Family Guy experienced a major behind-the-scenes change when veteran voice actor Mike Henry decided to step down from his decades-long role as Cleveland Brown. Luckily, the producers were able to find a fitting replacement in YouTuber Arif Zahir. There’s a good chance there may have been some doubt on fans’ part when Henry first announced his decision, as it left the character’s immediate future up in the air. However, it looks like the show’s creatives never had plans to retire Peter Griffin’s best friend altogether.

While recently discussing Zahir’s casting, Family Guy executive producer Richard Appel explained that it would have been a shame to write Cleveland out of the show after Henry vacated the role. But Appel, Seth MacFarlane and their team believe the character brings too much to the show to be taken away so abruptly:

Appel made a fair point when discussing the situation with Variety. Likewise, Arif Zahir admitted to the trade that he would’ve been disappointed if Cleveland had been written out. Still, he also says he would’ve respected the wishes of MacFarlane, Henry and everyone involved had they opted to move in that direction.

Zahir, a longtime Family Guy fan, has been doing Cleveland Brown interpretations for years, and his talent for impersonating the slow-talking character would eventually gain him fans on social media. This helped get him on Family Guy’s radar, and he won the part after the casting officials at Family Guy “cast a wide net.”

Since Zahir’s casting, Mike Henry has shown support for the up-and-coming voice actor. When Zahir initially announced the news of his casting on Instagram, Henry commented, expressing his excitement about working with him and offering to talk “Cleve to Cleve.” Zahir excitedly reciprocated his sentiments.

It’s good to see that Family Guy ultimately opted not to get rid of Cleveland. The character has been a staple on the show since 1999 and has become very popular among fans. It was this popularity that helped earn the character his self-titled spinoff series, The Cleveland Show. Although the show would only run for four seasons and wouldn’t earn rave reviews, Cleveland was promptly brought back to Family Guy.

Needless to say, there’s a lot of love for Cleveland Brown within the fanbase and among the creatives at Family Guy. Arif Zahir’s casting helps to solidify his place on the show, and it’s exciting to think about what the actor does with this beloved character.

Hollywood has experienced a significant shift in the world of voice acting, which has seen many white actors step down from voicing non-white characters. Family Guy veteran Mike Henry, who voiced Cleveland Brown for two decades, was one of the actors to step away from his role. This left many to wonder who might be stepping into the shoes of Peter Griffin’s easy-going best friend. But we now know that the producers have tapped YouTube star and Cleveland Brown impressionist Arif Zahir to carry on the legacy. And since this changing of the guard, both actors shared a nice exchange.

After the news of his casting broke, Arif Zahir shared the announcement on his Instagram page, thanking the fans for their support and expressing gratitude to Mike Henry and the team at Family Guy for creating the character:

Mike Henry, who also serves as a producer and writer on Family Guy, later responded to the post, expressing his hope that the two could link up and chat soon:

Having the original actor reply to the post seemed to be surreal for Zahir, as he responded with a very enthusiastic message:

It’s great to see the two Clevelands getting along so famously, and the two are sure to work together to both maintain who Cleveland is and find ways for the character to grow.

Zahir had actually been impersonating the character via his YouTube channel for quite some time and, after Henry departed the role, the young actor voiced his interest on social media and tagged Henry in the post. Luckily, the producers took notice.

Although Zahir is now the new Cleveland Brown, his voice won’t actually be heard this season. By the time Mike Henry resigned from playing the part, the actor had already recorded all of his material for Season 19, meaning that Zahir won’t make his official debut until Season 20 begins next fall. Still, if you want a taste of his take on the character, you can check out this recent post:

Family Guy and the animation world at large are definitely entering a new era, and it’s one that should allow for a more diverse range of talent inside the recording booth.

Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more news from the world of TV and movies.

Disney and Pixar planned to release the new animated film Soul in 2020, but the fate of the movie's release is now unknown. Pixar’s Soul is about a teacher who loves jazz and dreams of becoming a jazz musician. He finally got his big break only to have his soul separated from his body after an accident. He then arrives at The Great Before, where he must work to try to reunite his soul with his body. Soul features the voice acting of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Angela Bassett, Daveed Diggs, and many more.

