Preview Fox's Two New Animated Shows: 'Napoleon Dynamite' and 'Allen Gregory'
by Andy Neuenschwander
"Napoleon Dynamite" and "Allen Gregory" aim to add to Fox's already-strong lineup of animated shows with an even more impressive lineup of voice talent. So far, new animated shows on Fox have done fairly well, with all five of the ones mentioned above being renewed for another season, including the freshman "Bob's Burgers." Will these two fare the same?
"Napoleon Dynamite" is just what you'd expect: an animated adaptation of the mega-popular movie. It even features the original cast with, it would seem, just about all the characters from the movie making a reappearance. It's an odd move from Fox: not only is "Napoleon Dynamite" quite a few years old (the movie came out in 2004), but it's a movie that has been so often quoted, it almost got old after just one run through theaters.
I also have to question the ability of an animated show to pull off the humor of the movie. Much of it came from the way the movie was put together: the lonely long shots, the silences, the complete awkwardness of it all. From the preview, it looks like the cartoon lacks that magic. "Napoleon Dynamite" will premiere mid-season.
"Allen Gregory" looks a little more promising: it's a show starring Jonah Hill as a young boy about to start elementary school. But he's no ordinary boy, he's a refined, mature genius. But that won't help him deal with the difficulties of school, especially when he can't drink his pinot grigio.
From the preview, Hill sounds like he's going to do a phenomenal job with the voice performance, and he's backed up by some great names (Will Forte and French Stewart, to name a couple). "Allen Gregory" will premiere in the fall.
Check out the two previews from Fox's upfront presentation below: