 MacFarlane wanted Mr. T to replace ClevelandWho did Seth MacFarlane want to replace Cleveland Brown after the character left "Family Guy" for a spinoff?
Mr. T.
"It would be like Mr. T was in the show as Mr. T, and he's just the fourth guy in the group," MacFarlane told fans at PaleyFest on Tuesday evening.
Except, MacFarlane said, Mr. T is a born-again Christian, so it "didn't really work out."
The political and crude content of "Family Guy" was a frequent topic at MacFarlane's PaleyFest event. The evening was moderated by Bill Maher, whose HBO talk show "Real Time" featured MacFarlane as a guest for its recent season premiere. "Animation is one of the few remaining television genres where you can really touch on politics," said MacFarlane, characteristically sipping a glass of booze throughout the event. "A live-action sitcom can't really go there."
Despite recently drawing nationwide headlines by offending former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, MacFarlane said religion -- not politics -- is the trickier subject matter.
"It's a hard fucking pill for them to swallow -- religion," said MacFarlane, noting he recently had to change a line from "Oh Jesus" to "Oh God" despite the character reverently quoting a line from the movie "War Games."
If MacFarlane could have one word uncensored in a season of "Family Guy," he said it wouldn't be any of the major four-letter words, but rather the use of "goddamnit" and "Jesus Christ" as expletives.
"In a second, I would pick [those two]," he said. "Especially in New England [where the show is set], that's just how those guys talk."
MacFarlane repeatedly praised, of all people, the censors at Fox, suggesting the network tends to be more skittish (and less accurately so) about what sort of content will offend viewers.
"Ironically, the one thing about the censors at Fox, they've got their finger on the pulse of what the average American is gonna get bent out of shape about better than anybody else at the network," MacFarlane said. "You could make the argument that over the past 10 years our biggest defenders at the network have been the censors -- believe it or not."
Yet there's one piece of quasi-profanity that some viewers mistakenly believe is in every episode. During the show's theme song in the opening credits, a line sounds like, "all the things that make us effin' cry."
"It's laugh and cry," MacFarlane said, clearing it up for Maher and many in the audience. "It's the accent."
Maher praised the show's lack of predictability, the way you can never be sure where a narrative will take you, even if it means having characters make seemingly permanent changes.
"That's the highest compliment you can give us," MacFarlane said. "All my favorite shows are like that. I know if I watch a cop show or a medical show I'm going to see the disease of the week. I used to like 'The Twilight Zone' or 'Star Trek,' shows where you turn it on and not have any idea what you were going to get that week."
That said, MacFarlane acknowledged that it is possible to take the famed, and sometimes derided, loose "Family Guy" story structure too far.
"There are times when it's possible to be too crazy," he said, citing an episode in which Stewie spends the entire time in a robot suit. "But if something is funny enough, with animation you can always find a way to buy it back."
Source
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
 New episodes of the resurrected animation favorite "Futurama" will return to Comedy Central in June. Comedy Central sources confirm that Thursday, June 24 at 10:00 p.m. is currently set to be the premiere of the first new half-hour episode of "Futurama" since 2003. "Futurama" launched in 1999 on FOX and aired through 2003. Adult Swim and then Comedy Central kept the show alive in repeats, with Comedy Central giving a home to extra-long "Futurama" episodes "Bender's Big Score," "The Beast with a Billion Backs," "Bender's Game" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder." Ratings for the constantly recycled repeats, as well as DVD sales, helped to spur talk of a comeback and, in June of 2009, Comedy Central announced that the network had ordered 26 new episodes to premiere starting this year. Fan enthusiasm was temporarily tempered by overblown reports that the vocal talent including Billy West, John DiMaggio and Katey Sagal might be replaced for the run of new episodes. Eventually, the full cast reached new agreements and Philip Fry, Bender, Leela and the rest of the "Futurama" gang will sound very much like you're used to them sounding. Created by David X. Cohen and Matt Groening, "Futurama" won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2002. I think it's perfect for summer y/y?Ih and Oblig;  source
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
 Exclusive Interview: 'FAMILY GUY'S' ALEX BORSTEIN GIVES iF THE SCOOP ABOUT HER NEW SETH MACFARLANE ANIMATED SHOW IN DEVELOPMENT
The star of FAMILY GUY also talks about life without Mike Henry and the controversies surrounding her live variety show with MacFarlane Alex Borstein is perhaps best known for her role as Lois on FAMILY GUY, but that soon may change. iF Magazine had a chance to speak with her recently and Borstein has exciting plans for the future, including an all new animated series starring, you guessed it, her that she's developing with FAMILY GUY's Seth MacFarlane. Here’s what else she had to say about FAMILY GUY, her career, and her new endeavor.
