Family Guy Officially Goes Back into Production

files/pictures/picture-35.jpg20th Century Fox Television has officially committed to producing a minimum of 22 new half-hour episodes of Seth MacFarlane’s Emmy Award-winning animated comedy series, FAMILY GUY, more than two years after the series aired its last original episode. The move comes on the heels of the series’ elevation to pop culture phenomenon, as demonstrated by its enormous success on DVD and on the Cartoon Network. In 2003, FAMILY GUY was the #1 selling TV property on DVD while on the Cartoon Network it ranks #1 in its time period on cable among Adults and Men 18-34 and Adults and Men 18-24 while beating both THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN and THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO in head-to-head competition among Men 18-34 and Men 18-24.

The new episodes will be available in early 2005 and will be shown on Adult Swim. The Fox Broadcasting Company has an option to license the original runs of those new episodes. Seth MacFarlane, creator and exec producer of FAMILY GUY and two-time Emmy Award winner for his work on the series, and producer Kara Vallow are currently assembling the writing and production staff for the new episodes.

"This is incredibly exciting for everyone at Fox," said 20th Century Fox TV president Gary Newman. "The overwhelming response to FAMILY GUY this past year is a real tribute to Seth’s vision and talent and it’s been really gratifying to all the executives who never stopped championing him and the show. The fact that after all this time we were able figure out a way to get back into production is a testament both to Seth’s passion for keeping it alive and some really great teamwork among the executives at our studio and home entertainment and syndication divisions and those at Turner and the Cartoon Network. We’re thrilled for Seth, we’re thrilled for his fans, and to be honest we’re thrilled for our teenage kids who threatened to emancipate themselves if we didn’t figure out a way to bring the show back."

MacFarlane said, “I’m just incredibly excited that we’re back in business on FAMILY GUY. Now all those crazy kids who’ve been hounding me to bring the show back can stop bothering me and move onto more serious matters – like saving COUPLING."

"Bringing FAMILY GUY to the Adult Swim lineup last April really helped turn the block into a cultural phenomenon with young adults,” said Jim Samples, Cartoon Network evp/gm. “Now, as the destination for new episodes of what as become the block’s most popular series, FAMILY GUY will help boost Adult Swim to the next level in terms of buzz and ratings. We could not be more excited to have Seth and 20th Century Fox Television on board as Adult Swim continues its growth as the best place on TV for young adults."

Turner Broadcasting System Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

20th Century Fox Television, a division of News Corp, is a leading supplier of entertainment programming domestically and around the world.