From: Taylor 

On Jan 11, 5:07 pm, Taylor  wrote:
> On Jan 11, 4:45 pm, David  wrote:
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> >http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/was-simpsons-episode-edi...
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> > Was ‘Simpsons’ Episode Edited to Spare Seth MacFarlane’s Feelings?
> > By DAVE ITZKOFF
>
> > Someone get Chief Wiggum on the case! A special 20th anniversary
> > episode of “The Simpsons” ended with a thank-you message from the
> > show’s producers to viewers, but appeared to omit a joke at the
> > expense of their Fox colleague and sometime-rival Seth MacFarlane.
>
> > The episode, which was broadcast on Sunday, ended with an on-screen
> > display that read, “Thanks for 20 wonderful years. The best is yet to
> > come.” But in a version of the show that was sent in advance to
> > critics, the message read slightly differently: as Alessandra Stanley
> > noted in her review of the episode, it said, “Thanks for 20 wonderful
> > years. Now stay tuned for three Seth MacFarlane shows.”
>
> > Mr. MacFarlane, the producer of the Fox animated series “Family Guy,”
> > “The Cleveland Show” and “American Dad,” has occasionally been the
> > target of jokes on “The Simpsons,” whose writers have skewered him for
> > creating programs similar to theirs. Mr. MacFarlane has often said
> > that “The Simpsons” helped inspire him to create “Family Guy,” and was
> > one of many celebrities who offered testimonials to “The Simpsons” in
> > a documentary that followed the anniversary episode on Sunday night.
>
> > A Fox spokeswoman said that the “Simpsons” episode given to reporters
> > and critics was a rough cut and that show elements are often added and
> > taken out before broadcast.
>
> Well, they ARE the future. The Simpsons isn't really even the future,
> but hanging on to nostaligia and a sense of it just expected to be
> there.- Hide quoted text -
>

Whoops. What I meant was: "...Is not the future or even the
present..."

I'd say quality of freshness has gone down a bit this year for Family
Guy, but if you look at home long Fox allows this decrepit Simpsons to
linger (pretty safe to say they've been running on fumes for HALF the
shows life), Seth could coast for another 4 years or so on FG fumes.
But that's not Seth's style (unlike Simpsons). I could see him ending
his show when it gets to be REALLY stale! He also put in place
safeguards like creating American Dad and The Cleveland Show. American
Dad gets better with age and while I don't like The Cleveland Show
particularly, McFarlane's smart to try try again.

I think America really needs a wake-up call over the validity of
keeping Simpsons going just for nostalgia sake.

--- Internet Rex 2.29