"Family Guy" creator-exec producer MacFarlane was another very vocal showrunner at the rally. He maintained that Sunday's "Family Guy" is the last fully produced episode in the can.
There are other episodes close to being finished, but MacFarlane has made it clear that he has no plans to help put those segs together. MacFarlane also has another unique bit of leverage: He provides voices for many main characters on the show, and he said he would not step into the studio to record any further.
So couldn't Fox just go ahead and use other non-WGA producers to wrap things up?
"They could, but it would be unwise," MacFarlane said. "Because I would be angry."
Twentieth isn't saying what it will do.
"Our hope is that he returns to work and completes his nonwriting obligations on those episodes," a spokesman said.
Losing "Family Guy" in the middle of the November sweeps would be tough for Fox, which counts on the longtime Sunday-night staple. It wouldn't be immediately devastating, however. In a testament to just how strong a performer "Family Guy" is, the show does very well in repeats.
