Seth MacFarlane is an extremely busy dude, and one needs no further proof than the first half of the 2026 TV schedule. Not only has he continued his myriad voice roles across both Family Guy and American Dad, but he also delivered the second season of Ted (streaming via Peacock subscription) in the midst of developing animated spinoffs for both Ted and Stewie Griffin. So does that mean we’re never getting that long-rumored Family Guy movie? Maybe. Maybe not.

We know that MacFarlane has an feature-worthy idea for Family Guy’s characters, and that he’s been mulling over it for nearly 15 years now, with occasional new details, such as live-action elements, shared every few years. Now, the hugely successful creator has addressed the stalled status of the film in an interview with THR. After stating that he thinks Family Guy will last “as long as there’s an appetite for it,” he noted the film’s status, saying:

To date, Seth MacFarlane has yet to actually divulge what his big ideais for the Family Guy movie, but that's part of the fun in waiting for it to actually come to life. It doesn't seem like it'll be based on any specifically timely elements, at the very least.

Before elaborating more on that last bit about circling back to the movie idea when everything else is "sh-t," the Orville creator was asked about the possibility that the movie could be crafted while the TV series is still airing on Fox. That doesn't appear to be an obstacle, as MacFarlane answered with:

So what he's really saying it, we may never see a Family Guy movie because MacFarlane's output is just too danged popular and universally accepted by fans for him to have the time to devote to the long-form project. Does that mean we need an army of Peter Griffin cosplayers to start boycotting all the other series and films also crafted by MacFarlane? That sounds viable on paper, but would likely be disastrous in practice.

At this point, The Orville fans are still waiting on Hulu or any other studio or platform to pony up the funds to get Season 4 off the planet's surface, as that's also still a project that he's up to continue with if someone is footing the costs. The same goes for Ted, which hasn't been renewed or canceled at Peacock to date, with MacFarlane saying he'd love to close the story out with a movie featuring the prequel series' cast.

So for all that the idea might exist in theory, it's possibly going to take a lot of epic failures to get a Family Guy feature into motion. And that's just not something Seth MacFarlane has grown accustomed to in the past 27 years.

Even without a movie currently on the way, there are enough Family Guy family guy episodes streaming (via Hulu subscription and Disney+ subscription) that by the time one marathons through all 460+ episodes, MacFarlane might have a completely different announcement to make.

Ted Season 2 was one of the biggest hits on the 2026 TV schedule, and now that the numbers are coming out supporting that, creator Seth MacFarlane is rolling back previous statements he made about follow-up seasons. While it once seemed like we'd never see another season of the series with a Peacock subscription, it may not be so unlikely after all.

Deadline reported that Season 2 of Ted has over 1.2 billion minutes streamed. That statistic puts it well above all other streaming shows released around that timeframe, with men 18-34 among its strongest audience. I'm a bit older than that demo, which may be why I was psyched for Seth MacFarlane to get back to The Orville instead.

MacFarlane seemed destined to return to his sci-fi series after saying that Season 3 of Ted seemed "impossible" because of the cost needed to animate the CGI title character. Now, in light of this news, the creator had a softer response while appearing at a Deadline panel for the show:

I feel like that random Scrooge McDuck vault reference was a look into how Family Guy cutaways were conceived, but I digress. The main takeaway here is that MacFarlane went from saying "it's impossible" to putting the ball in Peacock's court. Clearly, he has ideas in mind, and I don't think anyone in the cast is going to turn down more work especially with the knowledge of how well this show is doing.

At the end of the day, however, the ball is still in Peacock's court. One would have to imagine, however, that if the streamer wants another season of Ted anytime soon, it'll have to move fast. MacFarlane maintains a good relationship with Disney as well, and doesn't seem to enjoy sitting around without anything to work on.

If Ted doesn't return for another season or get a movie, there is some good news for fans. An animated Ted series is already planned for Peacock, and it's coming before the end of the year. The series will be set after the events of the movies, which is better than nothing! If you don't believe me, ask fans of The Orville.

Ted is available to stream over on Peacock. It's great to see the series be such a success, especially when even Seth MacFarlane thought the first movie was going to be a total flop.

Now that Ted Season 2 has hit the 2026 TV schedule and is available to stream with a Peacock subscription, fans had better enjoy it. Unfortunately, it seems like it's going to be the final season of the comedy series. As a fan of the hilariously raunchy show, recent comments from Seth MacFarlane have me bummed. However, as a fan of The Orville, I'm feeling hopeful, and other franchise devotees should be as well.

Despite whispers that The Orville Season 4 would be in production in 2025, the year came and went without any meaningful updates. That may change in 2026, however, as MacFarlane's latest comments about Ted may ultimately lead to his sci-fi series making a big return.

Seth MacFarlane Reveals The Unfortunate Reason Ted Season 3 Likely Won't Happen

Ted Season 2 provides a lot of laughs, but it seems it would cost too much to make more episodes. Seth MacFarlane confirmed as much to The Wrap, sharing what he heard from Peacock:

It seems all the people watching Ted online don't exactly equal the cost of animating the titular stuffed bear in addition to the show's other financial production obligations. This includes an AI-generated shot of Seth MacFarlane as former President Bill Clinton, which the creator told Variety was the only way to effectively make him resemble the former leader.

Season 3 of Ted is so unlikely that MacFarlane continued to say that the ending of Season 2 is meant to be a lead-up to the beginning of the movie. But is there any kind of wiggle room should those decision-makers at Peacock and Universal change their minds? The veteran writer and producer explained:

It's a shame to see a series potentially end due to high costs, especially since I think Ted's TV prequel is arguably better than the movies that preceded it. With all of this in mind, I am still grateful that a second season happened at all. Who knows, maybe it will get a surprise renewal. All the while, there's another part of this situation to consider.

Does Ted Ending Open The Door To The Orville Season 4?

If Ted is ending, I think The Orville's fans should be paying attention to what Seth MacFarlane is up to next. The creator recently updated that he's finished writing Season 4, with over three years having passed since the Season 3 finale.

Disney and Hulu have kept the series in limbo since then, refusing to either cancel or renew the sci-fi romp for a new season. With a new season written and Ted seemingly canceled, it seems MacFarlane may finally has an opening in his schedule to return to star and potentially direct a new season.

A big question, of course, is if he'll be able to get the cast of The Orville back together. While some, like longtime collaborator Scott Grimes, feel like a shoo-in to return, others have vocally expressed reservations about returning. Adrianne Palicki specifically cited the long wait for production in Season 3 as why she'd be apprehensive to return but also said she'd be open to a conversation if MacFarlane called her.

All this to say, Ted ending frees up Seth MacFarlane's schedule, but there is still plenty of work to be done. It's still unclear just how interested Disney and Hulu are in a potential new season, though the fact that MacFarlane has written the entire season does signify confidence. I'm not getting my hopes up for a new season just yet, but I do feel more optimistic about one than I have in a long time.

Watch Ted over on Peacock, while The Orville is available to stream over on Hulu, or with its add-on over at Disney+. I hate that one show could come at the cost of another, but let's just hope we don't get to the end of this year and there are zero updates on both.

The Orville’s lifespan has been anything but easy and smooth. After two seasons on Fox, the best Star Trek series that isn’t actually a Star Trek series moved to Hulu, and while that was a positive on the whole, according to creator and star Seth MacFarlane, it’s been over four years since that third season, which is a long time even in the modern streaming era. At the same time, the show has never been officially cancelled, giving fans reason to continue holding out hope that a new season will one day arrive.

At an event for MacFarlane’s other streaming series, Ted, which launches its second season this week (via Peacock subscription), the actor and writer was asked by THR about the show’s fate. The good news is that Season 4 of The Orville is apparently done, at least as far as scripts go. Unfortunately, that doesn’t actually mean the show will definitely be going into production anytime soon. MacFarlane said:

As a fan of The Orville, the first sentence there certainly says a lot, which is really good news. Up until now, it really wasn’t clear if there was really a chance of another season of The Orville or not. While some Orville cast members indicated production was expected to start already, it never actually did. It was far from clear what was causing the holdup, and fans weren't even fully sure if there was a creative direction to move in.

Now it’s clear that Hulu wants the show, and MacFarlane has written the episodes that will make up the season. That would normally indicate a TV show is in the early stages of production. Unfortunately, Seth MacFarlane still has one problem: himself. He fully admits that he is the bottleneck. He simply has so many projects going right now that he doesn’t know when he’ll have the time to focus on this one. He explained:

As much as it's wonderful to hear that The Orville’s new season is written, this follow-up does not give one confidence. If there was any sort of a plan for when the show might start filming, he’d likely say so, which means that while the show has scripts, those scripts aren’t going in front of cameras anytime soon.

At the same time, it’s difficult to imagine that 10 completed scripts will simply never be filmed. As of now, The Orville is getting another season, and that clarification is good news. I just hope we don’t have to wait another four years for it.

How is it March already? Somehow, the first two months of the year are already gone, though they’ve given us some great new streaming movies and TV to enjoy along the way. March is certainly following suit, as, if you’re looking for something new to watch, there’s plenty to enjoy this week, from the long-awaited second season of a hit comedy to the newest look at one of the great classic characters of fiction.

Young Sherlock - March 4 (Prime Video)

Sherlock Holmes has been adapted for the screen as much as any character in fiction. Rarely, however, has it turned back the clock so far as to see Holmes before he became the world’s first consulting detective. Young Sherlock is produced by Guy Ritchie, who previously brought us two solid Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr.. Hero Fiennes Tiffin stars as Holmes, who is a student at Oxford when he makes friends with James Moriarty.

The Hunt - March 4 (Apple TV)

The Hunt is interesting because its road to streaming was an odd one. It was originally set to debut back in December for those with an Apple TV subscription, before the show was pulled following accusations of plagiarism. The series, which follows a battle of wills between two groups of men who come across each other while hunting in the woods, appears to have remained intact... though the credits have now been altered as they state the series is based on a book by Douglas Fairbairn.

Ted, Season 2 - March 5 (Peacock)

Seth MacFarlane’s Ted was something of a surprise hit when the first film debuted back in 2012. It did so well that a sequel film was quickly put in development. Those movies then spawned a series you can watch with a Peacock subscription. The first season came out over two years ago, so fans have been waiting a while for the continuation of this prequel story. But one has to imagine the laughs will continue.

Vladimir - March 5 (Netflix)

Vladimir is a new Netflix series based on the book of the same name and stars the once and future Mummy star Rachel Weisz as a woman who becomes obsessed with a co-worker. Do I know this show will be great? No, but I have to admit I’m more than a little curious after the show released one of the most suggestive poster images in recent memory. I’ll be using my Netflix subscription to see just what this one has to offer.

The Dinosaurs - March 6 (Netflix)

Steven Spielberg and dinosaurs? Yes please. Every generation needs a top tier documentary about the history of dinosaurs, and the newest comes in the part of a four part Netflix series that’s produced by Spielberg, and is narrated by Morgan Freeman. One can expect cutting edge animation and the most accurate scientific information we have about these magnificent creatures.

War Machine - March 6 (Netflix)

My Prime Video subscription has been waiting for the newest season of Reacher, as I’ve had a distinct lack of Alan Ritchson beating the crap out of people on my TV. The good news, however, is that over on Netflix this week, we get War Machine, a movie that dares to ask the question, what if Jack Reacher fought an alien mech? I can’t wait to find out the answer.

There’s plenty more where this came from with the rest of March getting ready to bring us Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and One Piece as well as the follow-up to Jury Duty and more.

We’re only about three weeks away from one of the biggest transitions in the entertainment industry when Josh D’Amaro officially takes his place as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. It will be the beginning of a new era for the Mouse House that will certainly see many big changes, though D’Amaro isn’t the only one in line for a new office.

Alongside the announcement that Josh D’Amaro is the new CEO of Disney came the announcement that Dana Walden, who had been seen as D’Amaro’s closest competitor for the top job, will become President and the first Chief Creative Officer for Disney. The new gig is good newsfor many creatives in Hollywood who appear to really like working with her. Speaking with Variety, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane reveals that he had concerns when Disney bought Fox, and that Walden helped put him at ease. He explained:

Family Guy has certainly made Disney a target of jokes, so it’s not completely unreasonable to be afraid that Peter Griffin would have to “play ball” and, at the very least, cease ribbing its new parent company. By and large, however, that hasn’t been the case, and MacFarlane clearly appreciates that.

The major knock against Disney’s last attempt to hire a CEO not named Iger, Bob Chapek, fell flat, and a big part of the reason for that is believed to have been Chapek’s difficulty navigating Hollywood relationships. Walden’s elevation to President appears to be an attempt to act as stop gap for D’Amaro’s potential weaknesses.

That said, D’Amaro is likely already in a much better position in that regard than his predecessor. An unnamed observer tells Variety that when he saw D’Amaro appear at a recent Academy Award nominee luncheon, the new CEO looked much better. They said:

There are always going to be some growing pains and some difficulties in transition when changes at the top happen. First and foremost will be the question of who takes over Josh D’Amaro’s old job as the head of Disney Experiences. It’s been the financial driver of the company, making the new head of that job key to Disney’s future.

D’Amaro and Walden appear to be set up quite well for success. Between the two of them, they know the Disney organization backwards and forward. It will be interesting, and possibly quite exciting, to see where things go after they formally take their new jobs on March 18.

The majority of the movies that Tom Hanks has filled his career with, from the instantly recognizable blockbusters to the lesser-seen cult classics, are iconic enough that Hollywood has largely resisted the urge to remake all of them. But mega-producers Seth MacFarlane and Brian Grazer have teamed up with Peacock for an episodic reimagining of The 'Burbs that has multi-hyphenate superstar Keke Palmer as the suspicion-harboring lead. I was admittedly wary when the project was first announced, but the first-look teaser below stoked my interest.

The streaming service not only dropped the first preview footage for The 'Burbs, but also revealed when the mystery-comedy will hit the 2026 TV schedule. Now we know it'll be available to watch (via Peacock subscription) starting on Sunday, February 8, with the entire eight-episode season going live at once. So at least viewers who need to solve the mystery won’t need to wait two months to wrap the story. Now without further ado, check out the new teaser!

Not a whole lot to glean there as far as specifics go, but anyone who's familiar with the original 1984 film will know what the deal is. Either way, let's break down the cast and plot synopsis so that we're all on the same page.

What The 'Burbs' Remake Is About

Similar to the original film vying for a "present day" setting, Peacock's The 'Burbs takes place in the here and now, as opposed to a throwback era. A young couple, portrayed by Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise), have recently changed locations to settle into the latter's former childhood home, much to her disgust.

Things get even less ideal when a new neighbor takes up residence across the street, which inevitably starts to unearth some of the dark and hidden-away secrets kept by the cul-de-sac's homeowners, with potentially fatal threats rising up and bringing chaos to what previously seemed like a quiet and welcoming neighborhood. Trust no one!

I can only assume that this new series will bring spins and twists to everything that played out in Joe Dante's film, but I still don't want to dig into those plot points too much just in case it is a fully faithful remake.

The 'Burbs Has A Stacked Cast And Creative Team

Beyond the Nope and Clifford the Big Red Dog stars at the center of the project, The 'Burbs also boasts some stellar comedic talent. The neighborhood will be filled out with characters played by SNL and Bridesmaids great Paula Pell, Newhart and Designing Women fave Julia Duffy, What We Do in the Shadows’ Mark Proksch, and Night Court’s Kapil Talwalkar. As far as I can tell, Weeds and Succession vet Justin Kirk will be portraying the suspicion-sparking new neighbor.

Behind the scenes, The 'Burbs boasts the pair of aforementioned top-tier producers in Seth MacFarlane (for Fuzzy Door) and Brian Grazer (for Imagine Entertainment), as well as Henry Danger creator Dana Olsen, who was the writer and producer of the original film. The new take was developed by Celeste Hughey, a writer and producer for Netflix's Dead to Me and Apple TV's Palm Royale, who served as showrunner for the first season. Also on the writing staff is Rachel Shukert, who previously wrote and produced for shows such as Supergirl, The Handmaid's Tale and Nine Perfect Strangers.

Given how far back Brian Grazer's career partnership with Hanks goes - they first worked together on 1984's Splash before Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, and its two Robert Langdon follow-ups. Grazer had nothing to do with the original Burbs, but I do wonder if his involvement here means we can expect a certain Oscar winner’s cameo at some point. The 'Burbs features one of Tom Hanks’ all-time great freakouts, so one can hope for a reprisal of some kind.

With of without Hanks’ involvement, The 'Burbs is set to hit streaming on Sunday, February 8, 2026. And Keke Palmer’s fans can also look forward to seeing her in another ‘80s-related project, the upcoming spoof sequel Spaceballs 2, which just wrapped filming this week.

In an era when it seems every movie is destined to be rebooted, one franchise that was surprising to see return was The Naked Gun. Spoof movies in general have seemed like a thing of the past, and The Naked Gun was such an artifact of its time, with star Leslie Nielsen and creators Jim Abrams and David and Jerry Zucker, that it seemed impossible anybody would try to do that again.

And yet it happened. A new The Naked Gun movie arrived on the 2025 movie schedule from producer Seth MacFarlane, director Akiva Schaffer and star Liam Neeson. For the most part, it seems most liked it. Our own Naked Gun review was solid, and many other critics agreed. The film also got a decent box office return at a time when that is far from a sure thing. However, one person who apparently didn’t care for it is David Zucker, who recently told Woman’s World…

While I’m not sure fans would say the new Naked Gun “totally” missed it, many critics felt that, while the new film was good, it certainly wasn’t quite the same. Some explained that the new Naked Gun not trying to match the original perfectly was a good thing because it likely would have failed. Zucker, however, feels that writer and producer Seth MacFarlane missed some fundamental elements in what makes spoof movies work.

The knowledge that David Zucker had to make spoof movies work came from years of making them and creating a collection of rules that helped make the jokes work. Zucker has recorded an online class for MasterClass called A Crash Course In Spoof Comedy, which will teach people those rules so that future spoof movies get it right. He continued…

He doesn’t go into what most of these rules are, beyond the first, which was that every joke needs a straight man, and the last being that “there are no rules.” I suppose if you pay for the MasterClass, you can learn them all and perhaps begin to see where the new Naked Gun went wrong in Zucker’s eyes.

There is at least one spoof movie that might benefit from taking the MasterClass. While it’s unclear if we might see any Naked Gun sequels with Liam Neeson, there is a new Scary Movie in development. David Zucker himself directed two entries in that franchise.

Zucker's words are a bit surprising if only because he previously said he had no intention of seeing the new Naked Gun. He was supportive of the film itself, but said he just wasn't interested in seeing somebody else's take on his work. It seems he broke that rule.

2025 was already a banner year for Fox's longest-running animated series, with several shows earning four-season extensions, and the news that American Dad is returning to its former network. Then came the mostly shocking announcement that The Simpsons Movie is getting a sequel after years of fans' hopes and rumors. Now, Family Guy fans can celebrate this year's Halloween with the new A Little Fright Music special. These are good days indeed. (R.I.P. The Great North.)

After watching Stewie and Brian try to crack the pop culture conundrum of proper Halloween songs — no spoilers here — I talked to Family Guy's co-showrunner Alec Sulkin about giving the Griffin family another holiday special. But I first had to ask for his take on the recent Simpsons Movie news, and he sounded just as enthused about it as I am, saying:

Seeing any kind of a flat-out comedy getting a wide release on the big screen is especially rare these days, at least in comparison to the time when The Simpsons Movie first came out. We're at a point when Taylor Swift, who'd only released her self-titled album when Homer & Co. dealt with Springfield's dome in 2007, managed to top the entire weekend box office with the BTS look at her newest album, and it wasn't even the first time this year she did that. Enough about her for now, even though I'm sure the writers will try to get her in for a guest spot.

Sulkin continued, adding praise for just how funny he thought the first movie was:

Judging by all the responses to the news, more people are excited than otherwise, though there was definitely a wave of reactions that skewed more negative. No need to give that any attention here, though.

Instead, I'll draw focus to the number of reactions that questioned why the world was getting another Simpsons movie while we're still waiting on a single Family Guy feature to exist. (At least a full-length one that didn't just riff on the Star Wars movies.)

What's Happening With The Family Guy Movie?

