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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Small Screen's Biggest Brains

Family Guy creator MacFarlane, ubiquitous Fey top list of TV smarties

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(Newser) – It may be dubbed the "idiot box," but there are some bright bulbs behind TV's smartest shows and network deals. After polling Hollywood insiders, Entertainment Weekly lists the top 25 smarties:

  1. Seth MacFarlane, executive producer, Family Guy, American Dad.
  2. Tina Fey, executive producer, actress, 30 Rock.
  3. Nancy Tellem, president of CBS Paramount Network Entertainment Group.

  1. Tyler Perry, writer, actor, CEO Tyler Perry Studios.
  2. Gary Marsh, president, entertainment, Disney Channel.
  3. Oprah Winfrey, chairwoman, Harpo Productions.
  4. Lorne Michaels, executive producer, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock.
  5. Robert Greenblatt, president of entertainment, Showtime.
  6. Peter Roth, president, Warner Brothers Television.
  7. Jason Kilar, CEO, Hulu.
For the rest of the best, click below.

Producer-director Tyler Perry is fourth on Entertainment Weekly's list.
Producer-director Tyler Perry is fourth on Entertainment Weekly's list.   (AP Photo)
The characters from
The characters from "Family Guy" are shown here in an image released by Fox. The network is paying creator Seth MacFarlane $100 million to keep the show and "American Dad" on the air through 2012.   (AP Photo)
This 2008 file photo released by Harpo Productions shows Oprah Winfrey introducing Eckhart Tolle's
This 2008 file photo released by Harpo Productions shows Oprah Winfrey introducing Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" during her show in Chicago. Oprah plans to launch her network, "OWN" in 2009.   (AP Photo/Harpo Productions, George Burns,File)
Producers Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels hold the awards for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for Fey's work on
Producers Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels hold the awards for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for Fey's work on "30 Rock" and for outstanding comedy series at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.   (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Seth MacFarlane, creator of the animated series
Seth MacFarlane, creator of the animated series "Family Guy," tops Entertainment Weekly's list of TV's smartest people.   (AP Photo)
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