As reported last week, production on new episodes of Family Guy didn't stop when it's creator Seth MacFarlane, who also voices the three main male characters Peter, Stewie and Brian, stopped working to support the Writers Guild of America strike, and refused to come back to work. While MacFarlane officially gave his blessing for the studio to continue production of the series without him, according to EW.com he expressed that he hoped they wouldn't, and that doing so would be damaging to his relationship with the network, adding that "it would just be a colossal dick move if they did."

The last pre-strike produced episode aired last Sunday which left the studio with the option to continue without MacFarlane and the writing staff, or go immediately into reruns. With November Sweeps upon us and most of their live action compatriots being forced into repeats soon, network brass decided that the hopes of one creator; who you might recall they've already fired once so they could certainly do it again; paled in comparison to the hopes and dreams of beating Desperate Housewives during sweeps month and being able to jack up ad rates to Super Bowl levels (I know these are the kinds of things TV Execs dream of because I watch 30 Rock). And so, tonight will mark the premiere of the first episode ever completed without its creator's blessing.

While the thirty years of Star Wars panel featured plenty of video game previews and Lucas-approved montages of the fans that have made him one seriously wealthy man, it also featured a special preview of Family Guy's season premiere - a one hour Star Wars tribute starring Stewie as Lord Vader, of course. Who else were you expecting to don Vader's robes?

Seth MacFarlane is producing a theatrical stage production of Family Guy titled, originally enough, Family Guy Live!

The "two-hour, multimedia extravaganza" will feature MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, and Mike Henry. The actors will read from a classic episode, take part in a Q&A and preview the first new Family Guy episode in three years.

Family Guy Live! is scheduled to premiere with two performances at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater on April 15, followed by four shows at New York City's Town Hall on April 29 and 30. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

The really amazing thing is that they don't look related at all.