When I asked the co-showrunner if he was privy to all the fans clamoring for Quahog to get a movie, he answered with:

It is wild to me to even start to consider that Seth MacFarlane is holding off on a first movie in order to avoid speculation and pressure regarding a second movie. But I guess that is indeed how creatives at MacFarlane's level have to think about them. Plus, he's literally seen that scenario play out in real time during the 18-year stretch it's been since The Simpsons Movie came out. Maybe if there's a point when he has fewer plates spinning at high speeds, he'll be more willing to commit to a theatrical movie.

If it does end up happening in the near future, on a timeline where the two could feasibly come out around the same time, I joked that the series creator could work with theaters to set the Family Guy movie to play an hour after The Simpsons sequel, and Sulkin responded with:

How wild would it be if Family Guy crossed over with The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers and American Dad in a big-screen epic adventure? And let's not forget about Ted's foul-mouthed bear, and the crew from The Orville. If you're gonna do it once, you might as well do it right.

Let us know in the poll below which animated film you'd rather see, and be sure to stream Family Guy: A LIttle Fright Music as soon as humanly (or ghostly) possible with a Hulu subscription.

Voice acting is its own special skill that not all actors can pull off. Sometimes great live-action stars make the crossover, and some of them are listed here. Other times, actors who are primarily voice actors appear in live action roles, and you might not know what they look like, even when you know their voice (or, more often, voices). Those actors are also represented on this list of popular voice actors who you probably have seen before, even if you didn't know it.

Yeardley Smith

Yeardley Smith is, of course, best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson, who, for me, is the most underrated character in The Simpsons. Like many of her castmates on the legendary cartoon, she started from the beginning of The Tracey Ullman Show. You may also know her as the pregnant cashier who crashes the party at the beginning of City Slickers, among other roles in live-action movies and TV shows.

Christine Cavanaugh

The late Christine Cavanaugh was the original voice for Chuckie in Rugrats and Dexter in Dexter's Laboratory. Though she retired very young due to health reasons, you might also know her as injured football player Steve Remo's wife Jerry Maguire.

John DiMaggio

One of the most prolific voice actors on this list, John DiMaggio, is well known for his work as Bender in Futurama, and a whole ton of movies like Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, Despicable Me 4, and many more. You may also have seen him as Fenwick in the AMC show Interview With A Vampire, or Dan on Mythic Quest, which you can watch with an AppleTV+ subscription.

Diedrich Bader

Diedrich Bader has made quite a career for himself as a voice-over actor, with dozens of credits. His best-known work is probably in the DC Universe, where he has been Batman/Bruce Wayne in many animated shows across the universe. He's also done work as Lex Luther, The Green Lantern, and other DC characters. On the live-action side, he's probably most famous for his role on The Drew Carey Show, but he also has memorable roles in the movies Office Space, as Peter's neighbor, and The Beverly Hillbilllies, as Jethro, among others.

Nancy Cartwright

Certainly, Nancy Cartwright is most famous as the voice of Bart Simpson, but that's hardly her only role in The Simpsons. She's also been the voice of Chuckie in Rugrats since 2002, and has done numerous other voice roles on TV and in movies. As for live action, she played a role in the "It's A Good Life" segment of 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie, and appeared in tons of sitcoms and other shows over the years, like Cheers, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the ill-fated spin-off Baywatch Nights. Okay, that last one isn't technically a comedy.

Breckin Meyer

On the live-action side of things, Breckin Meyer will probably always be first remembered for the role of the stoner Travis Birkenstock in Clueless. It's a truly iconic role in a legendary movie at this point. He's also been very busy over the years doing voice-over work, most notably in Robot Chicken episodes, where he is a multi-Emmy-nominated actor.

David Herman

David Herman has been a voice-over actor on some of the most beloved cartoons in recent years like Bob's Burgers, King of the Hill, and Futurama. Many years ago, he became part of movie history as Michael Bolton in Office Space.

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr has been a cast member in a ton of legendary cartoons. In addition to multiple roles in the DC world, including The Green Lantern, he also played big recurring roles in The Family Guy (as Ollie Williams), The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (Bolbi Stroganofsky), Futurama (Hermes Conrad), and many others. He was also a member of the cast of MadTV, and maybe most famously, he played the ill-fated Marvin in Pulp Fiction.

Alanna Ubach

Alanna Ubach has found a lot of balance between her voice acting on shows like The Spectacular Spider-Man, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, and Pound Puppies, plus movies like Rango and Coco. She's also done plenty of live-action work in shows like Beakman's World, Eli Stone, and Euphoria, where she plays Suze.

Hank Azaria

This is an actor who really needs no introduction. Hank Azaria has been in dozens of live-action roles, of course, but it still probably best known for the dozens of voices he does on The Simpsons.

Cedric Yarbrough

Cedric Yarbrough's breakout role came as Deputy Jones on Reno 911!, but you may also know his voice as Tom DuBois and Colonel H. Stinkmeaner in The Boondocks and Chocolate Giddy-up in Black Dynamite. Like others on this list, he's also done work in the DC world, as Firestorm and other characters.

Harry Shearer

Harry Shearer is a Hollywood vet whose career dates back to the 1960s. He's best known for his live-action roles in This Is Spinal Tap (and its 2025 sequel), and some of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries, like The Mighty Wind. As a voice actor, he is certainly most famous as multiple characters on The Simpsons, including Principal Skinner, Mr. Burns, and many others.

Richard Steven Horvitz

Richard Steven Horvitz's voice is most recognizable to Mighty Morphin Power Ranger fans. He's provided the voice for Alpha 5 for years over multiple properties. As for movie roles you may know, he played Alan Eakian, the dorky, nerdy character in the Mark Harmon-led classic '80s comedy Summer School.

Stephen Root

One of my favorite character actors of all time is Stephen Root. He's been in some of my favorite movies and TV shows like Newsradio, O Brother Where Art Thou, and, of course, Office Space. He's also done a bunch of voice work in projects like Finding Dory, Finding Nemo, and various roles in the DC animated universe.

Trey Parker

Trey Parker is the co-creator and star of South Park, of course. Do I really need to say more about his voice work (he does lots of voices on the show)? He's worked a fair amount in his own live-action stuff as well, most famously BASEketball.

Matt Stone

Like his partner, Trey Parker, Matt Stone is most famous for the show he co-created, South Park. Like Parker, he writes and does many voices in the show, and like Parker, he's also starred in the live-action BASEketball and other movies.

Dan Castellaneta

The voice of Homer Simpson, provided by Dan Castellaneta, is one of the most recognizable voices in television history. Castellaneta even invented the word "D'oh," which is now in the Oxford English Dictionary. He's also appeared in a lot of sitcoms, as part of the live-action cast of The Tracy Ullman Show, and tons of one-offs in Married... With Children, Friends, Arrested Development, The Office, and others. He's also been in a bunch of movies like The Client, The War Of The Roses, Say Anything..., and Space Jam, for starters.

Alex Bornstein

You certainly know her from her voice as Lois on The Family Guy, but you also know her face as Susie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Alex Borstein started her career doing voices in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers before becoming a part of the original cast of MadTV. Like a few others on this list, she's split time pretty equally between live-action and voice work.

John Ratzenberger

Hey Normie, did you know that John Ratzenberger is known as Pixar's good luck charm? The actor, who is most famous for playing Cliff on Cheers, has appeared in almost every Pixar film going back to Toy Story. As such, he's actually one of the most successful actors ever when you add up the box office totals of his movies.

Ed Asner

Ed Asner was pretty famous before he really leaned into doing voice work, but for a generation of people, he'll always be best known as the voice of Carl Fredricksen in Up and for his voice work on shows and movies like The Boondocks, All-Star Superman, Christmas Is Here Again, and in live-action work like playing Santa in Elf, in addition to his most famous TV role, Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Julie Kavner

There are plenty of members of the Simpsons cast on this list, including Julie Kavner, who has been the voice of Marge and her sister Patty, and Selma since the beginning. She's also had a long career on screen, including the Nora Ephron-directed This is My Life in 1992 and Awakenings, alongside Robin Williams in 1990. She's also in 2025's Ella McCay, directed by Simpson's co-creator James L. Brooks.

Bill Farmer

Bill Farmer is an actor who has spent most of his career behind the microphone doing voice work. He's been the voice of popular Disney characters like Goofy and Pluto for decades now. He's also done voices for The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Robot Chicken, and others. You might, if you're a fan of the still politically relevant RoboCop like I am, know him for his small role as a reporter in the Paul Verhoeven-directed '80s action flick.

David Faustino

Though he started acting as a child, David Faustino's big break came when he was cast as Bud Bundy in Married... with Children. These days, he has become one of the most in-demand voice actors, working on the Winx Club franchise, 2023's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and shows like The Legend of Korra, Robot Chicken, and DreamWorks Dragons.

Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane has created an incredible career after breaking out as the creator, writer, and main voice actor on Family Guy, as well as its spin-offs and related shows like The Cleveland Show and American Dad. He also wrote and directed Ted, providing the voice of the bear, of course. On the live-action side, his best-known role came in The Orville as Captain Ed Mercer.

Clancy Brown

For the last three decades, Clancy Brown has been the main voice of Lex Luthor in various DC animated shows and movies. He's also dabbled in Marvel shows and done plenty of Disney projects as well. He's also a very in-demand character actor, appearing in shows like HBO's The Penguin, Showtime's Dexter: New Blood, Netflix's Daredevil, and so much more.

Mila Kunis

To be fair, Mila Kunis is more well-known for her live-action work than her voice list, as is the case with a few of the people on this list. She is, of course, the voice of Meg on The Family Guy. Her other work on TV and the big screen is well known, like That '70s Show, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Friends with Benefits, and Bad Moms. She's also done voice work on Robot Chicken.

Gary Anthony Williams

Comedian Gary Anthony Williams is beloved for his role as Uncle Ruckus in The Boondocks and for his role as Mr. Dos on Special Agent Oso. He's also a regular contributor on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and in movies like Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Block Party.

Mark Hamill

For most people, Mark Hamill will always be Luke Skywalker first, last, and only. But fans of the actor know that his career has been far more varied. Fans of the DC animated movies may love him for being the voice of The Joker in many shows and movies as much as they love him for his role in the Star Wars movies.

Seth Green

One of my all-time favorite movies is Can't Hardly Wait, and Seth Green's character Kenny Fisher is a big reason why. He's probably most famous for playing Scott in the Austin Powers movies, but he's also a well-respected voice actor, as the co-creator of Robot Chicken, and for roles like Howard the Duck in the Marvel movies.

E. G. Daily

Without a doubt, E. G. Daily is best known as the voice of Tommy Pickles in Rugrats. Daily has dozens of voice credits beyond that, in shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Julius Jr., Curious George, and more. She started in Hollywood doing more live-action work in roles like the singer in Better Off Dead, one of the best dark comedies of the '80s.

Laraine Newman

As one of the original "not ready for primetime players" on Saturday Night Live, Laraine Newman will always be a big part of television history. Later in her career, she has done a ton of work for Pixar in movies like Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and Inside Out.

Carlos Alazraqui

Did you know the voice of the Taco Bell Chihuahua was one of the cast members of Reno 911? Yup, Carlos Alazraqui, who played Garcia on the Comedy Central show, was behind the voice who said "Yo quiero Taco Bell" back in the '90s. He's got dozens of other voice credits, but you can't deny how great that bit of trivia is.

Comedy is a lot harder to pull off successfully than it's often given credit for. It makes sense that some of the best filmmakers in history began their careers as comics, or at least comedic actors, given how a great comedian's mind works. They see the world in completely different ways, and that way of looking at things often means great movies, like some of the best rom-coms of all time, but they aren't always comedies. Here is our list of great comics who became great filmmakers.

Mel Brooks

You really couldn't have this list without Mel Brooks. His movies, which he's been making for an astonishing seven decades, never fail to disappoint. His career stretches back to the 1940s! He reinvented comedy on film with his early movies like The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein, and while he doesn't do as much directing these days, he's still killing it when he does.

Jordan Peele

Of all the comedians-turned-directors on this list, the biggest departure from his acting career to his directing career has to be Jordan Peele. He first entered our collective consciousness with his legendary sketch comedy show Key and Peele, but starting with Get Out in 2017, he's become one of the premier horror directors in modern Hollywood.

Amy Poehler

Like so many comedians over the last 50 years or so, Amy Poehler got her big break on Saturday Night Live. She left the long-running comedy show in 2008 to work on her next hit show, Parks & Recreation. In 2019, she directed her first movie, Wine Country, and followed that up with 2021's Moxie.

Christopher Guest

Some of the most quotable movies of all time have come from the collective minds of the ensemble casts that Christopher Guest has assembled for his movies, like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind. He serves as the director, but he gives great leeway to his fellow cast members in all of the movies.

Paul Feig

Though he's best known as a writer and a director these days, Paul Feig started as a stand-up comedian when he first arrived in Hollywood in the 1980s. He struggled as an actor before scoring a role in Heavyweights in 1995. While working on that movie, he met writer Judd Apatow and the two co-created Freaks and Geeks. The rest is history.

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller's biggest early break came in the Ben Stiller Show on MTV, which blended sketch comedy with music videos. From there, Stiller basically took over Hollywood to the point that it seemed like he was making a dozen movies a year! Okay, maybe not that many, but he was in a lot of movies, including many that he directed, like Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, Zoolander, and Tropic Thunder.

Mike Nichols

EGOT winner Mike Nichols directed some of the most iconic movies in Hollywood history. Movies like The Graduate, Working Girl, and The Birdcage. Nichols started his career as part of the comedy duo Nichols & May alongside Elaine May, who also became a filmmaker of some renown.

Charlie Chaplin

There are few people in Hollywood history who are as important to the growth of the industry as Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin wrote, starred, and directed almost all his major hits from the silent era up until A Countess from Hong Kong in 1967. He even scored many of his movies. He started in show business in the very early 20th Century in comedic roles on stage before movies were even invented.

Rob Reiner

As the son of the great Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner has comedy in his blood. His biggest fame early came as Mike "Meathead" Stivic in All in the Family, but for most of the last half-century, he's been known for his writing and directing, creating such movies as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally..., among many others.

Chris Rock

Like many SNL alums, Chris Rock has had an incredible career in Hollywood. He started acting as a teenager in New Jack City, but he quickly became known for his stand-up act and his work on SNL. He's long been a writer and producer, and he started directing in 2003 with his directorial debut, Head of State. He's been busy directing ever since, in addition to everything else he does.

Judd Apatow

One of the most successful comedy directors in the last few decades is Judd Apatow. He's a one-man show, in many ways, writing, producing, and directing hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, The King of Staten Island, and This Is 40. He's also produced a whole slew of successful comedies, like Bridesmaids, Anchorman, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express. That doesn't even get into the TV shows he's produced or co-created, like Freaks and Geeks, Girls, and Crashing.

Harold Ramis

Without question, Harold Ramis belongs on the Mount Rushmore of comedy writers and directors. The list of movies he's directed and written (or co-written) is amazing. Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Groundhog Day are just the tip of the iceberg. Like so many in his generation of comedians, he started in sketch comedy at Second City in Chicago.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais gained worldwide fame when he co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the original version of The Office in the U.K. He's created a slew of shows since, and could even be credited with helping create podcasts with his early podcast, The Ricky Gervais Show. The stand-up comedian started directing films in 2009 with The Invention of Lying.

Penny Marshall

We lost a lot when Penny Marshall died in 2018 at age 75. She began her career in comedic roles, most notably as Laverne DeFazio, first on Happy Days, then in her own spin-off, Laverne & Shirley. Before long, though, she transitioned to directing. Her first movie, Jumpin' Jack Flash, introduced the world to Whoopi Goldberg as a comedic actor (her lone previous credit was in the drama The Color Purple) and went on to direct beloved hits like A League of Their Own and Big.

Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane started mostly as a comedy writer, which is hardly a surprise. He then created the animated shows Family Guy and American Dad for Fox. He made his directorial debut with Ted in 2012.

Albert Brooks

The legendary Albert Brooks started his career in sketch comedy in collectives like The Credibility Gap and appeared on variety shows in the late '60s and early '70s as a stand-up. His first directing gig was as part of the first season of SNL, before directing his first feature, Real Life, co-written with his buddy Harry Shearer. His later movies include classics like Defending Your Life, Mother, and The Muse.

Keenen Ivory Wayans

The Wayans brothers have certainly left a huge mark on Hollywood over the years, and the oldest sibling, Keenen Ivory Wayans, is the one who got them all started. He created and directed In Living Color, which made him a household name, but he had already directed I'm Gonna Git You Sucka before that. His biggest success, of course, is the Scary Movie franchise.

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner got his start as a writer and actor in comedy sketches on two shows starring Sid Caesar, Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour. He then teamed up with fellow writer from the shows, Mel Brooks, and together they released comedy albums in the early 1960s. By the end of the decade, he was directing movies, with his two most notable hits, The Jerk and Oh! God, coming in the late '70s.

Cheech Marin

One of the biggest comedy duos of the '70s is, of course, Cheech & Chong. Before long, Cheech Marin was directing movies without his partner, including his directorial debut, Born in East L.A., in 1987.

Woody Allen

WE couldn't have this list without Woody Allen. Setting aside any personal feelings people may have towards the actor for his questionable personal life, Allen is, hands down, one of the most successful comedy film directors in Hollywood history. The list of movies he's written, directed, and starred in is far too long to list here. He developed his famous persona while working as a stand-up comedian in New York in the 1960s.

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton was one of the most successful comedic actors of the 1980s with movies like Mr. Mom, Beetlejuice, and Johnny Dangerously. He started taking on more dramatic roles as the decade came to a close, and of course, he starred as the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton's Batman. He made his directorial debut in 2008 with the drama The Merry Gentleman and, more recently, directed the underrated Knox Goes Away in 2023.

Bob Odenkirk

Along with David Cross, Bob Odenkirk first broke big on Mr. Show with Bob and David, but that was after years in sketch comedy on shows like SNL and The Ben Stiller Show. He has gained his biggest fame more recently as the character Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and the spinoff Better Call Saul (which somehow never won an Emmy).

Jerry Lewis

His comedy might not have been for everyone, but you can't argue with Jerry Lewis' incredible success over decades in Hollywood. Of course, he started as part of a duo with Dean Martin, but he soon took off on his own with movies like The Nutty Professor and The Bellboy. He directed both those movies as well, and would continue to direct his own movies throughout the '60s.

Donald Glover

While still in college, Donald Glover started doing sketch comedy in New York City. After graduating, he became a writer on 30 Rock first came to the public's attention in Community on NBC. His biggest critical success came with the show he created and produced the show Atlant,a in 2013. His first feature film directing gig came with Bando Stone & the New World, which is a companion piece to his album of the same name.

Jeff Garlin

For most people, Curb Your Enthusiasm is where they first saw Jeff Garlin, but his career goes back further than that. He also starred in The Goldbergs before abuse accusations led him to leave the show. Over the years, he's directed a number of movies, like the indie rom-com I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With and 2017's Handsome, which you can watch with a Netflix subscription.

Buster Keaton

Like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton was a huge figure in the silent era of Hollywood. Also like Chaplin, the comedian started in theater at the dawn of the 20th century and then began writing, directing, and starring in his own films in the teens. He was one of the biggest stars of the early film industry, making more than a dozen hits in the 1920s.

Bob Saget

Not only is one of the dirtiest comedians of all time (and his version of The Aristocrats joke proves it), Bob Saget was also so beloved TV dad and wholesome host of America's Funniest Home Videos. Saget's first directorial credit came in the hilarious and underrated Dirty Work, working with Norm McDonald and Artie Lang on what must have been just a wild film shoot.

Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari had his breakout role as a member of the cast of Parks and Recreation, but he was already an experienced stand-up when that show took off. He directed his first film, Good Fortune, which he also wrote and stars in.

Jerrod Carmichael

Jerrod Carmichael is one of the most popular stand-up comedians in recent years and got his first major exposure with The Carmichael Show on NBC in 2015. He made his directorial debut in 2021 with On the Count of Three, which he also stars in alongside Christopher Abbott and an ensemble cast that includes Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, and Henry Winkler.

Bo Burnham

Bo Burnham made his name as literally a one-man show with his musical comedy YouTube channel that he started in 2006 (the very early days of YouTube). His first job as a director came in 2018 with Eighth Grade, which he wrote and stars in, as well.

Robert Townsend

Robert Townsend was groundbreaking as a Black comedian-turned-filmmaker in the 1980s when he wrote, directed, and starred in movies like Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats, and Meteor Man, which is a comic book movie that deserves a reboot.

