10 TV Shows That Led To Other TV Shows Being Cancelled (And Why)

2. Napoleon Dynamite Was Cancelled To Pay For Bob’s Burgers

Eight years after the cult comedy Napoleon Dynamite proved a huge sleeper hit in the US, filling cineplexes throughout the summer of 2004, Fox opted to develop an animated sitcom based on Jared Hess’ strange flick with much of the original central cast returning to reprise their roles.

The network was home to the Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show at the time so another adult animated comedy seemed like a sure bet, but the series only made it to a mere half dozen episodes before getting the chop.

It was a pretty brutal blow justified by Fox deciding to focus on promoting the H Jon Benjamin-starring series Bob’s Burgers, then entering its third season, instead—a gamble which paid off, with the series currently entering its tenth season.

However lest anyone feel bad for Napoleon’s eponymous series, it’s worth noting that the show was only developed as a midseason replacement for the cancelled Jonah Hill vehicle Allen Gregory, animated by Bento Box Entertainment—the studio behind Bob’s Burgers.