As you may remember, Microsoft recently announced that a Windows 7 branded episode of Family Guy would be airing in the U.S. on November 8. In a surprise twist, Microsoft has now dropped support for the episode, meaning that it'll still be shown, but with a different sponsor.
In a public statement, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed, "we initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of Family Guy, but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand. According to Variety, Microsoft's marketing deal, including the Family Guy section, remains, despite it not being a part of the "Almost Live Comedy Show."
Strangely, however, when the deal was first announced, Gayle Troberman (a Microsoft consumer engagement & advertising general manager) stated that the way Windows 7 would be treated in the show wasn't a concern to the company. Variety noted that in the special Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein carried on with the usual "Family Guy" jokes, which included "riffs on deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest," which lead to the dropping of sponsorship.
The Family Guy special will still be run on the evening of November 8, as we mentioned, along with the other shows on Fox, though it will have another sponsor who is yet to be named. There are no rumors yet of who that sponsor might be, but surely it'll be announced soon, as November 8 isn't far away.
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