Unveiling the Hidden Truths Behind Family Guy's 26-Year Legacy!

Citizens of Quahog, raise a glass of Pawtucket Patriot Ale.

Because Family Guy is celebrating its 26th anniversary.

On January 31, 1999, following Fox’s telecast of Super Bowl XXXIII, audiences were first acquainted with Seth MacFarlane’s animated masterpiece, featuring the Griffin clan.

In this show, people get introduced to Peter Griffin, a clumsy father portrayed by MacFarlane. Alongside him is his attractive spouse Lois, played by Alex Borstein. Their children include Meg, who’s frequently made fun of, played by Mila Kunis; Chris, the awkward teenager, voiced by Seth Green; Stewie, a mischievous baby aiming to conquer the world, and Brian, their intelligent dog, all of whom are also given voices by MacFarlane.

The cartoon, blending high and low humor, quick jokes, and explicit language, immediately sparked debates and became a center of controversy among adults.

Seth MacFarlane, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in April 2024, shared that Family Guy consistently strives to ensure each joke can be justified intellectually. He stated, “We ask ourselves, ‘Could we explain and defend this joke if needed?’ This method, I believe, has formed a protective barrier around the show, one that audiences continue to appreciate even today. I trust that viewers are intelligent enough to perceive and value this sincerity.

Over the past twenty years, the tale of this show has occasionally overshadowed the amusing escapades within each individual episode, and I’ve found myself more captivated by its narrative evolution rather than the animation itself.

The show’s numerous cancellations, its fearless satire of a wide range of topics, its dramatic cast shake-ups, and its audacious feuds with fellow network shows make the tale of Family Guy far from mundane. And it doesn’t seem like this series is planning to wrap up in the near future.

MacFarlane once commented, “At one point, I suggested, ‘Let’s end while we’re still at our best,'” he shared with the media. “Currently, I can’t think of a compelling reason to stop. The show is still popular and brings joy to people. I don’t see any reason to quit unless the audience loses interest. Unless the ratings indicate that Family Guy is no longer appealing.

At one point, I suggested, “Let’s call it a day while we’re on top.” MacFarlane continued. “To be honest, I can’t think of a compelling reason to quit right now. The show is still popular and brings joy to people. I don’t see any reason to stop unless the audience grows tired of it or loses interest in Family Guy. So far, that hasn’t happened.”

Before we all raise our glasses to MacFarlane and his team for 26 years of laughter, let’s reminisce about our journey together, shall we?

The show’s numerous cancellations, its fearless satire of almost everything, its high-profile actor swaps, and its bold feuds with shows on the same network make the tale of Family Guy anything but mundane. And this series doesn’t seem to be planning an end in the near future.

MacFarlane once remarked, “Let’s finish while we’re on a high note,” and he continued by saying this to the media. At the moment, I can’t foresee any compelling reason to stop. The show is still well-loved, bringing joy to people, and I don’t see a reason to end it unless the audience grows tired of it. Unless the ratings indicate that people no longer care for Family Guy, but so far, this hasn’t been the case.

At one point, I suggested, “Let’s call it a day while we’re still on a roll.” MacFarlane continued. “To be honest, I can’t think of any compelling reason to quit. The show continues to delight audiences, and I don’t see any signs that people are growing tired of it. Unless the ratings drop significantly, indicating that fans have lost interest in Family Guy. But so far, that hasn’t been the case.”

MacFarlane said he once suggested ending the show when things were going well. However, he doesn’t see a need to stop now since people still enjoy it and don’t seem tired of it. He would only consider stopping if the ratings show that fans no longer care about Family Guy. But that hasn’t happened yet. So let’s reminisce about 26 years of laughter from MacFarlane and his team!

Prior to the creation of Peter Griffin and his verbose canine companion Brian, there existed Larry and his chatty dog Steve. For his final project at the Rhode Island School of Design, MacFarlane crafted a short film titled “The Life of Larry“, which showcased a human character with a voice similar to the one he later used for both Peter and Brian. This short film helped him secure a job at renowned animation studio Hanna-Barbera right after graduation, where he worked on popular Cartoon Network shows such as “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Johnny Bravo“. While working there, he produced another short film of his own called “Larry & Steve“, which depicted how the main characters met. This short aired on Cartoon Network in 1997 as part of its “What A Cartoon!” series.

