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#REDIRECT [[Family Guy#Development]]
[[Image:FamilyGuyFamilyPromo.png|thumb|right|250px|alt=A group picture of a cartoon family, with a father, mother, son, daughter, baby and dog.|The Griffin family. From left to right: [[Brian Griffin|Brian]], [[Lois Griffin|Lois]], [[Peter Griffin|Peter]], [[Stewie Griffin|Stewie]], [[Chris Griffin|Chris]] and [[Meg Griffin|Meg]].]]

'''''[[Family Guy]] ''''' is an American [[animated cartoon|animated]] [[Situation comedy|television sitcom]] created by [[Seth MacFarlane]] for the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]]. The series centers on the Griffins, a [[dysfunctional family]] consisting of [[Peter Griffin|Peter]], [[Lois Griffin|Lois]], [[Meg Griffin|Meg]], [[Chris Griffin|Chris]], [[Stewie Griffin|Stewie]], and their pet dog [[Brian Griffin|Brian]]. <!--PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE WITH PERSONAL BIAS, IT IS THE MOST ACCURATE DESCRIPTION WE ARE GOING TO GET--> The show uses frequent [[Cutaway (filmmaking)|cutaway gags]], often in the form of [[wikt:tangent|tangential]] [[sketch comedy|vignettes]] which parody [[American culture]].

''Family Guy'' was conceived by MacFarlane after developing two predecessor animated films, ''[[Larry shorts|The life of Larry]]'' and ''[[Larry shorts|Larry & Steve]]''. MacFarlane changed the design of the protagonist Larry and renamed him Peter; he also changed the design of Larry's dog Steve, and developed him into Brian. Shortly after the third season of ''Family Guy'' aired in 2003, the series was canceled. However, because of favorable DVD sales and high ratings on syndicated reruns, the network renewed the show in 2004. The setting for the stories is a partially fictional town in [[Rhode Island]], based on MacFarlane's upbringing and education.

''Family Guy'' has been nominated for eleven [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s, of which it won three. The show has also been nominated for eleven [[Annie Award]]s, and won three times. It has garnered three [[Golden Reel Award (Canada)|Golden Reel Award]] nominations, winning once. In 2009, it was nominated for an Emmy for [[61st Primetime Emmy Awards|Outstanding Comedy Series]], the first time an animated series was nominated for the award since ''[[The Flintstones]]'' in 1961. ''Family Guy'' has also been challenged with negative criticism, including three notable lawsuits and low reviews for its similarities to the animated series ''[[The Simpsons]]''.

==History on TV==
===Creation===
{{main article|Larry shorts}}

Seth MacFarlane created a short film in 1995 entitled ''The Life of Larry'' while studying at the [[Rhode Island School of Design]].<ref name="Lenburg">{{cite book|last=Lenburg|first=Jeff|title=Who's who in animated cartoons: an international guide to film & television's award-winning and legendary animators|publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books|location=New York|date=2006|edition=Illustrated|page=221|isbn=978-1-55783-671-7}}</ref> The short featured a middle-aged slob named Larry Cummings, his cynical talking dog, Steve, supportive wife Lois, and pudgy teenage son Milt.<ref name="Larry">{{Cite video|people=[[Seth McFarlane]] |title=The Life of Larry (1995) |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLuR6wBKJf4|medium=Animated short|accessdate= October 21, 2009}}</ref> The film begins with a live-action segment where MacFarlane, as himself, briefly describes the show and its characters.<ref name="Larry" /> After being hired at [[Hanna-Barbera]], MacFarlane was given a chance in 1996 to direct a [[sequel]] entitled ''Larry and Steve'',<ref name="Lenburg"/> a seven-minute short<ref name="L&S">{{Cite video|people=[[Seth MacFarlane]], [[Lori Alan]] |title=Larry & Steve (1997)|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2F2pLEwfRQ|medium=Animated short|accessdate=October 21, 2009}}</ref>broadcast as part of [[Cartoon Network]]'s ''[[The Cartoon Cartoon Show|World Premiere Toons]]''.<ref name="Lenburg" /> The film stars MacFarlane, who reprises his role as Larry Cummings and his talking dog Steve, among various background characters, and [[Lori Alan]], who provided additional character voices.<ref name="L&S" />

