Seth Macfarlane Page 6

Things are about to get serious for a certain trash-talking stuffed bear: Liam Neeson has signed on to join the cast of Ted 2. 

Ted better watch out as Neeson has a 'particular set of skills'

The star of films including Schindler's List and Taken is more known for his roles in big action thrillers, but did show his softer side earlier this year when he appeared in The Lego Movie as the literally two-faced Good Cop/Bad Cop. Seth MacFarlane revealed the news from his official Twitter, also confirming the casting of Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman that was rumoured earlier this week. There's no word yet on who either of the stars will play.

Continue reading: Liam Neeson Joins Ted 2

Kim Kardashian will turn voice-over artist in the season finale of 'American Dad' in September, whilst the new season of 'The Simpsons' will include appearences from the iconic Jane Fonda as well as comedians Nick Offerman and Sarah Silverman. 

Businesswoman, model, fashion designer, mother...actress? There's no end in sight for Kardashian world domination

According to ABC Kim will be voicing an alien who has a fling with Roger, the extra-terrestrial who lives in the Smith family's attic. Meanwhile in Springfield, America's native yellow family will lock horns with Peter Griffin and co when the long-awaited 'Simpsons'/'Family Guy' crossover episode airs this autumn. Hollywood A-Lister Liam Neeson is also set to star, his latest animated appearence since he turned up in the hugely popular Lego Movie earlier this year. Julie Bowey ('Modern Family') and Allison Janney (American Beauty) are also slated to pop up in the episode.

Continue reading: Jane Fonda And Kim Kardashian To Go 2D For Simpsons And American Dad

Ted, the main character of the film ted, was the loveable talking bear that looked like butter wouldn't melt.What he was, in actual fact, was the cause of endless friction between his owner John, Mark Wahlberg, and John's girlfriend Lori, Mila Kunis, as a result of his foul-mouthed, boozy and irresponsible ways.

It has been claimed that the character of Ted was not an original idea from MacFarlane

Two years after the film's release and, once again, Ted is in the middle of another row, this time between Universal Pictures, the film's creator and director, Seth Macfarlane and a production company that claims they invented the cuddly character first.

Continue reading: It Seems Seth MacFarlane's 'Ted' Has Been Obnoxious Before

Seth Macfarlane's hugely popular 2012 comedy 'Ted' may not have been his own idea!

A California production company are suing the filmmaker for allegedly stealing the premise of the vulgar talking teddy bear.

On Tuesday a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, against MacFarlane and his company for copyright infringement.

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane Slapped With Lawsuit Over Stealing 'Ted' Story From Web Series

Someone is going to have to have the Ted talk with Seth Macfarlane following a copyright infringement claim being made against the producers of the hit, 2013 movie. The litigating company alleges the idea of a rude, politically incorrect teddy was stolen from their web series.

Seth Macfarlane signs copies of his debut novel at Waterstones in London

The bong-smoking, womanizing, trash-talking bear was a hit with both the critics and the box, pulling in $550m worldwide. But Macfarlane is being questioned on the source of his idea for the character by a Californian production company who have their own mischievous stuffed toy: Charlie.

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane Is Being Sued Over "Ted" As Sequel Gathers Speed

Rihanna’s red carpet look, you know the one we’re taling about – CFDA awards, sheer floor lenghth dress, sparkles – was generally a hit with fashionistas, not to mention it was such a big hit that we’re still talking about it two days later.

The outfit caused some controversy online.

You know when something causes even the barest hint of controversy (get it? bare?) you can bet a Family Guy parody isn’t far behind. Did they really have to put Peter in the sparkly sheer gown though? That’s really not a look for everyone. In fact, we’re fairly convinced that Rihanna is the only person alive, who could have pulled it off.

Continue reading: Rihanna Is Cool With 'Family Guy's' Jab At Her Fashion Choices

Three big films hit cinemas this weekend in the UK (one of them opens next week in America), with a fantasy blockbuster taking on a sci-fi action thriller and a Wild West comedy for box office glory. Angelina Jolie's Maleficent is likely to emerge triumphant, thanks to high expectations. But Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow is getting much more positive reviews. And Seth Macfarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West is bound to be popular escapist entertainment. Take time out to read our Maleficent review, Edge of Tomorrow review and see what we said about Seth MacFarlane in A Million Ways to Die.

To mark the launch of Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise and his costar Emily Blunt held an unprecedented triple premiere on two continents in one day. They started Wednesday morning at 9am with the massive world premiere in central London, where the film is set, then dashed across to Paris for a second premiere a few hours later at the location of the film's climactic battle. Then after a trans-Atlantic flight they turned up for an 11pm North American premiere in New York. Browse our photos from the world premiere of 'Edge Of Tomorrow' held at the BFI IMAX, London United Kingdom on Wednesday 28th May 2014 or check out Tom in a different suit at the New York premiere held at AMC Loews Lincoln Square.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Blockbusters Bombard Cinemas, Tom And Emily Have Three Premieres In One Day, And New Trailers Turn Up For Festival Favourites And Disney Animation

After Judd Apatow relaunched the adult comedy in 2005 with The 40 Year Old Virgin, he has dominated the genre by collaborating with his pals from his iconic 1999 TV series Freaks & Geeks, including James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel.

Seth Macfarlane in 'A Million Ways to Die in the West'

This expanding team of actors and filmmakers are responsible for everything from Anchorman to Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Pineapple Express to Bridesmaids, not to mention the hit TV series Girls. In 2009, Todd Phillips briefly threatened Apatow's dominance with The Hangover, but neither the sequels nor Phillips' other feature Due Date caught on.