Initially, Family Guy wasn’t destined for its full series run on Fox; instead, it was planned as a sequence of animated shorts airing within episodes of their late-night program. As Seth MacFarlane shared with IGN, it was similar to how The Simpsons started on Tracey Ullman. However, the reason it didn’t come to fruition on Mad TV was due to financial constraints. “It simply boiled down to budgeting issues,” he clarified, explaining that at that time, they didn’t have sufficient funds for animation production.

After Fox approved Seth MacFarlane to voice multiple characters on Family Guy, including Peter, Stewie, and Brian (among many others), there was a thought about hiring other actors for the role of the Griffin family dog when the show was picked up. In 2003, MacFarlane shared with IGN that William H. Macy even auditioned for the part of Brian. However, MacFarlane’s previously recorded voice for the pilot presentation ultimately won out because the creators were already familiar with his portrayal of Brian and didn’t want to change it.

Prior to Seth Green’s arrival to try out for the role of Chris Griffin, Seth MacFarlane had listened to numerous actors auditioning for the part, all using a surfer-like voice. However, when the actor from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” entered with an entirely different interpretation of the character, it was a welcome change of pace. As Green has confessed over time, his inspiration for Chris’ distinctive speaking voice stemmed from an impression of Buffalo Bill, the serial killer portrayed by Ted Levine in “The Silence of the Lambs,” which his “Can’t Hardly Wait” co-star Charlie Korsmo encouraged him to use during his audition. In 2018, Korsmo told Page Six that their plan for Chris’ voice was to emulate Buffalo Bill as an 11-year-old boy. Korsmo added that Green’s unique audition idea probably surprised MacFarlane, but it ultimately worked in his favor.

The opening theme of Family Guy, featuring Peter and Lois at their piano in the Griffin household, is well-known on its own, but did you know it was influenced by a similarly iconic theme song from television’s past? Seth MacFarlane, a dedicated fan of Norman Lear – a legendary sitcom creator, drew inspiration for his work from Lear’s groundbreaking show All in the Family. In particular, he modeled the theme song sequence after Archie (Carroll O’Connor) and Edith’s (Jean Stapleton) rendition of “Those Were the Days” that opened each episode.

When “Family Guy” initially hit the screens, MacFarlane became a trailblazer by being the youngest executive producer ever seen on any television network. At just 24 years old, he introduced the series to the world.

If you come across an old episode of Family Guy in reruns, you’ll notice that Meg’s voice sounds different because Mila Kunis didn’t join the show until its second season. Prior to this, Lacey Chabert, who was famous for her roles in Party of Five and Mean Girls, voiced the character of Meg Griffin. She left the show on her own accord, as she was busy with Party of Five at the time, as she explained to GameSpy in 2006. Seth MacFarlane explained the change in a different way when speaking with IGN in 2003, stating that it was a contractual matter.

Initially, it might seem like only those two actresses were considered for the role. However, that assumption would be incorrect. In fact, Cree Summer, renowned for her role as Elmyra in Tiny Toon Adventures, was initially hired to voice Meg for the pilot, but producers let her go before she could record any lines. As a last resort, Seth MacFarlane asked his sister Rachael MacFarlane, who later became famous for playing Hayley in his next Fox series, American Dad, to voice the pilot instead.

When creating both the physical appearance and vocal characteristics of the Griffin family patriarch, MacFarlane drew inspiration from someone he knew in real life. As he shared in an interview with The Paley Center for Media, “A security guard at the Rhode Island School of Design, where I went to college, with a big thick Rhode Island accent and speaking everything at full volume without any self-editing whatsoever,” served as his inspiration. In 2013, ABC 6 in New England found the man behind the inspiration, Paul Timmins, who worked as the director of public safety at RISD and wore a white button-down shirt and glasses to work.

Timmins expressed his pride and shared an interesting detail: “I’m really proud of it. You know, Peter’s character in our story is modeled after me because, well, let’s just say Peter isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.” He continued, reminiscing about Seth, a bright student he frequently interacted with: “Seth was a regular visitor to my office, and we’d chat quite often while enjoying a cigarette together. Seth was incredibly intelligent.

As a lifestyle expert, let me tell you from personal experience that it’s tough to envision anyone else bringing Lois Griffin’s unique charm to life, or handling the array of voices she graces us with in Family Guy, quite like the multi-talented Alex Borstein. However, during an intriguing discussion at the 2006 Paley Festival, she shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes tale: Fox was initially considering a different direction as they transitioned the show from pilot to series. In her own words, “The network wanted me gone.” To secure my position, I had to re-try out for it, alongside every actress who’d ever stepped foot in Tinseltown. Luckily, fate smiled on me, and I managed to hold onto the role that offered some of the most hilarious material I’ve ever encountered.

