TV News: FAMILY GUY GAINS PACE AND RECOGNITION

Cult Comedy Records Its Highest Audience Figures On BBC3
and Receives Emmy Nomination


Family Guy, the animated cult comedy TV series delivers it’s biggest ever audience to date of an outstanding 1.2 million viewers on BBC31. A top performer in its time slot Peter Griffin and his unusual family continue to attract legions of fans and have also attracted industry recognition and endorsement, with an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Comedy Series category - the first time a cartoon series has been up for this award since The Flintstones in 1961.

Targeting the core demographic of teen boys and adult males, the Family Guy licensing programme is keeping pace with the show’s growing popularity by extending the product offering into new categories, while existing licensees in apparel, footwear and bedding continue to gain strong support at retail.

Amongst various licensing deals, Bravado’s teen boy-adult male clothing is a high selling apparel line in entertainment and independent retailers. Evil Monkey and Stewie Evil T-shirt are ranked in the top selling designs. Thrilled with the performance of their Family Guy range, Bravado will launch two new T shirt designs - Trust and Anarchy - this month. Both T-shirts have already generated significant opening orders with entertainment retail accounts.

Further listings in the apparel category have been secured by TDP for nightwear in Tesco, in store in September this year. Brand International’s Stewie novelty slipper, is also being restocked by Play.com after its sell-out performance over Xmas 2008.

The Family Guy bedding range from Character World is now supported at retail from Argos and Express Gifts to Amazon and Play.com.

Underground Toys will soon be distributing The Promotions Factory’s highly collectible range of Family Guy figurines which feature the classic family members Peter, Lois, Chris, Meg, Stewie and Brian Griffin, plus characters Death and Quagmire. Later this year the new refreshed versions of the bestselling Family Guy In Your Pocket voice key chains will be available.

New partners to the Family Guy licensing programme include the UK’s leading annuals publisher, Pedigree Books. Designed as a gift purchase and stocking filler for the Christmas market, the Family Guy annual will be available across all Asda stores, as well as Borders and HMV.

Posh Paws has recently been signed as the new gift partner for Family Guy developing a range of barware, mugs and novelty gift items for launch in 2010.

The Family Guy franchise will be boosted further with the release of Season 8 on DVD in November this year.

“Family Guy continues to grow its fan base and attract industry acclaim through its smart and explosively hilarious brand of comedy,” commented Carl Lumbard, SVP and MD Twentieth Century Fox L&M. “Our licensing partners continue to create aspirational products that distil the show’s comedic qualities and convert its performance on the small screen into retail listings and sales.”