Tagged: Family Guy

Family Guy beta versions

Family Guy beta versions

Okay, technically Family Guy is a Sunday night cartoon rather than a Saturday morning one; let’s just go with it.

As you might imagine, Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy did not spring forth fully formed from the pen like Bosko The Clown did, there were earlier versions. Here we have Seth introducing a 1995 early presentation reel of a proto-Griffin that he developed while he was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, and yes, we have to warn you that it’s probably Not Safe For Work:

(more…)

TV Cult Guide

TV Cult Guide

According to TV Guide Online, here’s their latest top 30 cult teevee shows of all time.

I would scoff at this, but it turns out I really like at least a dozen of ’em.

30) Strangers with Candy (1999-2000)*

29) Absolutely Fabulous (1994-2003)

28) Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)*

27) H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971)

26) Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1975-1978)

25) Firefly (2002-2003)*

24) Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

23) Dark Shadows (1966-1971)

22) Doctor Who (1963-present)

21) Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)

(more…)

REVIEW: Star Wars: Robot Chicken

REVIEW: Star Wars: Robot Chicken

Last night Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim premiered Star Wars: Robot Chicken. The half-hour edition of the popular stop motion cartoon show was entirely devoted to Star Wars gags. What separates this from countless issues of  Mad Magazine was the involvement of George Lucas himself. Lucas provides a sense of legitimacy and an acknowledgement that he is finally ready to laugh at his own creation.

Unfortunately, much like the prequel trilogy, maybe more could have been done if Lucas was less involved. The sketch featuring Lucas being saved from a mob of fans by a guy dressed as a tauntaun was by far the weakest in the entire show. I don’t know if this was a problem with the writers or with Lucas, but the sketch felt particularly flat.

The rest of the show was more successful. The highlight was a sketch in which Darth Vader explains a number of the more contrived coincidences in the series to a Mark-Hamil-voiced-Luke Skywalker. Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) was excellent as the voice of Emperor Palpatine in a number of bits, including one featuring a mama-joke contest between the Emperor and Luke.

Overall, the show worked the best when it was contained within the universe, albeit one with a lot more jokes, the Late Night with Zuckuss sketch (featuring the voice of Conan O’Brien) scored, as did the Ponda Baba segment.

The more it felt like they were winking at the audience the less it worked for me; another lowlight was the sketch featuring a Jedi President Bush fighting Sith Abraham Lincoln.

The best possible outcome of this would be increased exposure for Robot Chicken, Adult Swim’s gem, with its third season set to begin in under two months. With the Family Guy season premiere bringing another high profile Star Wars parody our way I’m interested to see if they can match this effort by Seth Green and the staff at Robot Chicken, the way Family Guy has been going it won’t be easy.

Star Wars: Robot Chicken can be watched for free (for at least the time being) at adultswim.com

Star Wars & Family Guy preview

Star Wars & Family Guy preview

From JediInsider.com, we have footage smuggled out from Celebration IV from the upcoming season premiere of Family Guy, where they bash on Star Wars something fierce. See it quick, because I’m sure it’s going to be taken down any minute:

Hat tip: Lisa Sullivan.

Family Guy does Star Wars full length

Family Guy does Star Wars full length

Man, those Seths (Green and MacFarlane) just can’t get enough. First it’s the Robot Chicken Star Wars on June 17…

…and now word comes down that Family Guy will kick off its fifth season this fall with an hourlong episode that retells the "Star Wars" saga using "Family Guy" characters.

Lucasfilm has blessed the event, which has the Griffins acting out all the key scenes and narrative from Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, or as we call it, Star Wars. Peter Griffin will play the role of Han Solo, Lois will appear as Princess Leia. Brian the family dog will serve as Chewbacca, while son Chris is Luke. R2-D2 and C-3PO will be handled by Cleveland and Quagmire, respectively, while creepy old guy Herbert plays Obi-Wan Kenobi. Stewie will be Darth Vader, of course.

But wait– shouldn’t Meg be playing Leia? I mean, Chris-Meg is creepy enough, but Chris-Lois… ewwww.

Harvey Birdman Gets Comic

Harvey Birdman Gets Comic

The third season of Adult Swim’s Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law will be released as a two-disc DVD set on July 24, 2007.  Included in the package is a comic book about The Origin of the X Eliminator.

The show stars Gary Cole (The West Wing, Family Guy, American Gothic) as the superhero-turned-inept lawyer and Stephen Colbert as both his boss and as the arch-villain, prosecutor Myron Reducto, and Lewis Black as the Deadly Duplicator.

Adult Swim announced last week that Harvey Birdman has been picked up for another season.

First Spider-Man 3 review

First Spider-Man 3 review

Hours away from the moment when Spider-Man 3 lights up the screen, we’ve got your first review – and virtually spoiler free! Plus news on the return of a 60’s classic comic series, more High School Musical, Young Frankenstein, King Kong, making Family Guy "family safe" and we drag out The Runt for an encore!

Come on. The ticket line is too long anyway. Just press the button!