"Family Guy" Censored Abortion Episode Performed Live (VIDEO)

BY DERRIK J. LANG, AP

LOS ANGELES — "Family Guy" was uncensored for Emmy voters.

The cast of the bawdy popular animated Fox series performed a never-to-be-aired episode for members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the press on Wednesday evening at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. The episode's topic du jour? Abortion.

"Not as bad as you think," said Seth MacFarlane, the husky toned "Family Guy" creator who serves as executive producer, writer and who also supplies numerous voices on the show, including bumbling Griffin family patriarch Peter, antagonistic toddler Stewie and talking dog Brian.

MacFarlane was joined on stage by fellow "Family Guy" voice actors John Viener, Danny Smith, Christine Lakin, Alec Sulkin, Mila Kunis and Alex Borstein. The actors read their lines in front of a live orchestra with MacFarlane and Borstein performing musical routines between acts.

WATCH (VIDEO COURTESY THE LIVE FEED)

RELATED: LIMBAUGH, ROVE TO GUEST ON "FAMILY GUY"

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RELATED: LIMBAUGH, ROVE TO GUEST ON "FAMILY GUY"

Most of the episode dealt with matriarch Lois (played by Borstein) deciding to become a surrogate mother for her infertile friend – against Peter's wishes. After her friend is killed in a car crash, the Griffins are left with the difficult decision of what to do about the pregnancy.

At one point, Peter watches an anti-abortion video, which proclaims several people would be alive if abortion wasn't legal, including a fourth Stooge, the guy who would have killed Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden's America-loving brother, who could have prevented 9/11.

Inappropriate or not, the crowd was in stitches. The series, which is set in the fictional suburb of Quahog, R.I., has had a penchant for political incorrectness and going to the edge since premiering in 1999 and being canceled – and then later resurrected – in 2000 and again in 2002.

Earlier this month at Comic Con, MacFarlane announced that Fox had declined to air the "Family Guy" episode. Network entertainment president Kevin Reilly told the Television Critics Association last week that the decision not to air the episode was driven by potential advertiser concerns.

Before Wednesday's show began, 20th Century Fox Television spokesman Chris Alexander warned the audience not to record the live performance "because this episode has never aired, and quite frankly never will air, but it will probably be on DVD at some point."

"Family Guy" is the first animated comedy to be nominated for a comedy series Emmy since "The Flintstones" in 1961. This year, it will go up against series such as "30 Rock" and "The Office." MacFarlane joked the event was organized to "drum up support so we could lose by fewer votes."

RELATED: LIMBAUGH, ROVE TO GUEST ON "FAMILY GUY"

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On the Net:

http://www.fox.com/familyguy/

Comments

[Khirad]

Brilliant and subversive in a puerile way, as always. Love it. That Chinese bit was guffaw worthy, in my book. If you're offended, you don't get it.

[IDIOTA]

That was not guffaw-worthy.

[hemnebob]

i love the show.
no matter the subject, i love it.
love american dad too...

funny stuff.
there is times for serious and times for laughing and this is entertainment
for me and that is what i usually need after a long day at work.

for those who don't like it?
i am sure there might be something in the world that makes you laugh, if not,
well then, i would be inclined to believe that you are just a miserable person.

glad for you!
more glad for me!!

[RandyJones]

abort!on! Libs' absolute manna.

[FantasticFourFan]

Seieing as how cons are trying to kill children by denying them universal healthcare, I really don't think your in a position to talk.

[IDIOTA]

That is a hilarious avatar.

[Steven Weber - Huffpost Blogger]

Brilliant and hilarious, for adults. Not everyone gets it and that;'s the way it should be.

[teron678]

hilarious

[progressivesvotegreen]

a sinful delight...got my mind off the numnuts blogging about socialism, letterman a repeat and conan not funny.

[bigironal25]

I love these mofo's!

[NilesCrane]

I love seth so much, he is really talented. Family Guy is one of my favorite shows next to 30 rock, But I have to give it up to tina, family guy makes me laugh, but 30 rock makes me LOL! when you wake people up because your laughing you know you have a good show.

[politisophical]

distastefully hilarious

[Curdleberg]

I can't stand the whiny PC police. If you don't like it, don't watch.

[redkim]

Contrary to the headline, the episode wasn't censored. The headline implies the FCC censored it, but instead it was Fox deciding not to air it.

[pghnappyrhino]

so in deciding not to air it, fox CENSORED it.

the headline doesn't imply government intervention, just that the program was not allowed to air in its intended state, which was the case.

[redkim]

In public discourse, censorship generally refers to the government censoring something, so, yes, the headline implies it.

But okay, you can say that Fox "censored" it's own show, but it will include the original episode in the DVD.

[dadw5boys]

Belive it or not many of us Liberials do not allow this trash in our homes.

This junk only one of the reasons the whole Fox Network is blocked here.

[naviline]

Fox is banned in our home for a lot more reasons than Family Guy.

[theone718]

Don't know why I love family guy it's hilarious

[Justice Wainwright]

It has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative.

The people that watch this show are across a broad political spectrum.

Its not for liberals or conservatives, its for non PC people with a hearty sense of humor who are able to point out hypocrisy and laugh at something that is neither Fraiser nor Titus.

You have to have a well developed sense of humor and a non reactionary frame of mind to enjoy Family Guy.

Not everything with liberals needs to be "This American Life"

Lets cut back from the stereotypes, shall we?

[cirrus9]

Believe it or not, many of us liberals LOVE this show. Why don't you try peeing somewhere else?

[taddles]

How do you go to the bathroom with such a tightass?

[mikedarooky14]

I love a good joke about abor/tion!

Everyone sing the new abor/tion doesn't su/ck song.

get it!!!!

Did Ginsu sponsor this episode??? "it slices and dices"

[cirrus9]

I love a good joke too. Which explains why I am so enamored of you.

[jalowe1957]

All this reminds me of the controversy over the Depression-era musical "The Cradle Will Rock," where they tried to shut down the production via judicial fiat, only to have the cast members perform the entire musical from their seats in the audience.

When something is suppressed, you can bet it will manifest itself in an act of defiance.