MacFarlane conceived the idea for the ''Family Guy'' in 1999, developing it out of his two short films. MacFarlane caught the attention of Fox, and was given $50,000 to make a pilot. McFarlane completed the 11&nbsp;minute pilot after six months of hand animation. Upon review, Fox gave the green light to ''Family Guy'' as a series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/1929627/2891929 |title=Inside Media at MTR (2006): ''Family Guy'' 2 |work=Yahoo! Video |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref> Although ''Family Guy{{'}}''s cancellation was initially announced after the second season, Fox decided to make a third season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AK&s_site=ohio&p_multi=AK&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F398A31ECEB7820&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Plenty of Changes at Fox, UPN, Fox Tinkers With its Prime-Time Lineup on 6 Nights, UPN on 3|work=newsbank|accessdate=October&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/52909920.html?dids=52909920:52909920&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+25%2C+2000&author=&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=ARTS+%26+TV+in+Brief%3B+%60Family+Guy%2C'+%60SportsNight'+may+move+to+new+networks&pqatl=google|title=ARTS & TV in Brief; `Family Guy,' `SportsNight' may move to new networks|work=pqasb|accessdate=October&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> after which it was truly canceled at the end of 2003. However, reruns on [[Adult Swim]] drove up interest in the show, and its DVD releases did quite well, selling over 2.2 million copies in one year, which renewed network interest.<ref>{{cite web|last=McKinley |first=Jesse |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/arts/television/02fami.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |title=Canceled and Resurrected, on the Air and Onstage |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May&nbsp;2, 2005 |accessdate=December&nbsp;3, 2007}}</ref> ''Family Guy'' returned to production in 2004, making four more seasons (for a total of seven) and a [[direct-to-video|straight-to-DVD]] special, ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]].'' The show celebrated its official [[100 episodes|100th episode]] during its sixth season in November&nbsp;2007, resulting in the show's [[broadcast syndication|syndication]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071008fox01 |title="Family Guy" Celebrates 100 Freakin' Sweet Episodes With Special Retropective Sunday, November 4, On Fox |publisher=The Futon Critic |work=Fox |date=October&nbsp;8, 2007 |accessdate=September&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> The show is contracted to continue producing episodes until 2012.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric |last=Goldman |title=Big New Deal for Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/871/871629p1.html |work=[[IGN]] |date=May&nbsp;5, 2008 |accessdate=May&nbsp;11, 2007}}</ref>

===Cancellation and renewal===
After only two episodes of the second season, ''Family Guy'' was taken off the network's permanent schedule and shown irregularly thereafter. The show returned in March 2000 to finish airing the second season which contained 21 episodes. The third season contained 21 episodes and began airing from July&nbsp; 11, 2001 to February&nbsp; 14, 2002. During its second and third-season runs, Fox frequently moved the show around different days and time slots with little or no notice and consequently, the show's [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] suffered. When ''Family Guy'' was shown in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], and when the [[DVD]]s were subsequently released there (November&nbsp;12, 2001), the seven episodes of the second season that were produced for season one were included with the first season, balancing them out with 14 episodes each. This resulted in later DVD releases to be labeled inconsistently as compared with original American season (e.g. the ''Family Guy: Season 6'' DVD features Season 5 episodes).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=NYPO000020040819e08f0002i |title=Family Matters - Cancelled Show Resurrected |date=August&nbsp;15, 2004 |work=Factiva |first=Don |last=Kaplan |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref>

