What the deuce is Family Guy? (Family Guy)

Member Name: samgriff

Product:	Family Guy
Date:	13/06/08 (250 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very funny

Disadvantages: Not for everyone

Every so often new series come out that you hear about but you don't watch until a few years later when you realise its genius. Well I did with Family Guy and it wasn't genius that brought me to this programme, it was its utter propensity to not care about what they were saying or who they were offending. It reminds me a lot of South Park in its ways yet it is an entirely different concept to anything I have seen before. I love it now and own all six seasons on DVD and plan on buying a couple of the stand alone movie versions.

So what is Family Guy about I hear you say? Well this cartoon was first released in 1999; it got cancelled, then renewed, then cancelled and renewed again. Hmm interesting, I think all those politically correct people got wind of this series and went on their hunt again. Getting back to the plot anyway, Family Guy is about a not so normal family, the Griffins, in the fictional town of Quahog in Rhode Island. There is the dad Peter, mom Lois, daughter Meg, sons Stewie and Chris and last of all, the family dog Brian. Sounds a lot like the Simpsons doesn't it? Well it does on paper until you hear a bit of the twists this show has going on. Peter is an idiot obsessed with beer and sex, ok a lot like Homer. However Lois is also obsessed with sex, drugs and pretty much anything that is weird for a mom to do. Meg is butt ugly and also the butt of many ugly jokes, Chris is thick with an evil monkey in his cupboard. Stewie is a psycho baby with megalomaniac tendencies who wants to kill Lois and finally Brian, a seven year old dog who can talk and drinks a lot.

So yeah the premise of this show is a little wacky and may be too odd for some people to appreciate. The other part about this comedy show is many of the jokes come in the form of flashes which have nothing to do with the plot of the episode. For instance Lois could say 'that was worse than the time I got high in home tech' and then we would see a flashback of her getting high in school. They can be weird and sometimes I think the flashes can go on a little too long with some jokes really getting old after a while. However many times I find them hilarious and also very wrong in many, many ways. Just to tell you how wrong this show can be the Griffins have neighbours. Quagmire who is a sex addict, Joe a paraplegic cop and Cleveland that many jokes are made about him being black. Some jokes do go way over the line of what is acceptable and really make you laugh, and then you're ashamed of laughing. One example of this is the prom night dumpster baby song when a bunch of babies start singing about being dumped by their mothers on prom night. A terrible, terrible and wicked song that makes you laughs.

Plot
So overall the plot of Family Guy is a little wacky at times, very inappropriate but like hell is it funny sometimes. Some of the one liner they have are comedy gold and I have been crying in laughter a few times from watching this series. My family always say they hate this programme but whenever they are sitting in the same room when I'm watching it they have a little giggle. The only negative I have about this programme is that sometimes the jokes do go on a bit long. However I love this programme and think the writers must have some weird minds to be able to write this stuff. The writing is not the most elegant I have seen from a series, but from this type of comedy you don't expect it.

Characters
The characters in this programme are written brilliantly and don't have the general American family vibe about them which I feel most programmes like the Simpsons do. All characters are completely nutty yet likeable which I think is the most tantamount part of any series. The weird thing is that the main character Peter I actually find the least entertaining of the show. I think that this might be because we have seen the lazy, idiot American characters so many times it's a bit boring now. However all the other characters I love, especially Stewie and Brian, I think that their moments together are some of the funniest of the show. The banter between the two is comedy at its best and has had me in hysterics quite a few times.

Overall I think that this is one of the best series to come out of America for quite a while. Even though it is a cartoon it is most definitely not for kids as the humour in it is most entirely for adults. There are quite a lot of innuendos in this programme that would have kids asking their parents some very embarrassing questions. If you don't believe me watch a couple of episodes and you will see why, one of my favourite episodes is 'Prick up your Ear', which had a quite interesting way of having sex! If you are looking for a Television show that can have you in absolute hysterics, blubbering in laughter so much you have to pause the DVD, then this show might be for you. It is definitely not a show I think everyone will find amusing. You need to have a certain sense of humour, very black comedy, and quite a weird view on jokes. If you have that you probably will find it funny. I believe this series to be of a much better quality than other cartoon out there such as the Simpsons and South Park. So if you ever want to watch it, do but be warned of its craziness!

General information
Running time: Each episode lasts for approximately 22 minutes
DVDs: Every season is out on DVD in the UK up to season 6. You can catch them quite cheap on play.com for £9.99 each. There are also a couple of standalone extended episodes such as Blue Harvest and Stewie Griffin: The untold story.
Rating: 15, please for the love of your children do not let them watch this programme. Some episodes are suitable but most aren't and I wouldn't want to risk you having to answer some questions.
Shown on TV: Family guy is often shown every night on BBC3 usually around 11 o'clock.


Favourite quotes, don't ask why.
Lois: Brian, he's knocking on the back door, shall I let him in?
Stewie: What the deuce?
Peter: It makes me so mad I want to punch Meg in the face!

Summary: A great programme with many laughs