iF MAGAZINE: Rumor has it you and Seth are developing a new animated show for Fox. ALEX BORSTEIN: I can tell you the one for Fox is animated. And it’s in development with Seth, actually. Seth’s got many things in the cookie bag.
iF: What can you tell us about this new show? BORSTEIN: Well the one that I’m developing with Seth is a female lead character, so it’s a little different, which is kind of cool. Fox has never done that. I would be playing that character.
iF: Is it the same vein of humor and style as FAMILY GUY? BORSTEIN: You know, it’s a little more my flavor and it’s also being developed with another gentleman, Gary Janetti. It has certainly a reverence of FAMILY GUY, but it’s going to be a different flavor, a different feel. It’s not a spin off of FAMILY GUY. It’s its own thing. Because Seth is the hand behind the animation and the original look of it, it’ll probably have some similarities visually. Just in style. The same way you’d recognize a famous painter’s work, you’d recognize Seth’s.
iF: Are you going to be Executive Producer? BORSTEIN: Yeah. It’s something me and Gary Janetti are developing together. It’s very early, but it’s been so much fun working on, so even that’s been fantastic.
iF: Can you tell us a little bit about the setup of the show? Are we talking about a show about a family like FAMILY GUY? BORSTEIN: There is a family. I’ll say that. That’s all I can say. There is a family and there are some pets.
iF: FAMILY GUY has been known to controversial from time to time. Would you say your show is as edgy? BORSTEIN: You know it’s hard for me to say because I know when things are edgy until after they’ve aired and there’s an uproar. After years of working in sketch comedy and standup, I have no barometer anymore for the real world, like ‘oh, you can’t say that on the street.’ But I’m nuts yeah. I think there will be things in this show that push things, but I don’t think it’s anything... I don’t know. We’ll see, maybe I’m wrong.
iF: You’ve been playing Lois on FAMILY GUY for quite some time now. Do you feel like people identify you mostly as Lois or do you get recognized from your days on MAD TV? BORSTEIN: It’s still a mix. Through the magic of syndication, some of the MAD TV stuff and Miss Swan is on all the time. So people still think I’m on it. They even think I’m still on it. They don’t even know that the show’s not on anymore, or I haven’t been on it in ages. But I would say Lois is creeping up there. Lois, Tricia Takanawa, and all the FAMILY GUY stuff, it’s kind of taken on a life of its own. iF: How do you think FAMILY GUY is holding up now that Mike Henry is gone doing THE CLEVELAND SHOW? Do you think there’s a void that needs to be filled or is FAMILY GUY moving on just fine without him? BORSTEIN: I think so. I think it’s actually been a really interesting. It’s been good for the show in terms of exploring new story lines and finding new things. Having a new shot of life kind of injected into the show. So in a way I think it’s a good way to mix it up. We miss Mike. We miss having him in the room and we miss his particular brand. But he still comes back to do Herbert the Pervert and The Greased Up Deaf Guy and all kinds of stuff. We still get him back.
iF: Can you talk a little about shooting THE LIVE VARIETY SHOW? BORSTEIN: It was fantastic. We had so much fun. Seth and I love working together. It grew out of these live shows that we did on stage. We did a Carnegie Hall and in LA at the Ahmanson Theater. It turned into this, ‘You want to do this for TV?’ And we were like, “Really?’ We felt like a couple of kids putting a show in the basement or something.
iF: How nervous were you poking fun at Marlee Matlin by doing a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” in her voice? BORSTEIN: You know I really wasn’t very nervous. Marlee Matlin is a friend, now, working together on that. She’s such a good sport. She got it. She gets that it’s just funny. Honestly, when I think something hilarious, then I think it’s worth doing. When Seth and I are both laughing our asses off, then it’s like, we can’t go wrong. This is going to be fun.
iF: Do you think you were pushing some buttons by singing that song as a deaf person? BORSTEIN: It’s ludicrous. It is interesting to me how people are taking offense to it. It’s very funny to me when the person doing it is the person we’re making fun of and clearly thinks it’s funny.
