Every time Jerry Seinfeld is asked about the return ofSeinfeldto the small screen, he always comes up with a different answer. We know the financial gain is there, waiting to happen. Many production studios and streaming services would throw money at the comedian for doing it. Regardless of his replies, considering his answers, we’re certain that (for now) it will never return to TV as the same show about nothing.
One of those answers seems poignant: He says it would be sad to come back with no different ideas. Considering the show’s concept, you just have to hand it to the guy.Seinfeld’s case gets discussed during every conversation about shows that just don’t know when to end. Be they sitcoms or dramas, some series are simply around for too damn long. The industry is learning of course, but there’s seldom a case of a show that gets retired during its peak.
No one can say if that’s good or bad. Commercially there is one direction, and that is full steam ahead. But sometimes there are shows that stick around and many people don’t understand why.Family Guyis one of them. Cancelled a few times, and “cancelled” some others (yes, “cancelled” as in cancel culture), theanimated show for adultscan’t seem to run out of ideas. The reason? Well, it seems likeFamily Guywill exist for as long as people can laugh at themselves and each other.
There’s Still a Faithful Family Guy Audience
Let’s face it.Family Guyspeaks more about us than we can imagine. It’s the reason why the audience awaits every season, and they crack up every time the writers take jokes one step too far. Yes, one of the reasons it’s remained so popular is because nothing’s too much for a writer’s room that has followed the show’s spirit to its core.
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That audience is the same that will probably be outraged when network executives decide enough’s enough andSeth MacFarlanefeels forced to look for another home; for now his Fox home is owned by Disney. We don’t think it’ll be hard for him to find a place where executives are willing to give audiences what they want. It’s all part of the ironic universe where Disney andFamily Guyco-exist. For now.
Speaking of that: How about anotherStar Warsepisode?The crossover oneswithThe Simpsonsweren’t so popular.
The Permanent Wink at Pop Culture
It’s all about pop-cultural ideas.An animated show likeFamily Guy, that’s actually about nothing and only seems to exist because Americana is an exploitable world, will never be out of ideas. The show’s narrative style of having plots navigating between the primary and secondary stage is good for keeping the flame alive in every episode. If you’re not into Peter Griffin’s idiotic existence, then perhaps you’ll get something out of Quagmire’s eternal state of being horny.
Related:The Best Family Guy Episodes and Why They Left an Impact
Pop culture has always been a staple of the show’s target for jokes. We are certain some audiences simply watch it because of this and not because of storylines run by characters that have won us over. They just revisit the dirtiest jokes in animated TV, because no one seems to do that on a mainstream level. Only MacFarlane has managed to get away with himself.
Is it Likely Family Guy Will Get Cancelled?
Every show can be cancelled(and every TV series ends), and hopefully it’s whenever the signs point at lack of direction and storytelling for the sake of big bucks. It’s the natural evolution of TV. Sitcoms tend to go downhill whenever they’re just being repetitive and experimenting with plots that make no sense. Can you imagine what would have happened if “Rachel and Joey together” had been part of surveys defining the future ofFriends? Yes, if executives and showrunners had heard the audience, then none of that would have happened.
Family Guyhas lost its direction sometimes. We have to admit some episodes are boring, and they seem part of an experimental side of MacFarlane’s concept. But its personality has remained solid for decades. When that personality is sacrificed, then it will be the time to rest. When the Griffins stop being the dysfunctional idiots we hate to love and vice versa, then the jokes won’t be as good, and they won’t matter. We loveFamily Guybecause it has the capacity of making fun out of something that seemed sacred, and culturally replacedThe Simpsonswhen that iconic seriesslid into inauthentic mediocrity .
The Griffins are authentic. It’s what made us fall in love with them at the beginning and why we remain faithful to them.
Except for Meg. Nobody likes Meg.
All seasons of Family Guy are available to stream on Hulu