Continue reading: 'A Million Ways To Die In The West' Is Grown-Up, Gross-Out Comedy

A Million Ways To Die In The West is released today in the US and UK and will surely be a huge draw for fans who enjoyed Seth Macfarlane's last comedy, Ted. The Family Guy star's wicked and often inappropriate sense of humour proved a huge hit with his debut live action movie but critics have warned that the formula isn't necessarily repeated in the comedian's sophomore effort.

The comedy has hit a bum note on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, accruing an embarrassing 33% rating amongst reviewers. The Telegraph's Tim Robey barks out angry and wounding soundbites such as "flatly atrocious" and "unamusing tumbleweed" but offers a nugget for the more immature fans: "if you want to find out how much scope the Old West contains for jokes about violent bowel movements, this is very much a movie for you."

The Guardian's Mike McCahill gives the movie a similarly low rating, saying "Fans of Ted's aggressively scattershot misanthropy may be left wanting by Seth MacFarlane's mock-western follow-up" before adding "the dragging pace means the overall hit rate is down on even late-period Family Guy."

Continue reading: 'A Million Ways To Die In The West': Should We Listen To Critics?

Seth Macfarlane really wants to be a movie star. And we get it, we really do, but that isn’t enough to justify the existence of A Million Ways to Die in the West. Critics are pegging Macfarlane’s latest as “astonishingly lazy” (TIME Magazine) and “altogether wrongheaded” (Film School Rejects) and its overall 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes means that this one is easily skippable.

Seth Macfarlane's latest wasn't worth the hype.

The only hope Macfarlane has of redeeming himself as a writer and, to an extent, as a director, is for his other project, Ted 2, to be a stellar success. So where are we with that one?

Continue reading: Ok, Seth Macfarlane, You've Had Your Fun, Now Where Are We With "Ted 2"?

Some things are meant to be mixed together, even if it sounds like a shocking idea to begin with. Think peanut butter and jelly, labradors and poodles, chocolate milk and salt…all great combinations that magically enhance each other, even though your initial gut instinct may warn you against them. However, a Simpsons/Family Guy combo?

The Simpsons and the Griffins definitely won't all fit on the famous sofa

Word on the street is that an hour long episode, combining the two cartoons, is set to air this September. In the crossover episode, titled ‘The Simpsons Guy’, the Griffin family will travel to Springfield, where they become acquainted with the Simpson family. While Stewie and Bart bond over skateboards (and mischief, no doubt), Meg and Lisa will also become pals. Disgruntled wives Lois and Marge vow to abandon their household responsibilities (Thelma and Louise style, perhaps?) as their husbands initially make friends before, predictably, clashing.

Continue reading: Is 'The Simpsons'/'Family Guy' Crossover Episode Such A Good Idea?

The success of Seth Rogen’s Neighbors, which made a staggering $51 million over its debut weekend, proves that, when R-rated comedies work, they really work. The genre tends to be a bit hit-and-miss, but Rogen’s latest was a safe bet for Universal – his last foray into crude adult humor – This Is The End – made over $101 million domestically.

“It’s escapism, and when it works — and ‘Neighbors’ worked — comedies are just a great way for people to escape,” Nikki Rocco, head of domestic distribution for Universal, said for Variety.

Zac Efron in Neighbors.

Continue reading: "Neighbors" Crashed Spidey's Party This Weekend, But Why?

Patrick Stewart is returning to his first regular role on TV since ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ as British newsman Walter Blunt in Starz’ “Blunt Talk”, which will be produced by Family Guy creator, Seth Macfarlane.

Patrick Stewart at the Tribeca Film Festival

The new show, written and produced by the creator of HBO comedy, ‘Bored to Death’, sees Blunt host an interview show, sharing his seldom-requested guidance while dealing with a dysfunctional news staff, numerous ex-wives, children and an alcoholic assistant, according to The BBC.

Continue reading: Patrick Stewart Will Star In Starz' 'Blunt Talk', Produced By Seth Macfarlane

Judging by social media activity, Sunday night’s Oscars were a huge success. Preliminary ratings released by Nielsen (via the Los Angeles Times) seemed to confirm this. The preliminary ratings aren’t completely reliable when it comes to live events, but they do indicate a 9% increase in viewing numbers from last year. Later in the day, CNN announced the final ratings – up 7% from last year, which is a promising uptick for a show that’s been slumming it for the past couple of years. Looks like Ellen has one more reason to celebrate this week – with pizza, of course.

Ellen has two more reasons to celebrate today.

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, the 86th annual Academy Awards broadcast brought in a household rating of 27.9 from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., up 7% from last year and marking the highest number since 2005. Calling on Ellen to host wasn’t exactly a risky decision, with the host’s near universal appeal, but it certainly paid off well for producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Continue reading: Ratings And Previous Host Seth MacFarlane Also In Favor Of Ellen's Turn At The Oscars

As Sunday's Oscars ceremony draws nearer and the Hollywood glitterati get those final abs toned in the gym and hairs waxed in the salon, we're wondering if Ellen Degeneres is busy finalising her host's script. A lot has changed in the seven since America's favourite talkshow host commandeered the Academy Awards and expectations are higher than ever after a monumental year in film.

Ellen Degeneres Prepares For The 2014 Oscars Ceremony.

The Ellen show's host's first time hosting the Academy Awards was widely praised, the only criticism being that she didn't get enough screen time. The 56 year-old's sunny personality and family-friendly jokes make her the ideal, safe choice to host after Seth Macfarlane's divisive gig last year left an unsavoury taste for many.

