I can't claim that Seth MacFarlane didn't follow Movieline's variety show rules last night (I didn't notice Geri Reischl, for starters), but Family Guy Presents Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Hour, veered deep into a stinky safe-zone by stealing sketch set-ups from Jay Leno's mothball-suffocated closet of conceits. Let's start with the hardest-hitting wit: There aren't many Jewish comediennes because of -- hear me out -- the Holocaust. I'll slap everyone's knees in this whole room, and their Jewish mothers! Then MacFarlane and Family Guy voice actress Alex Borstein act out imagined screen-tests for Bea Arthur, Kathy Griffin, and Gregory Peck -- just a couple of cards, these two. Guys, this sucked. Clip of the antics after the jump.
Did I mention that the Cowardly Lion comes into play? Because he does. It's not a crime to produce a less-than-legendary variety special, but because the subjects of Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Hour are such unlikely headliners, why do it unless the results are memorable? After these sketches, they should have just rolled down the screen and asked ten questions to an unamused subject -- for instance, a merciful God.