Bobcat Goldthwait

Without a doubt, one of the strangest movies mentioned in this list is Shakes the Clown, which was the first film directed by legendary stand-up comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. He's directed seven independent films since Shakes and they are always unique and funny.

Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville , availablewith a Hulu subscription, started life as a comedic take on classic Star Trek, and while it never lost the humor, over the course of three seasons, the show became a loving homage to the sci-fi franchise, complete with the same positive and inspirational message. A show with such unbridled optimism is somewhat rare today, which is exactly why MacFarlane says he made it.

Appearing on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, hosted by Orville cast member Ted Danson, Seth MacFarlane says he specifically created The Orville as a sort of counterbalance to the rest of television, which he says is too pessimistic. MacFarlane said:

It’s difficult to argue with Seth MacFarlane’s assessment. Optimistic just isn’t a word you would use to describe most shows on television right now. Those shows are still good. MacFarlane himself calls out the dystopian The Handmaid’s Tale by name as a show that he says he loves, but he just thinks there are too many shows that take its same approach,

Seth MacFarlane clearly believes that Hollywood has the power to influence people, but he thinks there’s too much focus on stories that are about characters and worlds that we should try to avoid. He thinks we should also get stories about heroes that we want to be and about worlds that we may be able to live in if people make the right choices. MacFarlane continued:

MacFarlane actually uses the old He-Man cartoon series as an example of a show that gave him the sort of aspirational message that he now thinks is lacking in pop culture. He-Man would occasionally save his own enemies, because he knew that was the right thing to do. MacFarlane doesn’t think we have as many heroes on screen who act as examples of the sort of people we should want to be.

In the end, Seth MacFarlane feels that making those positive stories is something Hollywood should be doing because he believes the industry can impact people in a positive way. While some celebrities try to effect change by speaking out politically, MacFarlane says that doesn’t really work because people don’t care. What people care about are the stories those celebrities tell. He said:

Of course, without The Orville making new episodes, we are without that optimistic viewpoint once again. Interestingly, MacFarlane references a potential Season 4, saying it has yet to be made, which would seem to indicate that might be happening. There were been reports of The Orville Season 4 going into production this year, though it's unclear if another season will ever actually happen. It certainly would be nice to have that optimistic voice again.

The Orville was allegedly supposed to kick off pre-production for Season 4 in 2025, but with over half the year having passed, we're back to wondering if the show will remain in limbo. My perspective on that hasn't exactly changed after executive producer and director Jon Cassar celebrated the anniversary of the awesome Season 3 finale, but it's the fan responses that gave me hope new episodes will eventually get made.

In addition to his duties as a producer, Cassar is the most prolific director on The Orville, and he recently noted that it's been three years since the last episode of the series was first made available with a Hulu subscription. Check out the post below, which had me in my feels after reading the final sentence:

Based on the comments from fans on the post, it sounds like the answer to Jon Cassar's question is a resounding "Yes." An impromptu X poll isn't enough to secure a fourth season, but hopefully the positivity gets noticed by the powers that be.

Plenty of comments addressed the possibility of a fourth season, with much optimism that "Future Unknown" is not the series finale:

• Heard constant buzz about s4. Is it happening? - @thegeeksreviews
• Still holding out hope for season 4. One of my favorite shows ever. Thank you for the fantastic work you guys did. - @TheImpossebulls
• Three years already? That’s insane. We need season 4. - @SonOfAWookiee
• I miss it immensely and look forward to its triumphant return. 🥳 - @xeow

The hope is still strong amongst fans that once Seth McFarlane is done with The Naked Gun (which CinemaBlend praised in our review) and whatever other projects he has cooking in the background, work will eventually continue on The Orville. In case there was any doubt, some wanted to express they still miss the series, if not as much as the ones who worked on it:

I'm not surprised that The Orville fandom is still as hungry for Season 4 as ever, though I'm not all that sure if we'll ever see it happen. While there's been plenty of optimism that new episodes are definitely in play, stars like Adrianne Palicki have hinted they may not be up to return after how the wait went for Season 3.

Part of the reason The Orville has taken so long to make just 33 episodes is that Seth MacFarlane wants to write and direct the series. At the same time, he's doing voice work for his animated shows and working on other big projects both in film and television. That means work on The Orville is halted until he has the time for it, and it's hard to blame the cast for not wanting to stick around until he has time to work on it.

Hilariously enough, there was even one fan who was willing to be the new "Kelly" in the comments if the need arose:

Personally, I would just like an answer one way or another. If Disney and Hulu are not interested in more episodes of The Orville, then just cancel it and let the series rest so we can mourn. If it is happening, maybe Seth MacFarlane and others can problem solve on how exactly we can get a realistic timetable on its arrival and how to bring it back. I'm sure that's easier said than done, or we still wouldn't be waiting on news three years later.

The Orville is available to stream both on Hulu and Disney+. I think we're all due for a rewatch at this point, if only to get someone higher up at the network to remember the series exists!

If you're a millennial like myself, there's a fair chance that you really only knew Leslie Nielsen for his work in comedy. After the actor starred in David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker's Airplane!, he became an icon in spoof movies, and he continued to make funny films like the Naked Gun trilogy up until his death in 2010. Before 1980, however, Nielsen was best known as the serious star of features like Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure – and it was specifically the history of that mid-career genre switch-up that convinced producer Seth MacFarlane that no actor other than could star in the upcoming Naked Gun legacyquel other than Liam Neeson.

The ability of performers to play their role straight even as events around them get goofier and goofier can make or break a spoof movie, and it very much helps to have serious gravitas in the mix (think about Leslie Nielsen entering the cockpit multiple times in the third act of Airplane! to sternly say, "I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you.") In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Seth MacFarlane explained that quality makes Liam Neeson uniquely qualified for the role of Frank Drebin Jr., saying,

There are a number of movies where Liam Neeson is so serious that it is practically frightening... but it only takes a few tweaks from there to create something comedic. As noted in the EW piece, this is perhaps best previously exemplified in a 2011 episode of the comedy Life's Too Short, which features Neeson dramatically insisting that he is a funny actor while in a meeting with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Warwick Davis.

As evidenced in his casting choices for Ted 2, A Million Ways To Die In The West, The Orville and episodes of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane likes to shine a light on Neeson's comedic skills, and choosing him to play the lead in The Naked Gun ultimately links back to a spoof philosophy held by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. Said the filmmaker,

It won't be too much longer before we get to see that special gravitas exploited for comedy. Co-starring Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston and more, The Naked Gun is set with an August 1 release date will be playing on the big screen everywhere.

Some of the most extraordinary performances in movie or TV history have seen the actor completely disappear into a role, not only changing their appearance but also adopting a voice almost entirely different from their own. Take a look at some of the most impressive voice alterations that an actor took on to perfect their unique portrayal of a now iconic character (or characters).

Robert De Niro (Cape Fear)

One thing that makes the 1991 remake of Cape Fear one of the most amusing Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro collaborations is the actor's approach to playing Max Cady. The Academy Award-winning Italian-American dons a thick, over-the-top Southern accent but is still no less chilling as the sadistic, recently released convict seeking revenge on the defense attorney (Nick Nolte) who put him away.

Lupita Nyong'o (Us)

One of the scariest modern horror movie villains is Red (Lupita Nyong'o) from writer and director Jordan Peele's 2019 sophomore feature, Us. The Academy Award winner brilliantly differentiates the vengeful, "tethered" person from her above-ground double, Adelaide, and gives her an even more unsettling presence, with a raspy voice inspired by a condition called spasmodic dysphonia, which inhibits airflow and is commonly a symptom of traumatic experiences.

Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

As he would with any other role, Daniel Day-Lewis went to great lengths to become the sixteenth President of the United States for his Oscar-winning performance in Steven Spielberg's 2012 biopic, Lincoln. He even made sure to match Honest Abe's voice, which was high-pitched and reedy (according to the Library of Congress), as opposed to the low bellow many previous portrayals mistakenly attempted.

Mel Blanc (Looney Tunes)

To this day, it is almost shocking to learn that most of the original Looney Tunes characters were brought to life by just one actor. Until he passed away in 1989, Mel Blanc provided the diverse voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and plenty more favorites under the Warner Bros. animation umbrella.

Austin Butler (Elvis)

The key to portraying Elvis Presley is nailing his distinct Southern drawl, which Austin Butler went to great lengths to perfect when he was cast as the influential musician in Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic. The work he put into the voice seemed to have a lasting effect on the actor, whom audiences could not help but notice continued to speak in the same accent during public appearances.

Seth MacFarlane (Various)

In addition to being one of the creative forces behind two of TV's longest-running hit animated shows for grown-ups, Seth MacFarlane is also responsible for bringing many of their most important characters to life. He voices Peter, Stewie, and Quagmire on Family Guy and plays Stan and Roger on American Dad – all of whom require him to be completely unrecognizable, while Family Guy's Brian is no different from his real voice.

Catherine O’Hara (Schitt's Creek)

What makes Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) one of the funniest characters on Schitt's Creek is the way she pronounces certain words with her over-the-top, posh accent. Classic examples include "baby" (beh-beh) and "enchiladas" (ahn-chuh-lah-dahs).

Jim Carrey (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

It is still sometimes hard to believe that it is Jim Carrey playing the title role in Ron Howard's live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas from 2000. Not only is he covered head-to-toe with green skin and matching fur in the Christmas movie classic but the comedic mastermind disguises his voice with an accent that earned comparisons to Sean Connery, as he told Entertainment Weekly.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

Eddie Murphy started a career staple of playing multiple roles in the same movie with 1988's Coming to America. He dons an African accent to play Prince Akeem and brings his voice to higher octaves as Randy Watson and Clarence, but he undergoes the most intensive alteration of both his appearance and voice when playing elderly barber shop patron, Saul.

Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

The Dark Knight is a superhero movie that won Oscars for Sound Editing and for Heath Ledger's astonishing, transformative performance as The Joker. No matter how many times you watch Christopher Nolan's acclaimed 2008 sequel to Batman Begins, it is always shocking to hear that wheezy, menacing voice coming from the late Australian actor.

Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons)

If you have ever seen any of comedian Dan Castellaneta's live-action acting credits, it might shock you to learn that his most famous role is Homer Simpson. However, the Simpsons cast member provides the voice of plenty more characters than the infantile, Duff-swilling family man, including Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and Groundskeeper Willie.

Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu)

Bill Skarsgård is no stranger to dramatically altering his appearance and his voice for the sake of scaring the living daylights out of audiences, having played Pennywise in back-to-back creepy clown movies, It and It Chapter Two. However, his transformation into Count Orlok for Robert Eggers' 2024 reimagining of Nosferatu was an even more challenging process, requiring a month-and-a-half of vocal training to perfect the vampire's dread-inducing growl.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line)

Joaquin Phoenix did all of his own singing when portraying Johnny Cash in James Mangold's acclaimed music biopic, 2005's Walk the Line. While appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien that year, the future Oscar winner told the late night talk show host that he worked with a dialect coach to replicate the Man in Black's deep baritone voice as authentically as possible.

Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout)

For her Emmy-winning performance on the Hulu original true crime miniseries, The Dropout, Amanda Seyfried had the challenge of imitating the infamous low voice of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and CEO of the fraudulent blood-testing company Theranos.

Hugh Jackman (X-Men)

Many have been shocked to learn that Hugh Jackman is an Australian as his most famous role is the Canadian-native, Adamantium-clawed mutant, Wolverine. Of course, the Tony winner does more than just drop his natural accent for the X-Men movies but also incorporates a deep, nigh-animalistic growl.

Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

When Stephanie Beatriz debuted in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she used her natural, higher-tone voice to play Det. Rosa Diaz. However, over time, the character's voice became progressively deeper until the actor settled on a low, more gruff tone that better suited the cop's hard-edged exterior.

Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

To play the lead in Christopher Nolan's beloved live-action Batman movies, Christian Bale pulled double-duty on changing his voice. In addition to dropping his Welsh accent when appearing as Bruce Wayne, he adopted a gravelly, identity-concealing growl when patrolling Gotham as the Dark Knight.

Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

Kristen Stewart did more to earn her Academy Award nomination for portraying Princess Diana in the 2021 biopic, Spencer, than donning a blonde hairdo and an English accent. The actor revealed to Howard Stern that she went so far as to dramatically evolve her vocal inflection by opening her mouth more widely than she normally would and, as a result, practically altered her physical appearance in the film.

Phil LaMarr (The Adventures Of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius)

Prolific voice actor Phil LaMarr, in addition to his transformative characters as a MADtv cast member, has made himself unrecognizable for countless iconic animated roles, such as John "Green Lantern" Stewart on Justice League or the title hero of Samurai Jack. However, no blip on his resume is nearly as surprising as the recurring role of foreign exchange student Bolbi Stroganofsky on Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series)

There are two different kinds of Mark Hamill fans. There are those who know the actor as Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars movies and then there are those who know him as The Joker on Batman: The Animated Series and many subsequent animated Batman movies. The voice he puts on for the role – a wonderful mix of comically over-the-top theatrics and scintillating intimidation – has been recognized as the definitive portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime in the eyes of many DC fans.

Robin Williams (Popeye)

Robin Williams proved that he was the perfect choice to lead director Robert Altman's live-action adaptation of the Popeye comic strip. He matched the brave, spinach-swilling sailor's fast-paced growl, as originated by voice actor Billy Costello, to a tee in the 1980 film.

Maggie Wheeler (Friends)

Maggie Wheeler stole the show from the Friends cast with her recurring role as Janice Hosenstein, who was famous for her signature catchphrase, "Oh. My. GAWWWWWD!" What sold the character was her thick, nasally Brooklyn accent, which the actor came up with when she auditioned to play the character, as she revealed to Access Hollywood.

Idris Elba (Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom)

Idris Elba earned rave reviews for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the Oscar-nominated 2013 biopic, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Being raised by West African immigrants helped the English-born actor develop an appropriate dialect to play the influential South African President, as he revealed to Oprah Winfrey.

Mia Goth (X)

Mia Goth played dual roles in Ti West's acclaimed A24 horror movie, 2022's X – both of which required her to conceal her mousy English accent. She spoke with a raspy Southern drawl as young aspiring starlet Maxine Minx and sounded similar, but significantly aged up, when playing homicidal elder, Pearl.

Megan Mullally (Will & Grace)

Megan Mullally absolutely earned her two Emmy Award wins for her committed performance as Karen Walker on the classic TV sitcom, Will & Grace. The key to the spoiled socialite's scene-stealing presence was her ear-piercing voice, which truly sounds nothing like the actor in real life.

Ana De Armas (Blonde)

Cuban-born actor Ana de Armas is known for having a strong accent, which she concealed in order to portray Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Her commitment to matching the Hollywood icon's dialect in the 2022 Netflix original biopic would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Billy West (Various)

Billy West could be called the Mel Blanc of his generation as he can claim to have played about as many memorable animated characters as the iconic voice actor behind much of the Looney Tunes line-up did. To list just a few of West's best-known credits, he was both of the title characters from The Ren & Stimpy Show, took over as Popeye at one time, led Futurama as Fry, and plenty more.

Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)

Nicole Kidman's Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Lucille Ball in 2021's Being the Ricardos was achieved with more than just makeup. The actor shed her Australian accent and added a smokiness to match the I Love Lucy star's natural voice but was also challenged to imitate the more high-pitched tone of the comedy icon's onscreen alter ego.

Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory)

Dr. Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski-Wolowitz easily boasts one of the most impossibly high-pitched voices in sitcom history. However, The Big Bang Theory cast member Melissa Rauch actually sounds nothing like Howard Wolowitz's bride, yet maintained the façade convincingly for 10 seasons on the hit CBS comedy.

Chris Pratt (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)

Despite making "total sense" to the directors of Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, fans of the original Nintendo video game series had some initial hesitation over Chris Pratt's casting as the older Mario brother. However, the actor wisely avoided the plumber's stereotypical Italian dialect from the games in favor of a Brooklyn accent that effectively masked his natural voice.

Robert Pattinson (Mickey 17)

Robert Pattinson plays the title role of Bong Joon-ho's 2024 sci-fi comedy Mickey 17 with an entirely unrecognizable and, admittedly, kind of goofy voice. According to IndieWire, the English actor based the voice for his "expendable" character and his many clones off of comedian Steve-O.

Johnny Depp (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory)

Say what you want about Tim Burton's 2005 adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but you have to admit that Johnny Depp did try something amusing with the role of Willy Wonka. To play the eccentric chocolatier, he adopted a high-pitched wheeze that almost makes you question if it really is the same guy who played Capt. Jack Sparrow under that top hat.

It’s almost time for the 23rd season of Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy to return to its former Sunday night home admidst the 2025 TV schedule. But that hasn’t stopped one of the best TV sitcoms of all time from popping up in the news ahead of time, thanks to one of the animated comedy's most memorable gags-turned-memes from becoming a bit of a topical meme.

Striking while the cultural iron is hot, MacFarlane has revealed what originally inspired “it insists upon itself” as a Family Guy line, and it’s even more amusing knowing it was basically a one-to-one for a real-life moment. And it's all thanks to TikTok users co-opting Peter Griffin’s supposed near-death confession that he didn’t care for The Godfather to make their presumed final confessions before the temporary shutdown.

While that supposed digital extinction event only lasted for about half a day, the moment’s popularity inspired Seth MacFarlane to tell this story about how a film professor from the past helped give us this classic moment:

Featured in the 27th episode of Family Guy Season 4, “Untitled Griffin Family History,” this joke has always provoked a response when it comes to Francis Ford Coppola’s dramatic opus. But this punchline kind of stings a bit more when learning that the true film under attack was 1965’s film adaptation of The Sound of Music.

Although it does bring up the question of whether late actor Christopher Plummer would have agreed. Considering the Canadian actor’s displeasure with the picture is a landmark example of actors admitting they hate there own movie, he may have actually sang this same tune to a certain extent - which kind of adds another layer of laughs.

On the other hand, Seth MacFarlane’s fandom of The Sound of Music cannot be understated. For starters, the Rodgers & Hammerstein song “So Long, Farewell” was used in an early Season 1 gag that sent the Griffin kids to bed. Also, when The Orville’s captain hosted the Oscars in 2013, he used the gag shown below as part of his introduction for none other than Christopher Plummer:

Healthy debate on the modern canon of classics will always be a vital element of talking about the movies. Jokes definitely count in that regard, as Seth MacFarlane has proven with this example of art imitating life, with a subtle switch between the project being debated. It’s punchy, it gets people talking, and it truly is the stuff that memes are made of.

Family Guy Season 23 premieres on Sunday, February 16th on Fox; with Hulu subscription holders being able to stream those new episodes the day after. And if you’ve missed the streaming exclusive holiday specials from late last year, you can prepare for the season proper by catching those episodes at your leisure.

Or if you want to test out whether or not “Untitled Griffin Family History” is one of the funniest Family Guy episodes, you can stream previous seasons in the name of research. And yes, last but not least, you can form your own random thoughts on The Sound of Music, as it too is streaming on this very same platform,

The Orville: New Horizons Season 3 pushed the franchise to the next level, and when it ended, there was a lot of optimism we'd watch Season 4 with our Disney+ subscriptions before too long. It seems clear at this point it's not going to be a part of the 2025 TV schedule, but there was reason to be optimistic about it eventually returning.

Beyond the fact that The Orville Season 3 ended in a way that opened the story up to more adventures, some news from a cast member last year hinted we should be hearing an update on Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi series pretty soon. Let's revisit what we know and what it means for the new year.

Scott Grimes Claimed The Orville Would Enter Pre-Production For Season 4 In 2025

Some may not remember, but The Orville last aired in August 2022, and we've been desperate for details on a renewal since then. Granted, before Season 3 even came around, rumors about the show's cancellation had fans on edge, though such rumors were later refuted. There was a lot of hope from actors, along with encouraging words from Seth MacFarlane, but it wasn't until August 2024 that star Scott Grimes shared the most promising Season 4 news.

Grimes, during a singing performance at Star Trek Las Vegas, announced The Orville would enter pre-production for Season 4 in "early 2025." While no official confirmation has surfaced since to support his claims, the actor has worked so closely with Seth MacFarlane over the years on American Dad and Peacock's Ted in addition to his role on the sci-fi show, so it seemed his ear-to-the-ground would be a good source of reliable expectations. That said, the fact that neither MacFarlane or Disney has confirmed Season 4 remains disappointing, though not entirely unexpected.

When Will We Get News About The Orville: New Horizons?