Continue reading: Ellen Degeneres Gears Up For Oscars: What To Expect From The Host's Second Gig

Awards season finally hit London on Sunday night as Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave collected three top awards at the London Critics' Circle Film Awards: Film of the Year, best actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and supporting actress for Lupita Nyong'o. Winners in attendance included McQueen, supporting actor Barkad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Excellence in Film honouree Gary Oldman, and cast and crew of the double winner The Selfish Giant. In addition, Steve Coogan collected Judi Dench's British actress award, while Andy Serkis read out a hilarious message from Cate Blanchett, who won best actress. Have a look over our photos from the event, we have The London Critics' Circle Film Awards Arrivals photos as well as photos of the guest leaving and signing for fans at the end of the night. We also have a full list of London Critics' Circle Film Awards winners, lead by 12 Years a Slave.

The awards ceremony started just a few minutes after it was confirmed that Philip Seymour Hoffman died in New York, and when the announcement was made the audience rose in a spontaneous standing ovation. Over the last few days, the film and theatre communities have been speaking out over Hoffman's untimely death. We have video footage shot as Philip Seymour Hoffman's body is retrieved from his apartment. We also recap his glorious career - Philip Seymour Hoffman's movies list features classic after classic.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: 12 Years Rules London, Stars Mourn Hoffman, New Films From Russia, Macfarlane And Gyllenhaal

Seth Macfarlane has admitted he was surprised by Family Guy fans' outrage to the temporary death of Brian the dog. The producer discussed the three-week hiatus during Monday's Television Critics Association's winter press tour.

Brian [L] was killed off, and then revived by Stewie [R]

"We were all very surprised  - in a good way - that people still cared about about that character to be that angry," he told reporters. "It didn't occur to us. We thought it would maybe create a little bit of a stir, but the rage was not something we counted on."

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane: Wow, People Were Really P*ssed Over Brian's Death

Seth Macfarlane shocked fans in season 12's latest episode, titled 'Life Of Brian'.

'Brian Griffin', who has been a prominent character in 'Family Guy' for every season, was killed off when the canine was hit by a speeding car.

Following this was an onslaught of criticism by the show's fans who couldn't believe MacFarlane would kill off such a major and popular star.

Continue reading: 'Family Guy' Creator Seth MacFarlane Finally Addresses The Outraged Response From Fans Following 'Brian's' Death

Beyoncé's Secret Album Breaks Records: Last week's biggest story was Beyoncé's unexpected and sudden album release, where she dropped Beyoncé with minimal farefare. Nevertheless, Queen Bey's fans were sent into a buying frenzy, pushing the singer to the top of the Billboard and iTunes charts and securing a fifth number one for the R&B megastar.

Ian Watkins Sent Down: Former Lostprophets singer and "committed" paedophile Ian Watkins has been jailed for 35 years at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday for a string of child sex offences. The judge said Watkins took "evident delight" in abusing children after the rocker pleaded guilty last month to 13 offences. Read about the full sentencing here.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Ian Watkins Sentenced, Beyonce's Record Breaking Album, The Hobbit Establishes Box Office Stronghold

The Griffin's Christmas wish came early on Sundays episode of 'Family Guy' (Dec 15th).

In an episode aired last month called 'Life Of Brian', the comedy sitcom made the extreme decision to kill off one of their major characters.

The victim was the loveable canine companion, 'Brian Griffin', who was tragically hit and killed by a car.

Continue reading: 'Family Guy' Resurrects 'Brian' Just In Time For Christmas

Let's get the spoiler alert out of the way, in case it wasn't immediately obvious: this article contains major spoilers for the November 24 episode of Family Guy. On Sunday night, the US audiences went through a traumatic experience – Family Guy’s Brian was killed off. For those of you, who are still oblivious to Family Guy (it’s been on for fourteen years, come on people) Brian is arguably the most clever and likable character and also the Griffins’ dog.

Rest in peace, Brian. You were a good dog.

We wouldn’t be the first to point out that main characters in sitcoms or animation don’t typically get killed off. Charlie Sheen’s character on Two and a Half Men is an exception, but animated dogs aren’t really prone to difficult contract negotiations or PR blunders. According to Family Guy EP Steve Callaghan speaking for E!News, the decision to have Brian hit by a car and prevent any possibility of his return was a creative one (earlier in the episode Stewie not-so-conveniently dismantled his time machine).

Continue reading: So Long, Brian Griffin: Why The 'Family Guy' Writers Did What They Did

Seth Macfarlane's 'Family Guy' has constantly been a hilarious showing of an animated family's antics for 11 seasons now.

However, fans of the comedy series did not laugh in season 12's latest episode, titled 'Life Of Brian'.

Devastating scenes occurred, the loveable canine companion, 'Brian Griffin', was tragically hit and killed by a car.

Continue reading: Family Guy Makes The Shock Decision To Kill Off A Major Character Who Has Featured In Every Season

Fox has ordered a new animated series from Seth Macfarlane. The Family Guy creator will be working alongside Mark Hentemann on a new comedy series, Bordertown. The show will concern a fictitious town near- you guessed it -the US-Mexican border.

Seth MacFarlane's Bordertown will air on Fox in the 2014-2015 TV season.

MacFarlane, not known for shying away from controversial subjects, including the racist views held by some in the US regarding immigration, will focus on the relationship between a Border Patrol officer and an immigrant family next door as both adjust to the cultural changes around them. The show will satirise, according to TV Guide, 'America's cultural shifts through the evolving relationships between the two families.'

Continue reading: Fox Orders New Animated Series From 'Family Guy' Creator Seth MacFarlane

Fox and Seth MacFarlane are collaborating on a new venture.

The television network announced on Friday (Nov 8th) that they've ordered MacFarlane's 'Bordertown'.

