"Family Guy" Officially UNCANCELED

[matcom]

<snip>

Stewie Griffin is back, and he has DVD sales to thank for it.

With his oblong cartoon head, sinister voice and taste for "total world domination," the infant Stewie set the tone for the irreverent animated series "Family Guy," which Fox canceled nearly three years ago because of lagging ratings. After they went off the air, however, Stewie and his bizarre family refused to die.

Right away, fans complained. Gary Newman, president of 20th Century Fox Television, remembers getting his first inkling that his company shouldn't have pulled the plug on "Family Guy" while giving a talk at Yale University. When it came time for questions, he recalled, "about 20 hands shot up, and they all asked about 'Family Guy.' "

But the DVDs were what really caught Newman's attention. With no new episodes to watch, fans quickly snapped up more than 1 million copies of the first two seasons of "Family Guy" (as well as T-shirts, ball caps and dolls). More than 3.5 million units have been sold at a rate that has at times outpaced that other off-kilter Fox animated family, "The Simpsons."

Now, "Family Guy" is officially "uncanceled," Fox's website says. On May 1, fresh episodes will begin airing on Fox. How will it do in the ratings the second time around? News Corp. executives say it doesn't matter much. This time, their business model is not built around ratings-driven advertising but relies instead on license fees from cable and sales of new DVDs and merchandise — including coffee table books, CDs, cellphone ring tones and games.

http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/showcase/la-fi-family13apr13.story

[kenny blankenship]

1. Victory is mine!

Now about those FCC complaints...

[johnnie]

2. Good thing

One of the best shows on TV in my opinion.