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| Family Guy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Seth MacFarlane |
| Original work | Family Guy (1999–present) |
| Owner | 20th Century Studios |
| Years | 1999–present |
| Based on | The Life of Larry (1995) andLarry & Steve (1997) |
| Films and television | |
| Animated series | Family Guy (1999–present) The Cleveland Show (2009–2013) |
| Direct-to-video | Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005) |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) |
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Family Guy is an American animated comedyfranchise created bySeth MacFarlane and originally developed forFox. Consisting of two television series:Family Guy (1999–present) andThe Cleveland Show (2009–2013)—the franchise primarily focuses on theGriffin family (Peter,Lois,Meg,Chris,Stewie, andBrian) and their friends and associates. The franchise also shares afictional universe withAmerican Dad! (2005–present), another series developed by MacFarlane with a similar art style, to which it features numerouscrossovers and shared characters. In addition, the franchise had made crossovers with other properties that also aired on Fox which ended up being in canon with the same universe asFamily Guy, aside fromAmerican Dad!, such as adult animated shows likeThe Simpsons (1989–present),Bob's Burgers (2011–present),King of the Hill (1997–present),Futurama (1999–present), and even live-action shows likeMalcolm in the Middle (2000–2007),That '70s Show (1998–2006),House (2004–2011),Bones (2005–2017),'Til Death (2006–2010), and MacFarlane's other seriesThe Orville (2017–2022).
Family Guy is an Americananimated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for Fox. The series centers on theGriffins, a family consisting of parentsPeter andLois; their children,Meg,Chris, andStewie; and theiranthropomorphic pet dog,Brian. The show is set in the fictionalcity of Quahog that is located inRhode Island (a place that actually exists), and exhibits much of its humor in the form ofmetafictionalcutaway gags that often lampoonAmerican culture.
The family was conceived by MacFarlane after developing 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 seven-minute pilot to Fox in 1998, and the show was greenlit and began production. Shortly after the third season ofFamily Guy had aired in 2002, Fox canceled the series withone episode left unaired.Adult Swimaired that episode in 2003, finishing the series' original run. However, favorable DVD sales and highratings for syndicated reruns on Adult Swim convinced the network to renew the show in 2004 for a fourth season, which began airing on May 1, 2005.
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.[1][2] Appel and Henry served as the show's executive producers and showrunners, handling the day-to-day operations, with limited involvement from MacFarlane.[3] Henry and Appel conceived the show as "more of a family show, a sweeter show" thanFamily Guy.[4] The first season consisted of 22 episodes,[5] and the show was picked up by Fox for a second season, which consisted of 13 episodes. The announcement was made on May 3, 2009, before the first season began.[6] It was extended to a full second season.[7] Appel signed a new three-year, seven-figure deal with Fox to continue serving as showrunner onThe Cleveland Show in 2010. Fox chairman Gary Newman commented: "What is special about him is his incredible leadership ability."[8] The show follows theFamily Guy characterCleveland Brown, who is voiced by Henry, as he leaves the town of Quahog and moves with his son to start his own adventure.[1]
Fox canceledThe Cleveland Show on May 13, 2013, roughly a week before the May 19 conclusion of itsfourth season.[9] On July 16, 2013, MacFarlane confirmed an upcomingtwelfth season episode ofFamily Guy centering on Cleveland's return to Quahog.[10]
An event known as "Night of the Hurricane" depicts a hurricane hitting the hometowns of MacFarlane's animated sitcomsFamily Guy,American Dad! andThe Cleveland Show, culminating in a stand-off among the three fathers of each family.
The Griffin family also cameo appeared in not just bothThe Cleveland Show andAmerican Dad!, but also inThe Simpsons,Futurama,South Park,Robot Chicken,Drawn Together,Animals,Bordertown,Bones,Mad TV, andMad. A two-parterSouth Park episode, "Cartoon Wars PartsI andII" which mockedFamily Guy also features the Griffin family. A more live-action/animated episode ofBones, "The Critic in the Cabernet," crosses over with fellowFamily Guy characterStewie Griffin (reprised by MacFarlane himself) as the episode's main antagonist. In 2018,Alex Borstein reprised her role asLois Griffin in an episode ofAnimals.
