FOX in Summer '05 = Family Guy

[tristy]

'Family Guy' Returns Next Summer to FOX

(Thursday, May 20 10:30 AM)

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - In its three seasons on FOX, the animated comedy "Family Guy" danced around the network's schedules like a ballerina on methamphetamines. The show occupied three different Tuesday time slots, three periods on Thursday, two half-hours on Wednesday and one niche on Sundays. Either the show was incapable of finding an audience because it kept switching times, or it kept switching times because it couldn't find an audience. Either way, except for a dedicated, but miniscule following, nobody was watching "Family Guy."

After a popular DVD release and a successful late night run on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block, FOX thinks "Family Guy" is ready for primetime again. Seth MacFarlane's dysfunctional animated family will return to FOX's schedules in the summer of 2005 with all new episodes.

"When I first joined the network my first order of business was ordering more episodes of 'Family Guy,'" says FOX Entertainment President Gail Berman. "I believe this show was way ahead of its time. It's now a huge DVD hit and we believe that 'Family Guy' has a ready-made fan base eager for its return."

"Family Guy" will return next summer with all of its vocal talent intact. MacFarlane will return as the voices of lumpy everyman Peter Griffin, homicidal baby Stewie and family dog Brian. Alex Bornstein returns as long-suffering wife Lois Griffin and Mila Kunis and Seth Green will be back as children Meg and Chris Griffin.

FOX's return to Quahog, Rhode Island is only part of the network's MacFarlane renaissance. His new animated series, "American Dad," launches as part of FOX's January 2005 schedule, following "Arrested Development" on Sunday nights at 9:30.

"American Dad" will get a high profile preview following a special episode of "The Simpsons," which will take the coveted post-Super Bowl slot on Sunday, Feb. 6.

MacFarlane lends his vocal talents to the new series as well, voicing Stan Smith, a CIA agent constantly on the lookout for terrorist activities. The Smith family also includes Roger (also MacFarlane) a space alien from Area 51 and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), a German speaking goldfish.

[MalaCloudy Black]

It was posted on EWBIII & II, IIRC, but it's still great news. I hope "American Dad" is worth watching.

[Guest bruins72]

I saw something on American Dad. It looked like Family Guy but with some of the characters switched around. An alien instead of Stewie. A talking goldfish instead of Brian. The dad almost looked like Peter's friend, the cop in the wheelchair. Of course I'll still watch it because it will be hysterical.

[ACCBiggz]

Yeah, most everyone knows already, and I believe GGWAB put this in the TV listings for next season.

[Ananas]

"When I first joined the network my first order of business was ordering more episodes of 'Family Guy,'" says FOX Entertainment President Gail Berman. "I believe this show was way ahead of its time. It's now a huge DVD hit and we believe that 'Family Guy' has a ready-made fan base eager for its return."

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Gail Berman has to be the best thing to ever happen to FOX. She just took over last year and already FOX is finally beginning to show some loyalty to non-Sunday night shows. She moved "The O.C." to Thursdays, but with the promise that if the show struggles on the night she'll find a less challenging slot for it. Best of all, her delaying 24 until January allows the show to run in 21 back to back weeks (3 of the episodes this season will be two hours long each) without reruns. It should be awesome for the ratings. After this season, and with it's look into next season, FOX is probably the most improved network of all, and Family Guy is just the icing on the cake.

[Guest bruins72]

Gail Berman has to be the best thing to ever happen to FOX. She just took over last year and already FOX is finally beginning to show some loyalty to non-Sunday night shows. She moved "The O.C." to Thursdays, but with the promise that if the show struggles on the night she'll find a less challenging slot for it. Best of all, her delaying 24 until January allows the show to run in 21 back to back weeks (3 of the episodes this season will be two hours long each) without reruns. It should be awesome for the ratings. After this season, and with it's look into next season, FOX is probably the most improved network of all, and Family Guy is just the icing on the cake.

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Now if she could just find a way to bring Firefly back.

[thatshortguy]

Now if she could just find a way to bring Firefly back.

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Or Greg The Bunny...or Howard's Head...but alas, those are but pipe dreams.

Remember when Family Guy received similar post-Super Bowl treatment? My point is that the similarities between "Dad" and FG are a bit more than I'd like, but as previously stated, Seth's brand of humor is top-notch, so count me in as a viewer.

Btw, Cartoon Network also has the rights to the new Family Guy, so if you can't catch it on FOX, just check over on Adult Swim =)

[Fitzy]

Or Greg The Bunny

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Greg the Bunny was really funny. I hated to see that go. Tardy the Turtle was the best character. "I'm singing the quiet song." Just an awesome show.

And while we are at it talking about shows to bring back. John Doe really should be. What a tramendous show that was. Fastlane, too.

[tristy]

I want my 21 Jumpstreet back.

what?

[Xand]

No matter how many times I hear it - this news is brilliant.

[thatshortguy]

Greg the Bunny was really funny. I hated to see that go. Tardy the Turtle was the best character. "I'm singing the quiet song." Just an awesome show.

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Blah

[Guest bruins72]

Greg the Bunny was really funny. I hated to see that go. Tardy the Turtle was the best character. "I'm singing the quiet song." Just an awesome show.

And while we are at it talking about shows to bring back. John Doe really should be. What a tramendous show that was. Fastlane, too.

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Great shows! Well... I didn't really get into Fastlane but the others were great. I used to love watching John Doe and Firefly back to back. What really gets me is how the final episode of John Doe ended. How can they just end it with a revelation like that?

Greg the Bunny was funny as hell. Sarah Silverman is friggin' hot! The puppets on that show really cracked me up too. The turtle and vampire were the best but I also liked that dog. What about the warden from Shawshank Redemption playing the conductor guy? Too cool!

You could make a whole network lineup completely of great cancelled FOX shows.

[Hellfire]

This is great news. I love family guy, its my favorite animated show, and thats saying alot cause i love a bunch of them. I think that American Dad will do good too, and ill def. watch it, just for the reason that the guy that made it created Family Guy.

[punky]

Or Greg The Bunny...or Howard's Head...but alas, those are but pipe dreams.

Greg The Bunny and Herman's Head were both great shows and I wish they would come back.

Family Guy coming back is FANTASTIC news and I hope they keep it on one night or at least give us more than one notification of it changing timeslots.

[thatshortguy]

Greg The Bunny and Herman's Head were both great shows and I wish they would come back.

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Damn! I was reading one of those old Howard & Nester comics while posting. Damn the confusion!

[Boulder]

Damn!  I was reading one of those old Howard & Nester comics while posting.  Damn the confusion!

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We should all be so lucky that Howard and Nester affect the way we think.

[thatshortguy]

We should all be so lucky that Howard and Nester affect the way we think.

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Quiet, Rock Boy. Old School Nintendo Power > 97%

[MalaCloudy Black]

On the subject of old FOX shows, whatever happened to The PJs? It was a computer-animated comedy about an urban black family, if memory recalls correctly, and it just dissappeared. To FOX's Cancelled Show Hell, I'd guess..

[Guest bruins72]

On the subject of old FOX shows, whatever happened to The PJs? It was a computer-animated comedy about an urban black family, if memory recalls correctly, and it just dissappeared. To FOX's Cancelled Show Hell, I'd guess..

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Wasn't The PJs a claymation type thing? Or was it computer animation designed to look like claymation? I remember FOX hyping the hell out of the show because of Eddie Murphy's involvement but it still flopped. I watched it a few times and never really cared for it.

[Ananas]

Wasn't there a contraversy over that show being racist? I thought that had something to do with it being cancelled.