BBC drops Family Guy episode

Family Guy has become the latest comedy to fall victim to sensitivity over Michael Jackson jokes.

BBC Three last night replaced a planned episode of the animated show because it featured a reference to the child molestation accusations leveled at the singer.

The episode scheduled – titled ‘420’ – was the 12th in series seven, and revolves around the town of Quahog legalising marijuana following a campaign by Brian, the dog.

But it contained a song-and-dance number called Bag Of Weed, extolling the virtues of the drug, in which baby Stewie sings: ‘When Michael Jackson needs a rush, he humps a guy like me’ It’s accompanied by an image of the singer in bed with the infant.

The episode, which had been due to go out at 10pm, was replaced by the next one in the series, ‘Stew-roids’, in which the tot becomes a bodybuilder.

The 420 episode is next scheduled to air on Sunday night – though it is not yet known whether the contentious line will be edited.

In the wake of Jackson’s death, Channel 4 pulled the plug on its topical TNT Show to avoid airing a gag at his expense; scenes featuring his sister LaToya have been cut from the forthcoming Bruno movie, and stand-up Frankie Boyle has stopped writing his Daily Record column after the newspaper refused to publish his gags about the paedophilia accusations.

A BBC Three spokeswoman confirmed: 'Last night’s episode was replaced as we felt it inappropriate to show in light of Michael's untimely death.'

Here is the offending Family Guy song:

Family Guy - Bag of Weed (Episode from 04/19/09)
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Published: 29 Jun 2009