Fox Censors Family Guy! Peter's Ass Pixelated!

FCC fears force Fox to pixelate cartoon nudity

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Fox says it covered up the naked rear end of a cartoon character recently because of nervousness over what the Federal Communications Commission will find objectionable.

The latest example of TV network self-censorship because of FCC concerns came a few weeks ago during a rerun of a "Family Guy" cartoon. Fox electronically blurred a character's posterior, even though the image was seen five years ago when the episode originally aired.

"We have to be checking and second-guessing ourselves now," Fox entertainment president Gail Berman said Monday. "We have to protect our affiliates."

Fox hadn't gotten any complaints about the cartoon. But the move follows the FCC's decision in October to fine 169 Fox stations $7,000 each for airing an episode of "Married By America" that showed people licking whipped cream from strippers' bodies and a man in his underwear being spanked by strippers.

"It's certainly confusing when you have to do something like that," Berman said. "It's just that we were trying to find our way and do what's responsible."

At PBS, executives said this weekend they will edit out a glimpse of a naked woman in a fictional account of a terrorist "dirty bomb" attack that will air next month after being shown first on HBO.



SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/0....ap/index.html

Family Guy Premieres on May 1
Source: Fox January 17, 2005


Family Guy is back by popular demand with all-new episodes beginning Sunday, May 1 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX, it was announced today by Gail Berman, President, Entertainment for the Fox Broadcasting Co.

Since its debut in 1999, the Emmy-nominated animated series has attracted an impressively loyal following of devoted fans and has sold over 3.5 million combined DVD units, making it the fourth-largest TV series seller ever.

Creator/executive producer Seth MacFarlane will continue to serve up the distinctively twisted and irreverently outrageous trials and tribulations of Peter Griffin (MacFarlane) and his not-quite-so-average family of middle-class New Englanders. Lois (Alex Borstein) is Peter's loving wife, who struggles to maintain a modicum of normalcy in their home life. Then there are their kids: angst-ridden, 16-year-old Meg (Mila Kunis), who only really wants to be noticed; 13-year-old Chris (Seth Green), a sweet-natured slacker; and 1-year-old Stewie (MacFarlane), a diabolically clever baby who's already bent on world domination. Rounding out the Griffin household is Brian (MacFarlane), the brainy family pooch who likes his martinis as dry as his Mighty Dog.

Family Guy is a 20th Century Fox Television production. Seth MacFarlane is creator/executive producer with David A. Goodman as executive producer/showrunner, and Chris Sheridan as executive producer.




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Original Simpsons Episode to Follow Super Bowl
Source: Fox January 17, 2005


Two-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Warren Sapp; NBA All-Stars Yao Ming and LeBron James, and Olympic figure skating medalist Michelle Kwan guest-voice on The Simpsons airing immediately following Super Bowl XXXIX Sunday, Feb. 6 (approx. 10:00-10:30 PM ET/7:00-7:30 PM PT) on FOX.

In The Simpsons post-Super Bowl XXXIX episode, "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass," after Homer inadvertently performs a wild, crowd-pleasing dance at a local carnival, he is hired by several sports figures – including Brady, James, Sapp, Yao and Kwan, guest-starring as themselves – to choreograph their victory dances. After his dances prove successful, Homer is tapped to choreograph the Super Bowl halftime show. Panicked the night before the event, Homer enlists the help of his neighbor, Ned Flanders, and together they put on a non-violent, deeply meaningful halftime show that America chastises for its blatant display of decency.

In anticipation of how he would be drawn, football great Sapp said: "I don't want to be big with a little shirt! Cover me up a little bit! … I love 'The Simpsons' so whatever I am, I am." And 7'6" basketball giant Yao joked, "as long as I don't look like a monster!"

"Just to be a part of Super Bowl Sunday is great," said James. "I'll be a 'Simpsons' fan till I die," claimed the basketball star.

Olympic medalist Kwan stated: "It was really an honor to be asked to do 'The Simpsons'. I had a great experience."

The Simpsons is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the executive producers. Film Roman is the animation house.

very cool, i knew it was coming back but i was never sure. I saw some ads on sunday and was really excited, but it turned out they had 2 reruns on. But it was primetime, so maybe more people will watch the new ones.