Assuming Scott Grimes wasn't innocently mistaken, pre-production very well could be in its earliest stages. The Orville hasn't streamed a new episode in two years, but it's been out of production even longer. This would be the time where Seth MacFarlane & Co. iron out storylines, secure cast members who can return to the fold (since some may not be up to return), and figure out how to utilize whatever budget the producters will have to work with this season.

If and when all that's settled, filming could start later in 2025. Is all of this going to be decided in early January? Not unless the majority of it was set in stone while Season 3 was still being crafted.

. All of that said, I would expect some patience and wouldn't expect to see actors on sets or anything of that nature for quite some time. If this news is true, and I don't think Scott Grimes would have a reason to lie or even tell fans anything he wasn't sure about, maybe Disney or Seth MacFarlane will make more formal announcements in the coming weeks and finally confirm that The Orville Season 4 is happening.

At this point, I would just be thrilled to hear it's not canceled, and hopefully, we'll get that confirmation before this summer. Or, it'll all fall apart, and we'll hear it's canceled. Or, there's a third option, which is that the show is kept in limbo, but I'm sick of that phase, so I'm hoping for any reality other than that.

Until confirmation, The Orville is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. If fans start watching the show en masse, it may rush along the approval process and get the ball rolling faster.

Thankfully, American Dad fans won’t have to worry about closing out the holiday-heavy portion of the 2024 TV schedule without the Smith family being around. (Maybe we can get Santa Ricky Spanish — [whispers] Ricky Spanish — if we play our cards just right by scoring high on the naughty list.) The latest season kicks off just prior to Halloween, but even before that, the team at 20th Century Studios delivered the absolute perfect way to get ready for Stan’s latest exploits: an official American Dad! Greatest Hits album!

Fans of the long-running TV series, which eclipsed the historic 250-episode mark back in 2020, are well aware that the show's musical segments are not only as funny as the non-rythmic gags, but many of them are also earworms that bounce around inside viewers' goldfish bowls for days on end after episodes air. I can only be thankful in hindsight that "Bad, Bad Boy" didn't exist when I was a kid, or it would have been my main Christmas carol, as it were.

In any case, the release of American Dad! Greatest Hits is a huge one, since a lot of these songs haven't been readily available for listening on Spotify and other services. Getting a fix of B12, specifically through the song "Girl You Need A Shot (of B12)," used to require finding a clip on YouTube, but no longer. Check out the full track listing below!

• Good Morning U.S.A (Main Theme)
• Girl You Need A Shot (of B12)
• We're Red & We're Gay
• Hot Enough
• Good, No Great Job
• When I Was His Alien
• El Perry (Cilantro's Song)
• Guppy Love
• I Want a Wife
• Hungunder
• Bad, Bad Boy
• Stelio Kontos Theme
• The Weeknd's Dark Secret
• Ollie North
• Top of the Steve Theme
• Mail Song
• Zooka Sharks Rap
• When I Dress My Body
• Daddy's Gone - Remastered

19 tracks of nearly universal bliss, with only one or two slightly less-than-ideal additions, but everyone's mileage may vary. But there's no way the variance is so large that this album isn't deemed "Hot Enough" by regular viewers. It's definitely "Hot Enough," even if that's not the biggest banger on the album.

American Dad's GOAT Song: "Daddy's Gone"

Without a doubt, American Dad's best original track has to be Steve and Roger's Boyz II Men-spoofing ballad "Daddy's Gone," which obviously works better with the desert-set visuals, but doesn't require them, since the song is so spot on. And while I frankly couldn't tell the immediate difference between the "Remastered" track and the original, I'll go to bat saying they're both perfect.

Check Out The New Season's Trailer

Here's hoping we get a multi-installment saga about Roger having to live in Stan's torso, or one about Roger's over-bleached [censored body part that we all know is his butthole]. But even if not, bless the powers that be for finally gifting fans with this Greatest Hits collection.

With its current season presumably stretching into the 2025 TV schedule, American Dad debuts Monday, October 28, at 10:00 p.m. ET. All prior seasons can currently be streamed with a Disney+ subscription and a Hulu subscription.

If you know me, you know I love animation. I’ve always been a fan, from the latest animated movies coming out as part of the 2024 movie schedule to classics that I could rewatch again and again. I also love animation on television, something that I grew up on and have come to appreciate even more. But there are just some characters voiced by actors that I genuinely could not imagine another actor voicing them – and today, we’ll be going over them. 

Robin Williams As Genie (Aladdin)

This is the obvious answer. Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin was honestly one of Robin Williams' best roles, and he wasn’t even on screen. He was able to give so much energy, wit, and fun to a character that was drawn, and it almost made you feel like Genie was a friend rather than some random side character.

Tim Allen As Buzz (Toy Story Franchise)

Toy Story is hands down one of the best Pixar films, and a big reason for this is the natural partnership between Buzz and Woody. Of course, I had to put Tim Allen as Buzz here. I’m pretty sure we can barely think of Buzz in any other way aside from Allen doing it, even if Chris Evans did give it his all in the Lightyear cast. 

Dante Basco As Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

“Hello, Zuko here,” is a line that has lived in my brain since I was literally a child and will forever be there. Dante Basco as Zuko is iconic. Not only is Basco basically the biggest Avatar: The Last Airbender fan out there, but he’s also voiced not one but two characters in the ATLA universe. However, he, like Zuko, can’t be beaten, and we will always love him voicing one of the best redemption arcs on television. 

Bryce Papenbrook As Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan)

Let me preface this by saying that yes, I know the primary voice roles for anime are the Japanese voice actors but have you ever heard an English dub actor who is just so good that it makes it almost impossible to watch it in Japanese? That’s Bryce Papenbrook with Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan. As one of my favorite anime, I started this series listening to Papenbrook, and I ended it with him, too, when I watched the finale again with the dub. He does Eren so well, and it’s hard to picture anyone else but him. 

Eddie Murphy As Mushu (Mulan)

Eddie Murphy is one of those actors where it feels like he plays himself in his voice roles, and he, as Mushu, is certainly one of them. I cannot tell you how often I quote this character. “Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!” I mean, only Murphy could have that kind of delivery. 

Tara Strong As Timmy Turner (The Fairly Oddparents)

There are some voice actors out there who ultimately defined my childhood, and Tara Strong is one of them. I could put so many of her characters on here from multiple different TV shows, but I think the best one has to be Timmy Turner from The Fairly Oddparents. I couldn’t imagine Timmy having a distinct voice, and Strong brought so much character to his iconic kid. 

Seth MacFarlane As Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)

Family Guy has cemented itself as a show that just won’t stop, and the voice actors have pretty much stayed the same since the beginning. One that hasn’t changed is Stewie Griffin, who is voiced by the creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane, and obviously, he has to be here. I’m pretty sure Stewie is probably the most iconic character from the show, and it’s because of MacFarlane’s delivery and his hilarious lines. 

Tom Hanks As Woody (Toy Story Franchise)

Come on. You knew Tom Hanks would be here. Hanks is like the grandfather of our generation when it comes to voice roles, and his role as Woody will live on in our memories long after we’re all gone and Toy Story becomes a certified classic (if it isn’t already). Hanks is just that good, and I will listen to him voice Woody over and over again. 

Ellen DeGeneres As Dory (Finding Nemo)

Ellen DeGeneres isn’t exactly known for her movies, as she was mainly a daytime talk show host for many, many years, but her voice acting as Dory in Finding Nemo is top-notch. Dory wound up becoming just as big as the clown fishes that we followed in the movie and became a loveable character that children all around the world flocked to, and that’s because of DeGeneres and her voice skills. 

Jay Baruchel As Hiccup (How To Train Your Dragon)

Even though there’s a live-action How To Train Your Dragon set to release, you can’t beat the animated movies, and of course, Jay Baruchel is voicing Hiccup, the main character. Honestly, I think Hiccup would have been really tough to nail if the voice actor wasn’t right. Baruchel had to find the delicate balance between a surprisingly brave warrior and a kind of wimpy teenager and build on that for three movies straight – and he rocks it. 

Eddie Murphy As Donkey (Shrek)

Eddie Murphy as Donkey is everything. Look at me. Look at me and tell me you can picture someone else as Donkey because I surely can’t. This talking animal has cemented itself into pop culture with hilarious lines, memes, and so much more, and it’s because of Murphy’s delivery. Now I’m gonna go and make some waffles. 

Kaiji Tang As Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Kaiji Tang is an example of an English dub actor in anime who knocks it out of the park. I honestly love any version of Jujutsu Kaisen, and Season 2 was one of my favorite anime of 2023, but let me tell you, Tang, as Gojo, made it so much better. His line delivery is just phenomenal – it’s no wonder the character is, like, the anime community’s crush. With that smooth voice, it’d be hard not to crush on him.

Trey Parker As Eric Cartman (South Park)

There are so many outrageous episodes in South Park that make you squirm, and you want to know who’s behind most of them. Eric Cartman, because he’s a menace to society – so, of course, one of the creators is the voice behind him. Trey Parker is a naturally funny person, so he as Eric Cartman makes sense – only he could think of the most ridiculous and awful lines to say for a literal fourth-grader. 

Billy Crystal As Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc.)

When making this list, I thought about putting maybe John Goodman as Sully, but then I really thought about it and realized that Mike is actually low-key more iconic. Mike, in general, is a great character with a good backstory and a hilarious sense of humor, but you want to know why he’s so funny? It’s because of Billy Crystal—I can almost feel him through Mike. Mike is Billy, Billy is Mike. 

Shameik Moore As Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)

Miles Morales proved anyone can wear the mask in Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, a film that became a huge hit and spawned a sequel and another movie coming out soon enough. However, a big reason why Miles is such a great character is because of the voice behind him, Shameik Moore. Since the first film, Moore has brought humility to Miles, but also that kind of smooth swagger that we know only he could have. He’s excellent, and I can’t wait to hear more from him. 

Tom Kenny As Spongebob (SpongeBob SquarePants)

How could I not include Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants from the SpongeBob SquarePants series here? This man is my childhood. Sure, there are impressionists out there who believe they can impersonate SpongeBob, but no one can do it like Tom Kenny, and I stand by that. 

Kaley Cuoco As Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn)

There have been multiple people who have voiced Harley Quinn in Batman TV shows and animated movies, but I’m sorry. Kaley Cuoco takes the cake, and I want her to be the animated version of Harley Quinn from now on. Her take on Harley in the TV show Harley Quinn is hilarious, on-brand, and unforgettable, and if you haven’t had the chance to watch her voice the heck out of his classic DC villain/antihero, then you have to. 

Mike Myers As Shrek (Shrek)

Obviously, I had to put Mike Myers on this list. While I do think Donkey is a little more iconic, Mike Myers as Shrek is pretty much the same as butter and toast, or Oreos and milk, or popcorn and movies—you get my gist. Myers as Shrek is pretty much the standard for celebrities voicing animated characters, and he’s quite hard to beat. 

Dakota Fanning As Coraline (Coraline)

Coraline is one of the best stop-motion films out there, and surprisingly, no matter how creepy it might be to others, it’s a comfort film for me. And, of course, I can’t imagine anyone else voicing Coraline other than Dakota Fanning. She was so young at the time but still brought so much sass and wonder to the character, and it made me love Coraline for the explorer she was. 

Dan Castellaneta As Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Oh, you know he would be here. The Simpsons is hands down the most iconic TV series of all time and has been around since the 1980s. Dan Castellaneta has voiced the patriarch of the Simpsons family since the very beginning and has cemented himself in television just as much as the rest of the cast. But you can’t get more iconic than Homer freaking Simpson. 

Christy Carlson Romano As Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Kim Possible was a show from my childhood on The Disney Channel that made me want to be a spy. It likely led to a few injuries when I jumped from trees to show how cool I was. Either way, it was mainly because of Kim and how kick-butt she was while also being a remarkable teenager, and thanks to Christy Carlson Romano’s voice acting, she was made all the better. 

Christian Bale As Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies, and I have to admit that for this, I do like the English dub better because, come on, you can’t beat Christian Bale as Howl! That man has a voice as smooth as butter, and you will find yourself falling for Howl so quickly because of how he voices the character. Ugh, I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it. 

Antonio Banderas As Puss (Shrek 2)

Shrek has plenty of iconic voices, but you want to know who has one of the best ones? Antonio Banderas didn’t even show up in the Shrek franchise until the second movie. But Banderas’ voice was so popular that he spawned not one but two spin-off films – the second of which featured one of the best DreamWorks Animation villains of all time, so you know he’s iconic. 

Jeff Bennett As Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)

Okay, so, if we’re being honest, Johnny Bravo is actually a pretty lousy person and very misogynistic, but man, is it funny to get his butt handed to him in so many situations? It’s because of Jeff Bennett and the way he voices him. He’s just so funny in a messed-up way. I love it. 

Matthew Mercer As Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

Attack on Titan is a case where I tend to lean more towards the English dub than the Japanese because of some of the voice-acting choices, and Matthew Mercer as Levi Ackerman is just *chef’s kiss.* Don’t get me wrong, the Japanese voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya does a great job, too, but when I think of Levi, I think of Matthew Mercer’s voice, and that just means I literally cannot imagine anything else.

Jack Black As Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Po the Panda is one of those characters that has become a pretty big name for DreamWorks Animation. In reality, it’s really just Jack Black behind a microphone in the sound booth voicing some of the most hilarious moments ever. Sometimes, it feels like I’m almost just watching Jack Black on screen because Po is as funny as him.

Helena Bonham Carter As Emily (The Corpse Bride)

The Corpse Bride is an excellent stop-motion animated film that certainly has a specific group of people who watch it every year (me included during Halloween). I could talk about Johnny Depp as Victor, but I have to point out Helene Bonham Carter as Emily. She voices the character so well and gives so much life to a literal corpse. It’s one of Carter’s best movies. 

Chris Rock As Marty (Madagascar)

Chris Rock as Marty makes sense. While there were only three Madagascar movies, Rock voiced the zebra in each of them and killed it every time. I could literally watch an entire spinoff film on just Marty. I want more, Marty. Please give me more hilarious lines like “Oh, sugar honey iced tea!”

Bill Fagerbakke As Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)

You can’t have SpongeBob without his best friend, and Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star is a match made in heaven. Since the show’s beginning, Fagerbakke has voiced the sea star, and he’s perfect for the role. Honestly, I almost want to watch him and Kenny voiceover the Super Bowl again next year because he as Patrick and them together is just perfect. 

Matthew Lillard As Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

There have been many voice actors who have come and gone to voice Shaggy, but let’s be honest here – Matthew Lillard has become Shaggy. Ever since he did the live-action version of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo films, we’ve loved seeing him as Shaggy, and then he began doing the animated version. He’s been voicing the character (except for Velma, but we don’t talk about that), and he’s fantastic. 

Oscar Isaac As Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse)

Oh, Miguel. TikTok’s boyfriend of Summer 2023. The man, the myth, the legend that somehow captured my heart and reminded me that I have a thing for fictional brooding men. Either way, Oscar Isaac voices Miguel, and yes, this man is Miguel, and I will not accept any other person voicing him. 

Idina Menzel As Elsa (Frozen)

I had to put Elsa here somehow. Frozen is one of the biggest animated franchises of all time, and it’s mainly because of Elsa, her ice powers, and the incredible force of Idina Menzel’s voice. There isn’t another singer/actress on the planet that could belt like that.

While there are plenty of other animated characters we could discuss, these were just some of the first ones that came to mind—and now I feel like having an animated movie marathon. 

The Simpsons had a fun little Mother's Day treat for fans with a Disney+ subscription, and there was a lot to love about "May The 12th Be With You." In addition to a Bluey cameo that could prompt a crossover, fans also got another crossover appearance from Family Guy's clan, with Seth MacFarlane appearing for a Stewie cameo. When talking to Simpsons executive producer Al Jean about MacFarlane's return, I also asked for his thoughts about the two shows no longer airing together on Sunday nights. 

The Simpsons winked at the Griffin family in the latest all-star animated short, which also joked about King of the Hill and Bob's Burgers not being available on Disney+, via Marge exclaiming, "Who let the Hulu kids in?" Stewie was the only one of that bunch to actually speak up, and Al Jean told CinemaBlend that the ever-busy Seth MacFarlane was happy to lend his talents.

It is quite a compliment that The Simpsons to highlight Stewie Griffin in such a way, considering it had the entire Disney lineup, Marvel, and Star Wars characters to choose from. Of course, there's been great mutual respect between the two shows over the years, which led to one of the greatest Family Guy episodes of all time with them crossing over. 

It was nice to see Stewie in such close proximity to The Simpsons in the short because that has not been the case in Fox's primetime lineup. The network moved Family Guy to Wednesday nights, separating it from the rest of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Sundays. While FG showrunner Alec Sulkin said he wasn't concerned about the switch, Al Jean had some blunt thoughts to share about the shift: 

Not much to read between the lines on with that statement. Al Jean would like to see Family Guy move back to Sundays with The Simpsons, Krapopolis, and the other animated shows that rotate in and out of the decades-long programming block. As a longtime fan of both shows, I can attest it is weird to see them out of their programming slots, but I will concede I'm part of the crowd who catches both on streaming rather than their scheduled times. 

Stewie Griffin's appearance on "May The 12th Be With You" was a blast, enough to make me wonder if there's justification to see Family Guy and The Simpsons back together again. It's not just on Sunday nights, either, as I think another crossover episode would be a blast. Maybe they could find a way to get all the primetime animated shows together for one big adventure. 

Hey, Disney already had the Simpson family link up with a bunch of Disney characters. I wouldn't say that my idea is as impossible as some would think. If they have the creative runway to joke about Bambi's mother being shot a second time by hunters, I think they can make just about anything happen. Let's get a shot-for-shot remake of The Avengers with Homer as Iron Man and Bobby Hill as Captain America. 

The Simpsons is available to stream on Disney+, and if you haven't binged the first ten seasons or more in a while, it may be high time to get to it. As for Family Guy, it's over on Hulu, and hopefully still rolling strong with its metric for success seemingly not entirely reliant on traditional television ratings. 

The Orville Season 4 remains a possibility, or at least that's what creator and star Seth MacFarlane assured in recent comments. Now, another star attached to the show can add to that optimism, and his thoughts on the matter have me pumped about the odds of seeing this season eventually happen. I write this because, Bortus actor Peter Macon talked about the renewal odds in a recent interview, and it almost sounds like we could've had a renewal already.  

Macon is currently promoting his project on the 2024 movie schedule, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but he's, of course, being asked questions about The Orville. Comicbook.com asked the actor about the series' future, and he shared his thoughts, implying that there might've been a renewal sooner, but it was stalled: 

It sounds like there was an expectation, at least from Peter Macon, that The Orville was set to be renewed in the spring of 2023. Then the WGA strike threw a lot of shows for a loop, and now that it's over, perhaps Hollywood is playing catch up or even rethinking prior decisions. The good news is that the actor feels like he's only heard positive news from Seth MacFarlane, so it does seem the creator is as confident with his cast as he is with the public about it eventually returning. 

It seemed possible that a renewal was in the cards when The Orville was first made available with a Disney+ subscription in addition to streaming Hulu, as it seemed efforts were made to get it in front of more eyes. 

There have been some signs pointing toward cancellation, however, as star Adrianne Palicki talked about the show being difficult to shoot. The actress noted that Seth MacFarlane writing most of Season 3 by himself was a factor in why it took so long to produce, and one has to wonder if executives fear it'll become an issue with Season 4. 

MacFarlane is a great prolific creative mind in Hollywood, and he has a lot on his plate. While his voice work for Family Guy and American Dad may be easier to schedule out and set aside time for, I'm sure there's interest from Peacock for Ted Season 2, given how well it did on the platform, and scheduling live-action work is likely a lot harder. I would think MacFarlane couldn't juggle doing something like Ted and The Orville at the same time, especially given the fact that stars like Scott Grimes and Penny Johnson Jerald are also on both shows. Or, maybe he could, but it's the studio that balks at the idea of working around a tricky production schedule. 

What seems to be true is that there is a reason Hulu hasn't renewed or canceled The Orville yet and that the situation is complicated. If the streamer didn't want the show, it might have been canceled already, but these recent words from Peter Macon make it sound like it will be renewed sooner rather than later. I'd like to think the people who were able to go to great lengths to film a Dolly Parton cameo during the pandemic are capable of anything, so let's hope getting Season 4 to happen is easier than that. 

As mentioned, The Orville is available with a Disney+ or Hulu subscription for anyone to stream their favorite episodes. After Peter Macon's latest comments, I'm inspired to check out Isaac's bachelor party again, if only to see his Elvis performance again. 