Soul is set to be Pixar’s first animated feature with a black lead character. This is exciting because Pixar is known for making really heartfelt and captivating animated features, and seeing more diversity from Pixar may inspire other companies to follow its example. As revolutionary as Soul is for the world of Pixar, it’s far from the first animated film with a Black lead. There are many entertaining animated TV shows and movies with black main characters. Let’s take a look at some of them.

The Princess And The Frog

The Princess and the Frog is Disney’s first animated film featuring a Black princess. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) dreams of opening a restaurant in New Orleans, but she gets drawn into the world of magic and princes when she meets Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos). He gets turned into a frog and believes she’s the princess who can save him. He kisses her and they both become frogs.

The film also features voiceovers by Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, and Oprah Winfrey. It’s a vibrant animated film that pays tribute to the bold and lively nature of New Orleans, while also adding a unique spin to The Frog Princess tale. Tiana is a charismatic, hardworking, and intelligent princess that gives little girls, especially ones of color, someone to admire.

Stream it on Disney+ here.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider, and then he encounters the Spider-Man of his world, voiced by Chris Pine. Soon, he meets various Spider-men and women from various universes. The Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse voice cast includes Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Nicolas Cage, Kimiko Glenn, and John Mulaney.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Anyone who has seen the film can see why it is engaging, with an effortless blend of comedy and drama, and visually compelling animation. Miles Morales is a biracial character who has African-American and Puerto Rican heritage. Miles’ race and identity don’t play a huge part in his storyline in the movie (at least not on a surface level), but I’m sure little kids of all ages and races loved seeing such a diverse hero on the screen.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Proud Family

The Proud Family is a Disney Channel animated series that aired from 2001 to 2005. It followed the Proud family, with the main focus on Penny Proud (Kyla Pratt). It included the adventures of all the family members, but mainly Penny dealing with the woes of being a teenage girl, friends, school, and family. The Proud Family voice cast includes Karen Malina White, Tommy Davidson, Soleil Moon, and Paula Jai Parker.

The Proud Family also had a movie that served as the series official finale. In 2020, Disney+ announced plans to bring the series back for a continuation series. The Proud Family was full of wacky characters and life lessons, which made it a must-see animated show for those growing up in the early 2000s.

Stream it on Disney+ here.

Hair Love

Hair Love is a short animated film by Matthew A. Cherry. It won the 2020 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. It follows a father as he tries to tackle the complicated world of doing his daughter’s hair. It’s a tribute to the beauty of black hair and the love between a father and daughter. Issa Rae is the only voiceover in this film as the little girl’s mother.

Hair Love is only six-minutes long but it tells a very captivating story of a family who is dealing with a major turmoil and coping with it to the best of their ability. It also speaks to the Black culture in its depiction of Black hair and teaching young girls to love and not fear it. Their hair is a part of their culture, identity, and uniqueness.

Stream it on YouTube here.

Bebe’s Kids

This 1992 animated feature is based on comedian Robin Harris’ stand-up comedy act. He’s voiced in the film by Faizon Love. The Bebe’s Kids voice cast includes Vanessa Bell Calloway, Marques Houston, Tone Loc, and Nell Carter. It’s a movie about a man who takes his girlfriend, her son, and her friend Bebe’s kids to a day at the amusement park. Bebe’s kids are little terrors so they create havoc the entire day.

Bebe’s Kids is an adult cartoon that’s both really funny and heartfelt. Bebe’s kids create destruction wherever they go, but the movie explains why they’re so dysfunctional, and like Robin, you start to care about these kids and their happiness. It’s also partly a musical, so it includes some really fun tunes like “I Ain't’ Havin’ It.”

Stream it on Pluto TV here.

The Cleveland Show

The Cleveland Show is a spin-off of Family Guy and follows Cleveland Brown as he moves back to his hometown and marries his high school crush Donna Tubbs. The show follows the blended family of Donna and Cleveland. It’s created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry. The voice cast includes Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Reagan Gomez-Preston, and Mike Henry.

