Microsoft And Family Guy Special No More

Robert B | Oct 27, 2009 | Comments

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Remember when we brought you the news that Microsoft and Fox had teamed up to create a one off special variety show with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. Well it now turns out Microsoft have decided to pull out of sponsoring the show.

Microsoft claim that after reviewing an early version of the show, they realised that the show didn’t really represent the Microsoft brand very well. Microsoft were planning to use this show to promote Windows 7 but because of some Family Guy style humor in the show, Microsoft withdrew from being the main sponsors after they discovered the show would “include riffs on deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest.”

However the actually show itself, complete with all the Windows 7 references, will still be aired on November 8th but you wont be bombarded with Windows 7 advertisements at every commercial.

We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of ‘Family Guy,’ but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand… We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas. We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent.

I don’t know how Microsoft didn’t realise that the creator of Family Guy might add a bit of twist to the Microsoft brand, but I think Engadget sum it up very well

We’re not sure how 10 years and over 120 episodes of offensive precedence bypassed Redmond’s radars, but man, that’s gotta be some strong personal bubble.

At least we still have a brief preview of the show from the Windows 741 site