• Variety, Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:45 AM

Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein of "Simpsons" fame will executive produce a new Fox animated comedy called "Sit Down, Shut Up." As part of the deal, the duo also got a blind script commitment at Sony Pictures Television, which is behind the show. Their arrival is a signal that a series order is in the offing; Fox has yet to decide on the show's fate and still hasn't confirmed a pickup.

"Sit Down, Shut Up," which was initially set up by "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz, a big draw for Oakley, who says "to run Mitch's show [is] a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It all worked out -- Mitch wants to be in more of a supervisory role, like Ron Howard on "Arrested."

" The show is based on a Australian live action sitcom and the U.S. version focuses on the lives of staff members at a dysfunctional high school in a small town. "It's extremely character-based ... and has different rhythms than other animated shows, like "The Simpsons" or "King of the Hill," Oakley says.

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