Fans of a cult TV show could be interested or nonplussed to hear its latest deal with a leading organisation to promote its wares "seamlessly" during a new episode of the show.

That's because Family Guy's creator, Seth MacFarlane, has signed a contract to create an episode of the popular US TV show which highlights the good points of Windows 7, the latest flagship operating system offered by the Microsoft team.

No adverts or promotions will be demonstrated throughout the episode, though viewers will be treated to "unique Windows 7-branded programming" whether they like it or not.

There is a lot of scepticism about the plan and many fans will undoubtedly be up in arms about the deal, which may be seen as ironic given the portrayal of Bill Gates and the organisation in past episodes of the cult comedy hit.

The episode is scheduled for US release on November 7th.

Microsoft's last comedy deal was met with a significant amount of criticism, with Bill Gates advertising the ill-fated Windows Vista with funnyman Jerry Seinfeld.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).