Dear Seth,
I just wanted to drop a line and congratulate you on basically turning Sunday nights on FOX into “Seth Sundays.” I don’t think the monopolization of a network by one person has been done since Aaron Spelling dominated ABC during the 1970s and ’80s. Of course, being the king of the Animation Domination, you are subject to criticism as well as compliment. So, I’d like to give you both.
First, the compliment. I missed much of last season’s Family Guy, so I don’t know if your tribute to the SuperFriends was done already. However, since it was new to me, I’m going to give you a virtual high-five for the intro to Sunday night’s episode. I know you’ve done this before with, for instance, your little vignette featuring the Jetsons, but I haven’t seen it done in the intro. My favorite moment was replacing the Wonder Twins intro with a simple, deadpan “Meg.”
By the way, so far so good on the season. Sure, the jokes are stolen (greatest form of flattery), and some of Peter’s antics are getting stale, but you’ve had two solid episodes. It was strange to see the gang drinking at The Drunken Clam without Cleveland, and it will be interesting to see if you bring in another semi-normal character to your flagship series. I’m looking forward to your Empire Strikes Back parody later in the season.
Now, onto The Cleveland Show. It’s different, but good. I don’t know if you’re keeping the craziness down as the series warms up, but I like that you’re injecting a saner feeling into this show that we saw back in the early days of FG. Cleveland is less manic and a bit more stable than Peter (who’s a walking time bomb) and he fits well into his new family. Hopefully we’ll get to see some more interaction with his new drinking buddies (at The Broken Stool — I see a pattern) as well as Cleveland starting a new job.
If there’s one thing wrong with The Cleveland Show it’s the patented Seth MacFarlane vignettes; they don’t work here. The broad comedy, the sex jokes, the potty-mouthed toddlers who like to see up other toddlers’ dresses … they’re all okay. But, because this is more of a genuine family comedy, rather than a slapsticky, Salvador Dali-like comedy such as Family Guy, the vignettes really slow the story down. Maybe you can reinsert them in a few seasons when the rhythm of the show changes.
That’s it, Seth. Keep up the good work! And, I’ll see you in a few seasons when you take over the entire FOX schedule.
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Oct 05, 2009 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
I am a huge fan of both “Family Guy” and “American Dad”. And I’ve now endured two episodes of “The Cleveland Show”. It’s absolutely awful. Horrid. A trial to watch. The jokes are ugly. The voices are uninteresting, except for the bears. The plots are utterly predictable. Cleveland is a listless lead character, except for the 2 minutes in each show where he screams at someone and acts like he has some guts. I was just miserable watching it, and I really wanted to like it. I could barely bring myself to watch the second one on my TiVo.
I’ve deleted the Season Pass.
I like “American Dad,” but hate the other two shows. A lot, and I agree with everything Scott said.
My note for Seth, try to be funny. Oh wait, why start now? It wasn’t that long ago when you had a bit part in the “Lorelai’s Graduation” episode of “Gilmore Girls.” Yep. Bit. Part.
Family Guy was great as always, Quagmire proved that he was the one that deserved a spin-off once again. That scene (coming out from the house) was an instant classic (however predictable). American Dad has vastly improved. When it first started I took it as a joke from Seth to the network for screwing him. Bu after some time it’s improved and now it proved itself as a reliable sibling. But Cleveland is bad, really bad. Even worse than American Dad’s first episodes. Plus I don’t see an opportunity in the series for improvement unless they introduce new characters. Sometimes euthanasia is a good solution.
Fray, I don’t know if you were joking but Seth’s role in Gilmore Girls was not a bit part. It was a cameo, he was already a well known tv personality by then (2002), he appeared as a cameo in GG in 2003 once again (also in Enterprise and FlashForward).