In July 2013, it was announced that a special episode ofFamily Guy featuring an official crossover withThe Simpsons would premiere in 2014. AtSan Diego Comic-Con a 5-minute preview was shown. The one-hour episode, titled "The Simpsons Guy" and consisting of the first and second episode of thethirteenth season ofFamily Guy, was aired September 28, 2014.[11] In the episode, the Griffins are forced out of Quahog due to Peter offending women with a newspaper comic strip he created. On the road, their car gets stolen, leaving them stranded in the town of Springfield where they meet and befriend theSimpson family,[12] only for their friendship to turn sour when Pawtucket Patriot Ale is revealed to be a rip-off of Duff.Dan Castellaneta,Julie Kavner,Nancy Cartwright,Yeardley Smith, andHank Azaria guest star as theirThe Simpsons characters.[13] The episode also includes cameo appearances byBob Belcher fromBob's Burgers,[14]Fred Flintstone fromThe Flintstones,[15] andRoger fromAmerican Dad!.
| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Showrunner(s) | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||||||||||
| Main series | ||||||||||||
| Family Guy | 1 | 7 | January 31, 1999 (1999-01-31) | May 16, 1999 (1999-05-16) | Seth MacFarlane andDavid Zuckerman | Ongoing | ||||||
| 2 | 21 | September 23, 1999 (1999-09-23) | August 1, 2000 (2000-08-01) | |||||||||
| 3 | 22 | July 11, 2001 (2001-07-11) | November 9, 2003 (2003-11-09) | |||||||||
| 4 | 30 | May 1, 2005 (2005-05-01) | May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21) | David A. Goodman andChris Sheridan | ||||||||
| 5 | 18 | September 10, 2006 (2006-09-10) | May 20, 2007 (2007-05-20) | |||||||||
| 6 | 12 | September 23, 2007 (2007-09-23) | May 4, 2008 (2008-05-04) | |||||||||
| 7 | 16 | September 28, 2008 (2008-09-28) | May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) | |||||||||
| 8 | 21 | September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27) | June 20, 2010 (2010-06-20) | Mark Hentemann andSteve Callaghan | ||||||||
| 9 | 18 | September 26, 2010 (2010-09-26) | May 22, 2011 (2011-05-22) | |||||||||
| 10 | 23 | September 25, 2011 (2011-09-25) | May 20, 2012 (2012-05-20) | |||||||||
| 11 | 22 | September 30, 2012 (2012-09-30) | May 19, 2013 (2013-05-19) | Steve Callaghan andRichard Appel | ||||||||
| 12 | 21 | September 29, 2013 (2013-09-29) | May 18, 2014 (2014-05-18) | |||||||||
| 13 | 18 | September 28, 2014 (2014-09-28) | May 17, 2015 (2015-05-17) | |||||||||
| 14 | 20 | September 27, 2015 (2015-09-27) | May 22, 2016 (2016-05-22) | |||||||||
| 15 | 20 | September 25, 2016 (2016-09-25) | May 21, 2017 (2017-05-21) | |||||||||
| 16 | 20 | October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01) | May 20, 2018 (2018-05-20) | Richard Appel andAlec Sulkin | ||||||||
| 17 | 20 | September 30, 2018 (2018-09-30) | May 12, 2019 (2019-05-12) | |||||||||
| 18 | 20 | September 29, 2019 (2019-09-29) | May 17, 2020 (2020-05-17) | |||||||||
| 19 | 20 | September 27, 2020 (2020-09-27) | May 16, 2021 (2021-05-16) | |||||||||
| 20 | 20 | September 26, 2021 (2021-09-26) | May 22, 2022 (2022-05-22) | |||||||||
| 21 | 20 | September 25, 2022 (2022-09-25) | May 7, 2023 (2023-05-07) | |||||||||
| 22 | 15 | October 1, 2023 (2023-10-01) | April 17, 2024 (2024-04-17) | |||||||||
| 23 | 18 | October 14, 2024 (2024-10-14) | July 17, 2025 (2025-07-17) | |||||||||
| 24 | TBA | October 6, 2025 (2025-10-06) | TBA | |||||||||
| Spin-off | ||||||||||||
| The Cleveland Show | 1 | 21 | September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27) | May 23, 2010 (2010-05-23) | Richard Appel andMike Henry | Completed | ||||||
| 2 | 22 | September 26, 2010 (2010-09-26) | May 15, 2011 (2011-05-15) | |||||||||
| 3 | 22 | September 25, 2011 (2011-09-25) | May 20, 2012 (2012-05-20) | |||||||||
| 4 | 23 | October 7, 2012 (2012-10-07) | May 19, 2013 (2013-05-19) | |||||||||
As of 2009, six books have been released about theFamily Guy universe, all published byHarperCollins since 2005.[16] 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.[17] Other books includeFamily Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One (ISBN 978-0-7528-7593-4), which covers the events of the episode "It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One";[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]
Family Guy has been commercially successful in the home market.[21] The show was the first to be resurrected because of high DVD sales.[22][23] 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.[22][24] Volumes six and seven debuted at fifth place in United States DVD sales;[25][26] volume seven was the highest-selling television DVD, selling 171,000 units by June 21, 2009.[26]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.[27] The DVD was the firstFamily Guy DVD to include a digital copy for download to the iPod.[27] 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.[28] Over the course of two years, four more series of toy figures were released, with various forms of Peter.[29] In 2008, the character Peter appeared in advertisements forSubway Restaurants, promoting the restaurant's massive feast sandwich.[30][31]
