Death Has a Shadow

Death Has a Shadow is the first episode of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. First aired on January 31, 1999, after Super Bowl XXXIII. Written by Seth MacFarlane and directed by Peter Shin. Production code 1ACX01.

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler After overindulging at a bachelor party the previous night, Peter falls asleep while monitoring the production line at the toy factory. Following a local news report on the large number of unsafe toys suddenly being sold, Peter is fired for negligence. To keep Lois from knowing, he applies for welfare and receives a weekly check for $150,000 due to a bureaucratic mistake. Lois eventually finds out, prompting Peter to return the money; he decides to do this by throwing the cash from a blimp during the Super Bowl, with disastrous results. In court, Stewie uses a mind control device to make the judge revoke Peter's 24 month prison sentence and give him his job back.

Notes

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Cameo appearance of Kool-Aid Man on Family Guy.

Roughly the first half of the episode is based on MacFarlane's pitch to FOX.

In a cutaway, Adolph Hitler is shown struggling to lift weights at a gym, and looks over to see a muscular rabbi being rubbed by two women. This is the supposed reason for the Holocaust.

The scene in which Peter gets drunk on communion wine at church was cut from the original airing. A shorter version was included in the later episode "Fifteen Minutes of Shame".

At Peter's job, a co-worker creates a new toy line known as G.I. Jew. His catchphrase is "You call these bagels?"

In a commercial, Peter (dressed as the Cocoa Puffs mascot) says "I'm caca for Cuckoo Puffs!"

Peter was apparently at the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, but wouldn't stand up to the tank because he "only came over to buy fireworks."

Former President Bill Clinton is shown as drunk and hostile at a press conference. When a large reporter asks why he was so popular, he responds with "Probably because you're so fat!"

The jester that Peter hires for Lois is Jerry Seinfeld.

Peter says that they have enough money to get their kids out of any problem, "Just like the Kennedy's."

At the Super Bowl, announcer John Madden is trying to make conversation during a commercial break but can only talk about "FOOTBALL!!!" in his announcing voice.

In the courtroom scene, the Kool-Aid Man bursts through the wall, shouting his catchphrase, "Oh yeah!"

This was one of the highest rated episodes of the series, most likely because of the Superbowl.

This episode contains references to The Brady Bunch and Aunt Jemima pancakes.

References to other television shows and movies

The pornographic movie the guys watch at the party, titled Assablanca, is a parody of the movie Casablanca.