The new animated series will be 13 episodes long and Mark Hentemann, who directed 'Ted' and produced 'Family Guy', will be the executive producer.

Continue reading: Fox Orders Brand New Animated Comedy Called 'Bordertown' From Seth MacFarlane

We Won’t Stop? Well, the signs were there. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have finally ended their engagement after a weird year that saw the Australian actor heading into the serious movie business, while his wife-to-be stole the headlines for various dramatic image changes and controversial performances. Check out what happened here.

Vegas, Baby: We had it confirmed this week that Britney Spears is indeed heading to Las Vegas for a two-year residency at the Planet Hollywood resort. Check out all the details, plus ticket news here.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Miley And Liam Split, Britney Spears For Vegas Residency, Breaking Bad Spin-Off

There was plenty of hope for Dads. Actually, there wasn't really. But, well...we don't know why we said that. No, there just wasn't.

After Seth Macfarlane's Oscars disaster, nobody was particularly anticipating the writer's new live-action comedy with any gusto, especially with Seth Green involved.

The premise is decent. It follow the lives of video game company founders Eli and Warner (Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi) whose lives are turned upside down when - you guessed it - their fathers (Peter Riegert, Martin Mull) move in.

Continue reading: Is Offensive 'Dads' The Worst Reviewed Show Of The Year?

Ellen Degeneres has been announced as the host of The Oscars for 2014, confirming our fears that the Academy would lose its bottle after the Seth Macfarlane debacle and retreat to safe, fluffy ground for next year.

"It's official: I'm hosting the #Oscars! I'd like to thank@TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra," the comedienne and talk show host tweeted on Friday (August 2, 2013).

"We are thrilled to have Ellen DeGeneres host the Oscars," said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who managed to survive the cull from last year, "As a longtime friend, we had always hoped to find a project for us to do together and nothing could be more exciting than teaming up to do the Oscars. 

Continue reading: Has The Academy Lost Its Nerve Hiring Ellen DeGeneres As Oscars Host?

Two of the biggest cartoon franchise will meet for the first time as The Simpsons and Family Guy crossover finally becomes a thing. The residents of Springfield have been around for a long time – longer than Peter Griffin and co – so it’s fitting that the Quahog guys visit the home of The Simpsons. “FOX hasn’t spent this much money since they took Simon Cowell tight T-shirt shopping,” said Peter in a statement, while Homer added: “Finally I can get my hands on this guy"

There's all manner of things wrong with this photo

For fans who can’t wait to see what happens when these two animated goliaths cross swords, a handy statement - given to Entertainment Weekly - reads: "Stewie becomes obsessed with Bart and his old-fashioned pranks; Lisa takes Meg under her wing and is determined to find something – anything – at which she excels; Marge and Lois ditch housework for a little bonding; and Peter and Homer fight over the best beer in town – Pawtucket vs Duff."

Continue reading: Clash Of The Cartoons: Simpsons And Family Guy's Crossover Episode

Sunday's glittering Tony Awards for theatrical performances brought four-time earned Neil Patrick Harris widespread critical acclaim, meaning The Muppetsactor could be a contender to host the 2014 Oscars.

A natural performer and entertainer, 39 year-old Harris - best known for his role as womaniser Barney Stinson in CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother - was named on Time magazine's 2010 '100 Most Influential People', and has since been awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Set to also host this September's Emmy Awards, Harris has just completed his fourth stint at Tony's host in an extravaganza of rapping, singing, dancing and comedy, showing the Albuquerque-born actor's versatility, even earning him comparisons to legendary television host Johnny Carson.

Continue reading: Neil Patrick Harris: Tony Awards Host Is Ready For The Oscars

End of the Night: Tributes were paid this week to Ray Manzarek, pioneering keyboardist with The Doors who died in Germany aged 74. He formed the band with lead singer Jim Morrison after a chance meeting in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, and the pair went on to create some of the finest rock music in history.

Yukkk! Taylor Swift inadvertently created internet gold this week after making a serious "Yukkkk!" face when her pal Selena Gomez embraced with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber backstage at the Billboard Music Awards 2013. The whole thing was caught on camera - and it's hilarious.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Ray Manzarek Dies, Taylor Swift's Disgusted Reaction And Brad Pitt Talks Drugs

As the anticipation for his sophomore film effort builds, Seth McFarlane reunites with Universal to co-write, direct, produce and star in A Million Ways to Die in the West. The studio has just recently come aboard to finance and distribute the western, but it isn’t exactly a risky bid for them, after McFarlane’s big screen debut Ted, starring Mark Wahlberg opposite an animated potty-mouthed teddy bear, became an international smash success and grossed $549 million worldwide. Obviously Hollywood is impressed with McFarlane’s work on Ted, as well as the animated series Family Guy and American Dad! because the writer managed to score some extremely coveted actors to fill the cast of Ways to Die. The list includes Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Silverman and Giovanni Ribisi.

According to Reuters, via Yahoo News, the film will tell the story of a sheep farmer named Albert. And no, the exact premise isn’t known yet, but we mostly have faith in McFarlane’s ability to make this vastly unappealing premise somehow interesting. Plus, a lot of the creators of Ted – notably, producers Scott Stuber and Jason Clark and co-writers Wellesley Wild and Alec Sulkin – have been drafted in to work on this, so, barring some inevitable for this team crude jokes and cheap laughs, A Million Ways To Die In The West sounds like a pretty promising production. The film is due to be released on May 30, 2014 across American theatres. And for those of you eagerly awaiting Ted 2, do not fret – that’s almost inevitable in the future too, as Universal has bought the rights to both films.

McFarlane is gearing up to prove that his first big screen success wasn't just a fluke. 

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane Reunites With Universal For His Second Directorial Effort For The Big Screen

Strings to Seth Macfarlane’s bow: writer, director, voice over artists, bad Oscars presenter, and now, live-action comedy mogul. The Family Guy creator’s sitcom pilot Dads has been given a series order by Fox as the network ramp up their comedy scheduling.

Seth Green will star in the new sitcom alongside Ted co-star Giovanni Ribisi. The pair will be on-screen best friends whose lives take a twist when both of their father’s move in. Martin Mull and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Peter Riegert will play the fathers in question. Dads was a previously ordered, but in line with Fox’s new comedy shows, it’s gone from a 6 episode order and been upped to 13. Its pilot is to be directed by The Big Bang Theory's Marc Cendrowski. Pretty impressive staff list there, we reckon this one could stick. Elsewhere, Fox have plumped for more comedies: Brooklyn Nine Nine, Enlisted, Us & Them and Surviving Jack (working title) will all be hitting screens soon.

The creator, executive producer and voice of American Dad and The Cleveland Show will do his first guest-voice gig on Fox's The Simpsons during its season finale May 19. He, according to Fox, will play "a charming married man whom Marge (Julie Kavner) inadvertently meets on a swingers' website." Macfarlane’s stock is still pretty high despite his terrible performance at The Oscars. If Dads works, he might be able to claw himself back, but it if doesn’t then there could be trouble for the smiley funny-man.

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane In The Live-Action Comedy Game With ‘Dads’ On Fox

Walk The Line: arrested?! That was our first thought upon hearing the news this week. The amiable Louisiana native and all-round darling of Hollywood was cuffed by cops after getting rowdy over her husband Jim Toth's arrest. Oh, and she pulled out the "do you know who I am?" line. Cringe.

New Hair Alert: Jennifer Lawrence sort of stole the show at the GLAAD Media Awards this week, despite the appearance of former President of the United States, Bill Clinton. Debuting a shorter, darker hairstyle, Lawrence sent the social media world into overdrive. What do you think of the change?

Continue reading: A Week In News: Reese Witherspoon Busted, Jennifer Lawrence's Hair And Justin Bieber's Monkey

Wonders will never cease. It seems that the only people who weren’t up in arms about Seth Macfarlane’s controversial Oscars hosting stint were the organisers of the awards themselves. Despite all of the post-event criticism that was levelled at Seth, the Oscars crew have asked him to return in 2014 to take on the job once again, JustJared.com reports.

We guess they must have ignored all of the subjective criticisms and accusations of sexism that Seth received and looked instead at the cold hard facts of the viewer figures. 40.3 million viewers reportedly tuned in to watch the ceremony this year; the figures were a significant increase on the previous years. It’s already been confirmed that the producers of this year’s show, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan will be returning so it seems obvious that they would ask Seth back too; after all, the producers stood by his performance, even when the media were all snapping at his heels and slamming the content of his hosting speeches. “After defending his performance, the producers reached out to Seth and invited him back to host the show again. He’s not sure if he’s going to do it, but he has to decide within the next couple of weeks.”

Macfarlane’s previously said that he wouldn’t accept the gig if he was offered again, but that was in the midst of all the furore over his puerile “we saw your boobs” song. Perhaps with the perspective of hindsight (and now the cheque’s cleared), he might feel differently about it. 

Continue reading: Will Seth MacFarlane Really Return To Oscars After This Year's Debacle?

While the Seth Macfarlane created Family Guy continues to pull in high ratings despite its controversial material, its spinoff The Cleveland Show hasn’t been so fortunate. As a part of Fox’s animated block, The Cleveland Show has been pulling in some of the lowest ratings, 3.3 million viewers and a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49 — and that includes seven days of DVR playback. Fox officials haven’t announced anything for sure just yet, but it’s not looking good for the spinoff.

Considering that the animated programs take the longest to produce, they are also usually confirmed for renewal early on. The Cleveland Show was supposed to be cleared for a new season months ago. That’s what happened with another one of Fox’s animations – the relatively new Bob’s Burgers, which was confirmed for its fourth season back in October.

A blog run by the leaders of The Animation Guild has outright declared the series dead in the water. However, while the chances of a renewal are looking grim right now, Fox animated series tend to be die-hard cult favorites. Sometimes the networks suspends a show and brings it back, like it did with King of the Hill and Family Guy, so you might want to keep your eyes on this story.

Continue reading: The Fate Of Fox's "The Cleveland Show" Is Still Unclear

Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane’s brand of comedy thrives on shock value, but even he has to draw the line somewhere.

Just a day after the explosions at the Boston marathon, clips from a previously aired Family Guy episode were edited to seemingly depict the bombing and started circulating online. Fox pulled the upcoming episode of the show. McFarlane slammed the clips as abhorrent. Naturally, when the video surfaced, there were the conspiracy theorists, who started pointing to a planned attack by the US government. Others were offended and outraged by what seemed like an extremely inappropriate joke at the expense of the victims. Series creator and voice actor McFarlane tweeted this message about the clips: "The edited Family Guy clip currently circulating is abhorrent," he tweeted. "The event was a crime and a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the victims."

According to the network, the clips came from two separate parts of an episode, which aired earlier this year, entitled “Turban Cowboy”. Fox and many other US networks have been known to pull sensitive and potentially offensive material off air after national tragedies like the Boston bombing or the Newtown shooting of December 2012.

Continue reading: Family Guy Creator Seth McFarlane Condemns Clip Depicting Boston Bombings

The broadcasting network Fox pulls Family Guy episode, after an edited clip montage appears to show a bombing at the Boston Marathon. In the cancelled episode, according to Los Angeles Times, the NBC sports reporter Bob Costas speaks to the father character, Peter Griffin about his marathon performance. In a flashback, Griffin recalls running athletes over in his car. There is also an “unrelated scene” in which Griffin befriends a terrorist planning on blowing up a bridge.

