• Variety, Tuesday, October 13, 2009 10 PM

"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein will host a quasi-infomercial "Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show," set to air Sunday, Nov. 8. Instead of commercial breaks, the show will air for 30 minutes with marketing messages throughout the program for Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system.

The promotional comedy show is part of a marketing deal that Fox Entertainment Group has struck with Microsoft. MacFarlane and Borstein are working with Microsoft agencies Universal McCann and Crispin, Porter and Bogusky to write and produce the messages that they'll recite in between the special's animated and live-action performances.

Fox One president Jean Rossi compares the integrated Windows 7 ads to the early days of television, when vaudeville-style shows like "Texaco Star Theater" featured live commercial messages pitched by stars between acts.

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