If you like Family Guy and American Dad, basically any of Seth MacFarlane’s animated shows, then likely you’ll enjoy The Cleveland Show because it falls right into that genre of dysfunctional families with outrageous characters and a dad who is a bit dimwitted. The Cleveland Show aired from 2009 to 2013, and the character then returned to The Family Guy.

Stream it on Hulu here.

The Boondocks

The Boondocks is an animated series created by Aaron McGruder. It follows the Freemans as they live in Woodcrest, an overall white suburb. The Boondocks satirized social classes, stereotypes, and Black culture. It aired from 2005 to 2014. The main voice cast included Regina King and John Witherspoon.

The Boondocks was a hilarious Adult Swim series that discussed American culture in a way that criticized it and showed how it’s viewed from a Black perspective. It often parodied major Black films or figures, like the movie Juice and the R. Kelly trials. HBO recently announced plans to reboot the series and already gave it a two-season order.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

The PJs

Eddie Murphy, Larry Wilmore, and Steve Tompkins created this stop-motion sitcom about life in a public housing project (PJs for short). Eddie Murphy starred as Thurgood Orenthal Stubbs, the superintendent of the Hilton-Jacobs projects. The PJs got most of its comedy from Thurgood and the weird and wonderful tenants. The PJs voice cast also included Loretta Devine, Ja’net Dubois, Shawn Michael, and Cheryl Francis Harrington.

The PJs aired from 1999 to 2001, it was produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. The show was controversial because social activities, like Spike Lee, accused the series of racist stereotypes of those living in the projects.

Stream it on Pluto TV here.

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales For Every Child

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales For Every Child is an HBO anthology series that aired from 1995 to 2000. Robert Guillaume acted as the narrator. The series followed different fairy tales and folklore with different cultural twists, and it included voiceovers by a variety of celebrities.

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child was HBO's attempt of diversifying the world of fairy tales by depicting them under a different culture landscape and included a diverse body of actors. For example, the Rumpelstiltskin episode had a Jamaican twist and included voiceovers by Jasmine Guy, Robert Townsend, and Denzel Washington. Among the many actors that appeared in episodes are BD Wong, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Nestor Carbonell, Margaret Cho, Will Smith, and Maya Angelou.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Kirikou And The Sorceress

Kirikou and the Sorceress is a French animated feature directed and written by Michel Ocelot. It takes inspiration from West African folklore. The film starts with the birth of Kirikou and follows his journey as a newborn who constantly finds ways to help and save his village from the evil witch Karaba. It’s because of Kirikou’s small stature that he’s able to fix many of the village’s problems, but it is his brave heart that pushes him through.

I don’t know much about West African culture, so I cannot say if the film is a fair, accurate, or flattering portrayal of it. I can say that the film is unique and brings some attention to West African folklore. It’s not a kid-friendly film as all the female characters are nude, as is baby Kirikou, but most of the messages about being kind to others, not judging people by their size, and forgiveness, are all messages that appeal to younger audiences.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

The future of Pixar’s Soul is still to-be-determined, but right now it’s still set for a November 20, 2020 release date. Even if it is moved to 2021, hopefully, some of these animated films keep your attention until its release.

Holiday specials are a dime a dozen on television, but there are some truly special ones available on streaming that may be lost in the rush to watch old classics and new holiday offerings. This is particularly true in the genre of adult animation, which boasts a fair amount of great holiday episodes to throw on when the old and new wear out their welcome.

Bob's Burgers- "Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

Plot Synopsis: Bob and the family come into what they think is great wealth when a distant relative passes, and instead get a storage unit with a man believing he was a mannequin who came to life. The family takes him in for the holidays, which he repays by creating elaborate holiday window displays that draw a lot of business to the restaurant.

Why you should watch it- The humor of this episode is on par with some of the best Bob's Burgers has to offer, but the takeaway message has that family feel to it that's perfect to remind others to be kind during the holiday season.

Where to stream it- Hulu

Futurama- "X Mas Story"

Plot Synopsis- Fry learns about the new traditions of X-man (formerly known as Christmas) as the crew tries their best to inform him of what's changed. Unfortunately, they don't do a good enough job of warning him about Robot Santa Claus, a defective robot with unachievable standards of what qualifies as "nice." That means he strolls the streets and kills whoever he finds on his naughty list X-Mas night, which is a problem for Fry.

