One of the stranger come-from-behind stories in television history, Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” went from a failed, three season, “Simpsons-esque” animated sitcom to being a resurrected phenomenon, winning three Emmys, three Daytime Emmys, and being one of the highest rated shows on two major networks simultaneously (Fox and Cartoon Network).
It has also become one of the more contested shows in the last decade, blasted by many critics for containing nothing but referential humor and cheap pop culture cracks and being sued on three separate occasions for copyright infringement. But, love it or hate it, Family Guy sees its tenth season premiere on September 26th, an event that very few series (especially Fox series) get to celebrate.
Blast Magazine attended a pre-screening of season ten’s first episode “Powerball Fever”, along with showings of the “History of the World” season 9 DVD extra and the fan picked episode “Road to the Multiverse”
The “History of the World” feature was a collection of clips from the show’s ten year span, arranged to show existence from the Big Bang, through Biblical times, and onto the founding and Civil War periods of America. Most of the clips are the made up of the many appearance of Jesus Christ and Hitler (two semi-regular guest stars on the show.)
“The Road to the Multiverse” episode from season 9 is one of the show’s many parodies of the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby “Road to…” movies. It consists of Brian and Stewie traveling between different universes, most of which are the Family Guy world taking on the appearance of other animated creations such as Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken, The Flinstones, and a Disney universe with animation mostly resembling Snow White.
The premier of season ten entitled “Powerball” consists of the Griffin’s winning the lottery and the shenanigans that ensue with their new found wealth. The show’s animation has not changed in the new season (except for an HD remake of the opening titles) and the humor stays with what the show has become famous for. Complete with musical numbers, fart jokes, and the constant reminder that we are not supposed to like Meg.
Family Guy’s model of success seems to be they have found a way to remove all the baggage of writing a sitcom. Instead they opt to use the 22 minutes to make rapid fire one liners put to animation. No one can ever say that they’ve ever lost their heart or integrity, mostly due to the fact that they gave themselves neither from day one. If episode one is any indication, there’s nothing that will change anyone’s mind on how they feel about Family Guy in season 10. Stewie’s gay, Peter’s an idiot, the dog talks, and the world still rotates on an axis. I suppose it’s comforting in a way.
Leave a Reply