Family Guy

CHICAGO – It probably found its way under a few trees this Christmas, but if you have a gift card burning a hole in your wallet and are a fan of “Family Guy” without the latest straight-to-DVD release from Seth MacFarlane and his talented team then you should definitely use your holiday credit on the “Star Wars” (or, more specifically, “The Empire Strikes Back”) spoof “Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside”.

CHICAGO – FOX recently sent over the details on their post-baseball coverage including the series premiere of “The Wanda Sykes Show,” the special “Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show,” a week-long “The Simpsons”-themed on-air scavenger hunt November 9th through the 15th, and synopsis information for the hit shows they have planned for the sweeps period including “House,” “Glee,” “Bones,” “Fringe,” and “Lie to Me”.

CHICAGO – FOX announced their fall premiere dates this morning and the network should start off with a skip in its step with “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Glee” kicking off the season on Wednesday, September 9th.

CHICAGO – The 61st Annual Emmy Nominations were announced today and there were a few surprises, a few disappointments, and a variety of unusual choices. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences displayed a desire to move forward with some first-time nominees, mostly ignoring some tired staples like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives,” but also missed some arguably deserving choices.

CHICAGO – Fans of “American Dad!” and “Family Guy” should definitely take a look at “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy,” a Blu-Ray release of short animated films in the same style as the random, tangential asides that helped make Stewie Griffin a household name.

CHICAGO – The networks announce their fall schedules this week and Eliza Dushku fans will be happy that her on-the-bubble show from TV genius Joss Whedon, “Dollhouse,” got a last minute reprieve from the TV gas chamber and will be on the FOX fall schedule. While “Dollhouse” made the cut, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” was shown the door.

Television Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Will another animated show on Sunday nights be a perfect fit for “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” fans or will those beloved shows have set too high a bar to jump over for another cartoon to compete? People love their Homer and Stewie. Will they fall for the teachers of Knob Haven on “Sit Down, Shut Up”? Despite the incredible talent involved, I highly doubt it.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – I honestly never though Trey Parker and Matt Stone would still be pumping out “South Park” episodes in the era of HD Blu-Ray. It’s not that I’m not a fan. I’ve seen the brilliant movie, “South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut” a dozen or so times, but I thought that would be near the end of the phenomenon of Stan, Kyle, Kenny, & Cartman. Years later, it looks like it was just the beginning.