On September 11, 2001, MacFarlane was set to fly back to Los Angeles from Boston, having visited his old university, the Rhode Island School of Design, for a speech. However, a hangover from the previous night’s festivities and an erroneous departure time given by his travel agent caused him to reach Logan International Airport just as the plane was about to board. The flight in question was American Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked fifteen minutes after takeoff and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, resulting in the immediate and tragic loss of all passengers on board.

He shared with TVShowsOnDVD.com in 2003 that he remained unaffected by the incident as significantly as he might have been, since he didn’t realize he was in danger until after it had passed. Later, he acknowledged that the realization was sobering, but he noted that many people experience near misses – such as almost getting hit by a car while crossing the street. This instance just happened to be connected to something major. He emphasized that he can’t let it impact him too much because he’s a comedy writer; he needs to push those thoughts aside.

Initially rejected by Fox, the Seth MacFarlane series faced cancellation not just once, but twice. Despite a successful debut season, the show struggled when moved to Thursdays and went head-to-head with Frasier, leading to its removal from the schedule. It was then placed against Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and consistently lost viewership. By the end of season one, it had dropped from No. 33 in the Nielsen ratings to No. 114 in season two. Fox announced its cancellation in May 2000, but a sudden change of heart granted it a last-minute stay and an additional 13 episodes. Returning on November 8, 2001, the show faced competition from Survivor and Friends and was ultimately cancelled for a second time in May 2002.

Initially, the low-rated series faced cancellation, but then an unexpected twist occurred. Cartoon Network acquired the rights for a minimal price and started airing reruns on their Adult Swim programming block in April 2003. To everyone’s surprise, it quickly became their top-rated show. Simultaneously, DVD releases of the first and second seasons were launched, selling 400,000 copies within a month. By the end of 2003, over 2.2 million copies had been sold, making it the best-selling TV DVD of that year and the second-highest-selling ever. This sudden surge in popularity revitalized Fox’s interest. On May 20, 2004, they ordered 35 new episodes, marking the first revival of a TV show based on DVD sales. The series officially returned to Fox on May 1, 2005, with an impressive viewership of 11.85 million people.

Producing animated TV shows is known for being incredibly time-consuming. As revealed in a Reddit AMA, it takes almost an entire year to produce just one episode of Family Guy, due to its hand-drawn style. In his own words, “There’s no shortcut.” Although some have attempted to speed things up using computers, the results often appear computer-generated. Given the extended time it takes to bring an episode from script to screen, the show typically avoids anything too timely, as by the time it airs, such content would undoubtedly feel outdated.

Even though it might appear straightforward, I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to acknowledge that they don’t exclusively focus on one episode in the production process. If they did, they’d struggle immensely to churn out even a solitary season of my beloved TV series!

2007 saw TV icon Carol Burnett take legal action against 20th Century Fox, alleging that an episode broadcast in April 2006 infringed upon her rights to her name and likeness. The complaint stemmed from the portrayal of Burnett’s famous cleaning lady character without her authorization, as she was depicted working part-time as a janitor at an adult store. Accompanying this image was the character’s signature blue bonnet and mop bucket. Burnett’s lawsuit, which demanded compensation totaling at least $2 million, additionally claimed that the episode utilized an altered version of the musical theme from The Carol Burnett Show without prior consent. A representative for the studio dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, stating in a press release that “Family Guy,” like the “Carol Burnett Show,” is known for its pop culture parodies and playful jabs at celebrities. They were surprised that Burnett, who has built her career on satirizing others through television, would file a lawsuit against Family Guy for a mere comedic skit.

In a ruling on June 4, 2007, U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson concurred, deciding that the First Amendment shielded parody from this particular lawsuit, since it is a form of expression recognized and safeguarded by law.

