Family Guy is an Americananimated sitcom created bySeth MacFarlane for theFox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, followingSuper Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. The show centers around theGriffins, adysfunctional family consisting of parentsPeter andLois, their children,Meg,Chris, andStewie, and theiranthropomorphicpet dog,Brian. Set in the fictional city ofQuahog,Rhode Island, the show exhibits much of its humor in the form ofmetafictionalcutaway gags that often lampoonAmerican culture.

Family Guy
Genre	Animated sitcom[1]
Created by	Seth MacFarlane
Developed by	Seth MacFarlane David Zuckerman
Showrunners	Seth MacFarlane(seasons 1–3) David Zuckerman(seasons 1–3) Daniel Palladino(season 3) David A. Goodman(seasons 4–7) Chris Sheridan(seasons 4–7) Mark Hentemann(seasons 8–10) Steve Callaghan(seasons 8–15) Alec Sulkin(seasons 11–13; 16–present) Richard Appel(seasons 14–present)
Voices of	Seth MacFarlane Alex Borstein Seth Green Mila Kunis Mike Henry Patrick Warburton Arif Zahir
Theme music composer	Walter Murphy
Composers	Ron Jones Walter Murphy
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	23
No. of episodes	433(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Seth MacFarlane David Zuckerman(1999–2003) Daniel Palladino(2001–02) David A. Goodman(2005–12) Chris Sheridan(2005–12) Danny Smith(2008–present) Mark Hentemann(2009–present) Steve Callaghan(2009–present) Alec Sulkin(2011–present) Wellesley Wild(2011–15) Cherry Chevapravatdumrong(2012–19) Kara Vallow(2012–present) Richard Appel(2012–present) Patrick Meighan(2018–present) Tom Devanney(2018–present) Alex Carter(2023–present)
Producers	Shannon Smith Kim Fertman Julius Sharpe Steve Marmel(2011) Sherry Gunther(1999–2003)
Running time	20–27 minutes 33–88 minutes(select episodes)
Production companies	Fuzzy Door Productions 20th Television[a](1999–2021) 20th Television Animation[b](2021–present)
Original release
Network	Fox[N 1]
Release	January 31, 1999 (1999-1-31) – February 14, 2002 (2002-2-14)[2][c]
Release	May 1, 2005 (2005-5-1)[2] – present
Related
The Life of Larry andLarry & Steve The Cleveland Show

The family was conceived by MacFarlane after he developed two animated films,The Life of Larry andLarry & Steve. MacFarlane redesigned the films' protagonist, Larry, and his dog, Steve, and renamed them Peter and Brian, respectively. MacFarlane pitched a fifteen-minute pilot to Fox in May 1998, and the show was greenlit and began production.Family Guy's cancellation was announced shortly after thethird season had aired in 2002, withone unaired episode eventually premiering onAdult Swim in 2003, finishing the series' original run. Favorable DVD sales and highratings from syndicated reruns since then convinced Fox to revive the show in 2004; afourth season began airing the following year, on May 1, 2005. On April 2, 2025, the show was renewed for four additional seasons on Fox.^[3]

Since its premiere,Family Guy has received generally positive reviews. In 2009, it was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, the first time an animated series had been nominated for the award sinceThe Flintstones in 1961. In 2013,TV Guide rankedFamily Guy as the ninth-greatest TV cartoon.^[4] The series has also garnered considerable amounts ofcriticism and controversy, ranging from storylines and character stereotypes, to allegations of racism, homophobia, and misogyny.

Manytie-in media based on the show have been released, includingStewie Griffin: The Untold Story, astraight-to-DVD special released in 2005;Family Guy: Live in Vegas, a soundtrack-DVD combo released in 2005, featuring music from the show as well as music created by MacFarlane andWalter Murphy; avideo game andpinball machine, released in 2006 and 2007, respectively; since 2005, six books published byHarper Adult; andLaugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy (2010), a collection of three episodes parodying theoriginalStar Wars trilogy. Aspin-off series,The Cleveland Show, featuringCleveland Brown, aired from September 27, 2009, to May 19, 2013.

Family Guy moved to Wednesday nights beginning March 6, 2024, marking the show's first weeknight airings since 2002.^[5]

On December 27, 2024, it was announced that the series would be moving back to Sundays and would air at the 8:00 p.m. timeslot. This would mark the first timeFamily Guy airs at the 8:00 p.m. timeslot since the episode "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag" aired on November 8, 2009. Following the twoHulu specials in late 2024, the remainder of season 23 premiered on February 16, 2025.^[6][7]

The show centers around the adventures and activities of the dysfunctionalGriffin family, consisting of fatherPeter Griffin, a bumbling and clumsy yet well-intentionedblue-collar worker; his wifeLois, a stay-at-home mother and piano teacher (in early episodes) who is a member of the affluentPewterschmidt family;Meg, their often bullied teenage daughter who is constantly ridiculed or ignored by the family;Chris, their awkward teenage son, who is overweight, unintelligent, unathletic, and in many respects a younger version of his father; andStewie, their diabolical, adult-mannered infant son of ambiguous sexual orientation who is anevil genius and uses stereotypicalarchvillain phrases. Living with the family is their witty, smoking,martini-swilling, sarcastic, English-speaking anthropomorphic pet dogBrian, although he is still considered a pet in many ways.^[8]

Recurring characters appear alongside the Griffin family. These include the family's neighbors: sex-crazed airline pilot bachelorGlenn Quagmire; deli owner/mail carrierCleveland Brown and his wife Loretta (laterDonna);paraplegic police officerJoe Swanson, his wifeBonnie, their sonKevin and their baby daughterSusie; neurotic Jewish pharmacistMort Goldman, his wifeMuriel, and their geeky and annoying sonNeil, and elderly child molesterHerbert. TVnews anchorsTom Tucker andDiane Simmons,Asian reporterTricia Takanawa, andBlaccu-WeathermeteorologistOllie Williams also make frequent appearances. ActorJames Woods guest stars as himself in multiple episodes, as didAdam West, prior to his death.^{[citation needed]}

The primary setting ofFamily Guy is Quahog (/ˈk(w)oʊhɒɡ/K(W)OH-hog), afictional city inRhode Island that was founded by Peter's ancestor, Griffin Peterson. MacFarlane resided in Providence during his time as a student at theRhode Island School of Design (RISD), and the show contains distinct Rhode Island landmarks similar to real-world locations.^[9][10] MacFarlane often borrows the names of Rhode Island locations and icons such asPawtucket andBuddy Cianci for use in the show. MacFarlane, in an interview with Providence's Fox affiliateWNAC-TV, stated that the town is modeled afterCranston, Rhode Island.^{[11][irrelevant citation]}

MacFarlane conceivedFamily Guy in 1995 while studying animation at theRhode Island School of Design.^[33] During college, he created his thesis film titledThe Life of Larry,^[33] which was submitted by his professor at RISD toHanna-Barbera. MacFarlane was hired by the company.^[34] In 1996, MacFarlane created a sequel toThe Life of Larry titledLarry and Steve, which featured a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve; the short was broadcast in 1997 as one ofCartoon Network'sWorld Premiere Toons.^[33]

Executives atFox saw theLarry shorts and contracted MacFarlane to create a series, titledFamily Guy, based on the characters.^[10] Fox proposed that MacFarlane complete a 15-minute short and gave him a budget of $50,000.^[35] MacFarlane pitched the completed demo short to Fox on May 15, 1998, which featured the first appearance of the Griffin family.^[36] The first seven minutes of the pitch pilot, which had a storyline parallel to the pilot that aired on television in January 1999, would be included inFamily Guy DVD sets. The full fifteen-minute pitch demo remained lost until it was uploaded to the internet by Robert Paulson on his personal website in 2022. Despite this, the pitch demo was not discovered by the public until March 2025.^[37]

Several aspects ofFamily Guy were inspired by theLarry shorts.^[38] While MacFarlane worked on the series, the characters of Larry and his dog Steve slowly evolved into Peter and Brian Griffin.^[10][39] MacFarlane stated that the difference betweenThe Life of Larry andFamily Guy was that "Life of Larry was shown primarily in my dorm room andFamily Guy was shown after theSuper Bowl."^[38]

Family Guy was originally planned to start out as short movies for the sketch showMad TV, but the plan changed, becauseMADtv's budget was not large enough to support animation production. MacFarlane noted that he then wanted to pitch it to Fox, as he thought that it was the place to create a prime-time animation show.^[40]Family Guy was originally pitched to Fox in the same year asKing of the Hill, but the show was not bought until years later, whenKing of the Hill became successful.^[40]

After the pilot episode ofFamily Guy aired, the series was given thegreenlight. MacFarlane drew inspiration from several sitcoms such asThe Simpsons andAll in the Family.^[40] Premises were drawn from several 1980sSaturday-morning cartoons he watched as a child, such asThe Fonz and the Happy Days Gang andRubik, the Amazing Cube.^[41]

On January 26, 2023, Fox announced that the series had been renewed for seasons 22 and 23, taking the show through the 2024–25 television season.^[42] Season 22 premiered on October 1, 2023.^[43]

On April 2, 2025, it was announced thatFamily Guy would be renewed for four more seasons in what is considered a "mega deal" with parent companyDisney. This renewal will take the show through the 2028–2029 television season, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the shows' launch in January 1999. Additionally, each season will consist of 15 episodes.^[44]

MacFarlane has served as anexecutive producer throughout the show's entire history. The first executive producers wereDavid Zuckerman,^[45]Lolee Aries, David Pritchard, and Mike Wolf.^[46]Family Guy has had many executive producers in its history, includingDaniel Palladino,Kara Vallow, andDanny Smith.David A. Goodman joined the show as a co-executive producer in season three and eventually became an executive producer.^[47]

The first team of writers assembled for the show consisted ofChris Sheridan,^[48] Danny Smith,Gary Janetti,Ricky Blitt,Neil Goldman,Garrett Donovan,Matt Weitzman, andMike Barker.^[49] The writing process ofFamily Guy typically starts with 14 writers that take turns writing the scripts; when a script is finished it is given to the rest of the writers to read.

These scripts generally includecutaway gags. Various gags are pitched to MacFarlane and the rest of the staff, and those deemed the funniest are included in the episode. MacFarlane has explained that it normally takes 10 months to produce an episode because the show uses hand-drawn animation. The show rarely comments on current events for this reason.^[50] The show's initial writers had never written for an animated show, and most came from live-action sitcoms.^[40]

MacFarlane explained that he is a fan of 1930s and 1940s radio programs, particularly the radio thriller anthologySuspense, which led him to give early episodes ominous titles like "Death Has a Shadow" and "Mind Over Murder." MacFarlane said that the team dropped the naming convention after individual episodes became hard to identify, and the novelty wore off.^[51] For the first few months of production, the writers shared one office, lent to them by theKing of the Hill production crew.^[51]

Credited with 19 episodes,Steve Callaghan is the most prolific writer on theFamily Guy staff. Many of the writers that have left the show have gone on to create or produce other successful series.Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan co-wrote 13 episodes for the NBC sitcomScrubs during their eight-year run on the show, while also serving as co-producers and working their way up to executive producers.^[52]Mike Barker andMatt Weitzman left the show and went on to create the long-running and still ongoing adult animated seriesAmerican Dad!. (MacFarlane is also a co-creator ofAmerican Dad!)^[53][54] On November 4, 2013, it was announced that Barker had departedAmerican Dad! during its run as well, after 10 seasons of serving as producer and co-showrunner over the series.^[55]

During the2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, official production of the show halted for most of December 2007 and for various periods afterward. Fox continued producing episodes without MacFarlane's final approval, which he termed "a colossal dick move" in an interview withVariety. Though MacFarlane refused to work on the show, his contract under Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it would subsequently produce.^[56] Production officially resumed after the end of the strike, with regularly airing episodes recommencing on February 17, 2008.^[57] According to MacFarlane, in 2009, it cost about $2 million to make an episode ofFamily Guy.^[58]

During his September 2017AMA onReddit, MacFarlane revealed that he had not written for the show since 2010, choosing instead to focus on production and voice acting.^[59]

On May 12, 2023, it was announced that the showrunners ofFamily Guy, including Seth MacFarlane, would temporarily leave the show as a result of the2023 Writers Guild of America Strike.^[60] They returned to the show on September 27, 2023, once the strike was declared to be over.^{[citation needed]}

• Main cast
•  
  Seth MacFarlane
•  
  Alex Borstein
•  
  Seth Green
•  
  Mila Kunis
•  
  Mike Henry
•  
  Patrick Warburton

Seth MacFarlane voices three of the show's main characters:Peter Griffin,Brian Griffin, andStewie Griffin.^[61] Since MacFarlane had a strong vision for these characters, he chose to voice them himself, believing it would be easier than for someone else to attempt it.^[41] MacFarlane drew inspiration for the voice of Peter from a security guard he overheard talking while attending the Rhode Island School of Design.^[62] Stewie's voice was based on the voice of English actorRex Harrison,^[63] especially his performance in the 1964 musical drama filmMy Fair Lady.^[64] MacFarlane uses his regular speaking voice when playing Brian.^[41] MacFarlane also provides the voices for various other recurring and one-time-only characters, most prominently those of the Griffins' neighborGlenn Quagmire, news anchorTom Tucker, and Lois' father,Carter Pewterschmidt.^[65]

Alex Borstein voices Peter's wifeLois Griffin,Asian correspondent Tricia Takanawa,Loretta Brown, and Lois' mother,Babs Pewterschmidt.^[66] Borstein was asked to provide a voice for the pilot while she was working onMADtv. She had not met MacFarlane or seen any of his artwork and said it was "really sight unseen".^[67] At the time, Borstein was performing in a stage show in Los Angeles. She played a redheaded mother whose voice she had based on one of her cousins.^[66][67]

Seth Green primarily voicesChris Griffin andNeil Goldman.^[65][68] Green stated that he did an impression of the characterBuffalo Bill from the thriller filmThe Silence of the Lambs during his audition.^[69][70]

Mila Kunis andLacey Chabert have both voicedMeg Griffin.^[65] Chabert left the series after the first season because of time conflicts with schoolwork (at the time) and her role onParty of Five. When Kunis auditioned for the role, she was called back by MacFarlane, who instructed her to speak slower. He then told her to come back another time and enunciate more. Once she claimed that she had it under control, MacFarlane hired her.^[71] Archival recordings of Lacey Chabert's voice that she provided as Meg Griffin are used in thetenth season episode "Back to the Pilot" in which Brian and Stewie go back in time to the events of "Death Has a Shadow."

Mike Henry voicesHerbert,Bruce the Performance Artist,Consuela, theGreased-up Deaf Guy, and until 2021,Cleveland Brown.^[72] Henry met MacFarlane at the Rhode Island School of Design and kept in touch with him after they graduated.^[73] A few years later, MacFarlane contacted him about being part of the show; he agreed and came on as a writer and voice actor.^[73] During the show's first four seasons, he was credited as a guest star, but beginning withseason five's "Prick Up Your Ears", he has been credited as a main cast member.^[73] On June 26, 2020, after twenty years of voicing the character, Mike Henry announced on Twitter that he was stepping down from voicing Cleveland, stating "persons of color should play characters of color."^[74][75] On September 25, 2020, it was announced thatArif Zahir would take over as the voice of Cleveland.^[76][77]

Other recurring cast members includePatrick Warburton asJoe Swanson,Jennifer Tilly asBonnie Swanson,^[78]John G. Brennan asMort Goldman andHorace the bartender,Carlos Alazraqui asJonathan Weed,^[79][80]Adam Carolla andNorm Macdonald asDeath,^[81]Lori Alan asDiane Simmons,^[82]Phil LaMarr asOllie Williams and Judge Dignified Q. Blackman,^[83] andKevin Michael Richardson as Jerome. Fellow cartoonistButch Hartman has made guest voice appearances in episodes as various characters.^[84] Also, writerDanny Smith voices various recurring characters, such asErnie the Giant Chicken.^[85]Alexandra Breckenridge also appears as many various characters.Adam West appeared as theeponymousMayor Adam West, until his death in 2017.^[86]

Episodes often feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, athletes, authors, bands, musicians, and scientists. Many guest voices star as themselves.Leslie Uggams was the first to appear as herself, in the fourth episode of the first season, "Mind Over Murder".^[87] The episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" guest starred the entire cast ofStar Trek: The Next Generation, includingPatrick Stewart,Jonathan Frakes,Brent Spiner,LeVar Burton,Gates McFadden,Michael Dorn,Wil Wheaton,Marina Sirtis, and evenDenise Crosby (season 1 asTasha Yar), playing themselves; this is the episode with the most guest stars of the seventh season.^[88][89]

Family Guy officially premiered after Fox's broadcast ofSuper Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999, with "Death Has a Shadow". The show debuted to 22 million viewers and immediately generated controversy regarding its adult content.^[90] The show returned on April 11, 1999, with "I Never Met the Dead Man".Family Guy garnered decent ratings in Fox's 8:30 pm slot on Sunday, scheduled betweenThe Simpsons andThe X-Files.^[91] At the end of its first season, the show ranked No. 33 in theNielsen ratings, with 12.8 million households tuning in.^[92] The show launched its second season in a new time slot, Thursday at 9 pm, on September 23, 1999.Family Guy was pitted against NBC'sFrasier, and the series' ratings declined sharply.^[91] Subsequently, Fox removedFamily Guy from its schedule and began airing episodes irregularly. The show returned on March 7, 2000, at 8:30 pm on Tuesdays, where it was constantly beaten in the ratings byABC's then-new breakout hitWho Wants to Be a Millionaire, coming in at No. 114 in the Nielsen ratings with 6.32 million households tuning in.^{[citation needed]} Fox announced that the show had been canceled in May 2000, at the end of the second season.^[93] However, following a last-minute reprieve, on July 24, 2000, Fox ordered 13 additional episodes ofFamily Guy to form a third season.^[90]

The show returned on November 8, 2001, once again in a tough time slot: Thursday nights at 8:00 pm. This slot brought it into competition withSurvivor andFriends (a situation that was later referenced inStewie Griffin: The Untold Story).^[94] During its second and third seasons, Fox frequently moved the show around to different days and time slots with little or no notice and, consequently, the show's ratings suffered.^[95] Upon Fox's annual unveiling of its 2002 fall line-up on May 15, 2002,Family Guy was absent.^[91] Fox announced that the show had been officially canceled shortly thereafter.^[96][97]

Fox attempted to sell the rights for reruns of the show, but finding networks that were interested was difficult;Cartoon Network eventually bought the rights "basically for free", according to the president of20th Century Fox Television.^[98]Family Guy premiered in reruns on Adult Swim on April 20, 2003, and immediately became the block's top-rated program, dominating late-night viewing in its time period versus cable and broadcast competition and boosting viewership by 239%.^[91][99] The complete first and second seasons were released on DVD the same week the show premiered on Adult Swim, and the show became a cult phenomenon, selling 400,000 copies within one month.^[91] Sales of the DVD set reached 2.2 million copies,^[100] becoming the best-selling television DVD of 2003^[101] and the second-highest-selling television DVD ever, behind the first season ofComedy Central'sChappelle's Show.^[102] The third-season DVD release also sold more than a million copies.^[99] The show's popularity in DVD sales and reruns rekindled Fox's interest,^[103] and, on May 20, 2004, Fox ordered 35 new episodes ofFamily Guy, marking the first revival of a television show based on DVD sales.^[102][90]

"North by North Quahog", which premiered May 1, 2005, was the first episode to be broadcast after the show's hiatus. It was written by MacFarlane and directed byPeter Shin.^[104] MacFarlane believed the show's three-year hiatus was beneficial, because animated shows do not normally have hiatuses, and towards the end of their seasons, "... you see a lot more sex jokes andbodily function jokes and signs of a fatigued staff that their brains are just fried".^[105] With "North by North Quahog", the writing staff tried to keep the show "[...] exactly as it was" before its cancellation, and "None of us had any desire to make it look any slicker".^[105] The episode was watched by 11.85 million viewers,^[106] the show's highest ratings since the airing of thefirst season episode "Brian: Portrait of a Dog".^[107]

In March 2007, comedianCarol Burnett filed a $6 million lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, claiming that hercharwoman cartoon character had been portrayed on the show without her permission. She stated it was a trademark infringement and that Fox violated her publicity rights.^{[108][109][110]} On June 4, 2007, United States District JudgeDean D. Pregerson rejected the lawsuit, stating that the parody was protected under theFirst Amendment, citingHustler Magazine v. Falwell as a precedent.^[111]

On October 3, 2007,Bourne Co. Music Publishers filed a lawsuit accusing the show ofinfringing its copyright on the song "When You Wish Upon a Star", through a parody song titled "I Need a Jew" appearing in the episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein". Bourne Co., the sole United States copyright owner of the song, alleged the parody pairs a "thinly veiled" copy of its music withantisemitic lyrics. Named in the suit were20th Century Fox Film Corp.,Fox Broadcasting Co.,Cartoon Network,MacFarlane, andMurphy; the suit sought to stop the program's distribution and asked for unspecified damages.^[112] Bourne argued that "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody of "When You Wish Upon a Star" without commenting on that song, and that it was therefore not a First Amendment-protected parody per the ruling inCampbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.^[113][114] On March 16, 2009, United States District JudgeDeborah Batts held thatFamily Guy did not infringe on Bourne's copyright when it transformed the song for comical use in an episode.^[115]

In December 2007,Family Guy was again accused of copyright infringement when actorArt Metrano filed a lawsuit regarding a scene inStewie Griffin: The Untold Story, in which Jesus performs Metrano's signature "magic" act involving absurd "faux" magical hand gestures while humming the distinctive tune "Fine and Dandy".^[116] 20th Century Fox, MacFarlane, Callaghan and Borstein were all named in the suit.^[117] In July 2009, a federal district court judge rejected Fox's motion to dismiss, saying that the first three fair use factors involved – "purpose and character of the use", "nature of the infringed work" and "amount and substantiality of the taking" – counted in Metrano's favor, while the fourth – "economic impact" – had to await more fact-finding. In denying the dismissal, the court held that the reference in the scene made light of Jesus and his followers – not Metrano or his act.^[118][119]The case was settled out of court in 2010 with undisclosed terms.^[120]

The "Road to" episodes are a series of hallmark travel episodes.^{[121][122][123]} They are a parody of the sevenRoad to ... comedy films starringBing Crosby andBob Hope.^[122] These episodes have always involvedStewie andBrian in some foreign, supernatural or science-fiction location, unrelated to the show's normal location in Quahog. The first, titled "Road to Rhode Island", aired on May 30, 2000, during thesecond season. The episodes are known for featuring elaboratemusical numbers, similar to theRoad films.^[124] The episodes contain several trademarks, including a special version of the opening sequence, custommusical cues and musical numbers, and parodies of science fiction and fantasy films.^[125]

The original idea for the "Road to" episodes came from MacFarlane, as he is a fan of the films of Crosby, Hope, andDorothy Lamour. The first episode was directed byDan Povenmire, who would direct the rest of the "Road to" episodes until the episode "Road to Rupert", at which point he had left the show to createPhineas and Ferb withJeff "Swampy" Marsh.^[126][127] Series regular Greg Colton then took over Povenmire's role as director of the "Road to" episodes.^[128]

The "Road to" episodes are generally considered by critics and fans to be some of the greatest in the series, thanks to the developing relationship between Stewie and Brian and the strong plotlines of the episodes themselves.^[123]

Family Guy uses the film-making technique ofcutaways, which occur in the majority ofFamily Guy episodes.^[129] Emphasis is often placed on gags which make reference to social phenomena and/or modern cultural icons.

Early episodes based much of their comedy on Stewie's "super villain" antics, such as his constant plans for total world domination, his evil experiments, plans and inventions to get rid of things he dislikes, and his constant attempts atmatricide. As the series progressed, the writers and MacFarlane agreed that his personality and the jokes were starting to feel dated, so they began writing him with a different personality.^[130]Family Guy often includesself-referential humor. The most common form is jokes about the Fox network, and occasions where the charactersbreak the fourth wall by addressing the audience. For example, in "North by North Quahog", the first episode that aired after the show's revival, included Peter telling the family that they had been canceled because Fox had to make room in their schedule for shows likeDark Angel,Titus,Undeclared,Action,That '80s Show,Wonderfalls,Fastlane,Andy Richter Controls the Universe,Skin,Girls Club,Cracking Up,The Pitts,Firefly,Get Real,FreakyLinks,Wanda at Large,Costello,The Lone Gunmen,A Minute with Stan Hooper,Normal, Ohio,Pasadena,Harsh Realm,Keen Eddie,The $treet,The American Embassy,Cedric the Entertainer Presents,The Tick,Luis, andGreg the Bunny. Lois asks whether there is any hope, to which Peter replies that if all these shows are canceled they might have a chance; the shows were indeed canceled duringFamily Guy's hiatus.^{[131][132][133]}

The show usescatchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have them. Notable expressions include Quagmire's "Giggity giggity goo", Peter's "Freakin' sweet", Cleveland's "Oh, that's nasty", and Joe's "Bring it on!"^[130] The use of many of these catchphrases declined in later seasons. The episode "Big Man on Hippocampus" mocks catchphrase-based humor: when Peter, who has forgotten everything about his life, is introduced to Meg, he exclaims "D'oh!", to which Lois replies, "No, Peter, that's not your catchphrase."

In 2016, aNew York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the mostFacebook Likes found that, like other satirical comedies,Family Guy is most popular in cities. The show's popularity was more correlated withsupport for Hillary Clinton than any other show".^[134] As of 2008, the franchise has generated$1 billion in total revenue, including$400 million fromTV syndication,$400 million fromDVD sales, and$200 million from merchandise sales.^[63]

^[193]Family Guy experienced a significant increase in viewership following its availability on various streaming platforms, with a particularly notable rise in popularity onHulu. In 2018, it ranked among the most-watched TV series on the streaming serviceSling TV.^[194] In 2020, Hulu announced thatFamily Guy was one of the top five most-watched non-sports and non-news related live shows on the streaming service.^[195]Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated that the series was watched for 910 million minutes from July 29 to August 4, 2024.^[196][197] The following week, it garnered 881 million minutes of viewing time from August 5 to August 11, 2024, making it the sixth most-streamed television show overall.^[198][199] From August 12 to August 18, 2024,Family Guy generated 834 million minutes of viewership, ranking it as the eighth most-streamed television show overall.^[200][201] From August 26 to September 1, 2024, it amassed more than 1 billion minutes of viewing time, securing its position as the third most-streamed series overall.^[202][203]

Family Guy has received generally positive reviews, particularly for its pop culture references, blue humor, satire, and non-sequitur storytelling.^{[204][205][206][207]} Catherine Seipp ofNational Review Online described it as a "nasty but extremely funny" cartoon.^[208] Caryn James ofThe New York Times called it a show with an "outrageously satirical family" that "includes plenty of comic possibilities and parodies".^[209]The Sydney Morning Herald namedFamily Guy the "Show of the Week" on April 21, 2009, hailing it a "pop culture-heavy masterpiece".^[210] Frazier Moore fromThe Seattle Times called it an "endless craving for humor about bodily emissions". He thought it was "breathtakingly smart" and said a "blend of the ingenious with the raw helps account for its much broader appeal". He summarized it as "rude, crude and deliciously wrong".^[211]The New Yorker's Nancy Franklin said thatFamily Guy is becoming one of the best animated shows; she commented on its ribaldry and popularity.^[212] The show has become a hit onHulu; it is the second-highest viewed show afterSaturday Night Live.^[213]IGN calledFamily Guy a great show and commented that it has gotten better since its revival. They stated that they cannot imagine another half-hour sitcom that provides as many laughs asFamily Guy.^[214]Empire praised the show and its writers for creating really hilarious moments with unlikely material. They commented that one of the reasons they love the show is because nothing is sacred—it makes jokes and gags of almost everything.^[215] Robin Pierson ofThe TV Critic praised the series as "a different kind of animated comedy which clearly sets out to do jokes which other cartoons can't do."^[216]Family Guy has proven popular in the United Kingdom, regularly obtaining between 700,000 and 1 million viewers for re-runs onBBC Three.^[217]

The series has attracted many celebrities.Robert Downey Jr. telephoned the show production staff and asked if he could produce or assist in an episode's creation, as his son is a fan of the show; the producers subsequently created a character for Downey.^[218]Lauren Conrad met MacFarlane while recording aLaguna Beach clip for the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" (season 5, 2006).^[219][220] She has watchedFamily Guy for years and considers Stewie her favorite character.^[219] Commenting on his appearance in the episode "Big Man on Hippocampus" (season 8, 2010), actorDwayne Johnson stated that he was a "big fan" ofFamily Guy.^[221] Johnson befriended MacFarlane after he had a minor role in Johnson's 2010 filmTooth Fairy.^[221] R&B singerRihanna has admitted to being a fan ofFamily Guy,^[222] as has pop singerBritney Spears; she tries to imitate Stewie's English accent.^[223] Spears, who was mocked for her personal problems in theSouth Park episode "Britney's New Look" in 2008, offered to appear in a cameo to hit back at the similar animated show, but MacFarlane declined, stating that he did not want to start a feud with the series.^{[224][better source needed]}

Family Guy and its cast have been nominated for 27Emmy Awards, with 8 wins. MacFarlane won theOutstanding Voice-Over Performance award for his performance as Stewie;^[225] Murphy and MacFarlane won the Outstanding Music and Lyrics award for the song "You Got a Lot to See" from the episode "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows";^[225]Steven Fonti won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation award for his storyboard work in the episode "No Chris Left Behind";^[226] and Greg Colton won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation award for his storyboard work in the episode "Road to the Multiverse".^[227] The show was nominated for elevenAnnie Awards, and won three times, twice in 2006 and once in 2008.^{[228][229][230]} In 2009, it was nominated for an Emmy forOutstanding Comedy Series, becoming the first animated program to be nominated in this category sinceThe Flintstones in 1961.^[231]The Simpsons was almost nominated in 1993, but voters were hesitant to pit cartoons against live action programs.^[232][233] The show was nominated for aGrammy in 2011.^[234]Family Guy has been nominated and has won various other awards, including theTeen Choice Awards and thePeople's Choice Awards.^{[235][236][237]} In the 1,000th issue ofEntertainment Weekly, Brian Griffin was selected as the dog for "The Perfect TV Family".^[238]Wizard Magazine rated Stewie the 95th-greatest villain of all time.^[239] British newspaperThe Times ratedFamily Guy the 45th-best American show in 2009.^[240] IGN rankedFamily Guy number seven in the "Top 100 Animated Series" and number six in the "Top 25 Primetime Animated Series of All Time".^[214][241]Empire named it the twelfth-greatest TV show of all time in 2008.^[215] In 2005, viewers of the UK television channelChannel 4 votedFamily Guy number 5 on their list of the 100 Greatest Cartoons.^[242] Brian was awarded the 2009 Stoner of the Year award byHigh Times for the episode "420", marking the first time an animated character received the honor.^[243] In 2004 and 2007, TV Guide rankedFamily Guy number 12 and number 15 in their list of top cult shows ever.^[244][245]Family Guy has garnered sixGolden Reel Awards nominations, winning three times.^{[citation needed]} In 2013,TV Guide rankedFamily Guy the ninth Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time.^[4]

One of the initial critics to give the show negative reviews was Ken Tucker fromEntertainment Weekly; he called it "The Simpsons as conceived by a singularly sophomoric mind that lacks any reference point beyond other TV shows".^[246] TheParents Television Council (PTC), a conservative non-profitwatchdog, has attacked the series since its premiere and has branded various episodes as "Worst TV Show of the Week".^{[247][248][249]} In May 2000, the PTC launched a letter-writing campaign to the Fox network in an effort to persuade the network to cancel the show.^[250] The PTC has placed the show on their annual lists of "Worst Prime-Time Shows for Family Viewing" in 2000, 2005, and 2006.^{[251][252][253]} TheFederal Communications Commission (FCC) has received multiple petitions requesting that the show be blocked from broadcasting onindecency grounds.^[254] Tucker and the PTC have both accused the show of portraying religion negatively, and of being racist.^[255][256] Because of the PTC, some advertisers have canceled their contracts after reviewing the content of the episodes, claiming it to be unsuitable.^[257][258] Critics have compared the show's humor and characters with those ofThe Simpsons.^[246][216]

Various episodes of the show have generated controversy. In "420" (season seven, 2009), Brian decides to start a campaign tolegalize cannabis in Quahog; theVenezuelan government reacted negatively to the episode and bannedFamily Guy from airing on their local networks, which generally syndicate American programming. Venezuelanjustice ministerTareck El Aissami, citing the promotion of the use of cannabis, stated that any cable stations that did not stop airing the series would be fined;^[259] the government showed a clip which featured Brian and Stewie singing the praises of marijuana as a demonstration of how the United States supports cannabis use.^[260] In "Extra Large Medium" (season eight, 2010) a character named Ellen (who hasDown syndrome) states that her mother is the formerGovernor of Alaska, which strongly implies that her mother isSarah Palin, the only woman to have served in the office of governor in the state. Sarah Palin, the mother ofa child with Down syndrome, criticized the episode in an appearance onThe O'Reilly Factor, calling those who made the show "cruel, cold-hearted people".^[261]

In the United States, the show currently airs onAdult Swim,Comedy Central,FX, andFXX. The show was first syndicated to Adult Swim andTBS from 2003 to 2021, sharing the rights to the first fifteen seasons. It was syndicated to various local stations from 2007 to 2024.^[262][263] In April 2019,FX Networks began airing reruns of season 16 on FXX, with season 17 debuting that October, and shared off-network rights to both seasons with sister channelFreeform. After Adult Swim and TBS' rights expired on September 18, 2021, FXX and Freeform began airing the first fifteen seasons. The show also joined FX's lineup that same month.^[264]

The show's departure from Adult Swim on September 18, 2021, was commemorated with a remembrance bumper created by the network, which played after the final airing (the episode "Stewie is Enceinte"). The bumper showed animations of several Adult Swim characters bidding farewell toFamily Guy, including shots of Peter crying at the beginning and the Griffin family waving goodbye towards the end.^[265]

Comedy Central began airing the show on September 2, 2024, as part of a non-exclusive licensing deal betweenParamount andDisney. Comedy Central debuted the show with an all-day marathon on Labor Day.^[266] A similar licensing deal was then struck withWarner Bros. Discovery Networks for the show to return to Adult Swim starting January 1, 2025, with the network planning a 3-day marathon to celebrate.^[267]

In the United States, the series is available for streaming exclusively onHulu. Additionally, Hulu will launch two holiday specials ofFamily Guy in late 2024, marking the first time a new episode of the show airs on a streaming platform;^[268] Internationally,Family Guy is available to stream onStar on Disney+.^[269] The first such special premiered on October 14, 2024.^[270] The second special would then air on November 25, 2024.^[271] The United States is the only country where the show is not available on eitherDisney+ orStar+.^[272]

Initially,Family Guy was not available to stream on Disney+ in Latin America, as it had been available on the standalone serviceStar+, however, Star+ content merged with Disney+ content on June 26, 2024, and Star+ was discontinued altogether on July 24, 2024.^[273][274]

Family Guy premiered in Australia on April 9, 1999, on theSeven Network, in 2000 onFox8, and on7mate on September 27, 2010.^[275] Initially, only 2 seasons were available to stream on Disney+ Star due to pre-existing contracts. The other 17 seasons were added on December 1, 2021, after the contract expired.^[276]

In Canada, the series premiered January 31, 1999, onGlobal^[277] and September 1, 2003, onTeletoon at Night. Beginning in the 2015–2016 season, the show moved toCitytv; the show would once again return to the channel in 2023.^[278][279] Starting in November 2021, the series moved toDisney+.^[280] In addition to Teletoon at Night, the show has been syndicated to TVtropolis (nowDTour). As of January 2025,Adult Swim Canada andFXX Canada syndicate the series. Since 2024,CHCH and Citytv share the broadcast rights to the series due to scheduling issues with new episodes streaming the next day on Disney+.^[281]

The show airs in India onStar World Premiere,^[282] in Ireland on3e,^[283] and in New Zealand onTVNZ Duke; previously it screened on defunct channelFour.^[284]

In the United Kingdom,Family Guy premiered in September 1999, originally onChannel 4 andSky One. In January 2005,Fox UK (then known as FX) began broadcasting the show.^[285] From October 2005,BBC Two^[286] started screeningFamily Guy before the show moved toBBC Three in September 2006.^[287] Beginning with season 14, the show moved toITV2, premiering on February 29, 2016,^[288][289] while the BBC would continue to hold the rights for past seasons until 2017.^[290][291]

In South Korea, the show premiered January 11, 2008, onTooniverse.^{[citation needed]}

Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One was written by executive story editorCherry Chevapravatdumrong and actressAlex Borstein. The book was first published on May 8, 2007.^[292] The book is a biographical monologue by Lois Griffin covering a portion of her life, spanning from her memories of growing up to her attempted run for mayor in the town of Quahog. Though the book primarily consists of a loose narrative monologue by Lois, it is also interspersed with sections from other characters such as Peter Griffin. The book covers events featured in theFamily Guy episode "It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One", with which it shares a title. It was published in the United Kingdom in 2007 byOrion Books.^[293]

