The thing about Family Guy...

They peaked with that y2K episode. Shortening it now would only make it fifteen minutes too long.

Family Guy is not a well-liked show on CHUD(like the Adam Sandler or Kevin Smith of cartoons), and I'm not a fan either really. The things that I tolerate it for are the voice acting(especially MacFarlane and Warburton) and the gags that are either ultraviolent or go on for SO long that they loop around from being funny, to bad, back to hilarious). I think it would work better as shorts as well, but I guess it's a cash cow so FOX has no reason to do that.

The downfall of Family Guy is conversely tied with how good American Dad's been getting over the last few seasons.

Family Guy still has the odd moment where I can't stop laughing (the last one that had that effect: "How'm I doin' Gary Busey?!"), but its way past the point where I could call myself a fan.

Agreed that McFarlane's a spectacular voice actor, though. I'd hoped Hellboy 2 would've given him leeway to do more outside of his own shit, but alas.

I don't know if Family Guy was ever good, but I used to enjoy the first few seasons because, like Nexus-7, of the wacky, overlong jokes. Since the show came back in 2005, MacFarlane really has just been pandering to his audience, and its been obnoxious.

I can honestly say that I've NEVER liked the show.  I've developed quite an irrational hatred of it, actually.  Irrational, because I've probably watched barely 2 episodes in all these years.  I saw the first episode a long time ago and brushed it off as a Simpsons clone.  Then it died.  Whatever.  Then it came back.  And then all the "wrong" people started touting it and quoting it obnoxiously.  Thus, the irrational hate in which I only sought opinions that confirmed my biases!

How its terrible Star Wars parodies have mocked me with their existence.

Though... the stupid Red October reference as the X-Wings approach the Death Star made me chuckle.  I flogged myself for hours afterwards.

The show's always been terrible with a few funny moments here and there (it's like a really poorly-functioning shotgun), but good luck hanging around stoners and not having to watch this shit incessantly.

I'd hang out and watch it with friends back when it first hit DVD, because of it's cancellation it was considered somewhat counter cultural

Then I turned 17 and *never watched it again*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

The downfall of Family Guy is conversely tied with how good American Dad's been getting over the last few seasons.

 

 

I think FG has sucked mightily since it came back from cancellation so I can't personally say that there is a connection.  

However, I've seen a couple dozen of American Dad episodes since it has been syndicated and goddamn, it is a funny show.  I used to hate myself for liking it, but it wore me down. 

The connection is that all semblance of story died a painful death on FG right around the time American Dad starting getting really good at it. Same goes for the humor.

American Dad! is pretty damn great. It's humour is consistently clever in a way that recalls The Simpsons in the 90s. Naturally it's not that brilliant but it's pretty impressive considering how, unlike Family Guy, it doesn't rely upon  a stream of pop culture references & edgy-for-edgy's-sake "humour".

Roger KILLS me.

Love American Dad. It's easily my most watched animated show next to Family Guy Season 1 to 3 and the Simpsons Seasons 1 to 9 (and Duckman). Getting back to Family guy, I used to defend it after the re-launch but the show has progressively gotten worse. There's the occasional episode/cutaway/joke that's done well but it's almost as if they don't write a full script for each episode, just an outline, show up to the recording sessions, ad-lib all the dialogue and then check their bank balances and smile. Going back to season 1 to 3 really highlights how shitty the new episodes have gotten. 

Call me someone who knows very little about Family Guy. But I saw a few episodes in a row (The Star Wars parody included) recently.

1) They sure use a lot of 80's references (e.g "Hearts on Fire" from Rocky IV).

2) Some of the jokes last WAY too long. Is that intentional? They're really crude and lacking in subtlety as well.

3) The "Redd Fox" "Simply Red" joke from the Star Wars spoof was kinda funny. As well as the Stewie/Tarkin speech on the Death Star weakness.

4) Chris and the Store Manager doing in-depth reviews of "Leaving Las Vegas" and Elisabeth Shue.

5) "I did not care for the Godfather".

As a whole, I can't really say I am a fan of the series. There are a few amusing bits per ep. But it can't hold a candle to Seasons 6-9 of The Simpsons. Does the series get worse this latest season?

Yeah, some of the jokes intentionally go on for a long time.  Peter vs. Chicken fight for instance.  Or Peter grasping his leg in pain.

First few seasons, before cancellation, were pretty good.  When it came back, it just had lost that spark.

I lost all interest in the show once it got renewed, but I remember catching a random episode on TBS one evening and the first 10 or so minutes were Peter singing that "Surfin' Bird" song over and over and over again and, as much as I dislike the show now, that KILLED me.  Tears in the eyes and everything.  I'm sure there would be a LOT of episodes with gags like that so yeah - I think little "Family Guy Quickies" would be a great format for the show.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

The downfall of Family Guy is conversely tied with how good American Dad's been getting over the last few seasons.

 

Family Guy still has the odd moment where I can't stop laughing (the last one that had that effect: "How'm I doin' Gary Busey?!"), but its way past the point where I could call myself a fan.

 

Agreed that McFarlane's a spectacular voice actor, though. I'd hoped Hellboy 2 would've given him leeway to do more outside of his own shit, but alas.

