Does Seth MacFarlane’s New Deal Spell Doom for ‘Family Guy’?
Seth MacFarlane is blazing a brand new trail for his career. After spending decades working with Fox, the mastermind behind Family Guy will officially move to NBCUniversal. The filmmaker’s deal is monumental, but it could spell doom for the beloved Griffin family. Will Family Guy finally wrap after 18 seasons? It looks like it’s a possibility.
Details of Seth MacFarlane’s deal with NBC revealed
MacFarlane shocked fans when it was announced he’d be leaving his long-time home to create content for a competitor. The mega-deal is believed to be worth at least $200 million, according to Deadline. The five-year contract will tie MacFarlane to NBCUniversal, where he is expected to create content for both NBC and the company’s new streaming service, Peacock.
The type of content that MacFarlane will be creating for the network is unknown, but fans assume an animated series or two will come out of the deal. Live-action shows are also reportedly in the works. It’s rumored that Fox made a serious effort to keep MacFarlane on the payroll, but in the end, NBC offered the multi-talented creator a better deal. MacFarlane, who turned 46 in October, has spent the vast majority of his career at Fox.
MacFarlane’s NBC deal doesn’t mean he has to leave Family Guy
The deal with NBC might have been sweetened by the fact that MacFarlane still has the freedom to continue working on his existing shows. According to Screenrant, the contract that MacFarlane penned with NBC will even allow him to continue crafting Family Guy. For now, it would seem the show is pretty safe, that is, as long as MacFarlane sticks around.
While he can technically continue working on the series, MacFarlane has not yet expressed his intentions. It’s long been rumored that he is tired of creating the show, and is more interested in crafting new content. He’s managed to amass a pretty impressive catalog with Fox, but whether he’ll want to continue to do so remains to be seen.
Will Family Guy end now that MacFarlane is leaving Fox?
Family Guy’s feature is still pretty uncertain. In fact, Family Guy was canceled once already. Back in 2002, Fox pulled the plug on the show after four seasons. Higher than expected DVD sales, however, forced Fox’s hand. They brought the show back in 2005 and it’s stuck around ever since.
The network is known for its long-standing animated series. The Simpsons, for example, has been on the air for 31 seasons. Bob’s Burgers has nine seasons under its belt. That doesn’t mean Family Guy will survive without MacFarlane, though. If he chooses to step away, it’s likely the show will go with him, or, at the very least, the show that fans know and love will be no more.
For now, fans will just need to wait and see how things shake out. Neither MacFarlane nor Fox have publicly discussed plans for Family Guy going forward. The show’s 18th season kicked off in September 2019. The 11th episode of the season will air on Feb. 16 in its new timeslot. It will follow Bob’s Burgers.