According to the report, elements of the clips had been edited together (not by the Family Guy production team), out-of-sequence to make it look as though the episode was about a bombing at the Boston marathon. The newly edited footage had then been edited and uploaded to the internet; an act that the series creator Seth Macfarlane has deplored. On his Twitter page, he wrote “The edited 'Family Guy' clip currently circulating is abhorrent. The event was a crime and a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the victims."

The episode, which was titled ‘Turban Cowboy,’ was originally aired last month and was pulled from fox.com and from Hulu.com, the online video site owned by Fox’s parent company News Corp. A spokeswoman for the network said they have no plans to air the episode again. 

Continue reading: Fox Pulls Family Guy Episode Out Of Respect For Boston Bomb Victims

Seth Macfarlane has split from his girlfriend Emilia Clarke, E!Online reports. Whether or not Emilia was as grossed out Seth’s sexist Oscars hosting japery as the rest of the female race has yet to be confirmed but apparently it was a change in location for the two celebrities that forced the split. Seth, 39 and Emilia, 25 have parted ways and the news was confirmed by a source close to the Family Guy creator and Game of Thrones actress.

“They are no longer dating," a source told E! News. "It was really a location challenge. She has been in Europe shooting Game of Thrones and he is based in California, so it was hard to make it work despite the distance. They have remained friends." The couple’s relationship first became known to the public when they were spotted cosying up together at HBO’s Emmy’s afterparty back in September and now it seems that this will be one of those short-lived, un-dramatic relationships that won’t be remembered for very long at all.

Emilia will shortly be appearing in a Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Seth, presumably, go back to working on Family Guy, after his Oscars-hosting role was poorly received. The biggest offender in his routine was probably the song and dance number that detailed the Hollywood actresses that had dared to bare their flesh, throughout their career. Far from tasteful. 

Continue reading: Is It Me? Was It The Oscars Sexism? Seth MacFarlane And Emilia Clarke Split

Seth Macfarlane is currently working on a new project, the comedy A Million Ways To Die In The West, and has moved another step closer towards getting filming started by adding yet another star to it's already impressive cast. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sarah Silverman is in talks to be added to the project that also features Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried and Giovanni Ribis, as well as MacFarlane in the staring role.

Seth MacFarlane is keen to follow-up the success of Ted.

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane's New Comedy Gains Ground As Sarah Silverman Joins The Cast

There was always a sneaking suspicion that Seth Macfarlane as Oscars host wouldn't go down well. His cheeky (smarmy) grin and risky (lewd) jokes aren't exactly in-sync with the Academy’s ethos. It was the ‘We Saw Your Boobs’ song that really brought it home.

But with seven nominations at this years MTV Movie Awards – matched only by Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained – MacFarlane seems to have found his true audience. Ted, like Django is up for Movie of the Year and Best Fight amongst others, and is expected to pick up a few awards come April 14th. Ted star Mila Kunis – who recently made everyone love her by just talking to someone about normal things - is up for Best Female Performance alongside Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook actress Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables, Emma Watson in The Perks of Being A Wallflower and Australian comedian Rebel Wilson, who will host the show. Watson said of being nominated: "I am so excited to have been nominated for three MTV Movie Awards for Perks of Being a Wallflower! I love the show and I love this movie! I'm so thrilled."

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane Finds His Audience With MTV Movie Awards Nomination Domination

A Family Guy: Forget Ricky Gervais - who managed to insult MOST people during his stint as Golden Globes host - because Seth Macfarlane just about offended everyone at the Oscars on Sunday. Women, Jews, Mel Gibson, George Clooney and Prometheus were among those feeling the full force of the comedian's quips. He says he'll never host again.

A Silver Lining: It sort of seemed as though the world was against Jennifer Lawrence winning Best Actress at the Oscars. Many plumped for the underdog Emmauelle Riva, while others favoured Jessica Chastain - nevertheless, the Silver Linings Playbook was head over heels with her win - literally.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Seth Divides Oscars Viewers, Jennifer Lawrence Wins Big And It's Goodbye To Affleck's Beard

Seth Macfarlane was always a risky choice as Oscars host; his brash, unflinching style of humor was designed to suck in a younger audience, expanding on that coveted demographic, but what actually happened is he annoyed everyone.

He annoyed some people just because he’s pretty annoying, but, and more importantly, he managed to offend a rather large amount of ‘groups’. MacFarlane's jokes “reduced our finest female actresses to caricatures and stereotypes, degrading women as a whole and the filmmaking industry itself,” wrote Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal and Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson in a letter to Hawk Koch, president of the academy.“It is unacceptable for the entity that celebrates film-making and pop culture to have Seth MacFarlane deliver a misogynistic and degrading monologue against actresses who have shown courage in addressing thought-provoking and realistic life experiences on film," Lowenthal and Jackson wrote in their letter. They then asked the academy to condemn MacFarlane’s behavior and “commit to using better judgment in their future choices of content and hosts.” But in a fleeting moment of defence for MacFarlane: the producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron deserve some castigating, too.

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane’s Oscar Jokes Criticized By Lawmakers

Seth Macfarlance hosted The Oscars, and he hosted them badly; at least that’s the general consensus amongst the critics, so it comes as no surprise that The Family Guy creator won’t be donning that black tux again. Unless he’s nominated, but that’s equally unlikely.

