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#REDIRECT [[Family Guy#Development]]
[[File:Seth MacFarlane by Gage Skidmore 4.jpg|right|upright|170px|thumb|alt=A man with black hair and a black shirt, leans forward slightly to speak into a microphone.|[[Seth MacFarlane]] is the Family Guy creator and voices three of the main characters.]]

This is a '''history of''' the [[List of animated television series|animated television series]] '''''[[Family Guy]] ''''' 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. In 2008, MacFarlane confirmed that the cast were interested in producing a feature film and that he was working on a story. In 2009, a spin-off series ''[[The Cleveland Show]]'' it premiered on September 27, 2009 as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox on. The eighth season of ''Family Guy'' premiered on September 27, 2009.



==The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve==
{{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" />

==Half-and hour show==
MacFarlane conceived the idea for the ''Family Guy'' in 1999, developing it out of his two short films. He caught the attention of Fox, he received a [[US$]]50,000 budget to develop a pilot for the show, which was, as MacFarlane stated in a 2006 interview, "{{interp|...}} about one twentieth of what most pilots cost".<ref name="Yahoovid">{{cite news|author=MacFarlane, Seth|date=2006|url=http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/1929627/2891929 |title=Inside Media at MTR (2006): ''Family Guy'' 2 |work=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Video]]|publisher=[[The Paley Center for Media]]|accessdate=October 18, 2009}}</ref>
. 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>

The show started with five main cast members Macfarlane, [[Alex Borstein]], [[Seth Green]] and [[Lacey Chabert]]. MacFarlane MacFarlane chose to voice these characters himself, believing it would be easier to portray the voices he already envisioned than for someone else to attempt it.<ref name="MacFarlaneTIME"/> MacFarlane drew inspiration for the voice of Peter from a security guard he overheard talking while attending the [[Rhode Island School of Design]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.projo.com/tv/content/projo_20050430_macfarlan.1d6c9b8.html|work=Providence Journal TV|author=Smith, Andy|title=A Real Family Reunion|date=April 30, 2005|accessdate=August 28, 2009}}</ref> Stewie's voice was based on the voice of [[England|English]] actor [[Rex Harrison]],<ref name= "foxnews">{{cite news|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/portal/site/fb/menuitem.5b2f8f9bb693bd972f08aa8738d48a0c/?vgnextoid=8e1a04e62a94d110VgnVCM10000086c1a8c0RCRD&redirected=true|title=Seth MacFarlane’s $2 Billion Family Guy Empire|author=Dean, John|publisher=[[Fox Business]]|date=November 1, 2008|accessdate=August 24, 2009}}</ref> especially his performance in the 1964 musical drama film ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=American Idiots|work=[[The New Yorker]]|date=January 16, 2006|author=Franklin, Nancy|accessdate=November&nbsp;6, 2009}}</ref> MacFarlane uses his regular speaking voice when playing Brian.<ref name="MacFarlaneTIME">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1844711,00.html|title=Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane|author=Cruz, Gilbert|date=September 26, 2008|work=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]|accessdate=August 28, 2009}}</ref> Borstein was asked to provide a voice for the [[Death has a Shadow|pilot]] while she was working on ''[[MADtv]]''. She had not met MacFarlane or seen any of his artwork and said it was "really sight unseen".<ref name="TVGLois">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/Alex-Borstein-Lois-36289.aspx |title=Alex Borstein (Lois) Laughs at the Once-Dead ''Family Guy''{{'}}s Longevity |date=November&nbsp13, 2006 |work=[[TV Guide]]|accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref> Green went to the casting doing an impression of the [[Jame Gumb|"Buffalo Bill"]] character from the thriller film ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' during his audition, envisioning how "Buffalo Bill" would sound if he were speaking through a public address system at a [[McDonalds|McDonald's]].<ref>{{cite video|people=[[Seth Green|Green, Seth]]|title=Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story: Audio Commentary|medium=DVD|date2=September 27, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fans help 'Family Guy' return to Fox|work=[[Observer-Reporter]]|date=April 29, 2005|page=E5}}</ref> Chabert voiced Meg Griffin for the first production season (15 episodes), but, because of a contractual agreement, was never credited.<ref name="interview">{{cite web|first=Daniel Robert |last=Epstein |url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/familyguy/sethmacfarlane.asp |title=Interview with Seth MacFarlane, creator of The Family Guy |work=[[UGO Networks]] |accessdate=November&nbsp;23, 2008}}</ref> Chabert left the series due to time constraints with her acting role in ''[[Party of Five]]'', as well as schoolwork.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/sonic-the-hedgehog/737699p2.html|title=Sonic the Horndog|work=[[Gamespy]]|accessdate=2009-10-03}}</ref> The role was later taken by [[Mila Kunis]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Seth Green fits right in with new ''Family'' |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |first=Jefferson |last=Graham |date=April&nbsp;9, 1999 |accessdate=September&nbsp;3, 2009}}</ref> Kunis won the role after auditions and a slight rewrite of the character, in part due to her performance on ''[[That '70s Show]]''.<ref name="MTR 7">{{cite web|url=http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=245724&cl=2891958&src=tv&ch=245724 |title=Inside Media at MTR (2006): ''Family Guy'' 7 |work=Yahoo! Video |accessdate=August&nbsp;24, 2009}}</ref>