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.[32] The book is a biographical monologue by Lois Griffin discussing her memories of growing up and 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.[33]
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 will be supervised by the show's producers.[34] The first comic book was released on July 27, 2011.[34]
Inside Family Guy: An Illustrated History was released in May 2019, as part of the series' 20th anniversary.[35]
As promotion for the show, and, as Newman described, "[to] expand interest in the show beyond its diehard fans",[36] 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.[36] The stage shows were an extension of a performance by the cast during the 2004Montreal Comedy Festival.[36] TheFamily Guy Live! performances, which took place in Los Angeles and New York, sold out and were attended by around 1,200 people each.[37]
In 2007, at the59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, MacFarlane performed (as the digitally inserted Stewie and Brian) the ceremony's opening number. He performed a song insulting modern (at the time) 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 entitledFamily 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.[38]
On July 22, 2007, in an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane announced that he may start working on a theatrical feature film, although "nothing's official."[39] InTV Week on July 18, 2008, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically releasedFamily Guy feature film sometime "within the next year."[40] 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 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."[41] On October 13, 2011, MacFarlane confirmed that a deal for aFamily Guy film had been made, and that it would be written by himself and series co-producer Ricky Blitt.[42]
On November 30, 2012, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce aFamily Guy film.[43] The project was put on hold while MacFarlane worked onTed 2.[44]
On August 10, 2018, Fox announced that a live-action/animated film based on the series was in development.[45]
In July 2019, MacFarlane confirmed that there would be aFamily Guy feature film adaptation.[46]
As of April 2024, Seth MacFarlane shared his plans to do a movie at PaleyFest but hasn't gotten the time to do it.[47]
TheFamily Guy Video Game! is a 2006action game released by2K Games and developed byHigh Voltage Software. The game received mixed reviews, averaging 50% favorable reviews for the PlayStation 2 version,[48] 51% for the PlayStation Portable version,[49] and 53% for the Xbox version,[50] according to review aggregatorMetacritic. The game received praise for its humor,[51] but was criticized for its short playtime[52] and "uninteresting gameplay".[53]
To promote bothFamily Guy andAmerican Dad!'s home media releases,20th Century Fox Home Entertainment officially released an animatedcrossoverfighting game,American Dad! vs. Family Guy 2: Hyper Turbo Combo, on its official website in 2006. It also featuresStreet Fighter's ownRyu as a surprise playable character. Two otherFamily Guy mobile games (Air Griffin andUncensored) were released on 2007 and 2009, respectively. MacFarlane recorded exclusive material of Peter's voice and otherFamily Guy characters for a 2007 pinball machine of the show byStern Pinball.[54] On November 2, 2009, IGN journalist Ryan Langley reported the production of aFamily Guy-basedparty game for theXbox 360,PlayStation 3, andWii. He cited theLinkedIn profiles of formerHB Studios developer Chris Kolmatycki and Invisible Entertainment co-owner Ron Doucet, which stated that the individuals had worked on the game.[55]
A game calledFamily Guy Online was launched into public beta in April 2012, but permanently shut down on January 18, 2013.[56]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 was launched on 2016 for iOS, Android and Steam on September 27, 2016. It is a crossovercard fighting/strategy game featuringFamily Guy,American Dad!,King of the Hill,Futurama andBob's Burgers.Family Guy: Another Freakin Mobile Game was released on iOS on April 25, 2017.[57]Warped Kart Racers was released onApple Arcade in May 2022. It is a crossoverracing game betweenFamily Guy,American Dad!,King of the Hill andSolar Opposites.
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