Family Guy Fans! VERY interesting story of creator Seth MacFarlane on 9/11

[NNguyenMD]

From his www.imdb.com bio

On September 11, 2001 he was scheduled to return to Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11 after being a keynote speaker at his alma-mater in Rhode Island. Due to a mix-up by his travel agent he was told that his flight was scheduled to depart at 8:15am but it really departed at 7:45am and he had arrived at Boston Logan Airport a few minutes after boarding was stopped on his flight and he was told he would have to wait for the next flight. At 8:45am one hour after the departure of American Airlines Flight 11 it was hijacked by terrorists and crashed into One World Trade Center (North Tower) in New York City killing all onboard. He was able to contact his parents within 20 minutes of Flight 11 striking the first tower to tell them he was okay. He also said that he thanked god that his travel agent had screwed up the departure time or he would have been on board and he wouldn't have known what to do when the terrorists took over the plane.

Thats an incredible story, I wonder how that experience changed him and if or how it'll show in the new episodes of Family Guy coming January 2005. Seth MacFarlane btw is arguably the smartest TV writer in the entire industry, an extremely funny and smart man.

[tritsofme]

1. New episodes in January?

That's great, I hadn't heard that!

That was a great show.

It must be quite a feeling to know that you were so close to death, and only narrowly averted it.

[bryant69]

9. A very positive development

Sales of the DVDs were so positive that they basically required Fox to bring it back.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[BlueEyedSon]

2. My old bass player & drummer were scheduled on Pan Am flt# 103.

They were in another band together back then (1988). Their European tour started out well, but when interest faded their management canceled the last week of shows and booked them on an earlier flight back to NYC.

Wow.

[Us vs Them]

3. New episodes??

Awesome.

[sonicx]

4. his new show "America Dad" has a freeper caricature as the father.

it looks pretty funny.

[xultar]

5. Donnie Wahlberg was supposed to be on that flight....but decided

to drive to Boston from NYwhich made him late for the flight on 9/11 to return to LA. It was something like that. Or he was supposed to be on the 9/11 flight in NY but decided to go to Boston to visit some friends.

[Sterling]

6. I always got a very RW bend to that show. Never found it very funny either

nt

[NNguyenMD]

7. think about giving it another try, it really is just absolutely hilarious

like in the episodes when Death gives Peter his job, or in the when they have to survive a nuclear holocuast, when the paralyzed cop Joe enters into the special olympics on steroids, or when Adam West makes guest appearances as the mayor of Quahog and does bizarre things like marry his hand, or even all the times when Stewie tries to kill Lois or makes his attempt at taking over the world.

I've never seen anything on that show that would out itself to being identified to any particular political agenda. It is on FOX, but so are the Simpsons and Malcolm in The Middle. But even if Seth Macfarlane was a freeper conservative, which I doubt he's too intelligent for that, I'D STILL WATCH IT as religiously as I do now. I don't feel any outright political leanings, and its still wildly entertaining.

Of course its core audience does seem to be mostly 20 something males. So it may not be your shtick anyways. But still worth giving another try at making you laugh to tears.

[Ladyhawk]

8. It's my favorite animated series.

I think I've seen every single one.

My favorite Family Guy moment: Brian is driving the family car when he hits someone. He rushes out to help the poor man.

Brian: "Oh wow...are you Stephen King."

Man: "No, I'm Dean Koontz."

Brian gets back in the car and runs over the man several more times. :)

Funny as hell.

[Ms. Clio]

10. Right wing???

Not at all--you can watch old episodes on the Cartoon Network every weeknight and it's not right wing at all--check it out! Just a couple examples of the show's very liberal bent, plus I read somewhere that McFarlane is a Dem:

Peter hijacks a circus parade, and rides down the street on an elephant. He greets his wife Lois with the words, "Look, Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party--an elephant, and a fat white guy afraid of change!"

While Brian the dog is singing a song about all the marvelous things an elderly recluse has missed during the 40 or so years she has spent holed up in her house, he says that we don't know what the future might hold, and a series of Tarot cards flashes across the screen: a volcano exploding, a tidal wave, a nuclear blast, and a drunken George Bush holding a beer bong.

I do wonder what the new episodes will be like, seeing as how Fox censored that George Bush reference, and another one, from a recent Family Guy marathon. I'm afraid the new show won't be nearly as edgy and cool.

[NNguyenMD]

11. I'm afraid too about the show but...

If Fox does what television networks should do, which is let good shows entertain their audiences unrestrained, they'll realize that they'll make more money that way. I'm pretty confident that Seth knows this and is protective enough of his creative rights to use that ace up his sleeve each time Fox sits him down about any political references he makes on the show. It seems to work for Matt Groening, although its obvious that he still tries to be as careful when he does try to slip in a shot at Bush.

And if FOX doesn't work out, I know Comedy Central and Cartoon Network would fight to the death to pick him up and give him a cush time slot. Cartoon Network absolutely loves Family Guy, and Comedy Central has played it smart allowing guys like Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart do what htey got to do to entertain their audiences.

I'm going to be cautious, but I have enough respect for Family Guy's creators and writers to feel that it'll be ok.

[Ms. Clio]

12. I guess we'll see--I will certainly be watching

I wish it was going to be on Cartoon Network or Comedy Central, though--then I would have no doubts that it would be as great as ever.

I look forward to talking with you and other FG fans when the new season starts!

[NNguyenMD]

13. Hey thanks! I absolutely look forward to

sharing my laugh with you and all the other FG fans too =)

[billie_]

15. RW...NO WAY...i was going to mention that episode with the recluse and

the cards showing the many ways the world could end...Thanks, you did it far better than i could have....HAHA, the tarot card with W on it!

I LOVE FAMILY GUY!!!!

:beer:

[tritsofme]

17. From the special olympics episode, "Did George W. Bush quit..."

"Hey, that's un-American. Did George W Bush quit even after losing the popular vote? No.Did he quit after losing millions of dollers of his father's friend's money in failed oil companies? No. Did he quit after knocking that girl up? No. Did he quit after he got that DUI? No. Did he quit after getting arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct at a ball game? No."

[leftyandproud]

14. I got it too...but it is still funny as hell ;)

[UpsideDownFlag]

16. it's an acquired taste, really. it has some anti-feminist moments...

but much of the humor of those scenes is based on how stupid the Freeper types are.