Casting has changed a lot over the last few years in Hollywood. Not only are there more diverse shows and casts in many shows and movies, but there has been a change in the way casting producers hire talent. One of the major places this has become apparent is with some of the best animated shows like The Simpsons or Family Guy, programs which have recast voice roles in order to highlight diversity. 

This most notably happened when The Simpsons cut Apu after Hank Azaria revealed he wanted to step down from the role. However, it happened on Family Guy too when longtime cast member Mike Henry stepped down from playing Cleveland Brown (and also a smattering of other voice roles). He was replaced by Arif Zahir. Henry and Zahir had a fun exchange when the Cleveland torch was passed. 

Now, in a recent interview with the LA Times, Seth Green tried to give context to why actors often play so many different roles on the show. He said budgets and casting were tight at the time and the series wasn't thinking about "authentic representation." They were just thinking about getting myriad tasks done with people who were hanging around. 

MacFarlane joked, ”Well, this is going to go well on social media,” but Seth Green was making a point that described the priorities that used to exist and why those priorities eventually changed. At the time Family Guy was being produced early on, in order to not balloon budgets, the cast took on lots of different voice roles in order to film some of Family Guy's funniest episodes. There was no thought about casting people based on being authentic to that role. 

Yet, once attention was drawn to the feelings of people who were more knowledgeable on the subject, then the people involved realized that change could help the show to grow and evolve. This is why Cleveland Brown was recast on the series. Green called the change "a positive thing." 

Family Guy has been on the TV schedule since 1999, which means it was on the air before we even had the Y2K scare. Suffice to say a lot has happened and changed in society in the time since. And while the show continues to do some of the same stuff it has done for years (like the sometimes “maligned” cutaways involving Game of Thrones and more), other things are new for the series, with Rich Appel summing it up: 

Doubtless, if Family Guy stays on the air for another five, or 10, or 25 years, even more about the show will change and grow and evolve -- though it sounds as if those cutaways are here to stay. 

The Orville fans have been waiting to hear news about a Season 4 renewal for a while now. Despite promising updates and a shoutout from NASA, official news has yet to arrive on that front. There is a positive update to report, though, which comes courtesy of series producer and lead actor Seth MacFarlane. However, it also leaves me confused about the franchise's future. 

It should come as no surprise that Seth MacFarlane continues to beat the drum that keeps hope for The Orville's future alive. Despite the long wait for a renewal, positive comments from people like the actor/producer are sure to keep fans optimistic. Still, though MacFarlane's latest sentiments indicate that the show might not be finished, you may be like me in that you want to know exactly what he means.

How Seth MacFarlane Confirmed More Of The Orville Is Happening

Amidst unofficial rumors the show is returning, the Family Guy creator recently appeared on The Mike Henry Show and talked about various topics. One subject had to do with how, regardless of your level of success, there are always expected projects creatives must take on in order to get the passion projects they truly want to work on. It was during that part of the conversation that the Peter Griffin actor briefly mentioned The Orville and said the following: 

So, according to the man himself, as of late April 2024, the franchise isn't done. Admittedly, this is a better update than what Seth MacFarlane said about Orville back in January. However, there's still some vagueness that leaves me with more questions than I previously had.

Why I'm Somewhat Confused By The Producer's Latest Comments

Seth MacFarlane is obviously committed to continuing the IP, but his wording isn't very specific, as not to promise anything. He doesn't say for sure whether Disney+ subscription holders should expect to stream a fourth season in the near future or even that the show will continue. MacFarlane could easily be saying that he intends to continue the stories of his fictional crew in book form or through some other medium outside of a TV. It's also possible that he could be planning an eventual movie or spinoff that he plans to make years down the road. 

One unfortunate reality of this uncertainty is that the wait for a new season has left some cast members restless. Some have also been honest about their experiences working on the sci-fi romp in the interim. For instance, Adrianne Palicki saying in late 2023 that shooting The Orville was difficult. Additionally, co-star Penny Johnson openly expressed frustration with the show not being renewed yet. Given that actors have to work to make money, I get why some could be frustrated. The cast of this series may not be available by the time the creator is ready to shoot new episodes, so other options may be explored in that event.

Whatever the future holds for The Orville: New Horizons we'll have to wait and see, In the meantime, you can continue to stream the series on Disney+ or with a Hulu subscription. I'll continue to remain optimistic that fans haven't seen the end of the series but am hoping for some more concrete evidence of that to arrive in the future. 

As a show that takes place almost entirely in the next millennium, Futurama doesn’t automatically seem like the kind of show that would boast tons of cameos from modern day celebrities, athletes, politicians and scientific geniuses. Yet that’s exactly what the animated sci-fi comedy has delivered with each season that’s aired, even when occasional cancellations kept those seasons airing years apart from each other. And what’s more, quite a few of those guest stars have also popped up in co-creator legend Matt Groening’s other beloved toon series, The Simpsons.

While there are certainly far more celebrities who have only appeared on one show or the other — for instance, relatively frequent Futurama guest star Al Gore was previously tapped to host a “Treehouse of Horror” ep, but it never happened — the number of shared famous faces may be surprising to longtime fans. So let’s pop open a six-pack of Slurm and dive in, while noting right away that the aforementioned Groening isn’t on this list, despite appearing in both shows. Note that we also left out Simpsons regulars Hank Azaria and Dan Castellaneta. (Also note that The Simpsons can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription, while all eps of Futurama are available with a Hulu subscription.)

Dick Clark

• Futurama: Season 1 “Space Pilot 3000”
• The Simpsons: Season 11 "Treehouse of Horror X"

True to his real-world persona, the animated Dick Clark was also known in both animated series for hosting New Year's Eve countdowns, though he only did so as a head for Futurama. He suffered a weirder phenomenon on The Simpsons when Y2K hit and turned him into a Terminator-esque cyborg.

Leonard Nimoy

• Futurama: Season 1 “Space Pilot 3000,” Season 4 "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" 
• The Simpsons: Season 4 "Marge vs. the Monorail," Season 8 "The Springfield Files"

An icon in the world of science fiction and beyond, Leonardy Nimoy was a welcomed figure on both animated comedies. where he played himself for two episodes of each series. Arguably the best would be Futurama's "Where No Fan..." since it brought in other Star Trek vets as well.

John Goodman

• Futurama: Season 2 “XMas Story”
• The Simpsons: Season 11 "Take My Wife, Sleaze"

Longtime Futurama fans might not remember that Roseanne and The Conners lead John Goodman was the first to voice Robot Santa, with John DiMaggio taking over the role in later seasons. The Big Lebowski vet had a slightly different vibe going when portraying biker gang leader Meathook on The Simpsons.

Conan O'Brien

• Futurama: Season 2 “XMas Story”
• The Simpsons: Season 5 "Bart Gets Famous"

Having served as a writer on The Simpsons ahead of landing NBC's Late Night — he's spoken about his favorite character to write for — talk show maestro Conan O'Brien appeared as himself on both shows, interviewing Bart for his former employer, and appearing in jarheaded form for Futurama. Note that he is one of the only celebs whose head pokes out of the top, which is a joke about the comedian's larger than average dome.

Nichelle Nichols

• Futurama: Season 2 “Anthology Of Interest 1,” Season 4 "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" 
• The Simpsons: Season 15 "Simple Simpson"

A beloved member of Star Trek royalty, Nichelle Nichols portrayed herself three times across both shows, always with shows references to fall back on. (Unlike Nichols and other Trek elite, William Shatner turned down the opportunities to appear.)

Stephen Hawking

• Futurama: Season 2 “Anthology Of Interest 1,” “The Beast With A Billion Backs,” Season 6 “Reincarnation”
• The Simpsons: Season 10 "They Saved Lisa's Brain,” Season 16 "Don't Fear the Roofer," Season 18 "Stop or My Dog Will Shoot," Season 22 "Elementary School Musical"

Perhaps it's no surprise that one of TV's brainiest animated shows would repeatedly bring in one of the smartest people who ever lived. Physicist and author Stephen Hawking appeared as himself, perhaps obviously, thrice on Futurama, and is part of the four-timers club on The Simpsons.

Parker Posey

• Futurama: Season 2 “The Deep South”
• The Simpsons: Season 11 "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge"

For Futurama's mermaid-focused Season 2 episode, Parker Posey lent her voice to Umbriel, not to be confused with any other size-specific mermaids out there. Over in Springfield, Posey portrayed Otto's girlfriend Becky in a role that was initially pitched to Drew Barrymore.

Sarah Silverman

• Futurama: Season 2 “The Cryonic Woman,” “Bender’s Big Score,” Season 7 “Game of Tones”
• The Simpsons: Season 21 "Stealing First Base," Season 24 "Moonshine River," Season 26 "Clown in the Dumps," Season 28 "Treehouse of Horror XXVII"

Comedian Sarah Silverman joined the world of Futurama as the recast voice of Fry's not-so-wonderful girlfriend Michelle from the '90s, with three appearances to date. (Kath Soucie voiced her in the pilot.) She was also a romantic interest on The Simpsons for Bart in a pair of eps as Nikki McKenna, while also voicing herself and others in later seasons.

Jan Hooks

• Futurama: Season 3 “Bendless Love”
• The Simpsons: Season 9 "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons," Season 10 "I'm With Cupid," Season 11 "Eight Misbehavin'," "Take My Wife, Sleaze," Season 12 "Bye Bye Nerdie," Season 14 "Large Marge"

Saturday Night Live vet Jan Hooks brought her comedic skills to Futurama as the criminal-loving fembot Angleyne, and while she may have wooed Bender, Hooks technically has had a larger impact on The Simpsons, where she played Apu's wife Manjula across a half-dozen appearances.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu was part of a Futurama cameo like few others, in that she voiced various bot-cloned versions of herself, with Fry dating one of them, as well as the "real" Lucy Liu's head in a jar. (Her second episode utilized excess dialogue she'd recorded the previous season.) Over on The Simpsons, she played the adoption agent tasked with deciding whether or not Selma is worthy of parenting a Chinese baby.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk tapped into both Saul Goodman and some of his Mr. Show characters to bring the ego-driven Chaz to Futurama as Leela's temporary romantic interest. And in an episode penned by his brother Bill Odenkirk, the Breaking Bad vet portrayed Fat Tony's lawyer (whose character went by that very moniker) for a Simpsons ep.

George Takei

One of the most seasoned guest stars of any Matt Groening series is Star Trek vet George Takei, who portrayed himself mostly in jar-head form for Futurama. While he did play himself for one Simpsons episode, he also voiced Happy Sumo waiter Akira, an unnamed Chinese restaurant waiter, and game show host Wink.

Mark Hamill

Having played one of cinema's most beloved heroes, Star Wars vet Mark Hamill took on voicing a somewhat equally important character for Futurama, at least to a certain segment of the population: holiday mascot Chanukah Zombie. For his single Simpsons ep, Hamill voiced himself at as sci-fi con and the bodyguard-training specialist Leavelle.

Penn & Teller

The most celebrated magical duo in history, Penn Jillette and his largely silent partner Teller appeared on Futurama in their entertainment hub of Las Vegas, or rather New Mars Vegas. (I guess it's up for debate whether Teller actually appeared, considering the state of his head.) On The Simpsons, Homer attempted to create a viral moment by interrupting one of their specials, and returned for a later episode centered on Lisa diving into the world of magic, with fellow illusionists David Copperfield and Ricky Jay also appearing.

Snoop Dogg

Rapper, actor and pop culture mainstay Snoop Dogg achieved his highest ranking yet within Futurama, with his head serving as a Chief Justice alongside the heads of Paula Abdul and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. He also played himself on The Simpsons as part of an all-star rap group Hate Squad alongside Common and Rza.

Patton Oswalt

Comedian Patton Oswalt is no stranger to self-deprecating humor, so perhaps it's fitting that his guest spot on Futurama was as Giant Unattractive Monster, who did not take kindly to Fry's insinuation that his mother's looks were to blame. He was the offspring of Portlandia vets Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's characters' on The Simpsons, voicing their son T-Rex. He returned in a later episode to voice the slime-covered entitye that served as Bart Simpson's Guilt.

Buzz Aldrin

The second person to ever set foot on the moon, former astronaut Buzz Aldrin can also boast a guest spot as a science fair judge on Futurama, in which he delivered an unexpectedly funny joke for someone of such real-life stature. Aldrin also appeared, perhaps unsurprisingly, in the Simpsons episode in which Homer goes to space, and the family's patriarch is actually dubbed a "hero" by Aldrin.

Wanda Sykes

Comedian extraordinaire Wanda Sykes delivered the robotic goods as the soda-dispensing vending machine Bev, who has a love-hate relationship with Bender while also heping to get Fry hooked on Slurm Loco. Sykes' SImpsons spot had her portraying a nameless Springfield Elementary counselor who loses her job in the middle of dispensing advice, and then calls out Milhouse for being boring. Mic drop.

Patrick Stewart

For all his years portraying Jean Luc Picard across the Star Trek universe, Patrick Stewart opted for something slightly less sci-fi for his Futurama appearance as the master of a fox-hunting club that Bender joins, complete with fancy mustache. For The Simpsons, he also went old school as the Stonecutters leader Number One, and later appeared as a bald-but-virile power plant worker whose confidence inspires Homer. (An amusing story for an actor who was initially advised to wear a wig for his Next Generation audition.)

Robert Wagner

Two and a Half Men and NCIS recurrer Robert Wagner's fame is definitely still intact in the 3000s, at least per his guest spot on Futurama, where Calculon's Walk of Fame star is replaced by a second star for Wagner, who shares a few words as an appreciative head in a jar. His Simpsons appearance seemed tailor-made for Troy McClure, as he introduced himself as an "actor, smooth customer and women's health advocate" during an instructional video teaching aging women about menopause. (Barely.)

Adam West & Burt Ward

'60s Batman stars Adam West and Burt Ward paid tribute to their respective roles during a Futurama scene parodying the comic book show's wall-climing cameo sequences, for which West voiced an actual bat-man-thing. He also appeared on The Simpsons as a car show celeb, and later teamed up with Ward for an installment featuring a faux Batman episode with Krusty as the guest star.

Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane and Family Guy are often jokingly portrayed as rivals of Matt Groening and The Simpsons universe, but he's appeared twice on Futurama - once to lay his dulcet tones down for Vegas-esque theme, and once as the dream sequence voice of Fry's dog Seymour, whose martini in hand was a tip of the wet nose to FG's Brian. He also appeared on The Simpsons as a man Marge secretly befriended during a temporary marital rut.

Kathy Griffin

As a celeb who'd previously been "canceled" over controversial photos in 2017, Kathy Griffin was an understandable choice to guest star as one of several ship captains who were sidelined for their behavior, including the titular Zapp Brannigan. She also played something of a problematic character on The Simpsons as the bully Francine, who inspired Lisa to pinpoint the phereomon that causes bullies to antagonize nerds.

With more episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama still to come in the future, the possibility for more shared guest stars is a big one.

It may be difficult to believe, but Family Guy has been a part of Fox’s Animation Domination line-up for a whopping 22 Seasons now. The series was a revelation for lovers of adult animation (i.e. cartoon fare distinctly not made for children), and has (like its long-running predecessor, The Simpsons) managed to survive a number of ups and downs in the TV business. Now, creator/star/former showrunner Seth MacFarlane has gotten candid about the show’s success and why he doesn’t think he’d be able to sell the idea today.

What Did Seth MacFarlane Say About Family Guy’s Success And Starting The Comedy Today?

Obviously, it’s not easy to get a show on television, and it’s even harder to hit pay dirt with a series that connects with a multi-generational audience for over two decades, but Seth MacFarlane managed it with Family Guy. The laugh-out-loud funny and frequently controversial comedy debuted in 1999, quickly becoming a standout in Fox’s lineup which led to spinoffs like The Cleveland Show and a live-action series from the creator/star, The Orville. Recently, MacFarlane spoke to the Zach Sang Show about the “luck” that was involved in his first series becoming such a TV staple, saying:

Oftentimes, it really does take a giant stroke of luck to make our hard work and preparation really pay off, and the actor (who’s won four Emmys for voicing a variety of characters on the series) appears to be incredibly grateful that this was the case with him.

As he said, the late ‘90s really was the perfect time for him (or anyone, really) to attempt to pitch a show like Family Guy. By the time viewers got their first glimpse of Lois, Stewie, Meg, Peter, Chris and Brian Griffin, and their assorted friends and adversaries, The Simpsons was in its 10th season as a pop culture phenomenon, while King of the Hill (which will soon see a revival on Hulu) was in its eventually-Emmy-winning third season. Adult animation was hot, and the recent college grad already had the perfect idea, though he didn’t seem to realize, at the time, just how lucky he was. He continued:

It’s true that whether you agree with the political leanings of the show or not, people seem to agree that Family Guy continues to be one of our funniest series, and have kept Peter fighting Ernie the Giant Chicken for over two decades.

Sequels are serious business, as a meteoric hit like Seth MacFarlane’s 2012 comedy Ted aren’t always built to continue onward. The 2024 TV schedule is about to give way to a limited prequel series that fills in some of the backstory in that universe, which gives us a good entry point to talk about how this unlikely franchise became its current self. So why not take this opportunity talk about how Ted 2 totally changed on a dime during its development.

Seth MacFarlane originally had a totally different sequel in mind, but thanks to some outside circumstances, the 2015 movie changed into something off that beaten path. Though as a result, this may or may not have been the reason Mila Kunis didn’t return to her role of Lori for a full movie, as two different stories were told in the press. 

So before you take advantage of your Peacock subscription to watch that Ted prequel series, here’s the story behind what Ted 2 could have been and what led to some drastic changes. 

Ted 2’s Original Story Pitch

Thanks to a directorial debut that netted $549.4 million at the box office, Seth MacFarlane’s Ted became a box office smash after debuting on June 29, 2012. As you'd expect, it didn’t take long for the wheels of progress to turn, as Universal brass made Ted 2 a priority, per an announcement that September. 

According to an interview that MacFarlane did with promoting the film’s eventual release, the original idea for this sequel could have cribbed from another legendary Universal property. Here’s part of what Seth revealed to CinemaBlend in a 2015 roundtable when it came to the original Ted 2 draft: 

Oh, if this wasn’t a set up for a feature-length riff on Smokey and the Bandit, I don’t know what is. You can practically see Mark Wahlberg and his CGI teddy bear co-star tooling around in a ‘77 Pontiac Firebird, trying to do what they say can’t be done. So in that respect, we might have seen Mila Kunis’ Lori pay a role akin to Sally Field’s Carrie, should this have been the plan. 

It looks like we’ll never know, because that Ted 2 pitch was not long for this world. As development on the 2015 sequel would continue in the shadow of Ted’s surprising 2012 success, another movie would come along just a year later that would derail these plans with a very similar story. And as a result, a domino effect would take hold, changing everything.

Why Seth MacFarlane Had To Rewrite Ted 2

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but Seth MacFarlane didn’t want to look like he was ripping off the competition with his free-roaming Ted 2 adventure. Further along in the previously cited interview with CinemaBlend, the Family Guy creator admitted that one certain 2013 comedy was the reason for diverting the original course of action. Here’s the rest of how that story played out:

A box office smash in its own right, director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s own R-rated road comedy saw Jason Sudekis and Jennifer Aniston embarking on a fake family road trip to smuggle some pot in from Mexico. So yeah, We’re The Millers definitely sounded like it was along the same lines of the first iteration of Ted 2. 

The movie's $270 million grosses certainly would have made things more difficult for this sequel to really take off. It could have been a perfect storm of unfair comparisons, which would have been piled onto the usual sequel expectations. 

The bad news was that the work that was already in play had to be junked, which sucks even more when you consider the fact that surprise comedy sequels are as time sensitive as party invites. So if Ted 2 was to stand a chance, it needed a new angle going forward. Eventually, Seth MacFarlane would find that angle, thanks to some unlikely inspiration. 

As Collider was on hand for the same roundtable that yielded this information, that outlet’s reporting discussed how MacFarlane retooled Ted 2: 

It's time for another good news/bad news scenario, folks. Or at least, that’s what it looks like depending on who’s version of events you subscribe to. As it turns out, according to MacFarlane's side of the story, Ted 2’s evolution came at the cost of Mila Kunis’ character. 

How Ted 2’s Rewrite Led To Mila Kunis’ Absence, According To Seth MacFarlane

To be fair, at the end of Ted, the Patrick Stewart narration did seem to tie everything up rather nicely. Again, no one expected a sequel from this then-unknown quantity. So when Mean Girls star Amanda Seyfried was cast in Ted 2, the big question became what in the world happened to Mila Kunis’s Lori? 