Why You Should Watch It- Futurama does some pretty good gags that poke fun at the holidays, although the best moments of this episode come from Professor Farnsworth's nude romps.

Where to stream it- Hulu

King Of The Hill- "Livin' On Reds, Vitamin C, And Propane"

Plot Synopsis- Hank takes the passing of his mother's friend as an excuse to rent a big rig and take it from Arlen to Arizona on a Christmas adventure with Bobby. The adventure becomes troublesome for a multitude of reasons, and Hank is discouraged when men at a diner don't view him as an actual "trucker."

Why You Should Watch It- This is probably one of the best episodes of King of the Hill period, mainly due to the hijinks of Dale, Boomhauer and Bill. Additionally, the episode also features voice work from country artists like Trace Adkins, Travis Tritt and George Strait.

Where To Stream It-Hulu

Family Guy- "Jesus, Mary, And Joseph!"

Plot synopsis: Family Guy tells the story of the birth of Jesus in a way that only the Seth McFarlane series would dare to.

Why You Should Watch It: This is definitely not one that should be watched around religious relatives who may find the multitude of jokes against Christianity sacrilegious. That said, for Monty Python fans who enjoy The Life Of Brian, this is certainly in the same vein, with a bit more raunch because that's what Family Guy does. Plus, the ending is pretty hilarious.

Where To Stream It- Hulu

Moral Orel- "The Best Christmas Ever"

Plot Synopsis: Orel's family Christmas goes awry, but the young boy is relatively oblivious to it and is more focused on the reverend's message that Jesus may return in the form of another. Morel then suspects that his younger brother Shapey is Christ resurrected.

Why You Should Watch It - Again, this probably isn't one to watch with religious relatives in earshot, but relatively funny for those who don't mind the irreverent humor. Plus, the claymation style is reminiscent of old-school Christmas specials like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, except even more twisted. Be warned, the humor in this special is pretty damn dark!

Where To Watch It- Hulu

Bojack Horseman Christmas Special- Sabrina's Christmas Wish

Plot Synopsis- Todd shows up to force Bojack into watching a holiday episode of "Horsin Around."

Why You Should Watch It- Using "Horsin Around" for a holiday special is perfect, and allows the Netflix original to take lots of jabs at the cheesy '90s sitcom format. Plus, the episode itself only requires a base level of what Bojack Horseman is about to appreciate.

Where To Stream It-Netflix

The Cleveland Show- "Die Semi-Hard"

Plot Synopsis- Cleveland recalls the main plot of Die Hard in an adventure that includes the cast of The Cleveland Show.

Why You Should Watch It- This is one for the people who love Die Hard, but have family members with a hard-line stance that it is not a Christmas movie. This version is close enough to the film that fans will enjoy it, but offbeat and different enough that family members who hate Christmas action films won't grumble all that much if it gets switched on during the holidays.

Where To Stream It- Hulu

South Park- "Woodland Critter Christmas"

Plot Synopsis- Stan agrees to help a bunch of talking woodland creatures during the holidays, only to inadvertently create what could be a world-ending Christmas disaster.

Why You Should Watch It- This one is quite possibly the raunchiest entry on the list, and perhaps the most surprising storyline. Of course, it's not as though the twist isn't entirely unpredictable, as one has to assume a seemingly innocent scenario will always get turned on its head on South Park. As with previous raunchy entries, this probably won't be the best one to play around upright relatives or young children.

Where To Stream It- Hulu

American Dad- "Ninety North, Zero West"

Plot Synopsis- The Smith family prepares to hide from Santa this year given their past adventures, but the plot is foiled when Steve goes rogue to ride a Christmas train.

Why You Should Watch It- American Dad has had some crazy Christmas specials in the past, and this one is a great example of just how goofy these episodes can get. It may also encourage some to go through and watch the other specials related to it, which could provide a whole night's worth of entertainment.

Where To Stream It- Hulu

There are plenty of holiday specials to enjoy on streaming, but also a great deal of good stuff coming to cable television in the coming weeks. Keep up with the latest and greatest offerings via our fall and midseason premiere guides.

