Over its 25-year run, many, many groups have tried to get Seth MacFarlane’sFamily Guycanceled. It turns out, a major cast member’s mother was one of those parties. The series first aired in 1999, arriving shortly after the similarly controversialSouth Parkdebuted in 1997. Among its many stars, including MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Gary Cole, and Jennifer Tilly, it was actuallyPatrick Warburton(famous for playing The Tick, and also Puddy in Seinfeld) whose family member tried to kill the show.
Speaking toPeople MagazineforFamily Guy’s 25th Anniversary celebration at PaleyFest LA, Patrick Warburton recounted the time his own mother tried to get the show canceled, aware that her son had a prominent role in the series. The actor said his mother"belonged to the American Television Council, and they were trying to get the show canceled.“However, Warburton also pointed out the irony in his mother’s hatred of the series, as the actor was financially supporting his parents using money fromFamily Guy. “She tried to get me to sign the petition [to cancel the show],” Warburton continued, “I said,‘Mom, if you don’t think I’m going to talk about this publicly, this is the greatest irony.You’re laundering money, you’re laundering it to yourself.'”
Family Guy
His family’s hatred ofFamily Guylikely stemmed from their religious background. During the interview, Warburton said, “My father was in a monastery for three months. He almost became a monk. The actor said his mother “[went] around the neighborhood when I was 13 years old,passing out pamphlets on the sins of masturbation.” Warburton joked, “They hate the show even more today than they did 25 years ago.“Warburton, though, has stopped apologizing for it.
Seth MacFarlane Doesn’t ‘See a Good Reason to Stop’ Making Family Guy
After 25 years and 22 seasons,Family Guyisn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Warburton said, “It’s a cartoon. It’s satire. As long as it remains relevant and current and creative, it [will] continue to go and to move.”
This is a sentiment shared by the show’s creator and star, Seth MacFarlane. In a separate interview with theL.A. Times, MacFarlane describedFamily Guyas the “best job ever!” MacFarlane did admit that, “there was a time when I said, ‘Hey, let’s wrap it up while we’re going strong,'” but now believes:
People still love it. It makes people happy and it funds some good causes.
Seth MacFarlane Addresses Family Guy’s Offensive Humor Not Caving to Cancel Culture; ‘Could We Defend This?’
Seth MacFarlane has broken down why controversy over Family Guy’s often offensive humor is something that is usually misinterpreted.
Along with shows likeThe SimpsonsandSouth Park,Family Guyis one of the longest running adult-animated comedies. The show aired its 400th episode in 2022, and, judging from MacFarlane’s comments, 500 episodes are inevitable. That is providing the show doesn’t get canceled for a third time.Family Guywas first canceled after its second season in 2000, as a result of its time-slot being changed by Fox. After beingsaved by fans and revivedfor a third season, the show was canceled a second time in 2001, after its revival landed it an even worse time-slot — competing withFriendsandSurvivor.
Family Guyrecently closed its 22nd season, and has already been renewed for a 23rd season.
All episodes ofFamily Guyare available to stream on Hulu.