Well, according to Seth MacFarlane’s continued remarks during the Ted 2 roundtable, the plan changed due to that huge redraft inspired by We’re the Millers. In the story, Lori was supposedly trying to change Johnny into someone he wasn't, and their love affair wasn't meant to last. But for the purposes of our reality, here’s why Lori was no longer in the picture:

In Ted 2’s opening, we find out that Johnny and Lori divorced just six months before Ted’s marriage to Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). Those nuptials turned into a quest to determine whether this sentient teddy bear had the rights of an actual person, which led to the boys hiring lawyer Samantha Leslie Jackson (Amanda Seyfried) to try the case. 

Apparently Ms. Seyfried was surprised by Ted 2’s changes as well. Promoting the movie leading up to its 2015 release, she seemed to be under the impression that the road trip idea was still in the cards when she signed up. That’s not all that changed apparently, as in her own account of events, Mila Kunis gave a different reason for not being in Ted 2.

The Reason Mila Kunis Gave For Not Appearing In Ted 2

While Seth MacFarlane’s case for a Mila Kunis-free Ted 2 involved story mechanics, that’s not what the Jupiter Ascending star gave as her reason for not being present. According to an AMA that Kunis did for Reddit (via Looper), the reason that Lori did not return for another round of stuffed bear-induced mayhem was the following concern:

Honestly, that’s another valid reason for Ted 2 to introduce a new lead into the mix. And with both of those cases reported, it could be a situation where one scenario led into another. As it was reported by Deadline, Mila Kunis wasn’t a major character in the new draft of Ted's big sequel. Should that have been true, then her pregnancy may have led to her decision to not return to the franchise at all, as it wouldn't have been worth the fuss. 

There would need to be a bit more clarification from all parties, but this seems to be the most likely case based on what we've seen here. Much like the original pitch for Ted 2, we'll probably never hear anything further on the matter, though that didn't spell certain doom for Universal's continuing comedy concept. 

Ted 2 would eventually go on to be a surprise 2015 hit, even though it wouldn’t hit the heights that its predecessor achieved. That’s still not a terrible fate for a film that even Seth MacFarlane wasn’t sure would succeed. And now, with a limited prequel series heading to Peacock in the near future, the story is far from over for Johnny Bennett and Ted. 

Perhaps there’s a chance that, should this new venture last long enough, we’ll see a natural reintroduction to Lori, and maybe even a reunion for a hypothetical Ted 3. For now, the future is definitely in the past, as Ted's limited series debut is slated to take place on January 11. If you want to keep the fun going, the 2012 picture that started it all is also available on that same streaming platform. 

The conversation surrounding The Orville has more or less exclusively become about whether or not the series will return for Season 4 or if it's canceled. The chatter has even bled into Seth MacFarlane's attempts to promote Ted, and once again, the creative has had to talk about his sci-fi series while doing media for Ted's premiere. MacFarlane was gracious enough to give an update on the series currently available with a Disney+ subscription, but I'm unsure of how I should take his comments.

The Orville was mentioned when Seth MacFarlane spoke to Collider about Ted and was asked about the future of the sci-fi series. MacFarlane was careful with his words and offered the following diplomatic response: 

With these latest comments, I'm left wondering what "not officially over yet" is supposed to mean. Is this Seth MacFarlane saying the show is effectively dead, but no one has told him that is the case? Or is this him merely responding and saying that the series is nowhere close to ending?

At the same time, if The Orville is dead, then Seth MacFarlane could've just said that in clearer terms. The fact that he didn't could mean there is still nuance to the issue and a chance that we'll see what will happen in Season 4 at some point. It might be more of a question of how that will happen and if MacFarlane can find the time in his schedule to return to it. 

Seth MacFarlane's latest comments about The Orville come after star Adrianne Palicki opened up about why shooting the series was so difficult. There's no shortage of cast supporting the show returning, but at the same time, actors like Chad L. Coleman can only provide optimistic updates while taking gigs elsewhere. So much time has passed since Season 3, it could be a difficult task to coordinate the schedules of the cast to do a new season as this point. 

All this to say, if The Orville is returning, it's certainly not a part of the 2024 TV schedule. It would be great, at the very least, if the fans could get some definitive answers sometime this year on whether or not the series will continue. Even if the news is bad, it would be nice to actually mourn the quality sci-fi series rather than maintain false hope that it will return. 

The Orville is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Given the latest update on the series, now might be a great time to hop on streaming and assure whoever is making decisions that it's still a loved show. Regardless, we'll just continue to wait on some concrete update on whether or not it's returning. 

Seth MacFarlane has a new Ted series on the way, and now that the strikes are over, shared some footage and hilarious jokes with fans eager to stream it with a Peacock subscription. While there was plenty of interest in seeing the fluffy bear come back, there were quite a few fans of The Orville also in his comments. They all are asking the same basic question, and those waiting on Season 4 probably know what is being asked. 

After The Orville: New Horizons debuted on Hulu, fans were eager to find out if it would continue on for Season 4. Unfortunately, The Orville's Season 3 ending split the difference by making a penultimate that teased drastic changes ahead, and a season finale that could wrap up the series with the episode title literally being "Future Unknown." Now that the strikes are concluded, fans are happy to see Seth MacFarlane working but want to know when he'll be back on the sci-fi series they love:

Fans have some ideas on what The Orville Season 4 will be about, but there is still no guarantee that we'll see another season. It's also worth noting that many are eager for renewal news, as a rumor surfaced ahead of Season 3 that Hulu decided it would be the final season. That rumor has since been refuted by many involved in the show, and fan interest and viewership would play a critical factor in the renewal. And yet, the series is still in limbo, and fans like @NatyYifru are making big promises if they can see it again:

Seth MacFarlane's connection to both Ted and The Orville is part of the reason for these comments, but he's not the only connection to the show. The upcoming Peacock series will feature Scott Grimes as the lead, who Orville fans like @Esenbek_Aliev referred to when asking when the sci-fi series may return:

Thankfully, most of the calls for The Orville are friendly, and not at all disparaging of the upcoming release of Ted. Some have even speculated that the series is somehow linked to the yet-to-be renewed show, based on the number of actors featured in one of the images: 

Perhaps with all these calls for The Orville's return, there will be an announcement soon about whether it's coming back or is officially canceled. Until a decision is made one way or another, it seems like comments like this will continue on social media:

Actor Chad L. Coleman told CinemaBlend that the odds of The Orville returning for Season 4 looked positive, but it was still up in the air. Now that Ted is on the way and Hollywood is returning to work, hopefully, we'll hear some positive news about the show soon. 

 The Orville is available to stream right now on Hulu and Disney+. As for Ted, it'll premiere on Peacock on Thursday, January 11th. I can't wait to watch it, and like many other fans of The Orville, I'm waiting to hear more on Season 4 as well. 

Even with both Family Guy and American Dad still going strong on Fox and TBS, respectively, Seth MacFarlane is definitely still keeping busy with other projects, such as Ted, the TV spinoff of his pair of blockbuster comedies. Not a whole lot has come out about the new show, even before all the strike-related silence, but now fans not only have some new footage to enjoy, but there’s also a premiere date and a special message from MacFarlane himself. And by “special,” I mean “jokingly capitalist.”

As shared on X, MacFarlane dropped a silly little video in which current-day Ted reads a letter that his younger self wrote back in 1993, which is when the streaming series is set. Check it out below, with hopes that everyone reading already has a Peacock subscription.

Just when you thought the creator and voice actor’s tweet account for the only swipe taken at Peacock, the first joke in the footage pokes fun at the idea of the NBCUniversal platform being “the most successful streaming platform ever.” Of course, that sentence would have been far more meaningless in 1993, when the Internet was barely capable of handling high-res photography, much less 24/7 streaming. I can’t even imagine what that word would have meant then.

The video then jokes about space travel hopes then compared to the current reality of things, where it’s just as easy to access adult entertainment on our phones as it is to find a video of a successful shuttle launch. And don’t even get me started on the lack of flying cars. Nobody's living that Jetsons life.

Beyond the teaser, Seth MacFarlane dropped the news that Ted will debut the first of its seven episodes on Thursday, January 11. Will it immediately stand out as the best comedy of 2024? It would be bear-y surprising if so, but the Ted films are quite beloved by fans, so I have to think the creative team bringing the prequel to streaming tried their damnedest to match up with what's come before, even without Mark Wahlberg's version of John Bennett in the mix.

Speaking of co-stars that will be around, however, check out a new picture that features Ted around the dinner table with a far younger John, played by Max Burkholder, as well as his cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham) and parents Susan and Matty, played respectively by Alanna Ubach and Scott Grimes, who previously worked with MacFarlane on The Orville and American Dad. That mustache is something else, I tell ya. 

So mark your 1993 The Far Side calendars with the date of January 11, which is when Ted will begin streaming on Peacock. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is popping up in the meantime.

The 2023 Writers Strike and Actors Strike has talent from both camps coming together for the first time in over 60 years to fight for equal pay and working conditions. With many A-listers showing their support for the cause, Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron were among them posing for a picture on the picket line. Considering how long it’s been, I forgot that these two stars actually worked together once upon a time!

Charlize Theron and Seth MacFarlane only starred in one movie together, but they were a total dream team. Can you guess what it was? Here are some hints - it came out nine years ago, it’s not your traditional Western film, and it’s not in animated project like you’re used to seeing from the Family Guy creator. In case you haven’t guessed, the South African-American actress starred with The Orville actor in A Million Ways to Die in the West. These two co-stars reunited on the picket line posing for an adorable photo on Instagram down below.

This photo shows Charlize Theron and Seth MacFarlane holding Writers Guild of America signs. They’re posing with David A. Goodman, who's the president of the Writers Guild of America West. It was also important for MacFarlane to point out was that it was his picket partner’s 48th birthday when the picture was taken. Theron and MacFarlane looked just as chummy as when they first worked together in A Million Ways to Die in the West. It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years. The Ted actor played a cowardly farmer who gains courage from a beautiful, gun-slinging woman, only to use what he learned against her outlaw husband. The movie may not have gotten the best critical reviews, but I remember it was funny with these two leads sharing great chemistry.

There really is safety in numbers this time around as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes involve actors joining the fight for better pay with their fellow writers. Actors like Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Seyfried, Pete Davidson and more have shown solidarity with writers amidst the strike, as they believe writers are the foundation of their work and are well aware they need to be treated well in their profession so we can get more stories going for film and television. Daniel Radcliffe also showed his support with his girlfriend and new baby on the picket line, as well as Kristen Stewart's fiancée Dylan Meyer holding her funny Zoolander sign. Hopefully, a resolution comes soon so Hollywood can get back running.

As for what Seth MacFarlane has been up to lately, he has his upcoming streaming series Ted, which you will eventually find with your Peacock subscription. This prequel to the hit talking-teddy bear films was not impacted by the strike, as filming wrapped up last November. As for Season 4 of his sci-fi comedy show The Orville, the ongoing strikes have left the fate of this series undecided. Charlize Theron was part of the cast of Fast X, which opened in theaters in May. She also has the upcoming Netflix movie The Old Guard 2, where filming wrapped up last September. So it doesn’t look like this Oscar winner has had any of her projects impacted by the strikes.

Seeing Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron pose together in that picket line brings back old memories of the comedy Western film they did together. Take a look at our 2023 movie releases so you’ll be up to date on these actors’ next projects. 

As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue (you can check out the timeline if you need a refresher), Seth MacFarlane, the man behind the voice of the lovable character Peter Griffin, shared a heartwarming image from the picket line. In his message, he reminded fans that Family Guy is not just his show, it also belongs to his "amazing team” behind the scenes of the animated series.

In a heartwarming display of support, The Orville actor took to Twitter this morning to express his appreciation for the talented team keeping Family Guy alive and thriving even without him at the helm. He shared a photo of himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the dedicated crew on the picket line and wrote a caption that serves as a poignant reminder that the show's success is not solely a one-person achievement. MacFarlane acknowledged that since "2010," the talented group of "writers, artists, actors, assistants, associates, production staff, etc., etc." have truly worked together to make the show a success. You can find the full message in the embedded tweet below.

MacFarlane also emphasized the importance of providing fair compensation to everyone in the industry, stating that "EVERYONE here deserves to make a comfortable living" for their hard work and dedication. Proudly standing with his team on the picket line, he expressed his support for their cause.

The 2023 Writers Strike, supported by over 11,000 WGA members demanding fair pay, has brought Hollywood to a standstill. Alongside the SAG-AFTRA strike, numerous series and movie productions have stopped. Although there are rumors that Gladiator 2 may continue with body doubles and crowds, many films, including Deadpool 3, remain shut down until the strike is resolved.

The A Million Ways to Die in the West director has actively shown his support not only for his Family Guy team but also for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. According to Variety, he made a generous donation of $1 million to The Entertainment Community Fund, offering crucial financial aid to industry workers affected by the ongoing strike. The fund has experienced a notable surge, accumulating more than $6.3 million in contributions since May 1, with support from over 7,500 donors who stand in solidarity with film and television workers. Due to the increased demand for emergency financial assistance during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the fund's weekly distributions have risen significantly to approximately $400,000-$500,000, compared to the average of $75,000 per week in the first half of 2023.

The impact of the strikes on the 2023 TV schedule and beyond remains uncertain, but it's heartening to see A-listers like Seth MacFarlane showing support for the hardworking people behind their shows. We might expect more reruns and reality TV in Hollywood as we await a resolution. However, when Family Guy resumes, we can likely trust the dedicated team behind the series to be fully prepared. In the meantime, viewers can catch up on all the hilarity from the first 21 seasons of the show, now available for streaming with a Hulu subscription.

In its 21 seasons that have aired so far on Fox, Family Guy has offered up myriad moments that have sparked outrage in viewers of all regions, races, religions and more. (To the point where one star now refuses to apologize for the show’s humor.) But it’s not every day that the animated Fox fave manages to tick off an entire region of the world. That’s sorta what happened with a two-part storyline that paid off in the Season 21 finale, however, which featured a less-than-savory portrayal of Russia in general (and the city of Chelyabinsk specifically) that drew some damning criticisms from an official who represents the area.

Family Guy’s finale aired on Sunday, May 7, and drew some of the show’s lowest live airing numbers to date (756,000 viewers/0.25 demo rating) which could possibly be due to the episode airing a half-hour earlier than normal. But regardless of how many were tuning in on the night, the ep still found its way to the eyeballs of Yana Lantratova, a region deputy for Chelyabinsk, who shared her displeasure with the Russian outlet Rise, saying: 

For years, Family Guy has been viewed as one of TV's most offensive shows, and the creative team hasn't exactly been belabored about avoiding that distinction. So anytime it offers up any take on a situation, it's undoubtedly going to be one that draws negative opinions. (Unless it's about Conway Twitty, I guess.) But it's obviously not the only animated show that exudes such snark, and Yana Lantratova spoke to that point with her complaints, calling out all art forms that present Russia in a judgmental light. 

To that end, the Family Guy episode certainly does go that route with its portrayal of the local citizens, by way of making everyone slap-happy on vodka and whatever other substances. But as an equal opportunity offender, the animated show doesn't exactly make other regions look better, so if Fox was to "limit the display" of this episode, it'd probably need to pull out on airing tons of other episodes in the same swoop.

Check out the musical clip below that features many of the complaint-drawing comments, with an over-abundance of radiation and pollution also on display. (Chelyabinsk has in past years been known as one of Russia's most air-polluted cities, for what it's worth.)

Yana Lantratova spoke specifically about Chelyabinsk and the surrounding area's importance by way of culture and resources, beyond just calling out Family Guy's approach, saying:

As many viewers may already know, Meg's voice actress Mila Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Given the warring nature of things between the countries, that adds another satirical layer to Meg's embrace of Russian culture.

Oddly enough, Family Guy was the one entry from Fox’s animation domination lineup that gave viewers a season finale that night, with The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers and The Great North gearing up for their own finales that’ll be airing on May 21. I’m going to assume that the latter’s finale won’t be earning any harsh critiques from Canadian officials.

For those who may not have watched Family Guy’s recent episodes yet, the entire season and more is available to stream with a Hulu subscription, while our 2023 TV premiere schedule is an easy way to figure out what to start watching while waiting for Season 22 to get here.

It's been over half a year since The Orville: New Horizons concluded Season 3 on Hulu; now, just on the heels of some promising news from Chad L. Coleman about Season 4, we have an update on the situation from Seth MacFarlane. While we still don't know for sure if a new season is happening, the creator did offer some insight as to why it's taking so long for a decision to be made. 

Fans are beyond tired of waiting for news on a renewal, which might've been why one Twitter user asked what it's going to take for The Orville to get Season 4. Seth MacFarlane quote-tweeted the question and laid out the situation for everyone curious as best he could: 

Seth MacFarlane is likely talking about the streaming industry as a whole, in which it appears the honeymoon phase for all services is coming to an end. Flagship shows that helped launch platforms are coming to an end, and some services are scrubbing original shows from their library entirely after cancellation. All that to say that while it may have once seemed like anyone and their brother could get green-lit for a series or new season on streaming, the times might be changing. 

The good news to report from this is that the star and creator of The Orville is "cautiously optimistic" about where things stand for the show's renewal. CinemaBlend learned from Chad L. Coleman that there have been "promising meetings" regarding a new season. If Seth MacFarlane is willing to publicly state he's feeling good about the situation, then I'm feeling better than I was a few weeks ago. So, while another day will pass without any certainty on what will become of The Orville, it's certainly nice to get an update from MacFarlane himself.

The Orville completed Season 3 back in late 2022, but fans have been asking about a Season 4 since well before the third season ended. A rumor surfaced ahead of the Season 3 premiere that Hulu already planned to conclude the series after the season was completed, but that rumor was refuted by many involved in the production once the season got rolling. 

 What was true was that The Orville was not guaranteed an automatic renewal, and the cast and crew explained that it would be on the fans to watch and talk about the series on social media in order for Season 4 to happen. Fans and even stars of the series, like Penny Johnson Jerald, have kept the conversation going online, but we're still waiting on some definitive news about the series' status. Hopefully Seth MacFarlane's optimism is a sign that the wait for good news won't be much longer.

The Orville: New Horizons is available to stream right now, so put that Hulu or Disney+ subscription to good use and check out one of its best episodes right now. Who knows? It might just tip the scales in these promising times for the streaming series. 

What’s better than watching just one of Fox’s most recognizable animated patriarchs at the center of his own show? That’s right: money. But also: seeing all three of the network’s most seasoned dysfunctional dads sharing the screen, which will be the case when Family Guy’s newest ep welcomes Homer Simpson and Bob’s Burgers’ titular meat master. And what’s more, fans don’t even have to wait until the episode airs to see it, with Fox already sharing the footage ahead of time. (It's like they know everybody will be watching The Last of Us' finale or the 2023 Oscars.)

Check out the clip below, and make sure to stay seated and watching, instead of instinctively backing away from the screen as soon as you hear Lois start talking about her dream.

The scene doesn’t appear as if it’s setting up a crossover moment when things start out in a usual manner, set within the Griffin family’s kitchen, with a deadened glaze overtaking Peter’s face as Lois talks. And for all the greatness of the actual crossover moment, props deserve to be showered onto Alex Borstein for making Lois sound so genuinely tickled by the concept of giant sunglasses. It’s a gift. 

Rather than one of its signature cutaway gags, Family Guy opted for the far more rare “walk-away-backwards-into-a-whole-other-fictional-universe” jokes that allows for easier crossovers. Anybody who didn’t know this was a show-mashing clip no doubt recognized something was amiss as soon as Peter stepped in front of Bob’s Burgers’ central lime-green establishment with its big windows that don’t seem to be clear the way that glass usually is. Which is obviously to maintain the surprise, but to change the properties of glass for a joke is pretty audacious, amirite?

While it is indeed the unmistakable voice of H. Jon Benjamin bringing Bob to life on Family Guy, it’s not entirely clear if Dan Castelanetta was newly responsible for supplying each of Homer’s slurps, or if those were archived. (Note to self: copyright Archived Slurps for future smart plans.) As it's been noted, these kinds of moments aren't the easiest to bring together, and we're just thankful for any schlorping sounds we can get from Homer, you know?