A comic book based on theFamily Guy universe was produced. Published byTitan Comics, edited bySteve White, and illustrated byAnthony Williams and S. L. Gallant, the writing and the illustrations were supervised by the show's producers.^[294] The first comic book was released on July 27, 2011.^[294]

As promotion for the show and as Newman described "[to] expand interest in the show beyond its diehard fans",^[295] Fox organized fourFamily Guy Live! performances, which featured cast members reading old episodes aloud. The cast also performed musical numbers from theFamily Guy: Live in Vegas comedy album.^[295] The stage shows were an extension of a performance by the cast during the 2004Montreal Comedy Festival.^[295] TheFamily Guy Live! performances, which took place in Los Angeles and New York, sold out and were attended by around 1,200 people each.^[296]

At the59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2007, MacFarlane performed (as the digitally inserted Stewie and Brian) the ceremony's opening number. He performed a song insulting modern television to the tune of the song "The Fellas at the Freakin' F.C.C." performed in the episode "PTV". The song insulted TV shows such asTwo and a Half Men,Desperate Housewives, andScrubs, as well as thefinal scene ofThe Sopranos.

In 2009, a special televised performance show aired, titledFamily Guy Presents Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, in which voice actorsAlex Borstein and MacFarlane performed songs from the show, as well as a parody ofLady Gaga's song "Poker Face" in the voice ofMarlee Matlin, who appeared on stage as a guest during the performance. Some new animated gags also appeared in the show.^[297]

In a July 22, 2007, interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane announced that he may start working on a feature film, although "nothing's official."^[298] InTV Week on July 18, 2008, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically releasedFamily Guy feature film sometime "within the next year."^[299] He came up with an idea for the story, "something that you could not do on the show, which [to him] is the only reason to do a movie." He later went on to say he imagines the film to be "an old-style musical with dialogue" similar toThe Sound of Music, saying that he would "really be trying to capture, musically, that feel."^[63] On October 13, 2011, MacFarlane confirmed that a deal for aFamily Guy film had been made, and that it would be written by him and series co-producer Ricky Blitt.^[300]

On November 30, 2012, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce aFamily Guy film.^[301] The project was put on hold while MacFarlane worked onTed 2.^[302]

On August 10, 2018, Fox announced that a live-action/animated film based on the series is in development.^[303]

In July 2019, MacFarlane confirmed that there will be aFamily Guy film.^[304]

DuringPaleyFest in April 2024, MacFarlane revealed that he has known what the plot of the film would be for the past 15 years, but had not had the time to write it.^[305]

MacFarlane co-created—alongsideMike Henry andRichard Appel—theFamily Guy spin-offThe Cleveland Show, which premiered September 27, 2009. They began discussing the project in 2007.^[306][307]

TheFamily Guy Video Game! is a 2006action game released by2K Games and developed byHigh Voltage Software.

Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse, which is centered around the episode "Road to the Multiverse", was released on November 20, 2012.

Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff launched on iOS and Android on April 10, 2014.

Animation Throwdown: The Quest For Cards, a card game with content and characters from five animated television shows from Fox –Family Guy,Futurama,American Dad!,Bob's Burgers andKing of the Hill – was released in 2016 byKongregate.

Family Guy: Another Freakin' Mobile Game was released on iOS on April 25, 2017.^[308]

Warped Kart Racers is a racing game that was released onApple Arcade in May 2022. The game features the entire Griffin family, and includes characters fromAmerican Dad!,King of the Hill andSolar Opposites.^[309]

As of 2009, six books have been released about theFamily Guy universe, all published byHarperCollins since 2005.^[310] The first,Family Guy: Stewie's Guide to World Domination (ISBN 978-0-06-077321-2) by Steve Callahan, was released on April 26, 2005. Written in the style of agraphic novel, the plot follows Stewie's plans to rule the world.^[311] Other books includeFamily Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One (ISBN 978-0-7528-7593-4), which covers the events of theepisode of the same name;^[312] andFamily Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded (ISBN 978-1-4051-6316-3), a collection of 17 essays exploring the connections between the series and historical philosophers.^[313] A book written from Brian's point of view (written byAndrew Goldberg) was published in 2006, calledBrian Griffin's Guide to Booze, Broads and the Lost Art of Being a Man.^[314]

Family Guy has been commercially successful in the home market.^[315] The show was the first to be resurrected because of high DVD sales.^[99] The first volume, covering the show's first two seasons, sold 1.67 million units, topping TV DVD sales in 2003, while the second volume sold another million units.^[99][316] Volumes six and seven debuted at fifth place in United States DVD sales;^[317][318] volume seven was the highest-selling television DVD, selling 171,000 units by June 21, 2009.^[318]Family Guy Presents Blue Harvest, the DVD featuring theStar Wars special "Blue Harvest", was released on January 15, 2008, and premiered at the top of United States DVD sales.^[319] The DVD was the firstFamily Guy DVD to include a digital copy for download to the iPod.^[319] In 2004, the first series ofFamily Guy toy figurines was released byMezco Toyz; each member of the Griffin family had their own toy, with the exception of Stewie, of whom two different figures were made.^[320] Over the course of two years, four more series of toy figures were released, with various forms of Peter.^[321] In 2008, the character Peter appeared in advertisements forSubway Restaurants, promoting the restaurant's massive feast sandwich.^[322][323]

• Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy

Informational notes

Citations