‘The Simpsons’ casts ‘Family Guy’s’ Seth MacFarlane in ultimate cross-promotion

Now here is a casting that almost no one saw coming. Over the course of the past several years, “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” have developed a playful sort of rivalry with each other that consists of the two subtly making some jibes either on their show or in public forums. Mostly, it has all been in good fun; but now that we know the following news, it is almost assured that it will be from here on out.

According to a report from Entertainment Weekly, “Family Guy” creator and star Seth MacFarlane will appear in the animated sitcom’s season 25 premiere next fall as a man who tries desperately to romance Marge. Executive producer Al Jean called the move a “bipartisan” way for the two Fox shows to come together, and he also explained why Seth in particular was so right for this part:

“We thought we had a great part that he’d be perfect for, and it would be great to have him on our show, so it worked out just right … There’s been a little rivalry. We’re both humor shows and we make jokes, but it’s always been friendly.”

Marge and this man are set to bond over a show called “Upton Rectory,” which is obviously the Simpson version of “Downton Abbey.” Typically, it is rather easy to bash “The Simpsons” for its stunt casting given that this has become a driving force in many of the stories over the years. However, when the casting is this good, and managed to bring two shows together that often are chided for their similarities, it’s hard to be anything other than happy.

Do you think this casting will work, and does a part of you now want to see MacFarlane also appear now on another show (in “South Park“) that has routinely mocked him over the years? If you want to see a recent “Family Guy” video, you can do so over here.

Photo: Fox