Why, despite the Simpsons being around, did Family Guy survive? They have a remarkably similar premise, family structure, and live in quite similar circumstances with suburban homes, schools, and bars.
Yet fans have, by and large, chosen Family Guy over its predecessor. We'll take a look at why the show, despite having the same cast members and vocal talent for nearly twenty-five years, has managed to survive and even thrive in a post-Generation-X and post-Millenial culture.
A Silver Anniversary
Family Guy has clung to audiences over two and a half decades due to its ability to – wait – fact check: Family Guy was canceled briefly for a time back in 1999. So, moving past that stumbling block, viewers have nonetheless taken this fringe animated show left in the wake of other failed cartoon series, such as Kevin Smith's Clerks and the infamous debacle behind Ren & Stimpy, and dragged it kicking and screaming into the mainstream.
But the Generation-X crowd that was the same age as Bart Simpson when the Simpsons were first introduced in the early 90s grew up, and watching the antics of Bart et al. felt a little like wanting to hang out with an old friend – if that friend was still, like, 12.
Generation X watchers had kids of their own, and Family Guy catered to both audiences by being amorphous enough to include topical humor while presenting a truly witty and edgy side that the Simpsons simply held back on or didn't possess.
Yet it seems inexplicable and even unlikely that Family Guy would succeed, given the change in society in America that's less tolerant of characters such as Quagmire, for several seasons nonetheless almost three decades. No stranger to controversy or litigious activity, even Family Guy nearly ended when criticism of a white voice actor playing various ethnic and African-American roles surfaced that cost the show a multitude of previously hard-won viewers.
Deadpan Before Democracy
Family Guy was the first modern American animated series to break the fourth wall. By addressing the audience directly and pointing fans to the fact that this was all a cartoon and therefore allowed nonsense as well as little in the way of consequences, watchers could become more immersed in the amusement of the ride.
Although, to an extent, the later seasons have suffered from what Family Guy tries to pass as improvisation – like spending almost a full minute unfurling Saran Wrap – these dialogue-free, scoreless scenes nonetheless provide a foil for the more intoxicated fans or those only half-watching to stop and say, "Wait, what?"
Family Guy embraced the fourth-wall-bursting antics of the likes of Deadpool, even devoting an entire scene in satirical homage to the tune "Angel of the Morning," Deadpool's patron theme song (although in Family Guy, the word used was not 'Angel'). With several of the cast members of Family Guy making guest cameos in both of the prior Deadpool films, plans are undoubtedly underway for Ryan Reynolds to make another appearance on Family Guy, either as himself or as Deadpool.
Not only could Family Guy reinvent itself, but it could, in fact, revisit itself. In the 'Back to the Pilot' episode, Stewie and Brian meet up with their past doppelgängers and comment about how much things have changed. The house, the old-style animated characters, and the backgrounds all appear a bit more crude compared to modern-day Family Guy, and the characters aren't afraid to point out this fact.
This self-deprecating humor and the willingness to acknowledge improvement mixed with a dose of humility have made Family Guy capable of spawning such spin-offs as the highly successful American Dad or the less-successful Cleveland Show while inspiring the next generation, like Rick & Morty.
Stewie's Brilliant Ace-Hole
The ace in Stewie's hole is his diabolical, subversive genius. With a brilliant intellect capable of inventing a time travel shuttle, it's easy for Stewie to act as the door through which many plots can unfold. Alternate worlds? Stewie can do it. A quick jaunt to the past? Why not? Stewie can make it happen. Shrink to the submolecular level? Stewie's on board!
With the unlimited potential of alternate realities and quantum entanglement in the recent and insanely popular superhero genre (2021's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, 2022's Spiderman: No Way Home, 2023's The Flash), it's low-hanging fruit for the tech-savvy, egg-head, despotic Stewie to function as a gateway for new plots, episodes, and even seasons.
Over the past couple of decades, writers with vivid imaginations alongside computer-aided drafting tools for cartoon animation have allowed Family Guy to move up from the proverbial animation gutter. With a growing fan base and the ability to reinvent itself and make fun of itself, it assures enthusiasts that Family Guy will continue for many seasons to come.