'Sit Down, Shut Up' loses showrunner

Showrunner Bill Oakley has departed Sit Down, Shut Up, Fox's new animation series, over a contract dispute.

The majority of the other writers, including co-runner Josh Weinstein, have agreed to stay with the show despite producer Sony Pictures refusing to make it under Writers Guild of America terms.

Work stopped on the show, which is scheduled to air next year, when the dispute came to the fore last month.

The writers who have now returned published a statement explaining their decision. "This contract is a compromise, an improvement over the standard terms we were initially offered, but not full WGA coverage," they said. "Reaching a deal will allow this programme to move forward, providing jobs for many writers, animators, actors and production staff."