Parents' Guide to

Sit Down, Shut Up

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Colorful 'toon aims crude humor at consenting adults.

TV Fox Comedy 2009
Sit Down, Shut Up Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Antonio Contreras
Antonio Contreras Adult
June 2, 2009
age 15+

It was cancelled already

This show has been cancelled, so it doesn't matter how bad it was
ilikemusik23
ilikemusik23 Adult
May 1, 2009
age 16+

Hit and Miss

Its an alright show, but i think adults will find it a lot funnier than kids will since more of the jokes are directed at adults. On the other hand the show is a hit and miss because some of the jokes are pretty funny but it just seems like all the plots to the episodes have been done either in a movie or some other t.v. show. I might watch it once in a while, but it really isnt anything that great... I'd rather watch King Of The Hill
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Setting animated characters against a backdrop of live-action scenery, SIT DOWN, SHUT UP follows the antics of the faculty and staff at Knob Haven High School, a place where students "always come second." The mixed bag of dysfunctional educators includes everyman gym teacher Larry Littlejunk (Jason Bateman), body-conscious English instructor Ennis Hofftard (Will Arnett), Creationist science teacher Miracle Grohe (Kristin Chenoweth), put-upon German instructor Willard Deutschebog (Henry Winkler), and bisexual drama teacher Andrew Legustambos (Nick Kroll). The show is based on a popular live-action Australian series by the same name.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (10 ):

Fans of the now-canceled comedy classic Arrested Development will really want to like this cheeky Fox cartoon dreamed up by Arrested Development writer Mitchell Hurwitz and producers Eric and Kim Tannenbaum of Two and a Half Men. But for some reason, the jokes in Sit Down, Shut Up just don't play out with the same freewheeling hilarity that Hurwitz probably intended.

Yes, we get that even the characters' names are jokes in themselves -- Larry Littlejunk is pretty obvious, Andrew Legustambos (a play on the Spanish words for "he likes both"), less so. But maybe Sit Down, Shut Up falls flat because it relies too much on sophomoric body-part puns instead of the smart comedy viewers were expecting. With all the potential of that wasted voice talent, it's a definite disappointment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about humor that pushes the envelope when it comes to social mores and political correctness. Is it ever useful? Why or why not? Is it possible for something to be funny and offensive at the same time? Parents and kids can also talk about whether audiences would perceive this show any differently if it featured live actors instead of animated characters. Can animated comedy series like this one get away with more when it comes to crude humor because they seem less like real life than live-action?

TV Details

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