I'm preetty shocked at how good American Dad has gotten, it helps that there aren't pointless cutaway gags, but also I think why I've started to like is because of how mean the show is with its characters.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

American Dad! is pretty damn great. It's humour is consistently clever in a way that recalls The Simpsons in the 90s. Naturally it's not that brilliant but it's pretty impressive considering how, unlike Family Guy, it doesn't rely upon  a stream of pop culture references & edgy-for-edgy's-sake "humour".

 

Roger KILLS me.

American Dad! is a lot better at satire and being clever than FG. When FG goes after religion or conservative politics, it's preachy and lazy. It uses a hammer instead of a scalpel.

The Cleveland Show, I'm sure we can all agree, is awful and much worse than FG ever was.

Not a big fan of American Dad, but I love Family Guy. I guess I'm in the minority with that.

Used to enjoy FG, but after the "return", the decline in quality (not that there was much) and the lazy ass writing/lack of development on the show essentially killed any simpathy i had for it; American Dad never clicked with me, and TCS is god awful; I think its the McFarlane formula (random joke, baby character, non human character, etc) that annoys me on several levels.

I don't think McFarlane ever recovered from Parker and Stone's hilariously accurate dismantling of his writing style.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

I don't think McFarlane ever recovered from Parker and Stone's hilariously accurate dismantling of his writing style.

Hell, the writing staff of the show itself is aware of this; i remember one of them saying that Meg being the punchbag of the show is a result of "none of us having any idea how to write a teenage girl".

I was a fan of those first few seasons but yeah, the last few years have been brutal. To be honest, I think they've lost sense of what the show was about. Now it's basically Seth McFarlane preaching his views... every single episode. The genius of 90s Simpsons was that it made fun of everyone equally. Same with South Park. Same even with Family Guy in those first few seasons before it was cancelled. Now every episode is a one sided punching bag.

The first three series of FG were great but i have to agree it's like they have stopped caring.  I've only recently gotten into American Dad and have been amazed at how good it is.  As for the not knowing how to write a teenage girl admisson, the manage it well enough with Hayley.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Savage 

The first three series of FG were great but i have to agree it's like they have stopped caring.  I've only recently gotten into American Dad and have been amazed at how good it is.  As for the not knowing how to write a teenage girl admisson, the manage it well enough with Hayley.

Well, to be fair, just because they're both Mcfarlane shows doesn't mean they share the same writer's room.  Just because the Family Guy writers can't write for Meg doesn't mean the American Dad guys can't write Hayley.  That said, I kind of adore American Dad as well, even if the Mcfarlane name is somewhat taboo around here.  Any show that isn't afraid to do an Armageddon themed John Carpenter movie as an episode is fine by me.

Wow, so, this is still on apparently? I had no idea. Huh. 

I'll confess to the odd chuckle at Family Guy, but it's generally on specific moments, and those moments have dipped badly in frequency over the years. The problem is, they only have a very small bag of comedic tricks which they use time and time again, and it's just gotten old. That, and the characters are paper-thin which just doesn't let them endure as well as, say the casts of The Simpsons or South Park. 

Hey, is this the place where I confess my undying adoration for American Dad? Because that show is bloody fantastic. Roger KILLS me. He's just so bitchy. I love it. It's also consistently inventive in a way FG never was, South Park is, & The Simpsons used to be. The John Carpenter influenced Apocalypse episode is genius.

fuck family guy

Roger the Alien is such an amazing character, they can just do so much with him.  From his outright douchiness to his multiple personalities (that episode wher he had a personality that developed a life of it's own away from him was fantastic).

And yeah, agreed with the sentiments that they do not pander to their characters in any way, they show them being about as despicable as you can get.  Even the throwaway stuff is gold.

I do like Family Guy still occasionaly, but American Dad is consistently funnier and more biting.

And it isn't simply Roger being bitchy that makes the character so great, it's the sheer inventiveness of his bitchiness & his absolute narcissism that does it.

The first time I saw "Clip-Clop", I almost blacked out from laughing so hard. Enjoy:

Also gotta mention the brilliant "Golden Poo" meme that the show rided for a couple seasons. Just brilliant.

The golden poo died for ages but it reappeared in one of the last episodes we had over here.  I was blown away.

It's like they have the sense to actually wait until it fits thematically into the show, rather than shoe horning it in.  I loved how it went letterbox during those segments to highlight it's 'otherness'.

I have a burning desire to watch more American Dad now.

I almost never get that with FG.  And I gave up on South Park a long time ago (although the Human CentiPad was great).

Also, when Barry stopped taking his medication and became an evil genius voiced by Craig Ferguson.

Just wow.  It tied together so well.

The episode where a bored Roger & Francine engage in a Who's Afraid Of Virgina Woolf? charade is one the series' high points. As is the Bond spoof episode, Tearjerker.

How can we not mention the delightful Patrick Stewart guest appearances, especially when he dates Hayley?

I am a big fan of all three shows, but I do love American Dad the best.  The only weak episodes tend to be the Steve-centric ones, but even those have improved over time.  Whenever an episode revolves around Stan and Rogers relationship, it is gold.

While Family Guy has weakened with age, it was never as great as the Simpsons at their peak so I don't mind the drop in quality as much.  While the chaotic storylines turn many people off, I find them to be very entertaining.  I find that the episodes or characters I dislike at first, tend to improve when I watch the repeats.  I couldn't stand Herbert at first, but now he is one of my favorite characters.

More Steve for ya, Joseph:

Whoever made the decision to have Steve occasionally sing 90s RnB is a genius. I mark for it every time.