Fox's Animation Domination Sunday night line-up will be getting into the holiday spirit this weekend. Fox released a teaser for the animated comedy block and it appears that all of The Simpsons will be airing holiday installments on Sunday night.

For The Cleveland Show, the title character finds that there's some good grub at the local shelter, which entices him to pose as a homeless person so he can get access to the tasty meals. Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman will be guest-voicing in the episode, playing a chauvinistic storeowner who hires Roberta as a Christmas elf.

The Simpsons' "To Cur With Love" doesn't sound like it has anything to do with Christmas or the holidays in general. Grandpa moves home with Homer and Marge when there's a fire at the retirement home, and at some point, Homer gets hooked on a tablet game called "Villageville."

Zach Galifianakis guest stars in Bob's Burgers' "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle Mannequins," which has Bob inheriting a storage unit, which happens to be the home Galifianakis' character Chet who - from the previously released pictures - uses the Belcher kids as part of his holiday-themed window displays.

Family Guy will re-tell the nativity story, which in their version, has Meg playing the donkey. Poor Meg!

Finally, The American Dad will feature the voices of Daran Norris and Danny Glover in "Minstrel Krampus." The description for that episode as well as the official synopsis for all of Fox's Sunday night comedies can be found below the trailer for the festive episodes set to air Sunday, December 16 on Fox.

"This year, Halloween falls on the scariest night ever," Fox's Animation Domination promo announces. "Sunday, October 7th!" Yes, it appears Fox has rescheduled Halloween, at least for the purposes of their scary-funny line-up of animated shows lined up for this Sunday night. That includes the annual Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" installment.

Here's the promo Fox released advertising the Halloween-themed episodes set to air this Sunday night.

What do Fox fans have to look forward to? Mayan Simpsons, J.J. Abrams and Nielsen ratings for the Griffins, full bars for the belchers and a killer vacation for the Smiths!

It all starts at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday with The Cleveland Show's "Escape from Goochland." Here's Fox's description for the episode:

Some girls like to use Halloween as an opportunity to dress a bit more risqué than they might on any other night. Roberta's costume gets right to the point…

On the next page, we have information for The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episode, including a promo and the excellent poster for hte episode. Next up, we have The Simpsons with "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" at 8:00 p.m. From the episode description, it sounds like the series is making the most of it being 2012 with a Mayan-themed story.

The promo for the episode features the return of Kang and Kodos!

And here's a promotional photo...

Quite a few Homers there and even more in the poster...

Not to be left out, Bob's Burgers' "Full Bars" airs after The Simpsons, at 8:30 p.m. It sounds like the Belcher kids are embarking on the age-old tradition of veering off the usual trick 'or treat path in search of the houses that give away the best candy!

Here's the promo for the episode, which shows the kids celebrating "full bars!" which has a whole different meaning for kids more concerned with candy than they are with cell phone reception…

The premise and this promo make me think this episode has the potential to be especially meta (if not particularly Halloween themed).

And last on the list is American Dad, which has the Smith family set for a "Killer Vacation."

The preview for "Killer Vacation" has Rachael MacFarlane (Hayley Smith) talking about the set-up for the episode's story, which includes Hayley and Jeff trying to spice up their marriage…

Also not particularly Halloween-ish, but it still looks like fun.

It’s been a busy time for Fox, with the new series pickups and renewals of comedies and dramas…but what about one of the genres that made Fox famous? Fox has several big animated series, perhaps none bigger than The Simpsons, which was renewed for two years, a while back. This week they renewed two of their three Seth MacFarlane shows, while one hasn’t earned another season just yet.

If it wasn’t for The Simpsons animated series probably wouldn’t be what they are today, and perhaps neither would Fox. The network renewed Homer and the crew for another two years way back in October. Since The Simpsons, Seth MacFarlane has been the big name in Fox animated comedy. He’s responsible for three of the currently-airing shows in the animation block. MacFarlane’s first hit for Fox, Family Guy has been renewed, as has American Dad as of this week.