What started off as Peter trying to avoid misery cycles back around to a joke where he isn't eligible for a discount that's meant just for those who've won Emmys. Bob's Burgers won for Best Animated Program in 2014 and in 2017, while The Simpsons took home that top prize 11 times in its 30+ year span. Family Guy, meanwhile, has been nominated three times in that category (and once in Outstanding Comedy Series), but hasn't won out. That said, Seth MacFarlane himself has won five Emmys for his voiceover work as various characters within and beyond the Griffin family, and the show is a streaming staple for Netflix subscribers and Hulu users. That kind of success doesn't require Emmy wins for the renewals to keep coming, with Fox issuing two-seasons orders for all four of its animated Sunday night offerings.

Showrunner Rich Appel invoked thoughts of NBC's One Chicago universe, though without those two words put together, in describing the fun of getting to bring beloved characters together for even the briefest of scenes, telling EW:

It's wild to think that it's been nearly ten years since that monumental Simpsons / Family Guy crossover, as well as Futurama's crossover with the Simpsons gang. The most recent "Treehouse of Horrors" episode did pay tribute to all three of the above shows and more with its Westworld parody, which was fun. But Appel says fans shouldn't expect to see any world-combining moments in the nearest of futures, but there's always the future...ama. 

While it’s unfortunate that Family Guy won’t be delivering a full-length crossover episode this Sunday, tis better to have Bobbed and Homered temporarily, than never to have… Well, whatever. Be sure to watch when the episode “Adoptation” airs Sunday, March 12, at 9:30 p.m. ET.  

The Orville: New Horizons ended Season 3 over at Hulu in August of 2022, and fans are still no closer to learning whether or not Seth MacFarlane's series will return for Season 4. Just days after actress Penny Johnson Jerald posted a video about the situation, fans received an update from one of Hulu's top brass about the show's renewal odds. Unfortunately, the response is super wishy-washy, and it's a little frustrating. 

Craig Erwich, formally known as ABC Entertainment's President for Hulu & Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals, was approached for comment by TVLine about the odds of The Orville coming back for Season 4. Sadly, he didn't have much to offer. Erwich said:

"Nothing to share" is quite an ambiguous statement to make, as well as annoying for the fans who have been waiting for news for a long time on the subject. To be clear, fans have worried about The Orville's status since before Season 3 even premiered on Hulu. Rumors circulated at the time that Hulu didn't intend to renew the series and that Season 3 would be the end of Seth MacFarlane's show. But nothing in this statement indicates it's officially over, either. 

Interviews with the cast and Seth MacFarlane since have indicated cancellation wasn't a sure thing, but that viewership and fan interaction online could certainly play a factor in the show's renewal. The Orville: New Horizons has been made available to those with a Disney+ subscription in addition to Hulu in recent months, but that's about the biggest development from the series in a while. 

If the show is over, why doesn't Hulu just announce it? Perhaps it's because Hulu would like more episodes but there's another roadblock standing in the way. 

As it stands right now, The Orville: New Horizons played out the back half of Season 3 in such a way that it could prepare for both renewal and cancellation. The penultimate episode "Domino" made major changes within the show's universe that would undoubtedly pick up in Season 4. The ironically titled Season 3 finale, "Future Unknown," could definitely serve as a series finale if need be, though there are still fans out there hoping that's not the case. 

The Orville's current situation actually feels even worse to me than outright cancellation, however, because the show's just hanging around in limbo. At least if it were cancelled, fans could rally around encouraging networks to save the series or have some closure. Instead, many are still waiting for any sign that Season 4 might happen, and if it does, there's no telling how long it'll take for anyone to see it. 

We're still no closer to answers on The Orville returning for Season 4, but the series is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. More eyes on the series might just help someone make a decision on whether to renew it, so stream early and stream often. 

We're a few weeks into 2023 now, and The Orville: New Horizons fans are still waiting for a sign about whether or not the series will return. Despite the sci-fi dramedy being made available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription months ago, we're still no closer to learning whether or not Seth MacFarlane & Co. will return for Season 4. Co-star Penny Johnson Jerald is apparently tired of waiting, as she uploaded a humorously relatable video echoing the thoughts and feelings of many fans as we continue to wait for updates. 

It looks like Penny Johnson Jerald is ready to get back to playing Dr. Claire Finn, or just can't take the suspense any longer regarding Season 4's chances of happening. The actress uploaded a video to Twitter sharing her blunt thoughts on the wait for The Orville renewal, and I can't agree with her enough: 

It's encouraging, if perhaps not entirely positive, to see that even some of the actors of The Orville: New Horizons are just as impatient as fans when it comes to wanting to know the fate of the series. Penny Johnson Jerald likely played up her frustration a bit with the exasperated look in the above video, but that only adds to the hilarity and illustrates the point of how agonizing the wait has been for some. 

It's also worth noting that fans have been waiting on news about The Orville's fate since before Season 3 ever aired on Hulu. Reports surfaced back in 2020 alleging that Season 3 would be the final season, and while the cast and crew have expressed since then that isn't the case, there's still no definitive word one way or another. 

CinemaBlend had a chance to speak to Penny Johnson Jerald back when The Orville: New Horizons was airing, and she shared her insight back then on the odds of Season 4 happening. She confessed the cast wasn't told at the time if Season 3 would be the end or not, but had assured the season ended in a way where the show could have another season and more if it was in the cards. 

Unfortunately, The Orville: New Horizons ended Season 3 in a way that suggested its writers were also unsure of if more adventures were on the table. The Season 3 penultimate episode, "Domino," moved the show's story forward with a lot of developments in the universe that will likely be addressed if The Orville is renewed.  

The following Season 3 finale episode, ironically titled "Future Unknown," stepped away from much of the drama of the previous episode and instead served as an endcap to the season that could serve as a series finale if need be. Obviously, actors like Penny Johnson Jerald would like news on whether or not that was the finale or not, but they're no closer to getting answers. 

Even Seth MacFarlane recently admitted he's still waiting for answers on if Season 4 of The Orville: New Horizons will happen. At this point,  I'm just hoping that we get some news before the end of the year one way or another because, obviously, the anxiety of not knowing is driving everyone up a wall. 

Fans and new viewers alike can stream The Orville Seasons 1 through 3 on Disney+ and Hulu. Hopefully, there will be some meaningful news to report on the show's future before too long, and fans will have more to react to than the actors' reactions to waiting on updates. 

The Orville saw some changes for its third season in 2022. Not only did it move from Fox to Hulu, but it also rebranded. The Orville: New Horizons finale included some surprises, but with the episode airing in August, there hasn’t been any news yet on the show's future and a fourth season. Now, creator and star Seth MacFarlane is getting candid about the possibility of a future season.

Seth MacFarlane has been keeping fans updated on a possible Season 4 of The Orville, and that includes storylines that could happen. In an interview with TVLine, MacFarlane was asked whether Giorgia Whigham/Lysella will be upped to series regular if there is another season, but it was hard for him to answer, not knowing if there even will be one:

It’s definitely hard to plan something if you don’t even know if it’s going to happen. If it does, it sounds like it doesn’t always go the way you originally planned it. It’s unknown when and if Hulu will make the announcement that The Orville is coming back. However, since fans had to wait over three years for Season 3, they might be able to wait it out a little longer. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait if it gets picked up.

It's also hard to tell whether Season 4 will also have a name like New Horizons, but it’s likely more details on plans will come out after Hulu (hopefully) renews it. Ahead of the season finale, Seth MacFarlane opened up about the impact Disney+ could have on The Orville, noting at the time that there’s a 50/50 chance of renewal, but he was hopeful that the streamer could boost the show’s popularity.

As for the main point of the question, Giorgia Whigham portrays barista Lysella and has appeared in two episodes of the series. While her return seems up in the air for now, hopefully, if there is another season, she’ll make another appearance, even if it is just for a single episode again. Maybe if not as a series regular, perhaps she could be upped to recurring, so she'd be on the show a bit more frequently. As of now, fans will just have to hope for Season 4 before they start asking for storylines.

While it’s uncertain if The Orville will be part of the 2023 TV schedule, Seth MacFarlane is just as anxious as ever, as are fans. With the number of shows canceled in 2022, The Orville managed to escape that fate, so who knows what could happen in the new year? In the meantime, MacFarlane seems to be keeping fans updated on any and all news. I just need it to be good the next time he updates.

While waiting for news on Season 4 of The Orville, be sure to watch all three seasons with a Hulu subscription. 

The Orville: New Horizons really pulled off some impressive feats with the show's transition from Fox to Hulu, and that upgrade in quality, while paired with its arrival on Disney+, had fans optimistic that Season 4 was a lock. Unfortunately, months have passed since the conclusion of Season 3, with fans still wondering if a new season is on the way, or the House of Mouse effective cancelled the sci-fi series with this extended bubble status. If there’s any positive news to be had, it appears the situation is still being figured out, as creator and star Seth MacFarlane recently shared an update on a new season of The Orville. 

So the good news is that The Orville: New Horizons has not been canceled. The bad news, as it were, is that Seth MacFarlane himself doesn’t really know enough to share anything more dense or impactful. But at least he remained as hopeful as anyone else in a recent response tweet to a fan wondering about the status of Season 4. Here's how he put it:

When it comes to TV cancellations, no news is sometimes way better than finding out. Which isn't optimism exactly, but if the space boot fits...

Rumors of The Orville’s demise first hit back in 2020, when it was reported that Hulu had supposedly shot down the prospect of a fourth season ahead of its official return. CinemaBlend spoke with several cast members and crew throughout Season 3's airing, however, with everyone more or less agreeing that it would come down to fan engagement and viewership stats in regard to whether or not another season would happen. Director Jon Cassar added that he felt the show’s move to Disney+ was a positive shift, as it would give even more sci-fi fans access to the series, possibly making the odds of a Season 4 order more likely. Seth MacFarlane expressed the same sentiment, and has long felt that the show is capable of landing a massive audience so long as people take the time to watch. 

Yet, it’s been over three months since the finale of The Orville: New Horizons, and viewers don’t know any more about the future of the series now than they did then. To make matters even more confusing, Season 3 featured a penultimate episode that set the stage for everything that could happen if the series returned for Season 4, but then wrapped with an ep that would absolutely work as an effective series finale if it had to. It seems like the cast and crew aren’t bluffing when they claim they’re as in the dark as fans, so why is it taking so long for a decision to be made behind the scenes? 

If there’s one positive for The Orville: New Horizons Season 4, it’s that Seth MacFarlane and others continue to share their interest in making a new season happen, when and if that day ever comes. Scott Grimes shared with CinemaBlend his continued commitment to working with MacFarlane, which is likely why they’re back together for Peacock’s adaptation of Ted. Hopefully, the rest of the actors will find their way back to the series should Disney give it the green light, but the longer they’re kept in the dark, it’s hard to imagine they’ll just wait and not pursue roles on other shows elsewhere. 

The Orville: New Horizons is available to stream both on Disney+ and with a Hulu subscription, and I’m sure a play on either platform would only help its renewal chances for Season 4. Hopefully, fans will have some sort of answer as to what’s happening with the series before the new year arrives.

It’s safe to say the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger has sparked some of the biggest entertainment news of 2022, from the Batgirl shelving debacle and other potential DC content setbacks to plans for HBO Max and Discovery+ to converge into one streaming entity in 2023, among other headlines. Making slightly less intense noise are the current plans, or lack thereof, for TBS’ future regarding original programming. (Not to mention its sister network TNT.) Following the abrupt cancellation of Nasim Pedrad’s comedy Chad on the day it was set to premiere, audiences likely grew slightly more worried about other TBS series such as American Dad, whose showrunner has addressed what he knows about the Seth MacFarlane comedy’s future.

American Dad is set to debut the back half of Season 19 in early September, and showrunner Matt Weitzman spoke to Digital Spy and others about what fans can expect — Halloween and Christmas specials — and what it can’t expect — a standalone movie in the style of Bob’s Burgers’ well-received recent feature. With American Dad having previously been renewed through Season 21, Weitzman briefly addressed the future beyond the current season, and he apparently isn’t wholly ruling out the possibility of the ax suddenly dropping at any point. Saying the writers and others have “no idea” when American Dad will wrap up, the showrunner said:

To be sure, Matt Weitzman didn’t seem to be ringing death knells while buying American Dad a cemetery plot and flowers. Until TBS actually makes the move to put the Smith family to pasture, there aren’t necessarily any reasons to start panicking and calling up Ricky Spanish [whisper: Ricky Spanish] to enact a plan to keep the series alive. 

Because despite what happened with Chad and other cancelled shows like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and The O.G., as well as the pulled-before-airing unscripted series The Big D and the cancelled-before-filming Damon Wayans comedy Kill the Orange Bear — despite ALL THAT — American Dad is still currently set to go another two and a half seasons without hindrances. The fact that it’s an animated series with a longer production schedule possibly helps its chances of surviving any potential cancellation ideas that TBS execs are having, since there’s probably already work being done on further-out episodes. 

That said, Chad’s entire second season was completely shot and finished, and had previously been set for an earlier premiere date, so assumptions aren’t very dependable here. To that end, Matt Weitzman even said one of the final episodes of Season 19 could serve as an all-encompassing conclusion. In his words:

In American Dad’s case, I could easily see a future on HBO Max, which is thriving with adult animation series, from Harley Quinn to the recently cancelled Close Enough (not a bad omen?) and more. So even if its fate with TBS ends up falling in line with its cancellation from Fox years prior, one can only hope AD’s core following and the series’ longevity help its chances of living on elsewhere.

For those who can't wait to see more American Dad hilarity, check out the preview video below!

American Dad’s Season 19 summer premiere will take place on Monday, September 5, at 10:00 p.m. ET. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are hitting primetime and beyond in the months to come.

The Orville: New Horizons is taking some narrative leaps in Season 3 and really leaning into serious storylines that further the arcs of its characters. Among such advancements, viewers might wonder whether or not the end of the season will feature some big developments for crew members like Ed Mercer and Kelly Grayson, who have displayed temporary flashes where it seemed they could rekindle the romantic feelings they shared after their divorce that occurred before the events of the show. Fans have long wondered if they’ll ever get back together, and Seth MacFarlane shared his perspective on that in a recent interview. 

Adrianne Palicki's Kelly and MacFarlane's Ed haven’t made any major strides in advancing their relationship on a romantic level in Season 3 of The Orville, and it might very well stay that way. Speaking with TVLine, Seth MacFarlane revealed how he changed direction for the characters' story in that respect, and that he had a good reason for doing so. In his words:

Ed and Kelly have a great dynamic as Captain and First Officer, and it’s looking like it will remain that way on The Orville: New Horizons. Seth MacFarlane didn’t give any indication that he intended to have them get back together, and with Season 4's chances relying heavily on steady viewership from anybody with a Hulu subscription, there’s a big chance they could keep their current dynamic going until the end of the series. 

With that said, Seth MacFarlane and the cast of The Orville: New Horizons haven’t been privy to revealing anything that might be considered a spoiler in this latest season. In that respect, there’s a definite possibility that fans will see some romantic development between Ed and Kelly before the season’s end, even if it doesn't turn into anything longterm and permanent. Since MacFarlane isn’t too willing to dole out extra information before upcoming episodes air, we'll just have to keep the faith while waiting. 

The Orville has certainly been privy to romances between its walls prior, though not so much with Ed and Kelly. LaMarr and Talla recently entered a steamy (and painful) relationship, and there’s a chance we’ll see that develop further in the future, assuming they can overcome one big hurdle, and that LaMarr gets showcased in more episodes. 

As for Ed and Kelly, there is some speculation that Ed could face fatal consequences, considering Seth MacFarlane and co-star Scott Grimes are working on a Ted series together. That, paired with the fact that The Orville: New Horizons might be the final season of the series should Hulu opt out of renewal, makes the odds slightly higher that we’ll won't see the crew together after this season, romantically or otherwise. Hulu originally picked up the series due to loyal viewing on the platform, however, so it seems that means Season 4 is a definite possibility. In short, there's hope for Kelly and Ed fans yet, even if Seth MacFarlane likes what he's doing with the characters now. 

The Orville: New Horizons streams on Hulu on Thursdays. Season 3 is hands-down the best season to date, so now is as good a time as any to tune in and see where this season ends up. Personally, I’m hoping for many more seasons with Ed and the crew, but I can’t deny I’m a little worried to see what’s coming up as the Kaylon war continues. 

The Orville: New Horizons is a show that, much like other Seth MacFarlane projects, occasionally shows some love to plays and musicals. So, it's no surprise that the star and creator brought accomplished stage actor Victor Garber on set in the recurring role of Admiral Halsey. It turns out that the two do talk about the arts when they’re together, and Garber recently revealed that MacFarlane actually uses Annie to “embarrass” the actor when he’s on set. 

I asked Victor Garber about Seth MacFarlane’s love of musicals and other stage performances and whether or not they ever talked about that when he’s around. Garber confirmed it is something they like to talk about and noted that The Orville star and creator likes to poke fun at him by using a song from his performance as Daddy Warbucks in Disney’s 1999 version of Annie:

Victor Garber might blush a little while Seth MacFarlane plays Annie songs during his scenes for The Orville: New Horizons, but it’s not like the actor’s stage career is anything to be ashamed of. In addition to being a celebrated actor in television and film (he even almost appeared in Star Trek), he’s a four-time Tony-nominated stage actor. With memorable roles across the board in Broadway productions, MacFarlane's prank feels like more of a celebration of Garber's accomplishments than a form of mockery.

Seth MacFarlane also worked another reference to Annie into one of Victor Garber’s recent episodes of The Orville: New Horizons, called “Gently Falling Rain.” Admiral Halsey and other members of the Union delegation attend an alien performance of Annie with members of the Krill there to observe. The moment was definitely a great moment of the episode and one that Garber appreciated immensely:

The Orville: New Horizons might be more serious now than it's ever been, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be fun every once in a while. This is especially true in the latest batch of episodes, where some levity was almost necessary to dissect some incredibly heavy topics. The alien-filled Annie performance was definitely a great funny moment for the season, so I can certainly understand why Garber enjoyed it so much. 

There’s still no word on whether or not The Orville: New Horizons will return for Season 4. CinemaBlend reported from other members of the cast that it appeared audience reception would play a factor in the renewal. Luckily, the show's latest episodes have been well-received online, so provided fans have a Hulu subscription, one would think Season 4 is a possibility. 

The Orville: New Horizons streams new episodes on Hulu on Thursdays. Season 3 is underway, so now is a good time to keep current on the show or even rewatch some of the new season’s best episodes. 

Seth MacFarlane has worked with a lot of talent in Hollywood, and among those he's worked with the longest is ER and Justified vet Scott Grimes. The pair have worked together on the animation side for American Dad and Family Guy — no one delivers fictional earworms like Grimes' Steve Smith — and on the live-action side, they're currently sharing the screen for Hulu's The Orville: New Horizons, with the upcoming television adaptation of Ted as their next shared endeavor. Understandably, Grimes totally loves working with MacFarlane, and part of that appreciation ties into how their work together is always a true collaboration. 

When Scott Grimes spoke with CinemaBlend about the current season of the sci-fi dramedy The Orville, he shared that while he doesn’t work much with Seth MacFarlane currently on either of the animated shows, he definitely remembers the earlier days when MacFarlane was more hands-on in the creative process. Here's what he told me about how MacFarlane’s work as a director back then compares to The Orville, and how finding the same groove is the recipe to success:

Scott Grimes' praise of Seth MacFarlane is a clear show of why they've continued to work together over the past couple of decades, and certainly plays into why Gordon and Mercer have such a great dynamic on The Orville. The two haven’t shared a ton of moments in Season 3 so far, but there are so many great examples from previous episodes that it just makes fans more anticipatory for whenever they’re on screen together next.

And while Seth MacFarlane is the Captain and main creative voice when it comes to The Orville, it’s on the set of the show that Scott Grimes gets to help out his co-star.  Grimes revealed that MacFarlane would also come to him and ask for consultation in terms of acting:

Seth MacFarlane is an iconic public figure and accomplished voice actor, but in the world of live-action, his credits aren’t so numerous. (Yet, anyway.) Even so, MacFarlane has ruled the roost as the star of The Orville for three seasons now, and does a fine job as Captain Ed Mercer week in and week out. 

