Patton Oswalt

Back in the days when cable was just starting to get big, Fox was a pioneer in alternative programming. ‘Married With Children’ was a huge deal. ‘The Simpsons’ became a cultural phenomenon. Fox was totally on top of things… Until they started cancelling shows like ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Firefly’, and ‘Family Guy’, causing fans to lose favor with the network.

These days, Fox isn’t known for much except for ‘The Simpsons’, which is apparently still going, that block of Seth MacFarlane animated series that’s all really similar, and shows that involve singing (Glee, American Idol, and The X Factor). But that doesn’t mean that they’ve stopped trying to put out game-changing shows.

Fox announced that, despite poor showings of their recent animated projects, they’re moving forward with an animated superhero comedy from disgruntled former nerd and stand up comedian/actor Patton Oswalt and ‘American Dad’ co-creator Mike Barker called ‘Working Class Hero’. The show is set in a world where superheroes are low paid government agents and centers on a dad, played by Oswalt, whose powers aren’t up to par with his super co-workers or his demanding family.

Amidst the sea of so-so animated comedies on Fox, this new one stands out to me, not just because Oswalt is awesome, but because the concept sounds interesting. Maybe Oswalt’s award worthy acting from films such as ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Big Fan’, and ‘Young Adult’ will translate into this medium and the show will be a hit. Of course, I’m saying this having not seen anything from the show yet, so who really knows? We’ll see what happens when Fox reveals more on this project.