Not yet spoken for is the Family Guy spinoff, The Cleveland Show. Deadline reports that they’re waiting to see how things look in the fall before making a call. They’re just finishing up Season 3, and already have Season 4 in production for fall, so there’s no rush on renewing for a fifth. It doesn’t sound like any sort of dire news for Cleveland. The series is also set to go into syndication on Adult Swim over at Cartoon Network in 2013.

As for other animated series, the newbie Napoleon Dynamite has yet to get a decision, and they’ve bid goodbye to another newcomer, Allen Gregory which premiered in the fall.

A couple of days ago, CNN announced the grim 24-hour long storms that mostly devastated Alabama, actually caused nearly 300 deaths. Earlier, local reports had only discussed fallout from the storms occurring in particular areas and the destruction seemed less ruinous. With the final tally, the situation became even more tragic, and will be cemented into cultural consciousness as the weeks go on. It came as no surprise when Fox pulled its Sunday night cartoon plan out of this week’s lineup. This week’s planned crossover plotline, featuring a hurricane catastrophe, couldn’t have been less timely.

Initially, when news of the storms hit, Fox pulled promotion for the crossover episodes, including American Dad, Family Guy, and The Cleveland Show. Had the storms been less damaging, this might have been enough. However, in lieu of the tornadoes, Deadline is reporting Fox decided to air reruns this week. The pulled episodes will be gone from this season altogether, but could air next year.

It sucks a crossover plotline that might have actually made The Cleveland Show funny got pulled; however, Fox absolutely made the right call. I don’t think anyone would have been excited to see in-poor-taste jokes made about weather this week.

We’re at the midway point of August and while that might mean the countdown to cooler weather and the return to school or work has already begun for some, it also means we’re just a few weeks away from the start of the new TV season. Up ahead is the primetime schedule for the Fall 2010 season.

TV Guide has a print-friendly calendar here. Below is the list of the returning shows this season, starting with September. Dates are subject to change as the networks make additions and last-minute shuffles. If we’re missing something, post a comment and we’ll get it added!

All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

10:00 PM

Sons of Anarchy (FX)

8:00 PM

America's Next Top Model (CW)

NFL Kickoff (NBC)

9:00 PM

Hellcats (CW)

10:00 PM

Terriers (FX) New

8:00 PM

The Vampire Diaries (CW)

9:00 PM

Nikita (CW) New

8:00 PM

Cops (Fox)

9:00 PM

America's Most Wanted (Fox)

7:00 PM

Football Night in America (NBC)

8:15 PM

Sunday Night Football (NBC)

8:00 PM

90210 (CW)

9:00 PM

Gossip Girl (CW)

8:00 PM

One Tree Hill (CW)

9:00 PM

Life Unexpected (CW)

10:00 PM

Parenthood (NBC)

8:00 PM

Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS)

10:00 PM

Outlaw (NBC) New

10:00 PM

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

The Apprentice (NBC)

10:30 PM

The League (FX)

8:00 PM

Boardwalk Empire (HBO) New

8:00 PM

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

House (Fox)

Chuck (NBC)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

8:30 PM

Rules of Engagement (CBS)

9:00 PM

Lone Star (Fox) New

The Event (NBC) New

Two and a Half Men (CBS)

9:30 PM

Mike & Molly (CBS) New

10:00 PM

Castle (ABC)

Chase (NBC) New

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) New

8:00 PM

Glee (Fox)

The Biggest Loser (NBC)

NCIS (CBS)

9:00 PM

Raising Hope (Fox) New

NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)

9:30 PM

Running Wilde (Fox) New

10:00 PM

Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) New

8:00 PM

Hell's Kitchen (Fox)

The Middle (ABC)

Undercovers (NBC) New

8:30 PM

Better With You (ABC) New

9:00 PM

Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

Criminal Minds (CBS)

Modern Family (ABC)

9:30 PM

Cougar Town (ABC)

10:00 PM

The Whole Truth (ABC) New

The Defenders (CBS) New

8:00 PM

My Generation (ABC) New

Bones (Fox)

Community (NBC)

The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

8:30 PM

30 Rock (NBC)

S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) New

9:00 PM

Fringe (Fox)