Regardless of its widespread popularity, the TV show “Family Guy” has faced criticism from those who disapprove of its sometimes crude and contentious humor. Organizations like the Parents Television Council, a conservative media monitor, have been critical since its inception, labeling numerous episodes as their “Worst TV Show of the Week.” The program was even listed on the PTC’s annual list of Worst Prime-Time Shows for Family Viewing in 2000, 2005, and 2006. Creator Seth MacFarlane has not been deterred by this negative attention, famously telling The Advocate in 2008, “It’s like receiving hate mail from Hitler. They’re truly despicable human beings. I’ve read their publications and visited their website, and they’re just corrupt to the core. For an organization that claims Christian values—I might not be religious, but still—they spend their entire day condemning others. In my opinion, they can all take a hike.

As a lifestyle expert, I must admit that Fox has been quite resilient in the face of criticism, particularly when it comes to their profitable shows. However, there have been exceptions to this rule. One notable instance is the episode “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein,” which was initially intended for airing during the third season but never made it onto Fox due to concerns that it could be perceived as anti-Semitic. This episode, produced during the second season’s run, eventually found its place on Adult Swim in November 2003 and finally aired on Fox in December 2004.

In 2010, the planned final episode for the eighth season of a show was pulled by Fox due to its content. This episode, titled “Partial Terms of Endearment,” featured Lois acting as a surrogate mother for an old friend who passed away after getting pregnant with her and her spouse. After discussing it with Peter, who was influenced by pro-life activists to believe that abortion is equivalent to murder, Lois decided to terminate the pregnancy. Unlike the earlier banned episode, Adult Swim also declined to air “Partial Terms of Endearment” when Fox requested. The episode eventually aired in the U.K. during the summer of 2010, and it was only available in the United States on DVD.

Since its debut in 2000, “Family Guy” has garnered multiple Emmy nominations and wins. In 2009, it made history by being nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, making it the first animated series recognized in this category since “The Flintstones” in 1961. Although it lost to “30 Rock” that year, it remains the only contemporary animated series ever to receive a nomination in this category.

Though MacFarlane continues to be the star (and voice) of Family Guy, he admitted during a 2017 AMA on Reddit that he hasn’t been writing for the show since 2010. Instead, he has shifted his focus towards production and acting, which allowed him to establish the Ted movie series, act in A Million Ways to Die in the West, and create and star in the live-action hit The Orville on Fox.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve often marveled at how the show’s production schedule seems to steer it away from contemporary issues, yet it has this uncanny knack for seeming prophetic. For instance, back in 2005, an episode depicted Stewie yelling, “Help! I’ve escaped from Kevin Spacey’s basement!” Similarly, the show made sharp jests about Brett Ratner and Harvey Weinstein years before any accusations against them surfaced. However, Seth MacFarlane swiftly debunked speculations that the writers possess psychic powers. In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he stated, “The notion that we had some inside knowledge – I wish we were that Kreskin-like to predict the future, but we were simply hearing the same rumors as everyone else in town.” He further explained, “The Family Guy writers have always kept their ears open. And I think a lot of these things were things that were whispered about in Hollywood, but nobody had any direct anecdotal information about what was truly happening, so all we had to work with were rumors.

The popularity of “Family Guy” among other prime-time animated series creators isn’t particularly admirable. When it initially aired, it faced accusations of plagiarizing its predecessor on the same network, “The Simpsons.” A feud between the shows escalated to such an extent that the pioneer of adult animation once depicted Peter Griffin in their show, alleging that he was being charged with theft. The disagreement was eventually resolved when the two shows collaborated for a massive hour-long crossover in 2014, putting an end to their dispute.

In a similar vein, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the minds behind South Park, have frequently criticized Family Guy. They targeted the show during the 10th season of their Comedy Central hit, portraying the writing team as a group of manatees, implying that their famous cutaway jokes were thought up by rolling “idea” balls together. As reported by Business Insider, Parker shared on DVD commentary that he and Stone don’t hold Family Guy in high regard when it comes to writing. He further mentioned that this sentiment was shared by many in Hollywood, with producers from The Simpsons sending them flowers following the episode, while people at King of the Hill (another Fox series) expressed gratitude. Essentially, there was a sense of unity within the animation community, driven by their dislike for Family Guy.

In a 2012 interview with MacFarlane, as disclosed by Barbara Walters, it’s no secret that the main cast members are aiming to claim a fair share of the $2 billion franchise value. Although the creator is earning millions annually, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, and Mike Henry secured a well-publicized salary hike in 2013, which meant they were earning between $175,000 and $225,000 per episode for the subsequent five seasons.

2025-01-31 11:21

Unveiling the Hidden Truths Behind Family Guy’s 26-Year Legacy!

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