Asked on Twitter whether he’s ever going host again, Macfarlane replied "No way. Lotta fun to have done it, though." We can only assume that the host, who dishes out a lot of pretty offensive jokes, hasn’t taken kindly to being reviewed negatively for his efforts on Sunday night. It turns out his disclaimer piece, which features William Shatner telling him how bad a host he’s been from time-travelled reviews, didn’t work either. His attempt at self-awareness wasn’t fooling anyone. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the 3 ½ hour ceremony, have to take some of the heat, too. Critics were also scathing of the song-and-dance-heavy show. Perhaps if they had been good songs and daces, though…

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane Will Never Host The Oscars Again – Wonder Why

Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old actress nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars on Sunday, has received a personal apology from Steve Hannah, the chief executive of satirical newspaper The Onion, after it tweeted an offensive post about the young star. Wallis was dubbed a "c*nt" in the offensive tweet, that caused a storm during the Academy Awards broadcast.

"On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to Quvenzhané Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars," Steve Hannah wrote on the publication's Facebook page. "It was crude and offensive-not to mention inconsistent with The Onion's commitment to parody and satire, however biting." The offending tweet - "Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhané Wallis is kind of a c***, right?" - was deleted about an hour after it was posted, though plenty of users, including some celebrities, were up in arms. Wendell Pierce of HBO's The Wire demanded that the publication identify the author of the tweet. "Let him defend that abhorrent verbal attack of a child. You call it humor, I call it horrendous," he tweeted. Pierce later added, "It doesn't matter what the intent was, it was offensive and they should apologize to Quvenzhane."

The Onion's apology continued, "We have instituted new and tighter Twitter procedures to ensure that this kind of mistake does not occur again. In addition, we are taking immediate steps to discipline those individuals responsible. Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better. All of us at The Onion are deeply sorry." The tweet was posted during a night when Seth Macfarlane joked "it'll be 16 years" before Wallis would be too old for George Clooney.

Continue reading: The Onion Offer Apology To Quvenzhane Wallis Over Crude, Offensive, Tweet

Hosting The Oscars is a notoriously difficult task to undertake and it has become, in many ways, increasingly difficult to be funny without seriously irritating a person, or a group of people. For Seth Macfarlane there were very mixed reviews. While the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have complained about his work, ESPN whole heartedly approved. Can't win, eh?

As the Hollywood Reporter writes, ADL's leader Abraham Foxman, released a post-Oscars statement argues that one of MacFarlane's Ted skits perpetuated anti-Semitic stereotypes. MacFarlane voiced Ted the bear who claimed Hollywood is run by Jews. Foxman said: "[W]hat [MacFarlane] did at the Oscars was offensive and not remotely funny. It only reinforces stereotypes which legitimize anti-Semitism. It is sad and disheartening that the Oscars awards show sought to use anti-Jewish stereotypes for laughs." 

Also, Hispanic audiences took offence to a comment made by the host when he said "Well we have finally reached the point in the ceremony where either Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz or Salma Hayek comes on stage and we have no idea what they're saying but we don't care because they're so attractive." As the Huffington Post reports, viewers took to Twitter to air their complaints about his comment, offended by the insinuation that hispanic people can't be understood.

Continue reading: Praise And Complaints: Mixed Reviews For Seth MacFarlane's Oscars 2013 Hosting

Seth Macfarlane was always going to be a contentious choice of Oscar host, as the Academy Awards sought to attract the key 18-49 demographic, but just how did the risqué comedy of the Family Guy and Ted creator go down on an evening which is known for its formality and tradition?

If this critical mauling doesn't wipe the grin off Seth MacFarlane's face, nothing will

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Seth MacFarlane Oscars Hosting Given A Mauling By Critics

One polarizing addition to this year's Oscars ceremony was the use of the classic 'Jaws' theme when acceptance speeches ran a little too long. It made for a cringe-worthy couple of occasions, when frantic producers, actors, directors and writers tried to thank their family, cast, crew and even God himself as the movie theme tune began to ring around the Dolby Theater.

The general Twitter consensus appears to be that the Jaws song was a novelty the first time around, though became irritating and disrespectful. Saying that, Piers Morgan loved it, tweeting, "The Jaws music cut-off for long-winded acceptance speeches is the greatest addition to awards ceremonies ever. I'd add real sharks," before adding, "Jaws theme is making me laugh louder and louder each time - hysterical idea." Another user said, "The Only reason I'm still watching the Oscars is to see when they dunk & unleash Jaws on the next actor that speaks 2 long," though one Oscar-viewer suggested, "The guy that got played off to Jaws didn't even go that long did he? Seemed like a short leash."

The Jaws theme-tune was just one of many additions to this year's Academy Awards, presumably used to jazz the whole thing up and make it a less formal occasion. Host Seth Macfarlane was often irreverent and poked fun at many of the Hollywood's biggest stars. 

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Jaws Music Cuts Short Acceptance Speeches, Funny Or Disrespectful?

Seth Macfarlane's Chris Brown and Rihanna joke drew audible gaps at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at the Oscars on Sunday night (February 24, 2013). The Family Guy man took aim at some high profile celebrities in his opening skit, though it was his Brown and Rhi-Rhi jibe that was closest to the bone.

"Django is a movie where a woman is subjected to violence, or as we call it, a Chris Brown & Rihanna date movie," said MacFarlane, who also poked fun at Mel Gibson, Tommy Lee Jones, Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field. The joke was also a talking point on Twitter, with one user writing, "I don't know, I'm less offended by Seth MacFarlane's Chris Brown/Rihanna joke than I am about every single thing about Chris Brown." Another said, "Unfortunately for Chris Brown and Rihanna, their relationship will always be a punchline," however, one Oscar-viewer said, "Oh yeah, I agree with that Waltz win as much as I enjoyed the off-colour Django-Unchained-Chris-Brown-Rihanna gag."

