Family Guy is famous for its funny references to pop culture, but it’s also known for its running jokes – those bits that reappear unexpectedly and always lead to hilarious scenes. Created by Seth MacFarlane in 1999, the show was originally canceled, but strong fan support led Fox to bring it back. As of 2025, it’s been running for an impressive 24 seasons! MacFarlane is skilled at blending classic pop culture elements into incredibly silly and funny storylines. Plus, characters like Peter Griffin have really embraced those recurring jokes, creating moments that fans eagerly anticipate.
From Peter Griffin’s battles with the giant chicken to the mischievous monkey living in the closet, here’s a ranking of the most hilarious recurring jokes from Family Guy.
10) James Woods
Family Guy often features real people as characters, usually putting them in exaggerated and funny scenarios. For instance, the show depicts a past relationship between Lois and musician Gene Simmons, who actually provides the voice for his cartoon version. Actor James Woods is another recurring character, appearing in eight episodes with a variety of roles.
James Woods and Peter Griffin became friends, leading to Woods making multiple appearances in the town of Quahog on *Family Guy*. The show even jokingly ‘killed off’ his character in one episode, only to bring him back later. Beyond appearing as himself, the series also referenced Woods by naming a local wooded area and the town’s school after him for a while.
9) Kool-Aid Man
Many of the jokes on *Family Guy* reference older pop culture, sometimes going back to the 1980s. This particular running gag originated from classic Kool-Aid commercials. These commercials famously featured a large, animated pitcher of Kool-Aid with a face that would break through walls while shouting, “Oh, yeah!”
The Kool-Aid Man is a recurring character on Family Guy, appearing in 14 episodes and the movie Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. He first showed up in the first season when Peter Griffin was sentenced to jail, dramatically bursting through a wall to declare his arrival. Later storylines included a humorous incident where a car crashed into his house, and a surprising romantic relationship with a giant Yoohoo drink.
8) Joe Keeps Breaking His Legs
Joe Swanson is a long-running character on *Family Guy*. He’s a police officer who uses a wheelchair due to an injury. While many jokes focus on his disability, the show’s funniest running gags actually involve the times Joe unexpectedly *regains* the ability to walk.
Joe became a wheelchair user after being shot, but throughout the show, he repeatedly regained the ability to walk, only to find himself back in a wheelchair by the end of each storyline. A particularly memorable and humorous moment occurred when Peter, Quagmire, and Cleveland, feeling neglected, intentionally re-injured his legs. This pattern of regaining and losing his ability to walk happened several times during the series.
7) Herbert the Pervert
While the series has many unsettling parts, including Quagmire’s behavior, Herbert the Pervert is arguably even more disturbing. This is because Herbert is consistently portrayed as someone attracted to children, specifically Chris Griffin.
Despite some awkward attempts at flirting, the jokes between Chris and Herbert are often genuinely funny, largely because Chris is completely unaware of Herbert’s advances. This obliviousness reached a peak moment when Herbert, frustrated with Chris’s lack of awareness, angrily exclaimed, “You’re starting to annoy me, you pig!” The scene was made even better when Herbert immediately turned to the TV and enthusiastically watched the Little League World Series.
6) The Evil Monkey
The Evil Monkey first appeared in Season Two of *Family Guy*, with Danny Smith providing the voice. It was a recurring joke centered around Chris Griffin, who was constantly bothered by the monkey. The Evil Monkey lived in Chris’s closet and would pop out to cause trouble at the most inconvenient times. Predictably, Chris’s family didn’t believe him when he talked about the monkey and would simply tease him about it.
The Evil Monkey first showed up in the second season, titled “Dammit Janet!” The joke became a running gag, even inspiring Chris to write a song about it called “Evil Monkey Song.” One of the funniest moments happened when the Evil Monkey tried to frighten Chris, but found Herbert the Pervert already in the room. The Evil Monkey quickly and quietly retreated from that awkward situation.
5) Mayor Adam West
Adam West, best known as the original Batman, also delivered one of the funniest and most memorable recurring roles on Family Guy. He played Quahog’s hilariously inept Mayor Adam West, a character famous for squandering public funds on absurd purchases.
Adam West’s character cleverly uses his history as Batman and his celebrity status, all while maintaining the respect due to him as the Mayor of Quahog. The show even honored him by naming the high school after him, a decision made by Seth MacFarlane following controversies surrounding James Woods, whom West replaced. Having appeared in over 100 episodes, Adam West was consistently a fan favorite and a standout part of the show.
4) Peter Hurts His Knee
The running joke about Peter injuring his knee has become a popular meme. It started in the “Wasted Talent” episode when Peter fell and hurt his knee while running. This is a parody of the iconic scene in *Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory* where Charlie runs home after finding his Golden Ticket. But on *Family Guy*, instead of a joyful celebration, the scene ends with a character getting hurt and simply repeating, “Ahhhh” over and over.
This kind of gag has been repeated often, like when an AT-AT Walker tumbled into a chasm in a *Star Wars* movie. A similar moment happened on *Family Guy* when Lois Griffin fell, and then comically continued falling while clutching her chest.
3) Surfin’ Bird
For years, a running joke on Family Guy has involved the song “Surfin’ Bird,” always performed by Peter Griffin. Originally released by The Trashmen in 1963, Peter claims it’s his all-time favorite song. The gag started when Peter heard the song on a jukebox, started dancing and singing, and even got the record from the restaurant manager. Since then, “Surfin’ Bird” has become a recurring bit on the show.
I’m a huge fan of that song Peter sings on *Family Guy*! He’s performed it a whopping 13 times, and it’s always hilarious. They’ve even done different versions – like the acoustic one in “Welcome Back, Carter,” and the awesome “Bad to the Bone” version in what many fans consider one of the show’s best episodes, “PeTerminator.” They even used the original song by The Trashmen in “Rock Hard!” It’s so popular, they even turned it into a dance emote in *Fortnite*, which is pretty cool.
2) Cleveland’s Bathtub
Throughout the series, there was a recurring joke involving Cleveland and his bathtub. It usually happened after Peter Griffin caused some sort of disaster that destroyed Cleveland’s house. Each time, Cleveland would be relaxing in his tub, which would then roll across the floor, down the stairs, and crash, with Cleveland repeatedly yelling, “No, no, no, no!” as it went.
The show revisited this running joke several times, each time with a new twist. One memorable instance involved Cleveland’s son being in the bathroom when the house collapsed. Another time, Cleveland jokingly asked Peter to shoot his towel down, and Peter obliged. But the funniest iteration happened after Cleveland had already moved and launched his own spin-off show, *The Cleveland Show*. When Peter destroyed the house again, and an empty bathtub fell, he quipped, “Oh yeah, Cleveland moved.”
1) Ernie the Giant Chicken
One of the most hilarious running gags on Family Guy involved Peter Griffin’s battles with the Giant Chicken, Ernie. These fights were inspired by a long, five-and-a-half-minute fight scene in the movie *They Live*, but the Family Guy versions kept getting longer and more drawn out each time they happened.
These two characters constantly fought and absolutely despised each other, often to the point of wanting to kill one another. Their battles always resulted in Peter defeating Ernie, but Ernie would always miraculously come back to life. They had nine epic showdowns, and in Season 23, during “The Chicken or the Meg” episode, Meg starts dating Ernie’s son. When he becomes a threat, Meg kills Ernie the Giant Chicken, beheads him, and leaves him dead.
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2025-10-12 17:19