Fox publicly announced that the show had been canceled at the end of the second season in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BG&p_theme=bg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=109DC26AF6A16776&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=''Family Guy'' Returns, Just As Funny As Ever |work=Boston.com |date=April&nbsp;30, 2005 |first=Matthew |last=Gilbert |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref> In spite of the announced cancellation, in 2003 Fox decided to make the third season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-11-18-family-guy_x.htm |title=''Family Guy'' may return |work=USAtoday.com |date=November&nbsp;18, 2003 |accessdate=September&nbsp;27, 2009}}</ref> ''Family Guy'' also had to deal with a very tough time slot (Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]]), competing with ''[[Survivor (U.S. TV series)|Survivor]]'' and ''[[Friends]]''. The situation was later referenced in the show in an episode titled ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/dvd-reviews/family-guy-presents-stewie-griffin-the-untold-story/2006/01/23/1137864848861.html |work=[[The Age]] |title=Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story |first=Michael |last=Idato |date=January&nbsp;23, 2006 |accessdate=August&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/film_and_tv/s/177/177471_family_guy_stewie_griffin_the_untold_story_15.html |title=Family Guy: Stewie Griffin -The Untold Story (15) |work=Manchester Evening News |date=October&nbsp;11, 2005 |accessdate=August&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> During the third season, Fox announced that the show was canceled for good.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://familyguy.tktv.net/news.html |title=Family Guy has finally been officially cancelled by Fox |work=TKtv |date=May&nbsp;16, 2002 |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref><ref name="NYT McKinley">{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E3D61E31F931A35756C0A9639C8B63 |title=Canceled and Resurrected, on the Air and Onstage |work=[[New York Times]] |first=Jesse |last=McKinley |date=May&nbsp;2, 2005 |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref> The series was renewed later in 2005 for its fourth season due to strong DVD sales and its [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] on basic-cable networks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fox Reuniting Itself With ''Family Guy'' |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Meg |last=James |date=April&nbsp;13, 2005 |accessdate=September&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Yet another ''Family'' reunion |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |first=Phil |last=Rosenthal |page=53 |date=November&nbsp;20, 2003 |accessdate=September&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref>

===Lawsuits===
In March&nbsp;2007, comedian [[Carol Burnett]] filed a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, claiming that it was a trademark infringement for her [[Charlady|Charwoman]] cleaning character to be portrayed on the show without her permission. Besides that, Burnett stated that Fox violated her publicity rights. She asked for $6 million in damages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/16/entertainment/e120846D80.DTL |title=Carol Burnett sues over ''Family Guy'' cartoon cleaning woman |work=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=March&nbsp;16, 2007 |accessdate=September&nbsp;2, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6462525.stm |title=Comedian Burnett sues Family Guy |date=March&nbsp;17, 2007 |accessdate=September&nbsp;2, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0316072carolburnett1.html |title=Carol Burnett v. "Family Guy" |accessdate=December&nbsp;9, 2007 |date=March&nbsp;16, 2007 |work=[[The Smoking Gun]] |publisher=Courtroom Television Network}}</ref> On June&nbsp;4, 2007, United States District Judge [[Dean Pregerson]] rejected the lawsuit, stating that the parody was protected under the First Amendment, citing ''[[Hustler Magazine v. Falwell]]'' as a precedent.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carol Burnett suit thrown out |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June&nbsp;6, 2007 |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref>

On October&nbsp;3, 2007, [[Bourne Co. Music Publishers]] filed a lawsuit accusing the show of infringing its copyright on the song "[[When You Wish Upon a Star]]", through a parody song entitled "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 their music with [[antisemitism|antisemitic]] lyrics. Named in the suit were Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., [[Cartoon Network (US)|Cartoon Network]], MacFarlane, and Murphy; the suit sought to stop the program's distribution, and unspecified damages.<ref>{{cite court|litigants=Bourne Co., vs. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Fox Broadcasting Company, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainement, Inc., Fuzzy Door Productions, Inc., The Cartoon Network, Inc., Seth MacFarlane, Walter Murphy |court=[[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|United States District Court, Southern District of New York]] |date=October&nbsp;3, 2007 |url=http://www.schwimmerlegal.com/family%20guy%20complaint.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref> Because "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody of "When You Wish Upon a Star", without commenting on that song, Bourne argued that it was not a [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]–protected parody per the ruling in ''[[Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hilden/20071031.html |title="The Family Guy" Once Again Tests Parody's Limits: The Copyright Suit Challenging the Show's Use of "When You Wish Upon a Star" |accessdate=December&nbsp;9, 2007 |last=Hilden |first=Julie |authorlink=Julie Hilden |date=October&nbsp;31, 2007 |work=FindLaw's Writ |publisher=FindLaw }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&refer=conews&tkr=DJ%3AUS&sid=aQveqoR6.Pew|title=News Corp. Wins Suit Dismissal Over ‘Family Guy’ Song (Update1) |work=bloomberg|uber&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> On March&nbsp;16, 2009, United States District Judge [[Deborah Batts]] held that ''Family Guy'' did not infringe on Bourne's copyright when it transformed the song for comical use in an episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE52F6W620090316 |title="Family Guy" wins court battle over song |accessdate=March&nbsp;17, 2009 |last=Kearney |first=Christine |date=March&nbsp;16, 2009 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

In December&nbsp;2007, ''Family Guy'' was again accused of [[copyright infringement]] upon actor [[Art Metrano]] filing a lawsuit regarding a scene in ''[[Stewie 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 (song)|Fine and Dandy]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2007/12/06/6128/magician_sues_over_cartoon_jesus |title=Magician sues over cartoon Jesus |date=June&nbsp;12, 207 |work=Cortle |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref> Metrano's suit claims this performance is protected under terms of the United States' [[Copyright Act of 1976]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/story/10569.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=news&tag=headlines;title;0 |title=''Family Guy'' sued ...again |accessdate=December&nbsp;9, 2007 |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=December&nbsp;7, 2007 |work=[[TV.com]]}}</ref> 20th Century Fox, MacFarlane, Callaghan and Borstein were all named in the suit which is ongoing.<ref>{{cite court|litigants=Arthur Metrano, vs. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Seth MacFarlane, Steve Callaghan and Alex Borstein |court=[[United States District Court for the Central District of California|United States District Court, Central District of California]] |date=December&nbsp;5, 2007 |url=http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1206_metrano_fox_wm.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>

==Reception and achievements==
===Critical reception===
{{Seealso|Criticism of Family Guy}}

[[File:Mad 0905.jpg|thumb|200px|Cover of issue 458 of ''[[Mad Magazine]]'', showing the ''Family Guy'' characters crossed over with characters from ''[[The Simpsons]]''.|alt=Cover of a magazine. The caption along the bottom in bold blue reads "We Salute ''Family Guy'', TV's Most Original TV Series" in all caps. Centered is the Griffin family slightly altered to resemble characters of the Simpsons family from the animated series ''The Simpsons''. Along the top is ''Mad Magazines’ logo: the word "MAD" in red caps.]]

''Family Guy'' has received many positive reviews from critics. Catherine Seipp of the [[National Review|National Review Online]] called it a "nasty but extremely funny" cartoon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/seipp/seipp200502040749.asp |title=Return of the Family Guy|work=NRO|accessdate=October&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> Caryn James of the ''[[The New York Times]]'', called it a show with an "outrageously satirical family" and "includes plenty of comic possibilities and parodies."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/13/arts/the-new-season-television-critic-s-choice-a-little-dysfunctional-family-fun.html|title=The New Season/Television: Critic's Choice; A Little Dysfunctional Family Fun|work=NYT|accessdate=October&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' named ''Family Guy'' the "Show of the Week" on April 21, 2009, calling it a "pop culture-heavy masterpiece".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/tv-reviews/show-of-the-week-family-guy/2009/04/20/1240079595389.html|title=Show Of The Week: Family Guy|title=Show of the Week: Family Guy|work=SMI|accessdate=October&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> Frazier Moore from the ''[[Seattle Times]]'' called it an "endless craving for humor about bodily emissions". He also called it "breathtakingly smart" and said a "blend of the ingenious with the raw helps account for its much broader appeal". He finished up by calling it "rude, crude and deliciously wrong".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/television/2008032607_tvfamilyguy04.html|title=Return of the Family Guy|title=Return of the Family Guy|work=NRO|accessdate=October&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> The series has also attracted many celebrities, including [[Emily Blunt]], who has stated that ''Family Guy'' is her favorite series and has expressed strong interest in becoming a guest star on the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Entertainment/12-Jun-2009/Emily-Blunt-wants-to-star-in-Family-Guy|title=Emily Blunt wants to star in Family Guy<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref>

However, ''Family Guy'' has also received its share of negative treatment. For example, Ken Tucker of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' has frequently panned the show, grading it with a "[[Academic grading in North America|D]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,273010,00.html|title=Family Guy|last=Tucker|first=Ken|date=September 4, 1999|work=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=February 28, 2009}}</ref> and naming it the worst show of the [[1999-00 United States network television schedule|1999-2000 television season]].<ref>{{cite web| last = Tucker| first = Ken|title= Television| publisher = [[Entertainment Weekly]]| date = December 21, 2001| url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,252798_3,00.html|accessdate= October 21, 2009}}</ref> The series has frequently been criticized for using story premises and humor similar to those used in episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]''. ''The Simpsons'' depicted Peter Griffin as a "[[Molecular cloning|clone]]" of [[Homer Simpson]] in a [[Treehouse of Horror XIII|Halloween special]],<ref>{{cite episode|episodelink=Treehouse of Horror XIII#Send in the Clones |title=Send in the Clones |serieslink=The Simpsons |series=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=November&nbsp;3, 2002 |season=14 |number=292}}</ref> and as a fugitive accused of "Plagiarismo" in the episode "[[The Italian Bob]]". ''Family Guy'' is also mocked in a two-part episode ("[[Cartoon Wars Part I]]" and "[[Cartoon Wars Part II]]") of ''[[South Park]]'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=[[Cartoon Wars Part I]] & [[Cartoon Wars Part II|II]] |series=South Park |serieslink=South Park |credits=Created by [[Matt Stone]] and [[Trey Parker]] |network=Comedy Central}}</ref> in which characters call the show's jokes interchangeable and unrelated to storylines; the writers of ''Family Guy'' are portrayed as [[manatee]]s who write by pushing rubber "idea balls" inscribed with random topics into a bin. MacFarlane responded to the criticism, saying it was completely founded and true, even giving reference to many skits and jokes that were meant for previously scripted episodes and later cut and recycled in future episodes.<ref>{{cite video|title=Family Guy, Volume 4, Commentary |format=DVD}}</ref>

Other cartoonists who have publicly criticized ''Family Guy'' include [[John Kricfalusi]], creator of ''[[Ren and Stimpy]]'': "If you're a kid wanting to be a cartoonist today, and you're looking at ''Family Guy'', you do not have to aim very high. You can draw ''Family Guy'' when you're ten years old. You do not have to get any better than that to become a professional cartoonist. The standards are extremely low".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2004_08.html |title=The John Kricfalusi Interview, Part 2 |accessdate=July&nbsp;14, 2006 |date=August&nbsp;31, 2004 |publisher=Cartoon Brew |first=John |last=Kricfalusi |authorlink=John Kricfalusi |coauthors="AMID"}}</ref> In addition, the show's penchant for irreverent humor led to a controversy over a sequence in which Peter Griffin dances, in [[Revue|musical revue]] fashion, around the bed of a man with end-stage [[AIDS]], delivering the patient's diagnosis in song.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid19925.asp |title="Family Guy" has fun with AIDS |last=Adams |first=Bob |work=Advocate.com |publisher=PlanetOut Inc. |accessdate=December&nbsp;12, 2006 |date=August&nbsp;22, 2005 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://townhall.com/columnists/BrentBozell/2009/04/10/foxs_comedic_genius |title=Fox's "Comedic Genius" |authorlink=L. Brent Bozell III |first=Brent |last=Bozell |work=[[Townhall.com]] |date=April&nbsp;10, 2009 |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref>

===Awards===
''Family Guy'' and its cast have been nominated for eleven [[Emmy Award]]s, with three wins. MacFarlane won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]] award for his performance as Stewie, 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]]", and [[Steven Fonti]] won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation award for his story-board work in the episode "[[No Chris Left Behind]]".<ref name="IMDBawards">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182576/awards |title=Awards for "Family Guy" |accessdate=October&nbsp;13, 2007 |work=[[Internet Movie Database]]}}</ref>

The show has also been nominated for eleven [[Annie Award|Annies]], and won three times, twice in 2006 and once in 2008. The show has also been nominated for a [[Golden Reel Award (Canada)|Golden Reel Award]] four times, winning once.<ref name="IMDBawards"/> In 2009, it was nominated for an Emmy for [[61st Primetime Emmy Awards|Outstanding Comedy Series]]. This was a significant accomplishment considering that the last animated program to be nominated was ''[[The Flintstones]]'' in 1961 and that ''[[The Simpsons]]'' has never been nominated in this category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-et-emmy-family17-2009jul17,0,5898425.story |title=Family Guy breaks the funny bone barrier with Emmy nod |first=Scott |last=Collins |date=July&nbsp;17, 2009 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref>

In the 1000th issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Brian Griffin was selected as the dog for "The Perfect TV Family."<ref>{{cite journal|title=TV: Breaking Down the List |journal=''Entertainment Weekly'' |issue=#999/1000 |date=June&nbsp;27 & July&nbsp;4, 2008 |page=56}}</ref>'' [[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard Magazine]]'' rated Stewie the 95th greatest villain of all time.<ref>{{cite journal|date=July&nbsp;2006 |title=The 100 Greatest Villains of All Time |journal=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]] |issue=177 |page=86 |accessdate=February&nbsp;9, 2009}}</ref> British newspaper ''[[The Times]]'' rated ''Family Guy'' as the forty-fifth best American show in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6061203.ece |title=The 50 best US television shows |date=April&nbsp;15, 2009 |work=[[The Times]] |accessdate=September&nbsp;1, 2009}}</ref> Family Guy was named the seventh of the top one-hundred animated series by [[IGN]].<ref name="ign100">{{cite web |title=7, Family Guy|url=http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/7.html|publisher=[[IGN]] |accessdate=January 24, 2009 |date=October 14, 2009}}</ref>

== Media ==
===Video game===
''[[Family Guy Video Game!]]'' is a 2006 [[action game]] released by [[2K Games]] and developed by [[High Voltage Software]]. It appears on the [[Xbox]] and [[PlayStation 2]] consoles, and the handheld [[PlayStation Portable]]. The game's story reflects the episodic structure of the series with [[adventure]] game play.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/family-guy-video-game |title=Family Guy Video Game! |work=[[MobyGames]] |accessdate=August&nbsp;23, 2009}}</ref> The game received very mixed reviews, averaging 50% for PS2,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/familyguy |title=Family Guy (ps2) reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref> 51% for PSP,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/psp/familyguy |title=Family Guy (psp) reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref> and 53% for Xbox<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbx/familyguy |title=Family Guy (xbx) reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=August&nbsp;23, 2009}}</ref> on review aggregator [[Metacritic]], receiving praise for its humor<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3154624 |title=Family Guy Review |work=[[1UP.com]] |first=Sam |last=Kennedy |date=October&nbsp;23, 2006 |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref> but being criticized for its short playtime<ref>{{cite web|title=http://www.psxextreme.com/ps2-reviews/510.html |title=Family Guy Review |work=PSX Extreme |first=Ben |last=Dutka |date=December&nbsp;21, 2006 |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref> and "uninteresting gameplay".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/adventure/familyguy/review.html |title=Family Guy Review for Xbox |work=[[GameSpot]] |first=Alex |last=Navarro |date=October&nbsp;24, 2006 |accessdate=August&nbsp;23, 2009}}</ref>

===Spin-off===
In 2009, a spin-off series titled ''[[The Cleveland Show]]'' premiered on Fox. ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' initially announced that there were plans to produce a [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of ''Family Guy'' to be focused on Cleveland. The project was created by MacFarlane, Henry and ''[[American Dad!]]'' show runner [[Rich Appel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/news/e3ibde8ca74de470b93d12371ef61c0ef91 |title=The Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=February&nbsp;29, 2008 |work=hollywoodreporter.com}}</ref> Cleveland references this at the end of the episode "[[Baby Not On Board]]".<ref name="s03e10">{{cite episode|title= Baby Not On Board|episodelink=Baby Not On Board|series=Family Guy|serieslink= Family Guy|network= Fox|airdate=November 2, 2008|season=7|number=4}}</ref> The series had its premiere on September&nbsp;27, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090615fox01 |title=FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates For The 2009-2010 Season |work=The Futon Critic |date=June&nbsp;15, 2009 |accessdate=August&nbsp;23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z252z1z2 |title=Fox Primetime - The Cleveland Show - Fact Sheet |work=Fox Flash |accessdate=August&nbsp;29, 2009}}</ref> Due to the cancellation of Mike Judge's ''[[King of the Hill]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=50165|title=Fox Not Renewing King of the Hill |work=comingsoon.net |date=October 31, 2008 |accessdate=May 25, 2009}}</ref> the American adaptation of ''[[Sit Down, Shut Up (U.S. TV series)|Sit Down, Shut Up]]'' being moved to Saturday nights,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8200|title=Exclusive: Fox to "Sit Down" in Late Night this Fall}}</ref> and the renewal of ''[[American Dad!]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]]'' is now the only cartoon on Fox's "Animation Domination" line-up that was not created by [[Seth MacFarlane]]. The show, which was picked up to air a first season consisting of 22 episodes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/11/the-family-guy.html|title=EW: Fox orders full season of 'Family Guy' spin-off}}</ref> was picked up by [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] for a second season, consisting of 13 episodes, bringing the total number to 35 episodes. The announcement was made on May 3, 2009 before the first season even premiered.<ref name= "season2">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/04/the-cleveland-show-renewed-before-it-begins/|title=The Cleveland Show renewed before it begins}}</ref> Due to strong ratings FOX picked up the back 9 episodes of season 2 which would make a 22 episode season and bring the total episode count of the show to 44.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/news/e3id8ce138992a53121b4b8137dc51ea285|title=Fox orders second full season of The Cleveland Show}}</ref>

=== Film ===
On July&nbsp;22, 2007, in an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter", MacFarlane announced that he may start working on a feature film, although "nothing's official."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN2230656720070724 |title="Family Guy" movie possible, MacFarlane says |work=Reuters |first=Georg |last=Szalai |date=July&nbsp;23, 2007 |accessdate=August&nbsp;31, 2009}}</ref> In September 2007, [[Ricky Blitt]] gave [[TV.com]] an interview confirming that he had already started working on the script.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/family-guy-blog/family-guy-feature-film-is-in-the-works!/topic/76955-855406/show_blog_entry.html?topic_id=855406&msg_id=8875173&print=1 |title=Family Guy feature film is in the works! |work=[[TV.com]] |date=September&nbsp;26, 2007 |accessdate=August&nbsp;23, 2009}}</ref> Then in [[TV Week]] on July 18, 2008, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically released ''Family Guy'' feature film sometime "within the next year".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/07/tca_video_family_guy_spoilers.php |title=TCA Video: ''Family Guy'' Spoilers; Movie Plans |work=[[TV Week]] |accessdate=August&nbsp;23, 2009}}</ref> 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 to ''[[The Sound of Music]]'', saying that he would "really be trying to capture, musically, that feel."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/130/family-values.html?page=0%2C0 |title=Seth MacFarlane's $2 Billion Family Guy Empire |last=Dean |first=Josh |work=FastCompany.com |accessdate=October&nbsp;21, 2008}}</ref>

===Live performances===
Seth McFarlane and some of the other writers and voice actors on the show have begun to perform in "Family Guy LIVE!", which have been enormously successful theater shows. The show usually begins with a read-through of a script from a classic episode from the series, with all of the original voice-actors performing their character's lines, and then moves onto a performance of some songs from the show's history. Towards the end, there is a [[Q & A]] session and a clip is shown from one of the new, unaired episodes. There have been performances in New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Chicago<ref>[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970158.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 'Family Guy' hits the road - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Even though an aired episode is usually only 22 minutes long, the script-reading of an episode of the same length can last as long as an hour with all of the pauses for laughter to subside and constant asides to the audience.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Family Guy}}

[[Category:Family Guy]]
[[Category:History of television]]

[[pl:Historia serialu Family Guy]]

Latest revision as of 18:09, 14 November 2017

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