FUTURE ON FOX

Arnett: Surprisingly breast-y.
Bateman: Like a little, little child who doesn’t know anything about anything.

Mitch Hurwitz and some of the cast (including Will Arnett and Henry Winkler) were at WonderCon to talk Sit Down, Shut Up .

“I am the only actor in the world who has jumped the shark twice!” said Winkler. “Once because of ‘Happy Days’ and once because of Mitch Hurwitz.”

and

48-minute podcast!
“Are you sure you don’t have a browser open right now with Facebook?”

Perhaps this is to make up for Arrested. Perhaps it’s because his mind is filled with so many ideas. Whatever the reason, I’m just glad we’re on the receiving end of TWO MORE shows from Mitch Hurwitz and Maeby’s Tantamount.

So while we wait for the animation wizards to take their sweet time drawing the characters of Sit Down, Shut Up for a spring premiere, Mitch has provided us impatient ones with some live-action comedy goodness that may take less time to get onto the Fox airwaves:

UNTITLED D.A.R.P.A.
Hurwitz is producing an untitled pilot based on one of his own ideas. Writer Jeff Rake describes it as “a one-hour, high-octane action dramedy.”

Inspired by the government’s real-life Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, it centers on, according to Rake, “a Pentagon-based inventor who decided he couldn’t live another day standing on the sidelines while Rome burns and accordingly set out put his inventions to very real use, behind the back of friends, family and the entire U.S. government.”

It will be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (y’know, the guys who won the Emmy for directing Arrested?).

AB FAB
Hurwitz is also producing an American remake of the beloved British comedy Absolutely Fabulous.

Christine Zander is writing it, and one of the exec producers will be the original’s comedic mastermind (as well as the original Edina Monsoon herself), Jennifer Saunders.

Although this one will be set in Los Angeles, it will still have the same concept of two substance-abusing fashion and fad-obsessed 40-something best friends desperate to stay hip and youthful while they hide their exploits from the dour and disapproving eye of Edina’s teenage daughter, Saffy.

I have actually witnessed something similar to this Ab Fab scene on the streets of L.A., so maybe this remake is right on the money…:

Our hard-working cast and crews are busy today.  Here’s just a mere sampling of what is going on Tuesday, August 5th in the FOX world:

• Joss Whedon is directing Dollhouse on location in a hangar.
• The Virtuality first episode is humming along. Right now, they’re in an “airlock” set.
• Practically the entire cast of Prison Break is in scenes today.
• 24 is filming in the White House set.
• Terminator is on location at a house standing in for the Connors’.
• Do Not Disturb is taping on the lot.
• Sit Down, Shut Up has a table read with its very funny cast.

We’re churning out quality television for you lovely people!

The Hurwitz ass-kissing continues. And we are not ashamed.

Get a load of the best cast assembled in a comedy. Ever.

Do we have to wait for Spring 2009?

“…Beads!?”

So. FOX Upfronts. By now you’ve probably heard that we’ve got a few tiny shows by some little known TV show creators. Some guy named Ahems and some dude named Whesdon? Wheredon? Whedon?

Aaah, you know who I’m talking about. J.J. “Entertainment Thunder” Abrams and Joss “Entertainment Lightning” Whedon. When the gates opened after our Upfronts on Thursday afternoon, the internet went cray-zay. Crazy to the point of breach of contract.

First, let’s not overlook the FOX line-ups for 2008 and 2009. We’re bringing you nine new shows, and several of them from the best minds in the industry (read: Seth MacFarlane’s The Cleveland Show, and Mitch Hurwitz’s Sit Down Shut Up). Take a look at our 2008/09 Upfronts page to see trailers for the new shows and see which of your favorite shows are coming back.

“Bees!”

Fringe and Dollhouse are going to be amazing. I’ve never seen so many fansites light up so quickly once the news and details of these two shows arrived. Video clips for both shows are out in the webiverse now, so go get yourself some Thunder and Lighting pie and tell us what you think.

And then add that our network captain, Peter Liguori, wants to give you Dollhouse and Fringe with FEWER commercials.

There’s so much to say, and so much more to come. I don’t want to burn you out just yet.

“…I don’t think G.O.B.’s on board…”

One of the production companies responsible for “Sit Down, Shut Up” is called Tantamount, which is actually Mitch Hurwitz’s.

You may also remember that name from Arrested — Tantamount Studios was where Maeby Fünke served as the “third youngest movie executive in Hollywood.”

Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein are the new showrunners on Sit Down, Shut Up. They are the guys who wrote some of the greatest Simpsons episodes, like Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy, $pringfield, and Who Shot Mr. Burns Part One and Two.

“Mitch (Hurwitz) wants to be in more of a supervisory role, like Ron Howard on ‘Arrested,’ ” Oakley said in Variety.

Sit Down is “extremely character based, like ‘Arrested Development,’ and has different rhythms than other animated shows like ‘The Simpsons’ or ‘King of the Hill,’” Oakley said.

Mo Willems, who created Cartoon Network’s “Sheep in the Big City,” is handling animation on the show.

It’s a normal day at FOX when someone quotes a line from Arrested Development. So it wasn’t surprising to learn we were developing another show with its mastermind, Mitch Hurwitz. What was surprising is that his latest concept would be animated.

“Sit Down, Shut Up” is based on the live-action Australian series that centers on staff members at a high school who are preoccupied only with themselves. This means that the students come second.

Hurwitz is now blessing all AD fans by casting some well known voices to the new show — Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler.

They join the voice cast of Cheri Oteri, Will Forte, Regina King, Nick Kroll, Tom Kenny and Maria Bamford. (Look up all their credits cause you know them…)

We couldn’t find any clips of the original Australian show on youtube. But if for some reason you can’t remember what Michael Bluth, GOB Bluth and Barry Zuckerkorn sound like, do yourself a favor and watch full episodes or clips of Arrested.