FOX sets 'Bones,' 'Family Guy' crossover for May

Stewie Griffin of 'Family Guy'

Credit: FOX

Move aside, "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice." There's a cool new crossover in town.

FOX announced on Wednesday (March 25) that Stewie Griffin of "Family Guy" will make a guest appearance on the Thursday, May 7 episode of "Bones." That, of course, assumes that President Obama doesn't schedule a primetime address that week, forcing FOX to move "American Idol" to Thursday and preempt "Bones" once again.

[Spoilers to follow, obviously...]

In the episode, Emily Deschanel's Brennan decides that she wants to have a baby and, as if that weren't enough, she decides she wants Booth (David Boreanaz) to father said child. Well, if you've ever watched "Bones," you know that there the unspoken tensions between Booth and Bones and this new request only exacerbates matters.

Into this maelstrom enters Stewie (playing himself), who's able to break down the situation as only Stewie can. We guess it's been long enough since "Ally McBeal" and the evil Dancing Baby that FOX was ready for another animated representation of a female character's ticking biological clock.

FOX is taking the crossover so seriously that the network put out a press release complete with a statement from Stewie.

"Oh, have you seen it? Was I good? Because I heard they said I was amazing and they want me to replace Emily, but that’s just a rumor," the animated infant observes.

As unrealistic as Stewie's statement is, we're even more skeptical that David Boreanaz's observation -- "But between takes he literally vanished – nowhere to be seen. I guess it’s true that Brits and cartoons tend to be standoff-ish. Or maybe it was a method thing, I don’t know." -- came from anybody resembling David Boreanaz. 

"Bones" creator Hart Hanson has always been a good sport in matters like these. Last season, if you'll recall, he built an episode around a murder including multiple former "American Idol" castmembers. 

As a series, "Bones" has always been one of FOX's most underappreciated components, jumping around the schedule as required and delivering remarkably similar ratings. Currently airing on Thursdays, "Bones" has improved FOX's time period numbers by 43 percent in the key 18-49 demographic and by a whopping 74 percent in total viewers.

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Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.