faithfulness to the source material received slightly more positive reaction. The premiere episode had a Nielsen rating of 9.5 million viewers, but the ratings later dropped and the last four episodes averaged only 4 million viewers. The series ranked sixth in viewership among teenagers. The series aired on Fox's Animation Domination lineup from January 15 to March 4, 2012, before it was cancelled. History Married couple Jared and Jerusha Hess were co-writers and directors of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite, and had wanted to do an animated version since the film's release. They thought animation was the best way to continue the world of Napoleon Dynamite as the original actors had grown too old to play teenage characters. Following the film's success, Fox Searchlight Pictures wanted a sequel, but the Hesses delayed due to commitments to other projects and fear that audiences would tire of the Napoleon Dynamite characters. Development of the series began in 2009 when Jared Hess met with writer-producer Mike Scully to propose an animated version of the film to him. Scully stated that "Napoleon Dynamite as an animated series made "perfect sense" to him, and the two presented a nine-minute pilot episode to Fox in 2010. That May, Fox officially confirmed that an animated series with the original cast was in development with close involvement from the Hesses. Fox placed an order for six episodes as a trial run, and in July 2011 ordered seven additional scripts to be put into production if the series was renewed for a second season. The show was overseen by the Hesses and Scully.