It’s the show that just won’t die ““ and apparently, neither will its characters.
Eight years after its inception, “Family Guy” is now in its sixth season despite two cancellations and a litany of lawsuits. After Lois’ trip back from the dead at the end of last night’s 100th episode, fans are thankful that the on-again, off-again show is as resilient as its characters.
Fans like third-year communication studies student Kevin Kuo never believed that Lois was really dead because he knew that, like the show itself, she would come back.
“The first time that “˜Family Guy’ was taken off the air, nobody knew why,” Kuo said. “It was the show to watch at the time and everyone was talking about it. It was so popular, we knew that it was going to come back.”
After the show originally premiered in 1999 and was cancelled in both 2000 and 2002, few viewers shared Kuo’s optimism and persistence. However, high-rated reruns on cable station Cartoon Network and a few ground-breaking DVD sales later, the “Family Guy” team was reassembled to create Season 3, much to the surprise of everyone, including Steve Callaghan, a writer and producer of the show and UCLA alumnus.
“It was really aggravating hearing story after story of college students hosting DVD watching parties of the show because we knew there was a bigger audience,” Callaghan said. “When we got cancelled, the big joke was that we would come back and work together again, so when we got the news that it was happening, we were astonished.”
And now with the 100th episode in the can, fans are simply eagerly waiting to see what is in store for the Griffin family.
“Being able to create 100 episodes just makes viewers more excited to see what’s coming up for “˜Family Guy’ because if they’re able to come back from being off the air, obviously there’s something special about this show,” said Kuo.
Callaghan also sees something special about the show.
“I think although the show centers around the family it has a lot of elements that appeal to young people. The pace and rapid-fire jokes and the cutaways and flashbacks all help to just make the show dense with jokes and that’s something that appeals to this audience,” he said.
Callaghan recognizes the power of the college demographic to popularize shows that go under the radar, recalling his own experience with a break-through show that debuted during his stay at UCLA.
“It took a while for people to accept “˜The Simpsons’ when it first came out,” Callaghan said. “I remember all of my friends in college were watching it but it took a while for the public to pick up what that show was and really how well done it was.”
As “The Simpsons” became the standard for the adult animated television show, the next generation of students were prepared to welcome “Family Guy” when it first came on the scene.
“I think at first I was skeptical because it seemed like a rip-off of “˜The Simpsons’ and it’s an animated show but the comedy is what really got me hooked,” said graduate animation student Jenny Sherman.
“”˜Family Guy’ is definitely more provocative; it’s more concerned with current events. … “˜(The) Simpsons’ is more art-based literature whereas “˜Family Guy’ is more of a sick mind; he really pushes things. “˜(The) Simpsons’ doesn’t push it quite as far,” she said.
“Family Guy” has been hit with a litany of lawsuits and criticism about everything from its similarity to other shows to its offensive content. Sherman said that because the characters are drawn and not shot in live action, “Family Guy” can address these volatile issues.
For example, depicting a dog that is addicted to cocaine is more easily portrayed through animation, which also allows writers such as Callaghan to employ more creativity when writing episodes.
“”˜Family Guy’ is art, and art is supposed to create art discussion. Because it’s an animated show, it’s easier to push the politically correct envelope. You could not do that kind of offensive or touchy material because viewers would be shocked, but there are things you could do in animation that make a lot more sense,” said Sherman.
Thanks to both its crazed fans and its off-beat humor, it seems “Family Guy” is headed for its 200th episode much more quickly than its 100th.
“”˜Family Guy’ is a good representation of our culture today because it really goes into what the conservative part of our society doesn’t want to share: drugs, violence. A lot of people in our society shy away from those ideas and feel like it should be kept quiet, but (the show) reveals the truth about what’s popular,” said Kuo.