The conventional wisdom is that animated shows won't be as impacted by the strike because of their long lead times. But in the case of Fox's hit "Family Guy," the conventional wisdom might be wrong.
Walking the picket line at Wednesday's showrunner rally, creator Seth Macfarlane maintained that this Sunday's episode of "Family Guy" is actually the last fully-produced episode in the can.
There are other episodes close to being finished, but Macfarlane has made it clear that he has no plans to help put those segs together. Macfarlane also has another unique bit of leverage: He provides voices for many main characters on the show, and he's made it clear he's not stepping into the studio to record.
Couldn't Fox just go ahead and use other non-WGA producers to wrap things up?
"They could, but it would be unwise," Macfarlane says.
And why would that be?
"Because I would be angry," the scribe said.
20th isn't saying what it will do.
"Our hope is that he returns to work and completes his non-writing obligations on those episodes," a spokesperson said.
Losing "Family Guy" in the middle of the November sweeps would be tough for Fox, which counts the show as its Sunday night anchor. Skein just marked its 100th episode with boffo numbers.
It wouldn't be immediately devastating, however. In a testament to just how strong "Family Guy" is, the show does very well in repeats.
--Josef Adalian
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