Family Guy may return!

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-11-19 08:15pm

USA Today wrote:In a sign of the growing importance of DVD sales to Hollywood, 20th Century Fox is considering a plan to resume production ofFamily Guy, a sometimes crude animated comedy that the Fox network took off the air more than 18 months ago.

As many as 35 new episodes could return in January 2005, marking the first time that a canceled series has been revived based on strong DVD demand and ratings in syndication.

Fox Television Entertainment Group chairman Sandy Grushow said a decision is expected soon and called the series a late-blooming phenomenon that may have aired before its time.

A DVD set of the show's first 28 episodes released in April has sold nearly 1 million copies, making it this year's top-selling TV show and the No. 4 television title ever, according to Video Storemagazine. A second collection, of 22 episodes, has sold 520,000 copies. And the series is Cartoon Network's most popular among adults.

Family Guy premiered with a big audience — 22 million viewers — and some controversy after Fox's 1999 Super Bowl telecast. In the pilot episode, Stewie, a talking toddler with a clipped British accent, was openly contemptuous of his loutish dad and bent on killing his sweet-natured mother in a quest for world domination.

Creator Seth MacFarlane, then 24, wrote scripts, drew characters, provided voices and infused the show with rapid-fire sight gags, a nod to The Simpsons. But ratings faded, and the show ended with a whimper early last year.

The relatively short network run may have helped DVD sales, Video Store's Judith McCourt says. "It really speaks to something that had a following, was cut off network TV, and people said, 'What did I miss?' "

DVD and cable viewers have "created kind of a groundswell that could lead to better ratings" on Fox, Grushow says, although new episodes could end up going directly to Cartoon Network.

A decision to restart the show suggests a reversal from the old TV business model, in which a network hit predicts a profit windfall in syndication. This time, the promise of DVD and syndication gold could justify a show's return even if low network ratings didn't.

But canceled favorites aren't likely to rise from the grave en masse. Family Guy has one major advantage: With no actors and no sets, it can simply be drawn back into existence.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-11-19 08:18pm

Heard this before, after the news of the film they said that Family Guy may return, albeit, on a different network since Fox was still standing by their action.

Now that seems to be changing, we may have even more demand, which is good.

Oddly enough, the best stories in the third season were from people writing in. The superhero sketch was classic.

"I have seen that rolling in toxic waste can give the Griffons superpowers, therefore I shall do the same and counter their threats."

*Mayor rolls in toxic waste*

Doctor: You've got lymphoma. I mean, what were you trying to prove rolling in toxic waste?

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-11-19 08:22pm

I like how the show just hits you with comedy every other second and makes it work nearly 100%

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2003-11-19 08:26pm

I love the direct cutscenes, like at the beginning of every show, after the opening song, it just cuts to the house. And the damn spontaneity never stops, it's like being hit with a 10 pound brick of comedy every 5 seconds

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-11-19 08:29pm

"Remember when I missed getting that boat?"

"A boat's a boat, Lois, but the mystery box could be anything! It could even be a boat! You know how much we've wanted one of those!"
"Then let's get the-"
"We'll take the box!"

"Peter, that was five minutes ago!"

I was rolling on the ground. I love Family Guy so much. Scary thing is, I can relate to Peter's random outbursts.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-11-19 08:30pm

Hopefully this time around the misses wont crash and burn so hard like before.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-11-19 08:32pm

Stewie and his twisted evil keep me coming back for more...

Airport

"Are you lost little boy?"

"Shutup woman, I have an army to raise and I must get to Nicaragua, I shall require a windo seet and an in-flight happy meal. WIth no pickles... God help you If I find any pickles"

OR

Mansion...

"Cut my milk"

"But sir, I cant cut your milk, it is liquid"

"It is very simple you dolt, first you freeze my milk and then you cut it. Now cut my milk or I shall put you on diaper duty, and I guarantee you it will NOT be pleasant"

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-11-19 08:39pm

AD, you left out the part after that where he summoned his servents and told them to fight to the death.

Only one thing I have to say about this: ABOUT FUCKING TIME FOX!!!! MAYBE THIS TIME YOU WON'T STICK THEM IN THE DEATH SLOT!!!!

zombie84 · Post by **zombie84** » 2003-11-19 08:43pm

wow, this would really be a huge victory for fans and the shows creators over the studio. They damn well better bring that show back. Funniest thing on the air since the Simpsons if you ask me.