MacFarlane was a surprise choice to host this year's Academy Awards, though he enjoyed a huge year with his part-animated comedy Ted, starring Mark Walhberg. His TV show Family Guy continues to be one of the most watched on U.S. television, while his performing background did him no harm in landing the biggest gig of the year.

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Seth MacFarlane's Chris Brown And Rihanna Joke Draws Gasps

Seth Macfarlane opened this year's Academy Awards with a pretty bizarre skit that featured James T. Kirk himself William Shatner telling the Family Guy man that he was the worst host in Oscars history (He'd come back in time, you see). "This is Captain James T Kirk. Will you respond? I'm here to stop you from doing what you're about to do. The show's a disaster. I've come back in time from the twenty-third century to stop you from ruining the Academy Awards. Your jokes are tasteless and inappropriate and everyone ends up hating you," said the Canadian screen legend.

Shatner told Macfarlane he had sung an offensive song that displeased many of Hollywood's female stars, before playing 'the tape' from the Oscars telecast. "We haven't seen Jennifer Lawrence's boobs..Helen Hunt we saw them in The Sessions and Scarlett Johansson we saw them on our phones," sang the writer and comedian. "The point is, keep it classy," advised Shatner, before MacFarlane introduced Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt on-stage for a music and dance number. "Are you sure you want to be the first Oscars host ever to get a bad review?" said Shatner, "You're disrespectful to many of the evening's nominees."

'Ted' star Macfarlane was a surprise choice to host this year's ceremony and has plenty to live up to, given Amy Poehler and Tina Fey's performance at the recent Golden Globes. 

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Seth MacFarlane's 'Boob Song' Kicks Off Academy Awards

So everyone reckons that Adele's going to walk away with an Oscar this weekend and, given that she's performing on Sunday (February 24, 2013) at the event, as part of a 50th anniversary James Bond special, it would certainly cap a magical night for the British singer.

Not so fast Adele, you ain't won yet

Continue reading: Adele Oscar Win A Cert? Not Quite! Which Other Contenders Are There?

Seth Macfarlane is undoubtedly set to be an unorthodox Oscars host, and there’s all sorts of chat about what everyone could be letting themselves in for. One thing that is definitely happening is that the Family Guy and Ted creator will be closing the show with a song and dance, alongside Kristin Chenoweth.

 Seth Macfarlane's up for a song and a dance this Sunday

Continue reading: Seth MacFarlane Set For Oscars Song And Dance To Close Show

Hosting The Oscars is one of the biggest hosting jobs a person can do in their lifetime, unless you hosted the royal wedding, or... well, that's pretty much the only thing bigger than the Oscars. With the world's biggest stars all under one roof and the opinions of the Oscar judges held in such high esteem, Seth Macfarlane has let himself in for something major, and he knows it. 

In an interview with USA Today he revealed that he's been doing plenty to prepare himself for the big day (this Sunday, February 24th). He got "good advice from Billy Crystal" who "took about an hour out of his day, [to talk] through some of the dos and the donts" of hosting the Oscars. Apparently, Crystal told MacFarlane to "get comfortable with [his] shoes before [he] gets out there." 

"They say look and find a friendly face in the audience. I'm probably going to find Denzel Washington or maybe Joaquin Phoenix," he added. As well as discussing his preparations, he also said that there'll be a musical element to the show on Sunday! Although he couldn't elaborate further on how, when or with whom that might occur, but it has to happen. "It's the Oscars, there's an orchestra, it would be a shame to not use it." 

Family Guy will meet The Simpsons for the first time when Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlane lends his voice to a character for the first episode of the upcoming 25th season of the The Simpsons.

Fans of the yellow-skinned show may be surprised with the announcement, with MacFarlane creations Family Guy and America Dad being lampooned on the show during the episode 'The Italian Bob', where the two shows patriarchs Peter Griffin and Stan Smith were both accused of plagiarism. Still, entering it's 25th season and with dwindling audience numbers and with scripts of questionable quality, who can blame them for recruiting outside help - even if the help is essentially a rival.

Producer Al Jean spoke to Entertainment Weekly earlier this week (Nov 30) to break the news, as well as giving some word on what the the episode, which will air in fall 2013, will entail. The show, which is set to be titled 'Dangers On A Train,' will see MacFarlane play a married man who pursues matriarch Marge Simpson following a meeting between the two on a website. The two go on to form a bond over their love of a Downton Abbey-esque show called 'Upton Rectory', with hilarity likely to ensue.

The Oscars is the biggest annual event in western film culture, perhaps matched only by the Cannes Film Festival. Winning an Oscar is a director's, actor's or writer's proudest moment and one that will ensure career longevity and continued success. So, to host the Oscars is a pretty big deal- is Seth Macfarlane, a squat comedy writer whose shows have been censored and even banned in the past the right man for the role? And, if he's not, who may have been a better choice?

Seth MacFarlane is the creative mind behind the animated comedy tour-de-force Family Guy, as well as American Dad and The Cleveland show. He branched his career out further this year writing, directing and starring in the movie “Ted”.

However, MacFarlane had a slight mishap when hosting the Emmys this year, in which he couldn't find the mic. If he has a similar slip-up this year, the award directors may be lamenting not opting for someone else. But who else could step up to the mark? Judging on entertainment value and quality The Muppets would have been an excellent choice, or even the man responsible for bringing them vehemently back to life earlier this year, Jason Segel. Neil Patrick Harris is another all-rounder who would be great for the job, or even Mila Kunis.

Continue reading: The Oscars 2013: Is Seth MacFarlane The Best Man For The Job?