‘Family Guy’ to Promo Windows 7 — Seriously

Already tired of all the hype and promotion swirling around Windows 7, with the launch still just a little over a week away?

Don’t even begin to think that will end on October 22, when Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) finally makes it available for sale to consumers.

Besides TV commercials starring four-year-old Kylie, Microsoft has plenty of TV commercials, print and online ads, and other promotions waiting in the wings.

However, at least one upcoming TV promotion will at least feature a hefty dose of humor along with Windows 7. A TV special, set to air on November 8 at 8:30 p.m. (in both eastern and Pacific time zones), will feature cartoons and other content by “Family Guy” creator, Seth MacFarlane. You can see a trailer for here.

The raunchy “Family Guy” cartoon series has won a cult following across the cable and satellite TV spectrum, mostly among young people, along with other MacFarlane creations like “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show.”

The working title for the TV cartoon event is “Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show,” Microsoft and FOX One said Tuesday. Along with MacFarlane and his “Family Guy” co-star, Alex Borstein, the half-hour special will “feature unique Windows 7-branded programming that blends seamlessly with show content,” a statement by the two companies said.

The aim is to give the show the feel of a long-running early radio and TV comedy that was dubbed the “Texaco Star Theater” which, among other things, introduced the world to comedian Milton Berle. The comedy variety show went off the air in 1956, but MacFarlane and Borstein are shooting to give their special a bit of the old show’s flavor.

“The half-hour special will highlight the comedy duo’s subversive and unique humor with original animation, live-action performances of ‘Family Guy’s’ most memorable musical numbers, comedy sketches and surprise celebrity guests,” the announcement said.

But wait, there’s more

Not satisfied to just have a special in Sunday prime time, the companies are taking the show on the road.

Microsoft and FOX Licensing and Merchandising plan a 12-week tour of U.S. colleges with the intent of getting some 4.3 million students to try out Windows 7 while they’re watching outdoor movie nights, online videos, and other “customized” Family Guy content, the companies said.

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