===The first season===
{{main|Family Guy (season 1)}}
''Family Guy'' first aired January 31, 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/information-services/5639961-1.html |title=''Family Guy'' Returns to Production with an Initial Order of 22 New Episodes to Premiere in Early 2005 |accessdate=2004-03-26 |date=2008-05-31 |work=Business Wire}}</ref> MacFarlane's work in animating ''Family Guy'' has been influenced by [[Jackie Gleason]] and [[Woody Allen]]'s work, along with examples from ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[All in the Family]]''.<ref name="personal">{{cite news | first=Thomas | last=McLean | coauthors= | title=Seth MacFarlane: ''Family Guy,'' ''American Dad!'' | date=[[2007-06-01]] | publisher=Reed Business | url =http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117966166.html?nav=eproducer07 | work =Variety | pages = | accessdate = 2008-01-05 | language = }}</ref> The show has had two pilots the one that aired is [[Death has a Shadow]], the unaired pilot is an 8-minute pilot pitch to Fox that was made on MacFarlane's kitchen table.<ref name="pilot original kick"/> MacFarlane stated that the pilot for ''Family Guy'' took half a year to create and produce.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Seth MacFarlane to speak at Class Day: Creator and executive producer of 'Family Guy' will headline undergraduate celebration | date=[[2007-07-07]] | publisher=The New York Times Company | url =http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/05.11/03-classday.html | work =''Harvard Gazette'' | page = | accessdate = December 21, 2007| language = }}</ref>Recalling the experience in an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'', MacFarlane stated, "I spent about six months with no sleep and no life, just drawing like crazy in my kitchen and doing this pilot".<ref name="pilot original kick">{{cite news | first=Bernard | last=Weinraub | coauthors= | title= The Young Guy Of 'Family Guy'; A 30-Year-Old's Cartoon Hit Makes An Unexpected Comeback | date=[[2007-07-07]] | publisher=The New York Times Company | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/07/arts/young-guy-family-guy-30-year-old-s-cartoon-hit-makes-unexpected-comeback.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 | work =The New York Times | page =2 | accessdate = 2008-01-06 | language = }}</ref> Ahsan Haque of [[IGN]] called the first season of ''Family Guy'' "extremely short but groundbreaking".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|author=Haque, Ashan (2008)|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/885/885471p1.html|title=Family Guy Flashback: "Brian: Portrait of a Dog" Review|accessdate=2009-09-14|publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Haque also named the episodes "[[Brian: Portrait of a Dog]]" and "[[I Never Met the Dead Man]]" as some of the "best in the series".<ref name="IGN"/><ref name="Dead Man">{{cite web|author=Haque, Ashan (2008)|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/877/877060p1.html|title=Family Guy Flashback: "I Never Met the Dead Man" Review|accessdate=2009-09-14|publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref> In 2009, the site named Stewie's plan to freeze broccoli crops #1 in "Stewie's Top 10 Most Diobolical Evil Plans".<ref>{{cite web|author=Haque, Ashan (2009)|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/939/939466p10.html|title=Family Guy: Stewie's Top 10 Most Diabolical Evil Plans|accessdate=2009-09-14|publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

===Season 2 onward===
{{Main|Family Guy (season 2)}}
The seconed season started September 23, 1999 with the episode [[Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater]], ''Family Guy''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season was well-received among critics. Aaron Beierle of [[DVD Talk]] said "Often brilliant, extremely witty and darkly hilarious, ''Family Guy'' was unfortunately canceled after Fox bumped it around six or seven different time slots. Fans of the show should definitely pick up this terrific sets, while those who haven't seen it should consider giving it a look."<ref name="FG DVD No. 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/5879/family-guy-volume-1/|title=Family Guy — Vol. 1|last=Beierle|first=Aaron|date=2003-03-21|publisher=DVDTalk.com|accessdate=2009-09-27}}</ref> Though it has been panned by some media critics. 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=1999-04-09|work=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=2009-02-28}}</ref> and naming it the worst show of the [[1999-00 United States network television schedule|1999-2000 television season]].<ref name="ew worst 1999">{{cite web
| last = Tucker
| first = Ken
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Television
| work =
| publisher = [[Entertainment Weekly]]
| date = 2001-12-21
| url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,252798_3,00.html
| doi =
| accessdate = 2007-07-22 }}"Here is a worthy successor to ''[[Arli$$]]'' as The Awful Show They Just Keep Putting on the Air, a phenomenon as inexplicable as where [[Larry King]] gets all his suspenders. As long as they keep bringing back ''Family Guy'', a hunk of ugly animation, I'll keep using it to line the bottom of this barrel."</ref> Tucker responded to a reader's question in 2005 that he continued to dislike the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,701497,00.html|title='Family' Matters|last=Tucker|first=Ken|work=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=2009-02-28}}</ref> Mark Graham noted "MacFarlane's incredibly rocky relationship with both the magazine and its lead television critic, Ken Tucker" in a blog on the ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/12/seth_macfarlane_named_smartest.html|title=Seth MacFarlane Named ‘Smartest Person on TV,’ Ken Tucker Promptly Keels Over|last=Graham|first=Mark|date=2008-12-04|work=New York|accessdate=2009-02-28}}</ref>The [[Parents Television Council]], a [[Watchdog journalism|watchdog]] and frequent [[Criticism of Family Guy|critic]] of ''Family Guy'' had initially speculated that ''Family Guy'' would be "pushing the envelope" before the [[Death Has a Shadow|series' 1999 premiere]].<ref>{{cite web | last = Bozell | first = L. Brent III | authorlink = L. Brent Bozell III | title = WB: The Very Model of a Modern Network? | work=[[Media Research Center|MediaResearch.org]]|publisher = [[Creators Syndicate]]| date = 1999-01-19 | url =http://www.mediaresearch.org/bozellcolumns/entertainmentcolumn/1999/col19990119.asp | accessdate = 2008-02-03 }}</ref> In May 2000, in its weekly "E-Alert" [[email]] newsletter, the PTC launched a letter-writing campaign to the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] to persuade the network to cancel ''Family Guy'' following a return from a long hiatus in the [[List of Family Guy episodes#Season 2: 1999-2000|show's second season]], due to what the PTC claimed were "strong advertiser resistance and low ratings".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20010702021728/www.parentstv.org/publications/cyberbites/ecyb20000505.html Parents Television Council E-Alert]. Vol. 4, No. 26. May 5, 2000. "In the two months since the show returned, creator Seth MacFarlane has aggressively sought to push the content envelope. Worse, Fox has permitted him to do so. Although Family Guy airs during the family hour, when children are likely to be watching, recent episodes have included animated nudity, vulgar references to genitalia, and references to pornography and masturbation." (Cited episode "[[Fifteen Minutes of Shame]]" as example)</ref> In addition, ''Family Guy'' made the PTC's 2000 "worst prime-time shows for family viewing".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2000top/main.asp | title = Top 10 Best & Worst Family Shows on Network Television, 1999-2000 TV Season | accessdate = 2006-12-12 | work = ParentsTV.org | publisher = Parents Television Council | quote = ...unbelievably foul... }}</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>

The show had been quite highly successful since, being scheduled to air a total of at least nine seasons.<ref name="S09PremiereInfo">http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i7495acaf0e8bd0e435f43457ed2b7be7</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SDCC 09: Family Guy Strikes Back |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/100/1007509p1.html |publisher=[[IGN]] |quote=Family Guy tales, next year should have a ... "Who Done It" ... features James Woods. |accessdate=2009-10-04}}</ref>
The ninth season will mark [[Steve Callaghan]] and [[Mark Hentemann]] have been promoted to executive producers and named [[show runner]]s,<ref name="S09PremiereInfo"/> as well as the first time it will air in [[high-definition television|high definition]].<ref name="FGgoesHD">http://twitter.com/teenagesleuth/status/3397736056</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Planet Family Guy: Season 9 Family Guy première in HD |publisher=Planet Family Guy |url=http://www.planet-familyguy.com/news/familyguy/309/season-9-family-guy-premiere-in-hd |quote=According to Kara Vallows’ Twitter feed |accessdate=2009-10-04}}</ref>

===Post-cancellation===
Fox ordered 35 new episodes in 2004, marking the first revival of a television show based on DVD sales. <ref name="CSM">{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0422/p12s01-altv.html|title=Cult fans bring 'The Family Guy' back to TV|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|author=Goodale, Gloria|date=April 22, 2005|accessdate=July 2, 2009|page=12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-11-18-family-guy_x.htm|title='Family Guy' may return|author=Levin, Gary|work=[[USA Today]]|date=November 18, 2003|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref> Fox president [[Gail Berman]] said that it was one of her most difficult decisions to cancel the show, and was therefore happy it would return.<ref name="Newsweek">{{cite news|title=Family Reunion|work=[[Newsweek]]|date=April 4, 2005|page=50|author=Gordon, Devin}}</ref> The network also began production of a film based on the series.<ref name="billboard">{{cite news|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XREEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=Family+Guy+cancelled|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Successful "Guy"|author=Kipnis, Jill|date=February 7, 2004|page=44|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>
"North by North Quahog" was the first episode to be broadcast after the show's cancellation. It was written by MacFarlane and directed by [[Peter Shin]].<ref name="variety-review">{{cite news|title=Family Guy|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117926915.html?categoryid=32&cs=1|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Lowry, Brian|date=April 28, 2005|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref> 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 "...&nbsp;you see a lot more sex jokes and (bodily function) jokes and signs of a fatigued staff that their brains are just fried".<ref name="JAM!"/> With "North by North Quahog", the writing staff tried to keep the show "...&nbsp;exactly as it was" before its cancellation, and did not "...&nbsp;have the desire to make it any [[wiktionary:slick|slicker]]" than it already was.<ref name="JAM!">{{cite news|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/F/Family_Guy/2005/05/01/pf-1020572.html|title='Family Guy' returns|author=Williamson, Kevin|publisher=''[[Calgary Sun]]'' & [[Jam!]]|date=May 1, 2005|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref> [[Walter Murphy]], who had composed music for the show before its cancellation, returned to compose the music for "North by North Quahog". Murphy and the orchestra recorded an arrangement of [[Bernard Herrmann]]'s [[film score|score]] from ''[[North by Northwest]]'', a film referenced multiple times in the episode.<ref name="score">{{cite news|url=http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=144|author=Goldwasser, Dan|title=MacFarlane's Power-Hour|publisher=[[SoundtrackNet]]|date=April 28, 2005|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>

Fox had ordered five episode scripts at the end of the third season; these episodes had been written but not produced. One of these scripts was adapted into "North by North Quahog". The original script featured ''[[Star Wars]]'' character [[Boba Fett]], and later actor, writer and producer [[Aaron Spelling]], but the release of the iconic film ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' inspired the writers to incorporate Mel Gibson into the episode. Multiple endings were written, including one in which [[List of characters in Family Guy#Jesus, God and Death|Death]] comes for Gibson. During production, an episode of ''[[South Park]]'' was released entitled "[[The Passion of the Jew]]" that also featured Gibson as a prominent character. This gave the ''Family Guy'' writers pause, fearing accusations "{{interp|...}} that we had ripped them off."<ref name="commentary">{{cite video|title=[[Family Guy (season 4)|Family Guy: Volume Three]]: Commentary for "North by North Quahog"|publisher=[[20th Century Fox|Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation]]|format=DVD|date2=November 29, 2005|people=[[Seth MacFarlane|McFarlane, Seth]] (writer); [[David A. Goodman|Goodman, David A.]]; [[Chris Sheridan (writer)|Sheridan, Chris]] (executive producers); [[Peter Shin|Shin, Peter]] (director); [[Seth Green|Green, Seth]] (voice actor)}}</ref>

Three days before the episode debuted on television, it was screened at the [[University of Vermont]] (UVM) in [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]], accompanied by an hour-long question-and-answer session with MacFarlane.<ref>{{cite news|title=Live Readings, Song-and-Dance Herald `Family Guy' Comeback|work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]]|date=April 14, 2005|page=U6|last=Barrera|first=Sandra}}</ref><ref name="UVM">{{cite web |url=http://alumni.uvm.edu/2005/ |title=The UVM Connection > Class of 2005 |publisher=The University of Vermont |accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref> The UVM's special screening of the episode was attended by 1,700 people.<ref name="UVM"/> As promotion for the show, and to, as Newman described, "expand interest in the show beyond its die hard fans",<ref name="VarietyLive!"/> Fox organized four ''Family Guy Live!'' performances, which featured cast members reading old episodes aloud; In addition, the cast performed musical numbers from the ''[[Family Guy Live in Vegas]]'' comedy album.<ref name="VarietyLive!">{{cite news|title=Family Guy Center Stage|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 10, 2005|author=Adalian, Josef|page=1}}</ref> The stage shows were an extension of a performance by the cast during the 2004 [[Montreal Comedy Festival]].<ref name="VarietyLive!"/> The ''Family Guy Live!'' performances, which took place in Los Angeles and New York, sold out and were attended by around 1,200 people each.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155143,00.html|title='Family Guy' Returns to FOX|publisher=[[Fox News]]|date=April 30, 2005|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>

===Carol Burnett Controversy ===
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>

=== Bourne Co. Music Publishers Controversy ===
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>

===Art Metrano Controversy===
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>

===2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike===
During the sixth season, episodes of ''Family Guy'' and ''American Dad!'' were delayed from regular broadcast due to the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]] (which MacFarlane participated in to support the writers while FOX aired three ''Family Guy'' episodes without MacFarlane's permission). On February 12, 2008, the strike ended,<ref name="cnn1">{{cite news|title=Strike over, Hollywood writers head back to work|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/13/writers.strike/index.html|work=CNN.com|date=2008-02-13|accessdate=2008-05-06}}</ref> and the series resumed airing regularly, beginning with "[[Back to the Woods (Family Guy)|Back to the Woods]]".

===Criticism by other cartoonists===
Other cartoonists have criticized the show as well. The show's animation has come under fire by ''[[The Ren and Stimpy Show|Ren & Stimpy]]'' creator [[John Kricfalusi]], who expresses concern that the current generation of aspiring animators will be negatively influenced by the simplistic quality of animation in cartoons like ''Family Guy''.<ref name="intjk">{{cite web
| url = http://www.cartoonbrew.com/old-brew/the-john-kricfalusi-interview-part-2
| title = The John Kricfalusi Interview, Part 2
| accessdate = 2007-03-26
| author = Amid Amidi
| date = 2004-08-31
| work = Cartoon Brew
| publisher = Cartoon Brew LLC.
| archiveurl = http://www.cartoonbrew.com/old-brew/the-john-kricfalusi-interview-part-2
| archivedate = 2004-08-31
| quote = If you're a kid wanting to be a cartoonist today, and you're looking at ''Family Guy'', you don't have to aim very high. You can draw ''Family Guy'' when you're ten years old. You don't have to get any better than that to become a professional cartoonist. The standards are extremely low.}}</ref>

The show's writing style has also come under criticism by ''[[South Park]]'' creators [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]]. In a 2006 interview, Parker and Stone revealed that they dislike having their show compared to ''Family Guy''.<ref name="intpas">{{cite web|url=http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=261&csid1=70&csid2=6&fid1=3908|title=Trey Parker and Matt Stone |publisher=Exclaim! | month = June | year = 2005|accessdate=2007-03-26}}</ref>
Their opinions are showcased in the two-part 2006 ''South Park'' story arc "[[Cartoon Wars]]". The story involves [[Eric Cartman]]'s hatred of ''Family Guy'' and his attempt to get the show canceled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/131vamlb.asp?pg=2|title=The Cartoon Wars Are Over|last=Currie|first=Duncan|date=2006-05-06|publisher=[[The Weekly Standard]]|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref> In the episodes, fake ''Family Guy'' clips are shown depicting nonsensical cutaway jokes with no apparent relation to the plot. After the episode aired, Stone and Parker received support and gratitude from the staffs of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[King of the Hill]]'' for "ripping on ''Family Guy''".<ref>{{cite web |first=Gillespie|last=Nick|coauthors= Jesse Walker |title=South Park Libertarians |url=http://www.reason.com/news/show/116787.html |date=December 2006|work=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]|accessdate=28 August 2009}}</ref> Cartman's intense dislike of the show is also referred to in the 2008 episode "[[Canada on Strike]]".<ref name="Canada"> {{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/south-park-canada-on-strike,12905/|title=South Park: "Canada On Strike"|last=Modell|first=Josh|publisher=[[A.V. Club]]|date=2008-04-03|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref>

Parker and Stone clarify their opinions of ''Family Guy'' in the DVD commentary for the episodes. They say that, although they respect it for its fans and making people laugh, and having some smart humor, they ultimately hate the show itself and have absolutely no respect for its writing, given its overuse of [[Visual gag|gag humor]].

During his "class day" address at [[Harvard University]] on June 7, 2006, [[Seth MacFarlane]] addressed Stone and Parker's criticisms in character as [[Stewie Griffin|Stewie]], stating that the "...cutaways and flashbacks have nothing to do with the story. They're just there to be 'funny'. That is a shallow indulgence that ''South Park'' is quite above, and, for that, I salute them."

Several episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', including "[[Missionary: Impossible]]", "[[Treehouse of Horror XIII]]", and "[[The Italian Bob]]" have poked fun at ''Family Guy'', implying that MacFarlane's show is guilty of [[plagiarism]]. However, both MacFarlane and ''Simpsons'' creator [[Matt Groening]] have said that there is no serious feud between the two of them and their shows.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47771 | title = Interview: Matt Groening | accessdate = 2006-12-12 | author = Nathan Rabin | date = 2006-04-26 | work = The A.V. Club | publisher = Onion Inc. | quote = The rivalry is very affectionate...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://familyguy.tktv.net/news.html ''Family Guy''|title=Timeline at familyguy.tktv.net|quote=You know, it's funny. Matt Groening and I actually have a great relationship...}}</ref>

===Later seasons===
Production for the fifth season began in 2005, during the airing of the [[Family Guy (season 4)|fourth season]]. The season was executive produced by series regulars [[David A. Goodman]], [[Seth MacFarlane]], [[Chris Sheridan (writer)|Chris Sheridan]], [[David Zuckerman (producer)|David Zuckerman]] and [[Daniel Palladino]].<ref name="execproducer">{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/objects/825/825931.html|title=IGN: Family Guy: Season 5 |work=IGN.com|accessdate=2009-10-28}}</ref>MacFarlane's sister, [[Rachael MacFarlane]], also made her last appearance as Olivia, the child actress, when her character was killed by Stewie in the episode "[[Chick Cancer]]".<ref name="TVGuide cas1">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/rachael-macfarlane/credits/198326|title=Rachel MacFarlane: Credits|work=[[TV Guide]] |accessdate=October&nbsp;17, 2009}}</ref> The season ends just short of the series' [[The Family Guy 100th Episode Special|100th episode]], which presents the funniest clips of the previous 99 episodes. The decision to end the fifth season before the 100th episode was made due to Fox executive's desire to show the Family Guy special hour-long [[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]] as the sixth season premiere, which was also then-unfinished, at the end of the fifth season in May 2007.<ref name="blueharvest">{{cite news|first=Josef|last=Adalian |title='Family Guy' meets 'Star Wars' |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117965865.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2565 |publisher=''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''|date=September 24, 2007|accessdate=2009-10-19}}</ref>

[[Family Guy (season 6)|Season 6]] began airing on [[September 23]], [[2007]] and concluded after 12 episodes on [[May 5]], [[2008]]. The show celebrated the 100th episode episode as [[Stewie Kills Lois]], although the three episodes that made up the DVD movie weren't included in their "official" count. They also counted the hour long episode [[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]], At the 2007 [[Comic-Con International|Comic Con]], a series of clips was shown at a panel for ''Family Guy'' from the season premiere episode, showing the ''Family Guy'' characters as ''Star Wars'' characters. The episode aired on September 23, 2007, with some slight changes from the clips shown at Comic Con. Parts of this episode were shown at [[Star Wars Celebration|''Star Wars'' Celebration]] IV, at which ''Family Guy'' creator [[Seth MacFarlane]], a ''Star Wars'' fan since childhood, was a special guest,<ref name="force">{{cite news|first=Stax|title=The Force is With Family Guy|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/792/792604p1.html|publisher=''[[IGN]]''|date=[[May 30]], 2007|accessdate=2007-09-24}}</ref> and again at [[Comic-Con International]] 2007.<ref name="comiccon">{{cite web|url=http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci07_prog_sat.php|title=Programming for Saturday July 28|publisher=Comic-Con|accessdate=2007-10-02}}</ref> The episode was officially endorsed by [[Lucasfilm]], especially [[George Lucas]], who revealed in his conversation with MacFarlane that he has [[TiVo]]ed every single episode of ''Family Guy'' without having to buy the [[DVD]]s and, in addition to ''[[Jackass (TV series)|Jackass]]'', it's the only show he watches. MacFarlane said they were extremely helpful when the ''Family Guy'' crew wanted to parody their works.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bonnie|last=Burton|title="Family Guy" Creator Reveals Star Wars Cred|url=http://www.starwars.com/community/news/rocks/f20070921/index.html|publisher=''Starwars.com''|date=[[September 21]], 2007|accessdate=2007-09-21}}</ref> Due to the ''2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike'', this season had a short amount of episodes and three were shown without permission from [[Seth MacFarlane]] (who supported the striking writers by refusing to complete any episodes).<ref name="cnn1"/>

==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==
{{Main|Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show}}
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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