‘Vote for Pedro’ in new animated series based on cult classic film

“Napoleon Dynamite,” the 2004 comedy following the misadventures of two socially awkward teenagers in small-town Idaho, made its small-screen debut on Fox last Sunday as an animated series of the same name.

The show retains the original cast of the film, including Jon Heder as the show’s bespectacled title character and Efren Ramirez as Napoleon’s best friend Pedro­­. The series airs between popular series “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” as part of the network’s weekly animation lineup.

According to executive producer Mike Scully, director Jared Hess chose to adapt Napoleon Dynamite as a television series to avoid the “diminishing returns” that often face traditional sequels.

“Napoleon Dynamite” earned a cult following for its quotable script and offbeat encounters. But the show intends to reach a more general audience, including those unfamiliar with the plot and characters of the original film.

“We wanted it to be a show that stands on its own, for people who’ve never seen the film or even for people who’ve seen the film and for whatever reason didn’t care for it,” Scully said.

The show also differs from the original Napoleon Dynamite in its writing style, opting for fast-paced jokes over the film’s signature pause-heavy dialogue and deliberate pacing. “When you work on an animated TV show, the timing is different, because you really have a clock of 22 minutes,” Ramirez explained. “So in those 22 minutes, things need to be happening.”

Scully said that animation’s ability “to do things you can’t do in live action, like dream sequences and flashbacks and thought bubbles,” prompted the switch.

For old fans, the series also expands on the movie’s original setting and characters. “It’s still set in the small town in Idaho, but you get to see more of the town and more of the characters living in the town,” Scully said. “You get to see not only Napoleon Dynamite, but also the relationship between Kip and Grandma, where Uncle Rico really comes from, Rex, and some new characters that evolve.”

After settling on the new style, Hess contacted the movie’s entire original cast, all of whom agreed to join the project.

“As an actor, I’ve worked on so many different sets,” Ramirez said. “Napoleon Dynamite was one of the sets where I became a family member and they became a family to me.”

But classic characters and fresh humor aside, Scully had a simple argument for why the show should appeal to everyone. “It’s funny!”