iF: Do you think her presence, being in on the joke, made it okay to laugh? BORSTEIN: Yeah. I think so. Marlee Matlin is one of the only faces of the deaf community. She’s really one of the only people out there that people can go, ‘oh yeah, that deaf actress, Marlee Matlin.’ I think if you’re anybody in the media, if your face is out there, you’re going to get made fun of. You’re a big target. And I she thinks she’s absolutely right, like, ‘I’m no different. If I’m saying no one can make fun of me, then I’m saying that deaf people are different, and we’re not’  posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
Get ready everyone! Brand-new episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba! are right around the corner! That's right, SEASON THREE is almost here and we're kicking the party off with a week of new episodes! This is gonna be the best season yet, just LOOK at this guest list. We've got Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic, Anthony Bourdain, and Mos Def all stopping by to hang with the Gabba Gang, PLUS music by Weezer, Of Montreal, Devo, and Black Kids. And that's just the TIP of the iceberg! It all starts Monday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, but as special sneak peek, check out this clip from the new episode, Circus, starring special guest, Weird Al Yankovic!  http://www.yogabbagabba.com/?page=News
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
Yo Gabba Gabba continues its streak of bizarrely perfect celeb guests when season three kicks off in a few weeks. Marvel at the wonder that is Anthony Bourdain in a lab coat. source is dying on the floor laughing her ass off
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show, food network / cooking show stars
 JUNEAU, Alaska – Sarah Palin is lashing out at the portrayal of a character with Down syndrome on the Fox animated comedy "Family Guy." In a Facebook posting headlined "Fox Hollywood — What a Disappointment," the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and current Fox News contributor said Sunday night's episode felt like "another kick in the gut." Palin's youngest son, Trig, has Down syndrome. The episode features the character Chris falling for a girl with Down syndrome. On a date, he asks what her parents do. She replies: "My dad's an accountant, and my mom is the former governor of Alaska." Palin resigned as Alaska governor last summer. Palin's oldest daughter, Bristol, also was quoted on her mother's Facebook page, calling the show's writers "heartless jerks." "When you're the son or daughter of a public figure, you have to develop thick skin. My siblings and I all have that, but insults directed at our youngest brother hurt too much for us to remain silent," she is quoted as saying. "If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed," Bristol Palin added in the Monday posting. "All they proved is that they're heartless jerks." Palin wrote that she'd asked her daughter what she thought of the show and Bristol's reply was "a much more restrained and gracious statement than I want to make about an issue that begs the question: When is enough enough?" This isn't the first time Palin has spoken out over an attack, real or perceived, on her family. Last year, she condemned a joke David Letterman made about her daughter, for which he later apologized. A "Family Guy" publicist didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment. sourceFollow up to this postP.S. Mods, image is from source above and hosted on my own server
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
After making headlines for calling out Rahm Emanuel for his use of the word "retard," Sarah Palin may have a new target: "Family Guy." The show, which has a history of crossing the line at every opportunity, took a shot at Palin last night, mocking her son with Down syndrome.In the episode, a main character, Chris, dates a mentally disabled girl. While never mentioning Palin by name, the girl drew a clear comparison to her son, Trig, when she told Chris, "My dad's an accountant, and my mom's the former governor of Alaska."Palin has yet to comment on the personal jab, but given her asking for Emanuel's firing, it's likely she'll have some words for Seth MacFarlane and the irreverent cartoon. i hate the bitch but if you're gonna do something like this make it actually funny.SOURCE
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
Check out the first images of Ashley Tisdale on The Cleveland Show!
 Thanks to MissTisdale and AshleyTisdale.com, we now know that the 24-year-old actress will be lending her voice talents to Lacey Stapleton in the upcoming episode “The Curious Case of Jr. Working at the Stool.” In the episode, Cleveland teaches Junior responsibility by challenging him to get a job, and to his own delight, Cleveland Jr. lands a job working at The Stool. However, when Cleveland Jr. starts commenting on the number of beers his father consumes and sets limits on the guys’ time at the bar, a feud erupts between father and son. Meanwhile, Roberta competes with Lacey, the rich girl in school, and gets more than she bargained for. Ashleyashley-tisdale-cleveland-show follows in the footsteps of her former HSM costars Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman, who have also lended their voices to chacacters on the animated series. “The Curious Case of Jr. Working at The Stool” premieres Sunday, February 21 @8:30PM ET/PT on FOX.   SOURCE
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
Video would not embed. Click Meatwad to watch the trailer.  How will ATHF proceed after Season 8's concluding episode "The Last Last One Forever and Ever?" Find out this Sunday, Feb. 7th, at midnight. Source
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show
Here is some videos about coldplay beeing on the simpsons ! The first video shows Coldplay performing viva la vida and the second is behind the scene footage ! Following in the footsteps of other rock-and-roll luminaries such as Aerosmith, Sting, Metallica and a guy pretending to be Michael Jackson, Coldplay front-lad Chris Martin will lend his voice and likeness to an episode of "The Simpsons" airing Sunday called "Million Dollar Maybe." The new episode sees Homer standing up Marge for a date, instead spending his evening winning the Springfield lottery jackpot. He decides to blow some of his newfound cash on gifts for the family, including front-row seats to a Coldplay show for himself and Bart. From their seats, they're able to speak with Martin, and Homer tries to talk his way onstage. Hilarious hijinks no doubt ensue. and here is the behind the scenes source : http://coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=581
posted by GossipGander
\\ tags: cartoon / children's show, coldplay / guy berryman
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