Fox has ordered its first new animated series in 2 years, from Jason Ruiz and former Family Guy executive producer and co-showrunner David Goodman. Murder Police has earned a 13-episode first season order from the network that is home to history’s longest running primetime animated series, The Simpsons.
Murder Police is about a police detective who is dedicated to his job but not particularly good at it, trying to solve major crimes with his partner in a precinct described as twisted. Goodman and Ruiz are both creators and writers for the project, which was first picked up as a presentation. Fox’s last two animated series pickups were not successful; Napoleon Dynamite, based on the cult hit film, and Allen Gregory from Superbad star Jonah Hill. Those series had 6 and 7 episodes respectively before being dropped. Both were introduced around the time Fox said goodbye to long-running animated hit King of the Hill (which ended a 13-season run in 2010), but obviously neither proved to be a good replacement.
Fox has come to be known as the network home for edgy animated series, many of which have been very successful. Currently airing and expected to return next season are The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and Bob’s Burgers. Fox’s other animated series, Family Guy spinoff The Cleveland Show has an uncertain future at the moment, according to Deadline. With several of the current series showing their age Fox has been looking for something fresh to add to the animated comedy block. It’s hard to say from the brief description whether there’s hope for this one.
