Every Seth MacFarlane Animated Series Has The Exact Same Problem

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https://www.looper.com/1274233/every...-same-problem/

BY MIKE BEDARD/MAY 3, 2023 9:00 AM EST

Seth MacFarlane has truly come to dominate the adult animation landscape. Few could've seen it coming. When "Family Guy" first hit TV in 1999, faced an early cancelation, and was rescued by surprisingly popular reruns on Adult Swim, it seemed destined to be a cult favorite, at most. However, when those reruns, combined with impressive DVD sales, convinced Fox to give it another go, "Family Guy" expanded from a relatively obscure series into a genuine pop culture phenomenon. The show's success also gave MacFarlane leeway to explore other projects, namely the political-skewing "American Dad," as well as a direct "Family Guy" spin-off, "The Cleveland Show," which ran for four seasons.

Even after "The Cleveland Show" ended, "Family Guy" and "American Dad" are still going strong, proving MacFarlane has some gas left in the tank. However, at this point, while the remaining two shows clearly have strong fanbases, one can't help but feel as though they're on a lower echelon of adult animation.

"The Simpsons" remains a perennial favorite. "South Park" still makes headlines for its crass storylines. Even "Rick and Morty" generates online activity of the sort "Family Guy" could only dream of. Meanwhile, MacFarlane's particular brand of shows is just fine, but there's something constantly holding them back from achieving true greatness. It's the one ingredient that makes a difference between being comedic background noise versus claiming a spot as one of the true great adult animated sitcoms. It's something called heart — a quality that "Family Guy" and its ilk have lacked from the start.