The biggest issue with Napoleon Dynamite is that it came about seven years too late. Had this television show been made a year or two after the surprise cult hit, that would have been one thing. To release it years after the movie has faded into irrelevancy...well, why bother releasing it at all? The television version was an animated sitcom from Fox, and it received mixed reviews, particularly regarding how well the material translated. The medium of animation seems at odds with the way the film was made -- in the movie, half of the humor comes from odd little details and exchanges in the background, which might feel contrived when they're literally drawn out for us. Scheduling has to take some of the blame as well, though. The show was never on a consistent schedule, being frequently moved around due to sporting events and award shows. Despite containing all of the main cast from the film, the show never really got off the ground, and Fox was forced to cancel it after a run of six episodes.