Scott Grimes continued on with talking about helping Seth MacFarlane grow more comfortable with acting, and noted one of MacFarlane’s few notable feature performances ahead of the series. Grimes noted that while MacFarlane warmed up to his duties, it was a struggle at first:

Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes are only getting better on The Orville: New Horizons, which adopted an even more serious tone after leaving Fox and moving to Hulu. There’s still no word on whether or not Season 4 will happen, though conversations CinemaBlend had with other cast members suggested that the number of Hulu subscribers who tune into the current season and the online response will play a factor, so anyone thinking this was already the final season can hold out hope. Until then, we can only continue to enjoy the adventures, as well as future, fuzzier collaborations between Grimes and MacFarlane. 

The Orville: New Horizons debuts new episodes on Hulu on Thursdays. So much about this season is being kept under wraps, so streaming weekly in is the only way to learn what’s coming up and what the future may hold for the ship’s crew. 

With The Orville: New Horizons going strong at Hulu, and a prequel to the feature-originated world of Ted happening at Peacock (among other projects), Seth MacFarlane has quite notably distanced himself from his former home of Fox, save for his work on the stalwart animated comedy Family Guy. Having exited his overall deal with the network in 2020, MacFarlane signed on for a new deal with NBCUniversal, but has obviously also maintained a relationship with Fox’s parent company Disney during the extended production of The Orville’s third season. And given how outspoken and opinionated the multi-hyphenate entertainer has been in the past, it should surprise no one that he has opinions about how working for Fox and Disney compare and contrast. 

As part of the 13th annual Produced By conference (via Deadline), Seth MacFarlane spoke rather candidly about how things are going with both Fox and Disney, while still refraining from delivering censorable profanities or going into roast mode (as he did during The Orville’s Season 3 premiere event). Instead, he offered a more authentic explanation for how he felt about both corporations. 

What Seth MacFarlane Said About Working With Fox 

Though Seth MacFarlane has always taken shots at Fox over the past 23 years, sometimes through his animated series themselves, things became more noticeably fraught in recent years thanks to the creator’s views on Fox News, and the cable channel’s own heightened reliance on opinion-driven programming. Here’s how he first explained things:

The separation between Fox News and other sectors of the Fox brand has been both an interesting and confusing topic in recent years, particularly in cases where those worlds do still intertwine, such as it went when Donald Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared as a contestant on The Masked Singer, which notably sparked Ken Jeong to vacate the studio at the time of the unmasking. Referring to that instance as “distressing,” MacFarlane did give the network credit for allowing Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and American Dad (when it was still on Fox) to tell their stories without censoring or politically motivated suggestions from on high. In his words:

Seth MacFarlane also shared that he thinks there’s a legitimate need for a “rational” conservative news outlet, which he thinks Fox News started out as before going “someplace radically different.”

What Seth MacFarlane Said About Working With Disney

On the flip side of things, Seth MacFarlane had almost entirely positive and glowing things to say about his working relationship with Disney, whether it be through Fox or through Hulu with The Orville. Without getting too specific about anything overtly partisan, he shared his thoughts on the company’s outlook, and how it’s been for him from a creative perspective. 

If your warning bells just went off, you probably aren’t alone, as Seth MacFarlane’s use of past tense implies that he won’t be returning for Season 4, which is already something that has been speculated about, given how much of a daunting and expensive production it has been through all things COVID. Not to mention everything else happening in his career. But MacFarlane does make it sound like the Powers That Be were perfectly willing to provide whatever it took to bring Season 3 to life, so it’s still possible that the show will live on, provided it drives some major viewership for Hulu, of course. 

Seth MacFarlane also shared some kind words about his long-lasting relationship with Dana Walden, a former Fox TV executive who is currently the chairperson of general entertainment content for Disney. Here’s how he put it:

While it’s unclear if the Family Guy star will continue to work with Dana Walden and other Disney and Hulu execs once The Orville: New Horizons has wrapped its season, fans can be sure that we’ll have more news on that front by the end of the summer.

The Orville drops new episodes every Thursday for those with Hulu subscriptions, so be sure to check out the emotional space-faring fun!

Seth MacFarlane is getting a lot of press as of late for his work on The Orville (which is no longer on Fox) but, of course, many know him for his work in animation. MacFarlane is the mastermind behind Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show, so he’s had a lot of success in that medium. So much so that one might assume he cut his teeth working on The Simpsons before crafting his own hits. And when he was asked about that, he answered and gave a thoughtful shoutout to Matt Groening, Al Jean and their collaborators.

Seth MacFarlane answered the question during an interview for Wired's Autocomplete Interview and his opening response, “I fucking wish,” really says it all. While MacFarlane didn’t create or work on The Simpsons ahead of his other work in animation, it's very clear that he has no problem giving props to the people who do work on the long-running animated sitcom:

Seth MacFarlane went on to note that he’s friends with the creator of the Fox series, Matt Groening, as well as other notable names from the show like Al Jean, Mike Reiss, and Mike Scully. It’s clear by the things MacFarlane said about the show that he values what it's done for animation and how it paved the way for future shows like Family Guy. 

Though the actor and writer didn't work on The Simpsons, the series did have a crossover with Family Guy back in 2014. “The Simpsons Guy” featured the characters meeting each other in what seems like a once-in-a-lifetime event, and MacFarlane provided the voices for his usual characters like Brian, Stewie, and Peter. The episode definitely turned some heads and in hindsight, serves as a perfect example of how Matt Groening's show influenced the FG, which didn't truly rip it off. 

There was once a point in which Simpsons was considered “edgy” in pop culture but, in an age where South Park and Family Guy continually push the envelope with controversial humor, it’s perceived as much tamer now. Other critics expressed just that when “The Simpsons Guy” was released and noted how the melding of the shows' varying comedy styles felt somewhat jarring. 

Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy has followed in The Simpsons’ footsteps in a number of ways, but there are still things it needs to accomplish for itself. For example, the franchise hasn’t had a big-screen adaptation, while other shows that came after it,  like Bob’s Burgers have had animated features. Seth MacFarlane claimed in 2019 that it's still something he wants to do and that he even has an idea for a story. There hasn't been any news yet but, when it comes to making a film, I'd take some cues from the Simpsons buddies he admires so much.

Family Guy airs on Fox on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. The summer season is approaching, and with so many shows ending for the season, now is as good a time as ever to look up what new shows are premiering and find some new things to watch. You can also stream episodes of Seth MacFarlane's show by streaming them with a Hulu subscription.

Similar to how his animated series American Dad started off as a Fox original before being shipped off to a different channel, Seth MacFarlane’s space-faring dramedy The Orville: New Horizons will soon make its debut for Hulu subscribers, over three years after its second season aired on the broadcast network. It’s been a long and arduous journey to get to this point, and the multi-hyphenate creator couldn’t sound happier to be partnered with a different platform. To the point where MacFarlane introduced the Season 3 premiere screening in L.A. by hilariously roasting the sci-fi series’ former home, which has nonetheless remained faithful to his animated hit Family Guy.

Taking the stage at the California Science Center ahead of the premiere screening, Seth MacFarlane offered a safe-for-work Fox roast that, despite being largely inoffensive, still had barbs. Here’s how he kicked things off (via THR):

While NBC has its One Chicago and Law & Order franchise, while CBS has the NCIS and FBI shows, Fox’s biggest connective tissue does seem to be in the “I hope most of your memory banks are dedicated to music” genre. To be fair, Fox used to be in the “bawdy Seth MacFarlane animated series” game, but only Family Guy has stuck around from that era. And considering how many ‘80s and ‘90s callbacks there have been on the animated comedy, it’s likely there have been plenty of crossover tunes between FG and Fox’s song-based series. 

In any case, Seth MacFarlane then took aim at Fox’s audience stats, which have generally been on the lower end of the Big 4 totem pole, save for its former ties to the NFL and sporadic hits such as The Masked Singer. According to MacFarlane:

Nowhere else on TV can one find competition series based on LEGO constructions and domino-based assemblies, or a show based on the podcast Guys We Fucked, or an animated update based on The Flintstones, or five different Gordon Ramsey shows. But what is he talking about with this lowest common denominator business?

Not that MacFarlane only poked fun at Fox. He also shared some self-aware love for Hulu as a streaming king, while dismissing The Kardashians in the same breath, and said:

To be fair, people could have been defecating while watching The Orville during its run on Fox, also. I guess it’s just easier now. Sci-fi really is a doorway into the future, isn’t it?

Having only premiered its official Season 3 trailer just two weeks before audiences were able to watch, The Orville: New Horizons, which cancelled the red carpet interviews for its premiere due to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, will debut on Hulu on Thursday, June 2. Check out all the other new and returning shows debuting soon with our 2022 TV premiere schedule.

The Orville: New Horizons is nearly here, and soon Hulu subscribers will get to see Seth MacFarlane's Captain Ed Mercer back with the rest of the crew for another round of action-packed adventurea. The first full-length trailer for its third season (and first for streaming) reveals a bit of what's to come, and perhaps surprisingly, it all feels pretty serious and dramatic. We also hear Ed drop an iconic Star Wars quote because, of course, the guy who created Family Guy has to have a bit of levity in his show, right? 

Season 3 of The Orville is titled "New Horizons," so it tracks that Ed Mercer makes note that they're headed into previously uncharted territory. When encouraged by Kelly to pass on some words to the crew, the best Ed can muster up is a fairly generic pep talk chased by the ever-repeated Star Wars quote:  

Outside of that quote and a couple of other moments, however, it feels like The Orville: New Horizons will lean into the more dramatic tone of its series. We see aliens make serious threats to Ed and even what looks like the setup for some big space battles. There's even a sad scene with Isaac facing some discrimination, likely due to him being a Kaylon. It all feels surprisingly heavy for The Orville, but based on how well I enjoyed the more serious content of Season 2, I'm not complaining. Hopefully, there are more seasons planned based on just how great this trailer looks, though it may not happen, given everything that Seth MacFarlane has going in his career currently.

Perhaps the most comforting thing about anticipating the premiere of The Orville: New Horizons is that Season 2 didn’t end on some massive cliffhanger that fans have waited three years to see the payoff to. One thing they do have to look forward to is some new cast members, including actress Anne Winters’  Ensign Charly Burke. A new series regular almost certainly will help shake up the dynamic of the crew, and maybe even present some new opportunities for exciting storylines.  I guess fans will find all that out soon enough, as the wait for the return of this great series is almost finally over. 

After a long period of delays, The Orville: New Horizons premieres on Hulu on Thursday, June 2nd, with weekly releases every Thursday. There's still time to binge the first two seasons for anyone who hasn't had a chance to do so, and if you're a fan of sci-fi who enjoyed The Orville, I'd recommend reliving all the space-faring fun again just to remember where everything left off. 

On April 12, Gilbert Gottfried passed away at the age of 67, and the public has been honoring the man with all kinds of tributes and recollections. For instance, many have been revisiting a photo of Gottfried with Bob Saget and Louie Anderson, taking note of how bittersweet seeing the three of them together now since Saget died on January 9 and we lost Anderson on January 21. Many celebrities, including Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and fellow comedian Jon Stewart, have also shared their own tributes to Gottfried over the last few days.

In Seth MacFarlane’s case, he had the opportunity to work with Gilbert Gottfried on several occasions, including the actor/comedian providing his vocal talents for a couple Family Guy episodes, as well as appearing as Abraham Lincoln in A Million Ways to Die in the West. MacFarlane specifically referenced the 2014 movie while commenting on Gottfried’s passing:

Jon Stewart also had the pleasure of knowing Gilbert Gottfried thanks to the former opening for the latter during his early days as a standup comedian. Here’s what The Problem with Jon Stewart’s eponymous host had to say about the late actor:

Marlee Matlin, one of the cast members in the Best Picture-winning CODA, expressed her sadness for Gilbert Gottfried’s passing, with the two of them having crossed paths on numerous occasions, including at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump. Here’s what she had to say:

Of course, one of Gilbert Gottfried’s most beloved roles was Iago the Parrot, who he voiced in 1992’s Aladdin (where he frequently had to rerecord lines), its two direct-to-video sequels and various other pieces of media. Alan Menken, who composed Aladdin’s musical score, had this to say about Gottfried:

Finally, there’s a video of Gilbert Gottfried that’s been making the rounds after his death was announced showing his 1999 appearance on Hollywood Squares, where he repeatedly kept trolling the episode’s two contestants. Tom Bergeron, who hosted the game show back then, appeared on Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast back in 2017 to talk about the Hollywood Squares hijinks and other topics, and the former Dancing with the Stars host shared that episode for those who missed it the first time around.

These are just a handful of the celebrities who’ve shared tributes to Gilbert Gottfried on Twitter and other social media, so feel free to look elsewhere on the internet to see what others have said about him. We could spend all day talking about Gottfried’s work in the entertainment business, but some of his notable credits from recent years include Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Justice League Action, three Sharknado movies, Historical Roasts and Smiling Friends. He was also the subject of the 2017 documentary Gilbert, which won the Special Jury Prize at the deadCENTER Film Festival.

CinemaBlend continues to offer its condolences to Gilbert Gottfried’s family and friends for their loss. Fortunately, future generations will have no trouble discovering his body of work that so many of us have already enjoyed for years.

In 2012 and 2015, Family Guy and American Dad! creator Seth MacFarlane starred in the two Ted movies as the voice of the foul-mouthed eponymous character. Set in contemporary times, those two movies followed along with the hijinks of Mark Wahlberg’s John Bennett and his best friend, who just so happened to be a teddy bear he wished to life as a child. Well, MacFarlane is returning to the world of Ted for a TV series that will be available with a Peacock subscription, and he’s bringing one of his costars from The Orville along with him.

Since 2017, Seth MacFarlane has starred as Captain Ed Mercer on The Orville, which was moved to Hulu after airing its first two seasons on Fox. Among the supporting cast member on that series is Scott Grimes, who plays Lieutenant Gordon Molloy. Now MacFarlane and Grimes are re-teaming for Peacock’s Ted prequel series, which is set in Boston in 1993, when John Bennett is 16 years old and Ted’s moment of fame has long since passed. Grimes will star as Matty Bennett, John’s father, who’s described as a blustering blue-collar Bostonian who sees himself as the unequivocal boss in the family and doesn’t like anyone challenging him, including Blaire, his liberal-minded niece who’s living with the family. 

Although they’re seen in live-action together on The Orville, Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes go back much further than that. The latter also voices Steve Smith and other assorted characters on American Dad!, as well as voices Kevin Swanson and a handful of other roles on Family Guy. Weirdly enough, in the first Ted movie (which MacFarlane thought would probably flop), John Bennett’s father, played there by Ralph Garman, was named Steve, but I guess MacFarlane felt Matty was a better name for this series.

Scott Grimes is one of three new actors who will be joining Seth MacFarlane on Peacock’s Ted. The role of teen John Bennett is being filled by Parenthood’s Max Burkholder, with the character at this stage of his life being described as a good guy and likable teen, but still in an awkward phase, and he’s relying on Ted to help him navigate adolescence. Then there’s the previously-mentioned Blaire, played by The Punisher’s Giorgia Whigham. Blaire is a politically correct college student who’s not afraid to be outspoken and frequently clashes with her traditionalist family, i.e. cousin John, uncle Matty and aunt Susan, who’s she’s living with while pursuing higher education. There’s no word yet on who’s playing John’s mother Susan (named Helen in the first movie, and played by Alex Borstein). 

Behind the scenes, Seth MacFarlane is set to direct, write, co-showrun and executive produce all of the Ted series’ episodes with Paul Corrgian and Brad Walsh, both of whom previously worked on Modern Family and will serve as co-showrunners, writers and executive producers on this Peacock project. The series is being produced by MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door label, and its other executive producers include Eric Huggins, Alana Kleiman and Jason Clark, the latter of whom was a producer on the Ted film series. UCP and MRC Television are also involved with putting the show together.

CinemaBlend will share major updates about the Ted series when they come in, including when it will come out on Peacock. In the meantime, those of you eager to see Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes paired together again can do so when The Orville Season 3 premieres on June 2, so make sure your Hulu subscription is in order by then.

Seth MacFarlane and his fellow producers have been promoting the upcoming Season 3 of The Orville on social media ever since Hulu rescued the sci-fi dramedy for another jaunt into space, which is finally coming relatively soon. His most recent post features a sneak preview of some new futuristic hardware, and while it looks awesome, MacFarlane's Family Guy co-star Alex Borstein stole the show with one concise but hilarious comment. 

After a production schedule filled with ups, downs, and delays, Season 3 of The Orville: New Horizons is finally making it to the Milky Way. Fans will have to wait until June to reunite with their beloved galactic travelers, but creator and star Seth MacFarlane is tiding everyone over with some sweet behind the scenes content. Take a look at his latest post below: 

The image shows “the new shuttle,” a sleek silver ship that will almost certainly see some action on The Orville Season 3. Amongst the legions of fans expressing their excitement, one comment reigned supreme, courtesy of none other than Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy cohort Alex Borstein. The voice of Lois Griffin added the comment seen below:

• 🍆 - Alex Borstein

Borstein's vegetative comment quickly liked by dozens of Insta users and could mean literally anything. Knowing the specific brand of humor that Family Guy is known for and the publicly accepted definition of the eggplant emoji, one can assume with relative safety that any further speculation cannot be printed on a respectable website. We'll call it Big Shuttle Energy. 

In addition to Alex Borstein’s funny comment, many fans gushed over the updated design and special effects for The Orville: New Horizons. Most viewers, while excited for another look behind the curtain, are more than ready for Season 3 to drop. Alongside fire and applause emojis, one user even said the shuttle was “badass” but would have preferred to actually see the new episodes of the show. 

The frustration is understandable, but the road to another season of The Orville was paved with production mishaps, scheduling conflicts, and pandemic delays. After parent network Fox was acquired by Disney, Hulu gave the show another chance on streaming. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic began to take root around the same time, and The Orville was grounded for an extended stint. Disney also switched around multiple production schedules (including a ton of Marvel projects), and The Orville was struggling in the shuffle. Luckily for fans, Seth MacFarlane was committed to bringing the series back, and we’ll finally get the Season 3 we've been waiting for since 2019. 

The relevance of a certain eggplant emoji is TBD, but check out the first teaser for the new episodes below!

The Orville: New Horizons will fly to Hulu on June 2, 2022. If you need a quick refresher, the first two seasons are already available for those with a Hulu subscription. If you’ve already traversed the galaxy, you can check out these new television releases coming to your screen in the new year. 

Don’t Look Up was easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2021. The film features an ensemble cast of industry heavyweights like Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cate Blanchett. Fans of director Adam McKay were suitably impressed with the satirical dark comedy, and none more so than Seth MacFarlane of The Orville. 

After the release of Don’t Look Up, The Orville’s Seth MacFarlane took to Twitter to praise Adam McKay’s latest directorial venture. His post said: 

High praise, coming from a fellow sci-fi fan. Seth MacFarlane may be most famous for Family Guy, but the self-professed Star Trek fan created The Orville as a loving homage to the seminal science-fiction series. While Seth MacFarlane isn’t sure how fictional the film actually is, he clearly considers Don’t Look Up to be required viewing. 

Don’t Look Up has received mixed reviews from critics, but the fan response is significantly more positive. Seth MacFarlane’s approval aside, many viewers are praising the cast’s performances. Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio are (perhaps unsurprisingly) receiving rave reviews, and Meryl Streep has been applauded for her oft-underused comedic chops. That’s not to say the rest of the cast is underwhelming: indeed, even negative reviews commend the performers on their commitment to the film as a whole. 

Another point in favor of Don’t Look Up? The chillingly topical story. Viewers are introduced to Kate, a PhD student who discovers an asteroid is set to wipe out all human life on Earth, and her professor, Dr. Mindy. When the duo attempts to warn society of its impending doom, they are met with varying levels of scorn and indifference from the government and the public alike. The U.S President even adopts the maxim ‘Don’t Look Up’ as a political slogan. 

Don’t Look Up is a clear parody of the world’s perceived apathy towards climate change, and the audience is all too aware of the parallels Adam McKay draws between his fictional universe and the real one they inhabit. Don’t Look Up has also become increasingly more relevant in the era of the pandemic, despite being written well beforehand. Despite the warnings of scientists, many people are skeptical and choose to ignore the potential consequences of the incoming asteroid. Misinformation quickly spreads, and Kate is forced to navigate the increasingly hazardous political landscape. 

Whether it becomes loved or reviled, Don’t Look Up is sure to remain germane. Maybe that’s why Seth MacFarlane dubbed the film ‘recommended viewing for anyone alive in the 21st century.’ 

The ensemble cast of Don’t Look Up features Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Ron Perlman, Rob Morgan, Mark Rylance, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Timothée Chalamet, and Ariana Grande. The film is now playing in select theaters and is also available to stream on Netflix.