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-11-19 09:04pm

Eh, I've never cared for Family Guy-it just seemed too random, much more than even a recent episode of The Simpsons. But it's encouraging to see that this kind of fan support can make people reconsider cancellation. It gives me hope for Futurama.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-11-19 09:14pm

I wonder about whether this will set a precedent for ressurrecting shows.

If Firefly does really really well on DVD might that be ressurrected as well?

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-11-19 09:26pm

neoolong wrote:I wonder about whether this will set a precedent for ressurrecting shows.

If Firefly does really really well on DVD might that be ressurrected as well?

Only if they do not put it in a crappy timeslot

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2003-11-19 09:30pm

neoolong wrote:I wonder about whether this will set a precedent for ressurrecting shows.

If Firefly does really really well on DVD might that be ressurrected as well?

The chances of Firefly being resurrected as a TV show are roughly on par with the odds that you will be hit by lightning tomorrow morning. Most of the actors have already moved on to other work, as was said before, Family Guy has the advantage of being a cartoon show. All you have to do is simply collect a team of animators and some voice-actors who sound somewhat similar to the originals, and you're back in business.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-11-19 09:31pm

Or just hire the old VAs back.

Voice acting pays rediculously low wages compared to live action.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-11-19 09:32pm

GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:
neoolong wrote:I wonder about whether this will set a precedent for ressurrecting shows.

If Firefly does really really well on DVD might that be ressurrected as well?
The chances of Firefly being resurrected as a TV show are roughly on par with the odds that you will be hit by lightning tomorrow morning. Most of the actors have already moved on to other work, as was said before, Family Guy has the advantage of being a cartoon show. All you have to do is simply collect a team of animators and some voice-actors who sound somewhat similar to the originals, and you're back in business.

Maybe so, but there's still a chance. Especially if the majority of actors don't exactly have a bunch of gigs knocking at their door.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-11-19 09:34pm

The major issue with something like Firefly, though would be justifiable costs, not actors.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-11-19 09:35pm

That's true. Of course given massive sales of the DVD, it could be seen as an indication that the fan base is enough to support the cost of the show.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2003-11-19 09:36pm

First Farscape, now this. Maybe execs are figuring out quality= money.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-11-19 09:47pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Or just hire the old VAs back.

Voice acting pays rediculously low wages compared to live action.

Interestingly enough, most of the VA's for Family Guy are the show's creators. Seth McFarlane plays Brian, Stewie and Peter and Alex Borstein (voice of Lois) is one of the writers who will no doubt return.

Anarchist Bunny · Post by **Anarchist Bunny** » 2003-11-19 10:29pm

THERE IS A GOD!

Ok, there isn't, but there is some decency in the world!

justifier · Post by **justifier** » 2003-11-19 10:31pm

neoolong wrote:I wonder about whether this will set a precedent for ressurrecting shows.

If Firefly does really really well on DVD might that be ressurrected as well?

I really hope that if Firefly gets resurrected fox will learn TO SHOW THE EPISODES IN FUCKING ORDER!!!!!1

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-11-19 10:51pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Or just hire the old VAs back.

Voice acting pays rediculously low wages compared to live action.

"Do you know what the best thing about cartoons is? You don't have to pay the actors squat!"

(Ned Flanders walks by, and says in different voice:)
"And you can change the voices and nobody will know the diddly-ifference!"

ArmorPierce · Post by **ArmorPierce** » 2003-11-20 02:03am

I was thinking that family guy may come back in some form based on my nightly watchings of it and deciding that it was actually very dumb of fox to cancel it.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-11-20 02:10am

The Chicken fight is the greatest fight in the history of television. But I have serious doubts that the show will actually come back, and if it does it shouldn't be on Fox, which would probably cancel it again after one season.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-11-20 02:31am

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Or just hire the old VAs back.

Voice acting pays rediculously low wages compared to live action.
"Do you know what the best thing about cartoons is? You don't have to pay the actors squat!"

(Ned Flanders walks by, and says in different voice:)
"And you can change the voices and nobody will know the diddly-ifference!"

Ummm...actually if memory serves, Dan Castellena is one of the highest paid actors on TV and the rest of the Simpsons VA's are also very well compensated for the success of the show and their characters.

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