Prime Time Animation

... for last Sunday.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 27 -- March 25-31)

The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat episode at 8 did 3.1 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating on Easter Sunday, down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week.

The Cleveland Show (Fox) - Its normal time of 7:30pm was a repeat and did 2.11 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week.

Bob's Burgers (Fox) - The 8:30 airing was a repeat and did 2.58 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. A repeat at 7pm did only 1.6 million and just a 0.6 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week, as it faced the last half-hour of the NCAA game on CBS in the eat/central time zones.

Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9 did 3.03 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, which wasn't the best of the block.
American Dad! (Fox) - An encore episode at 9:30pm did 3.07 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, holding on 100% to its lead-in's ratings. ...

I spent a long stretch of Friday morning at Fox Animation Studios on Wilshire Blvd.

The Cleveland Show, still in reruns, has been cancelled. Which leaves Family Guy and American Dad (which got a late pickup this season) as the studio's surviving shows. (Nobody's talking about The Flintstone's reboot, which is in limbo.)

One of the questions: Since the creator of Family Guy is now exec producing a live-action sitcom, and his next live-action theatrical starts shooting in New Mexico in May, how much time will Mr. MacFarlane have for his animation children? An artist told me:

"American Dad isn't a problem. Seth does two voices on the show but doesn't run it. But he signs off on the stuff at Family Guy. When he's not there the show can get bottle-necked because he hasn't okayed stuff." ...

My suggestion (to a pair FA staffers ... like anybody cares what I think) was to have Mr. MacFarlane do the voices for the cartoon sitcoms, exec produce the new live-action TV thingie, go direct the new Western comedy in New Mexico. But for Family Guy, he delegates all the artistic oversight.

I'm sure my helpful advice will be closely followed.