Don't get bunched up about a Microsoft-sponsored 'Family Guy'

Lighten up, everybody. There may be a bit of old-school Kraft Television Theater-style branding in Microsoft Windows 7's sponsorship of an upcoming Family Guy special, but chances are it'll involve 30 Rock-like blatant product plugs and unmistakably tongue-in-cheek shilling. This is Seth MacFarlane, after all. The half-hour, commercial-free special, tentatively dubbed Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, will air Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m. It will star its creator, MacFarlane, and Alex Borstein (voice talent/producer/writer) and feature "unique Windows 7-branded programming that blends seamlessly with show content." OK, not so commercial free. The creative team is working with Microsoft and agencies Universal McCann and Crispin Porter + Bogusky to "develop, write and produce the customized branded integrations," Fox said in a statement. Reasons not to be upset by this: Microsoft already knows what it's getting with the in-your-face Family Guy, and execs seem to have enough of a sense of humor to play along. Plus, MacFarlane, with a first-time Emmy nod for best comedy under his belt and a mega-money network deal, has proven he's nobody's bitch. At least so far. Let's hope a deal with a big-spending advertiser doesn't change that.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley