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THE BEST SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{{Infobox Television
| show_name = Family Guy
| image = [[Image:Family Guy.png]]<br>[[Image:FamilyGuyFamilyPromo.png|300px]]
| imagebg = #DF0704
| caption = 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]]
| format = [[Animation]]
| genre = [[animated cartoon|Animated]] [[Sitcom]]
| runtime = 20–23 mins
| creator = [[Seth MacFarlane]]
| developer = Seth MacFarlane<br>[[David Zuckerman (producer)|David Zuckerman]]
| voices = Seth MacFarlane<br>[[Alex Borstein]]<br>[[Seth Green]]<br>[[Mila Kunis]]<br>[[Mike Henry (television writer/producer)|Mike Henry]]
| theme_music_composer = [[Walter Murphy]]
| composer = Walter Murphy<br>[[Ron Jones (composer)|Ron Jones]]
| picture_format = [[480i]] ([[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| executive_producer = [[Lolee Aries]]<br>[[David A. Goodman]]<br>Seth MacFarlane<br>[[Daniel Palladino]]<br>David Zuckerman
| country = United States
| network = [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1999|01|31}} – {{start date|2000|08|01}}<br>{{start date|2001|07|11}} - {{start date|2002|02|14}}<br>{{start date|2005|05|1}}
| last_aired = present
| num_seasons = 6
| num_episodes = 110
| list_episodes = List of Family Guy episodes
| website = http://www.familyguy.com/
| imdb_id = 0182576
| tv_com_id = 348
}}
'''''Family Guy''''' is an [[animated cartoon|animated]] [[Television in the United States|American]] [[Situation comedy|television sitcom]] created by [[Seth MacFarlane]] and airing on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. The show centers on a semi-[[dysfunctional family]] that lives in the fictional town of Quahog, [[Rhode Island]]. <!--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]]", jokes in the form of [[wikt:tangent|tangential]] [[vignette (entertainment)|vignettes]].<ref name="MSNknockoff">{{cite web
| url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21627779/
| title = 'Family Guy' is no cheap 'Simpsons' knock-off
| accessdate = 2007-12-14
| last = Dehnart
| first = Andy
| authorlink = Andy Dehnart
| date = 2007-11-05
| work = msnbc Entertainment
| publisher = MSNBC Interactive
| archiveurl = http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21627779/
| archivedate = 2007-12-14
| quote = "Family Guy" really stands apart because of its flashbacks, cutaways and throw-away references... Its signature devices tend to lack anything more than a tangential connection to the central narrative.
}}</ref>

''Family Guy'' was cancelled once in 2000 and again in 2002, but strong [[DVD]] sales and the large viewership of reruns on [[Cartoon Network (United States)|Cartoon Network]]'s [[Adult Swim]] convinced [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] to resume the show in 2005. It is the first cancelled show to be resurrected based on DVD sales and the only to be resurrected twice on that basis.<ref>{{ cite web
| url = http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-03-24-family-guy_x.htm
| title = 'Family Guy' un-canceled, thanks to DVD sales success
| accessdate = 2007-02-04
| publisher = [[USA Today|USAToday.com]]
}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Family Guy}}
''Family Guy'' is a show made in 1999 after the [[Larry shorts]] (its predecessor) caught the attention of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]] during the 1999 [[Super Bowl]] commercial. Its cancellation was announced, but then a shift in power at Fox and outcry from the fans led to a reversal of that decision and the making of a third season after which it was canceled again. Reruns on [[Adult Swim]] drove interest in the show up, and the DVD releases did quite well, selling over 2.2 million copies in one year which renewed network interest.<ref>McKinley, Jesse. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/arts/television/02fami.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "Canceled and Resurrected, on the Air and Onstage"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 2, 2005. Accessed December 3, 2007. "First off, there was the countdown to the season premiere of "Family Guy," the animated Fox sitcom, which had been canceled in 2002, only to be revived after the show's DVD sales and its syndicated ratings caught the network's attention."</ref> ''Family Guy'' returned to production in 2004, making three more seasons (for a total of six) and a [[direct-to-video|straight-to-DVD]] movie, ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]]''. The show celebrated its official [[100 episodes|100th episode]] during its sixth season in autumn of 2007, resulting in the show's [[broadcast syndication|syndication]].<ref>"Stewie Kills Lois" is the 104th separate half-hour episode, but was advertised as 100th because the three episodes that made up ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]]'' are not included in Fox's official episode count. Fox also counts the hour long episode "[[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]]" as two separate episodes.</ref> The show has been renewed for a seventh season, which is scheduled to air in autumn of 2008. The show is contracted to keep producing episodes until 2012.<ref name=bigdeal>{{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|publisher=''[[IGN]]''|date=May 5, 2008|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref>

==Characters==
{{Main|List of characters from Family Guy}}
The show revolves around the adventures of [[Peter Griffin]], a bumbling but well-intentioned [[blue-collar worker]]. Peter is an [[Irish American]] [[Catholic]] with a thick [[New England English|Rhode Island]] / [[Boston accent|Eastern Massachusetts accent]]. His wife [[Lois Griffin|Lois]] is generally a stay-at-home mother and piano teacher, and has a distinct [[New York dialect|New York accent]] from being a member of the [[Pewterschmidt family]] of wealthy [[socialite]]s. Peter and Lois have three children: teenage daughter [[Meg Griffin|Meg]], who is frequently the butt of jokes due to her homeliness and lack of popularity; teenage son [[Chris Griffin|Chris]], who is overweight, unintelligent and, in many respects, a younger version of his father; infant son [[Stewie Griffin|Stewie]], a diabolical infant of ambiguous sexual orientation who has adult mannerisms and speaks fluently with an affected English upper-class accent and stereotypical [[Archenemy|archvillain]] phrases.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E1DD1E39F93AA15752C0A96F958260 TV Weekend; Where Matricide Is a Family Value - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Living with the family is [[Brian Griffin|Brian]], the family dog, who is highly [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphized]], walks on two legs, drinks [[Martini (cocktail)|Martini]]s, smokes [[cigarette]]s and engages in human conversation, though he is still considered a pet in many respects.
<!--Please avoid excessive elaboration in this section. Character pages can hold much more detail.-->

There are many recurring characters on the show who appear alongside the Griffin family on a regular basis. These include the family's colorful neighbors: sex-crazed airline-pilot bachelor [[Glenn Quagmire]]; mild-mannered deli owner [[Cleveland Brown]] and his wife (ex-wife as of the fourth-season episode "[[The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire]]") [[Cleveland Brown#Loretta Brown|Loretta Brown]] with their hyperactive son, [[Cleveland Brown#Cleveland Brown, Jr.|Cleveland Jr.]]; [[Paraplegia|paraplegic]] police officer [[Joe Swanson]] and his perpetually pregnant wife [[List of characters from Family Guy#Swansons|Bonnie]]; and creepy old [[ephebophilia|ephebophile]] [[Herbert (Family Guy)|Herbert]]. TV news anchors [[Tom Tucker (Family Guy)|Tom Tucker]] and [[Quahog 5#Diane Simmons|Diane Simmons]] also make regular appearances (along with Asian Reporter [[Quahog 5#Tricia Takanawa|Tricia Takanawa]] and ''Blaccu-Weather'' [[Meteorology|meteorologist]] [[Ollie Williams]]), as well as mentally disturbed celebrity [[Adam West (Family Guy)|Mayor Adam West]] (voiced by and named after the real [[Adam West]]).


For its first three seasons ''Family Guy'' did not use an especially large cast of recurring minor characters. Since returning from cancellation many one-shot characters from prior episodes have reappeared in new episodes, although most of the plotlines center on the exploits of the Griffin family.

==Setting==
[[Image:Providence skyline close.jpg|thumb|200px|The skyline of [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], as viewed from the northwest looking southeast.]]
[[Image:Familyguyskyline.gif|thumb|200px|Its animated counterpart.]]

The majority of events on the show take place in Quahog, [[Rhode Island]], a fictional suburb of [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]]. [[Seth MacFarlane]], the show's creator, resided in Providence when he was a student at [[Rhode Island School of Design]], and leaves unequivocal Rhode Island landmarks from which one may infer intended real-world locations for events.<ref name=interview>[http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/familyguy/sethmacfarlane.asp UGO.com Film/TV - Interview with Seth MacFarlane, creator of The Family Guy<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=124 Quahog.org: The Road to Rhode Island<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://greatreporter.com/mambo/content/view/1383/11/ Greatreporter.com - Seth MacFarlane – he’s the “Family Guy”<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> MacFarlane also often borrows the names of Rhode Island locations and icons such as [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island|Pawtucket]] and [[Buddy Cianci]] for use in the show. McFarlane, in an interview with local [[WNAC-TV|WNAC]] Fox 64 News, has stated that the town is modeled after [[Cranston, Rhode Island]].

Several times every episode, the actual [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]] skyline can be seen in the distance.<ref name=interview/> The three buildings that are depicted are, from left to right and furthest to closest, [[One Financial Plaza|One Financial Center]], [[50 Kennedy Plaza]], and the [[Bank of America Building (Providence)|Bank of America Tower]]. This ordering of buildings and the angle at which they are viewed (see figure at right) indicates that Quahog is primarily west of downtown Providence if it is to have a real-world counterpart. However, in a few episodes Quahog is shown to have a coastline (see "[[Fifteen Minutes of Shame]]", "[[Fore Father]]", and "[[The Perfect Castaway]]"), which only Cranston and Providence possess. This is supported by the fact that the real-world "31 Spooner Street" is located in Providence <ref>{{cite map | publisher = Arrow Map, Inc. | title = Arrow Street Atlas of Rhode Island with Southeastern Massachusetts and Southeastern Connecticut | year = 1999 | page = 13 | section = L5 | isbn = 1-55751-405-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://local.google.com/maps?q=31+Spooner+St,+Providence,+RI+02907 | accessdate = 2007-12-29 | title = Google Maps: 31 Spooner St, Providence, RI 02907}}</ref>, immediately west of [[Roger Williams Park]]. This could be a coincidence, as MacFarlane has said in a DVD commentary that the street was named after Spooner Hill Road, along which is his boyhood home. In "[[E Peterbus Unum]]", a map of Rhode Island is shown with Quahog shown in red with Quahog appearing to be in the vicinity of [[Tiverton, Rhode Island|Tiverton]].

According to [[Adam West (Family Guy)|Mayor Adam West]] in "[[Fifteen Minutes of Shame]]", the town was founded by a sailor of a New York colony-bound boat who was thrown overboard for his loquaciousness. A magical clam rescued him and brought him to shore, together the two founding a new town named Quahog, a [[Hard clam|quahog]] being a type of clam. On MacFarlane's part, the choice of name is a nod to the state's characteristic staple. Although quahogs are common throughout [[New England]], the small state of Rhode Island produces one quarter of the country's catch.

==Cast==
{{seealso|List of Family Guy voice actors|List of Family Guy guest stars}}
The main cast and their main parts are as follows: [[Seth MacFarlane]], who voices Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire, and Tom Tucker; [[Alex Borstein]] as Lois Griffin, Loretta Brown (until the character was retired in season four), and Trisha Takanawa; [[Seth Green]] as Chris Griffin; and [[Mila Kunis]] as Meg Griffin. The main cast do voices for several recurring characters other than those listed, as well as impersonate celebrities and pop-culture icons.

Recurring cast members include: [[Patrick Warburton]] as Joe Swanson; [[Mike Henry (television writer/producer)|Mike Henry]] as Cleveland Brown; [[Adam West]] as the mayor Adam West; [[Jennifer Tilly]] as Bonnie Swanson; [[John G. Brennan]] as Mort Goldman; [[Nicole Sullivan]] as Muriel Goldman; [[Carlos Alazraqui]] as Jonathan Weed (until the character was killed off in season three); [[Adam Carolla]] as Death (excluding his first appearance, during which the character was voiced by [[Norm MacDonald (comedy)|Norm MacDonald]]); [[Lori Alan]] as [[Diane Simmons]].

[[Lacey Chabert]] voiced Meg Griffin for the first production season (15 episodes); however, because of a contractual agreement, she was never credited.<ref>{{cite web | title=Interview with Seth MacFarlane, creator of The Family Guy | publisher=UGO.com | author=Daniel Robert Epstein | url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/familyguy/sethmacfarlane.asp | accessdate=2007-05-23}}</ref> She was eventually credited at the end of ''[[List of Family Guy episodes#Specials|The Family Guy 100th Episode Special]]'', which featured clips of her voice work on the show.

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Family Guy episodes}}
For the first half of the first season, the writers tried to work the words "murder" or "death" into the title of every episode to make the titles resemble those of [[old-time radio|old-fashioned]] radio mystery shows. On the DVD commentary for "[[Death Has a Shadow]]", creator Seth MacFarlane says that the writers stopped doing this when they realized they were beginning to get the titles confused. Beginning with "[[A Hero Sits Next Door]]", the episodes feature titles descriptive of their plots.

Some episodes are not aired in full in their initial broadcast because of [[profanity]] or [[Popular culture|cultural]] references. Scenes are either re-edited or removed entirely from the episode. Some cut material is restored for later broadcast on other venues, such as [[Adult Swim]]. DVD releases also contain the uncensored material.
<!-- Detailed current listings cannot be included because that gets outdated quickly, and will never become encyclopedic. In any country/broadcast region, the show may change channels (especially in syndication), so this cannot be included. Ditto ratings. -->

Entire episodes can be [[streaming media|streamed]] online on two [[Video on demand|VOD]] websites. The first one is [http://www.hulu.com Hulu], a jointly owned site between Fox and [[NBC]]. The second site is [[Adult Swim Video]], the [http://www.adultswim.com/video/index.html?section=Comedy&collectionID=8a25c3920eaf5fa6010eaffb99c438bf broadband video section] of [http://www.adultswim.com AdultSwim.com].

===Crossovers with ''American Dad!''===
The show has periodically featured the inclusion of certain elements from ''[[American Dad!]]'', another animated comedy series created and produced by Seth MacFarlane. Appearances include:
* "[[Meet the Quagmires]]" &ndash; [[Roger (American Dad!)|Roger]], the alien who lives with the Smiths, makes a last-minute cameo in this episode, asking the Griffins, "Who ate all the Pecan Sandies?" His line is a reference to a line he said early in the ''American Dad!'' [[Pilot (American Dad!)|pilot episode]], asking Francine if she bought Pecan Sandies while she was out shopping. He was voiced by Seth MacFarlane, who also voices him in ''American Dad!''.
* "[[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]]" &ndash; Roger can be spotted conversing with one of the alien bar patrons while holding a glass of wine during the cantina scene.
* "[[Lois Kills Stewie]]" &ndash; [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent [[Stan Smith (American Dad!)|Stan Smith]], the main character of ''American Dad!'', as well as his supervisor [[American Dad!#Other characters|Avery Bullock]] and the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] Headquarters, are featured in this episode. Though the story is non-canon, these elements play a more prominent role in this episode, thus making it feel more like a real crossover. Stan and Bullock were voiced by their usual ''American Dad!'' voice actors, Seth MacFarlane and [[Patrick Stewart]], respectively.

Currently, there has never been an official crossover between the two. However, Seth MacFarlane said there will be one during the upcoming seventh season of ''Family Guy''.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/06/macfarlane-reve.html
| title = MacFarlane reveals next season 'Family Guy' details
| accessdate = 2008-07-24
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| date = 2008-06-17
| work =
| publisher = The Live Feed
| archiveurl =
| archivedate =
| quote =
}}</ref>

==DVD Releases==

{{Main|Family Guy DVDs}}

==Feature length productions==
===''Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story''===
{{Main|Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story}}
Originally released as a [[Direct-to-video|direct-to-DVD]] movie, '''''Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story''''' comprises three episode length segments with a wraparound story. Different edits, both adding and deleting material, were eventually televised as the three-part season four finale ("[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story#Stewie B. Goode|Stewie B. Goode]]", "[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story#Bango Was His Name Oh!|Bango Was His Name Oh!]]" and "[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story#Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure|Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure]]")
===Feature film===
Seth MacFarlane has announced plans to produce a theatrically-released ''Family Guy'' movie sometime "within the next year". He recently 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."<ref>{{cite news|url=
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a112152/macfarlane-discusses-family-guy-movie.html|title=MacFarlane discusses 'Family Guy' movie|author=Simon Reynolds|publisher=Digital Spy|date=[[2008-07-18]]|accessdate=2008-07-18}}</ref>
<!-- Please stop adding sections for the unannounced feature film about which MacFarlane speculates in interviews. This is misleading to readers, and adds a tone of breathless anticipation that is not very encyclopedic. -->

==Music and music video==
The show often incorporates music numbers in [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] style as part of its episode technique, either as tangential flashbacks or to advance the plotline. On April 26, 2005 ''[[Family Guy: Live in Vegas]]'' was released and was a collaboration between composer [[Walter Murphy]] and Seth MacFarlane. It features a show tune theme. Only one song is related to the show, the theme song. Also included was the music video "Sexy Party".

==Writers' strike==
During the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]], official production of the show was halted for most of December 2007 and various periods afterwards. Fox continued producing episodes without creator Seth MacFarlane's final approval which he termed as "a colossal dick move," in an interview with ''Variety.'' Though MacFarlane refused to work on the show, his contract under Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it would subsequently produce.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117975944.html?categoryid=2821|title=Fox to air new 'Guy' Sunday; MacFarlane hopes network changes plans|last=Adalian|first=Josef|publisher=''Variety''|accessdate=2007-11-13|date=2007-11-13}}</ref> Production officially resumed after the end of the strike, with episodes airing regularly from February 17, 2008, onward.<ref>[http://foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&ID=74, Stewie is on the lam on “Family Guy”, Sunday, May 18, on Fox], press release from [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]</ref>

==Podcast==
In the United States, 28 episode [[podcast]]s were released on [[iTunes]], and are also made available on the official site. These are audio-only promos where cast members talk about upcoming episodes and joke amongst themselves.<ref>{{ cite web | url = http://www.fox.com/foxcast/ | title = FOXCAST | accessdate = 2006-07-14 | publisher = FOX.com }}</ref>

==Title sequence==
{{Unreferencedsection|date=April 2008}}
Lyrically, the normal title sequence in ''Family Guy'' parodies TV programs like ''[[All in the Family]]'' with its nostalgic longing for values of days past. The sequence has had only small changes since the first episode in 1999:
* Stewie, Meg, and Chris' pictures in the background originally contained simple outlines, but beginning with "[[A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Bucks]]", the pictures have shown the actual characters.
* Because so many people thought Stewie sang "effin' cry!" instead of "Laugh and cry" in the opening sequence (to the extent that UK broadcaster [[Channel 4]] would edit the line so Stewie would only be heard saying "Cry", and some versions of subtitles stating "F-in' cry!"), Seth MacFarlane resang that line to make it clearly "laugh and cry". The rerecording first appeared at the beginning of "[[The Kiss Seen Around the World]]" and remained through the end of season three, but the original recording returned when the show resumed airing on Fox in 2005, and has remained since.
* Starting Season 4, all main characters' vocals during the part "He's a family guy!" have been muted.

===Unique title sequences===
[[Image:Sethmilaalex.jpg|200px|right|thumb|[[Seth MacFarlane]], [[Alex Borstein]], and [[Mila Kunis]] at ''Family Guy Live'' in [[Los Angeles]]]]
Some title sequences are completely unique to select episodes. They are as follows:
<!-- Sort by broadcast date. Check the episode page if you do not know the date. -->
* The three "Road Trip" episodes ("[[Road to Rhode Island]]", "[[Road to Europe]]", "[[Road to Rupert]]") each has instead a sequence of still drawings representing that episode's road trip over an introductory musical [[fanfare]] taken from ''[[Road to Morocco]]''.<!-- starting 2000-05-30 -->
* "[[Brian Does Hollywood]]" &ndash; opens with a mock recap of the previous episode, consisting of a sequence of unrelated dramatic cliches and ending with the real premise of the episode.<!-- 2001-07-18 -->
* "[[Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High]]" – title sequence replaced with a parody of the series ''[[Law & Order]]''.<!-- 2005-05-08 -->
* "[[PTV (Family Guy)|PTV]]" &ndash; title sequence replaced with [[Osama Bin Laden]] going through various bloopers while trying to record a terrorist video before being beaten up by Stewie, followed by a ''[[Naked Gun]]'' parody going through familiar movie scenes, and finishing with a parody of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' title ending.<!-- 2005-11-06 -->
* "[[Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure]]" &ndash; title sequence replaced with a parody of the series ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'' recapping events from the previous two episodes along with an unrelated clip from ''[[The Chevy Chase Show]]''. This opening is only featured in the edited-for-television version of the episode.<!-- 2006-05-21 -->
* "[[Whistle While Your Wife Works]]" &ndash; same as the normal title sequence until the "musical stage" sequence, where Peter trips and falls down the stairs, rolling over Lois and Meg and crushing one of the dancers. Peter, oblivious to the suffocating dancer, complains he will have a swollen foot. Stewie then pops up in front of the camera, awkwardly suggesting to the operator that he should turn it off.<!-- 2006-11-12 -->
* "[[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]]" &ndash; title sequence replaced with a parody of the [[Star Wars opening crawl|opening crawl]] of ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars IV: A New Hope]]'', utilizing the same fonts and music as that of the original film. <!-- 2007-09-23 -->

==Awards==
''Family Guy'' and its cast have been nominated for 8 [[Emmy Award]]s, with three wins:<ref name="IMDBawards" />
*2000: Outstanding Voice-Over Performance &ndash; Seth MacFarlane for "Stewie Griffin"
*2002: Outstanding Music and Lyrics &ndash; [[Walter Murphy]] (composer), Seth MacFarlane (lyricist)
*2007: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation &ndash; Steve Fonti (storyboard artist)
The show has also been nominated for ten [[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]] three times, winning once.<ref name="IMDBawards">{{cite web
|url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182576/awards
|title = Awards for "Family Guy"
|accessdate = 2007-10-13
|work = The Internet Movie Database
|publisher = Internet Movie Database Inc.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://animatedtv.about.com/od/showsaz/a/emmy2004.htm|title=2004-2005 Emmy Nominations}}</ref>

In 2008, the episode "[[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]]" was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour Or More). Composer [[Ron Jones (composer)|Ron Jones]] was also nominated for Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (original Dramatic Score) for the episode "[[Lois Kills Stewie]]".<ref name="emmy08">{{cite web
|url = http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2008pte/60thpte_noms.php
|title = The 60th Primetime Emmy® Awards and Creative Arts Emmy® Awards Nominees are...
|accessdate = 2008-07-18
|work = The Internet Movie Database
|publisher = Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
}}</ref>

==Meta-humour==
''Family Guy'' poses as a typical sitcom in many respects; however at other times, characters will make it very clear that they are aware they're on a television show. Many times, characters are seen breaking the [[fourth wall]] to address the audience directly. For example, when Vern and Johnny, the Vaudeville duo, appear for the fifth time on the show in the episode "[[Saving Private Brian]]", Stewie steps into frame and kills them before saying, "OK. They're dead. All right? We're not going to be seeing them again."

Another example of the show's self-awareness happens in that same episode. When Stewie learns that Brian intends on deserting the army, he tells him that "they'll come after you, like Peter went after that hockey coach." After a pause during which nothing happens, he says, "Oh... No clip? Huh. Thought we had a clip." and the action continues.

==Criticism==
{{Main|Criticism of Family Guy}}
''Family Guy'' has been panned by certain television critics, most notably from ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'',<ref>{{ cite web | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,190358_3|13842||0_0_,00.html | title = The 5 Worst | accessdate = 2006-07-14 | publisher = EW.com (Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc.) | first = Ken | last = Tucker | year = 2005 }}</ref> which was in turn attacked by MacFarlane during a scene in ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]]''.

[[Image:Mad 0905.jpg|thumb|Cover of Issue 458 of ''[[Mad Magazine]]'' showing the Family Guy characters crossed over with characters from [[The Simpsons]].]]
The show is criticized for using story premises and humor similar to those used in episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]''.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.tvguide.com/News/Insider/default.htm?cmsRedir&#61;true&rmDate&#61;09282005&cmsGuid&#61;%7B78FE1F88-FF0C-42 cc-A51B-308EB2529BBA%7D&cmsSrch
| title = Family Guy's Stewie Has an ''Untold Story''
| work = [[TV Guide]]
| archiveurl = http://familyguy.tktv.net/news.html
| archivedate = 2006-10-25
| quote = You know, it's funny. Matt Groening and I actually have a great relationship. We've talked several times in the past few weeks and joked about this. One day out of nowhere this rumor pops up in papers and magazines. Actually, it was probably one comment that was taken out of context in ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''. Matt's just a cool guy, and fortunately neither of us was ruffled by any of that stuff. We just laughed it off.
}}</ref> ''The Simpsons'' depicts Peter Griffin as a "[[Molecular cloning|clone]]" of [[Homer Simpson]] in a Halloween special,<ref name="simpsons14e01">{{cite episode
| title = Treehouse of Horror XIII
| episodelink = Treehouse of Horror XIII
| series = The Simpsons
| serieslink = The Simpsons
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2002-11-03
| season = 14
| number = 292
| minutes =
}} Story: "[[Treehouse of Horror XIII#Send in the Clones|Send in the Clones]]"</ref> and as a fugitive accused of "Plagiarismo" (faux-Italian for [[plagiarism]]) in the episode "[[The Italian Bob]]".
''Family Guy'' is also mocked in a two-part episode "[[Cartoon Wars]]" of ''[[South Park]]'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Cartoon Wars Part I|episodelink=Cartoon Wars Part I|series=South Park|serieslink=South Park|credits=Created by [[Matt Stone]] and [[Trey Parker]]|network=Comedy Central}} Continued in [[Cartoon Wars Part II]]</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. Seth MacFarlane responded to the criticism on the Volume 4 box set DVD commentary, 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.

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 = 2006-07-14
| date = August 31, 2004
| publisher = Cartoon Brew
| author = John Kricfalusi
| authorlink = John Kricfalusi
| coauthors = "AMID"
}}</ref>

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 name="fgaids>{{cite web
| url = http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid19925.asp
| title = "Family Guy" has fun with AIDS
| author = Adams, Bob
| work = Advocate.com
| publisher = PlanetOut Inc.
| accessdate = 2006-12-12
| date = [[2005-08-22]]
|quote = &nbsp;... showcases a comic musical number called “You Have AIDS.” Overburdened AIDS service organizations are not amused.
}}</ref>

==Spin-off==
''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' recently announced that there are plans to produce a [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of ''Family Guy'' to be focused on [[Cleveland Brown]]. The project is named ''[[The Cleveland Show]]'' and will be created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry (the voice of Cleveland) and ''[[American Dad!]]'' showrunner Rich Appel.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/news/e3ibde8ca74de470b93d12371ef61c0ef91|title = The Hollywood Reporter
| accessdate = 2008-02-29
| publisher = hollywoodreporter.com
}}</ref>

==Lawsuits==
===Carol Burnett===
In March 2007, famed comedian [[Carol Burnett]] filed a lawsuit against 20th century Fox, claiming that it was a copyright 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 was asking for $6 million in damages. On June 4, 2007, U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson rejected the lawsuit, stating that the parody was protected under the First Amendment, using ''[[Hustler v. Falwell]]'' as a precedent.<ref name="SmokingGun">{{cite web
| url = http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0316072carolburnett1.html
| title = Carol Burnett v. "Family Guy"
| accessdate = 2007-12-09
| date = 2007-03-16
| work = The Smoking Gun
| publisher = Courtroom Television Network
}}</ref><ref name="APcharwoman">{{cite web
|url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031601508.html
|title = Carol Burnett Sues Over Use of Charwoman
| accessdate = 2007-12-09
| author = Associated Press
| authorlink = Associated Press
| date = 2007-03-16
| work = [[Washington Post|washingtonpost.com]]
| publisher = The Associated Press
}}</ref>

==="I Need a Jew"===
On October 3, 2007, [[Bourne Co. Music Publishers]] filed a lawsuit accusing the show of copyright infringement upon the song ''"[[When You Wish Upon a Star]]"'' by a parody song entitled ''"I Need a Jew"'', from the episode ''[[When You Wish Upon a Weinstein]]''. Bourne Co., the sole U.S. copyright owner of the song, alleges the parody pairs a "thinly veiled" copy of their music with [[antisemitism|antisemitic]] lyrics. Named in the suit are Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., [[Cartoon Network (US)|Cartoon Network]], [[Seth MacFarlane]], and composer [[Walter Murphy]]; the suit seeks to stop the program's distribution, and unspecified damages.<ref>{{ cite web
| url = http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/04/wishuponastar.lawsuit.ap/index.html
| title = It's 'Wish Upon a Star' vs. 'Family Guy'
| accessdate = 2007-10-04
| publisher = CNN.com
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_on_en_mu/wish_upon_a_star_lawsuit
| title = Classic song's owner sues over spoof
| accessdate = 2007-10-06
| last = Neumeister
| first = Larry
| authorlink = The Associated Press
| date = 2007-10-04
| work = Yahoo! News
| publisher = The Associated Press
| archiveurl = http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:ptF8v1KpOkAJ:news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_on_en_mu/wish_upon_a_star_lawsuit+http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_on_en_mu/wish_upon_a_star_lawsuit&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
| archivedate = 2007-10-05
}}</ref><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
| vol =
| reporter =
| opinion =
| pinpoint =
| court = [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|United States District Court, Southern District of New York]]
| date = 2007-10-03
| url = http://www.schwimmerlegal.com/family%20guy%20complaint.pdf
}} "Defendants' infringing activities have cause and will continue to cause Bourne great and irreparable harm. By associating Bourne's song with such offensive lyrics and other content in the episode, Defendants are harming the value of the song."</ref>

Because ''"I Need a Jew"'' uses the copyrighted melody without commenting on that song, it may not be a [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]–protected parody per the ''[[Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.]]'' ruling.<ref name"FindLaw20071031">{{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 = 2007-12-09
| last = Hilden
| first = Julie
| authorlink = Julie Hilden
| date = 2007-10-31
| work = FindLaw's Writ
| publisher = FindLaw
| quote = The case for "fair use" protection on a parody theory in this "Family Guy" case is somewhat weak…. If the use of "When You Wish Upon a Star" was a commentary on the original, it was a commentary only in the very loosest possibly sense.
}}</ref>

===Art Metrano===
In December 2007, actor/comedian [[Art Metrano]] filed a lawsuit accusing the show of [[copyright infringement]] over a scene in ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]]'' in which [[Jesus]] performs Metrano's signature "magic" act which involved absurd ''faux'' magical hand gestures (such as making a finger "jump" from one hand to the other) while humming the distinctive tune ''"[[Fine and Dandy (song)|Fine and Dandy]]"''. Metrano's suit claims this performance is protected under terms of the U.S. [[Copyright Act of 1976]].<!-- Read this article. Performance seems to be covered. --> Named in the suit are 20th Century Fox, show creator Seth MacFarlane, and collaborators Steve Callaghan and [[Alex Borstein]]. Metrano performed this routine on programs such as ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', where he made several appearances.<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 = 2007-12-09
| last = Surette
| first = Tim
| date = 2007-12-07
| work = [[TV.com]]
| publisher = TV.com
}}</ref><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 = 2007-12-05
| url = http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1206_metrano_fox_wm.pdf
}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Family Guy|138px-FG-icon-2.png}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{commons|Family Guy}}
{{Wikinews|'Family Guy' returns to US television, loses in ratings to 'Housewives'}}
* [http://www.familyguy.com ''Family Guy''] official website
* {{imdb title|id=0182576|title=Family Guy}}
* {{wikia|FamilyGuy|Family Guy}}
* [http://www.foxhome.com Family Guy at 20th Century Fox]

{{Family Guy}}

[[Category:Animated sitcoms]]
[[Category:Animated television series]]
[[Category:Family Guy]]
[[Category:Fox network shows]]
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[[Category:2000s American animated television series]]
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Revision as of 17:16, 5 September 2008

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