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

The Office (NBC)

CSI (CBS)

9:30 PM

Outsourced (NBC) New

10:00 PM

Private Practice (ABC)

The Mentalist (CBS)

8:00 PM

Smallville (CW)

Medium (CBS)

9:00 PM

The Good Guys (Fox)

Supernatural (CW)

Dateline (NBC)

CSI: NY (CBS)

10:00 PM

20/20 (ABC)

Blue Bloods (CBS) New

10:00 PM

48 Hours Mystery (CBS)

7:00 PM

America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)

7:30 PM

60 Minutes (CBS)

8:00 PM

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

The Simpsons (Fox)

8:30 PM

The Cleveland Show (Fox)

The Amazing Race (CBS)

9:00 PM

Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Family Guy (Fox)

Dexter (Showtime)

10:00 PM

Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Bored to Death (HBO)

10:30 PM

Eastbound & Down (HBO)

8:00 PM

No Ordinary Family (ABC) New

The Good Wife (CBS)

9:00 PM

Stargate Universe (Syfy)

10:00 PM

Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) New

8:00 PM

Human Target (Fox)

WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Syfy)

9:30 PM

American Dad (Fox)

10:00 PM

CSI: Miami (CBS)

9:00 PM

Scare Tactics (Syfy)

10:00 PM

Caprica (Syfy)

School Pride (NBC) New

10:00 PM

Sanctuary (Syfy)

9:00 PM

Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files (Syfy)

10:00 PM

Hollywood Treasure (Syfy)

9:00 PM

Lie to Me (Fox)

Fox released their Fall 2010 TV lineup, as well as some exciting news about Glee that fans will definitely want to know about! Read on for the schedule, which introduces some new series to the network.

First, the Glee news. It’s always a big deal when a series is picked to be the big “post-Super Bowl” TV episode. Glee nabbed the coveted spot for the 2011 Super Bowl episode, which is scheduled to air following the big game on Sunday, February 6th, 2011.

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE

9:00-10:00 PM LONESTAR (new)

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM GLEE

9:00-9:30 PM RAISING HOPE (new)

9:30-10:00 PM RUNNING WILDE (new)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM LIE TO ME

9:00-10:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM BONES

9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM HUMAN TARGET

9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD GUYS

SATURDAY

8:00-8:30 PM COPS

8:30-9:00 PM COPS

9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)

8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS

8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW

9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY

9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

FOX was so excited about the Brown family's first Christmas together as a family that they rushed out copies to those of us in the press so we could spread the joy of the holiday season even before the episode airs tonight at 8:30 PM ET. The Cleveland Show is a parody of the family sitcoms of the '80s and '90s, and this Christmas episode could easily have been on any number of those shows.

It was cheesy, trite and wrapped things up in a nice neat bow, of sorts. Add in a healthy dash of cynicism and Seth MacFarlane's trademark raunchiness, and you've got the makings of a modern animated ... slight disappointment. There were a lot of elements to "A Brown Family Christmas" to enjoy, but when it ended, I was a little disappointed.

The plot of Rallo losing his sense of the Christmas spirit upon finding out that his father is a deadbeat, as opposed to an FBI agent working undercover for the government (sometimes mother's lie to protect their children), was classic sitcom. You could easily see this playing out on Full House, with Michelle feeling bad about her mother's absence.

It was that sweet payoff that didn't work for me, because it wasn't really all that sweet. I think I'm expecting The Cleveland Show to either fully embrace its family sitcom tendencies, or more explicitly reject them. Instead, it dances with them throughout an episode, and then throws you under the bus at the end. It's weird, because I love it when shows like South Park and even MacFarlane's other shows do it. It just feels a little forced here.

Or maybe I just wanted Rallo and Roberta's father to be honest with his kids. I won't spoil to you how things ended, because there really are a lot of funny moments throughout the episode, and maybe you'll appreciate the culmination of the lies in a way that I strangely cannot.

There was a great recurring gag stringing along the scenes throughout the episode, and even though it never got any resolution, at least Tim's wife was able to afford it one fleeting moment of happiness. Otherwise, I'd have to say that good intentions led only to heartache and misery in this case.