10 lesser-known facts about 'Family Guy'

Family Guy is one of the longest-running animated sitcoms on television right now. 19 seasons in, the sitcom is showing no signs of slowing down. While there has been a downgrade in the show’s quality in the past few seasons, Family Guy remains a hilarious and well-loved show.

The 20th season of Family Guy will air from 26 September 2021, and fans couldn’t be more excited.

On that note, let's take a look at 10 lesser-known facts about Family Guy.

1) Chris Griffin’s voice is based on Buffalo Bill

Seth Greene modeled his character Chris Griffin’s voice after serial killer Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs. Although Greene only did it for fun, there is a crazy episode in Family Guy where Chris recreates a scene from The Silence of the Lambs.

2) William H. Macy auditioned for Brian Griffin

William H. Macy may have voiced Brian Griffin if it wasn’t for the limited budget. Macy was a renowned actor in the 90s, while McFarlane was a no-name college graduate. But due to a lack of finances, Fox decided to move forward with McFarlane, and the rest is history.

3) Almost every episode of Family Guy has two versions

The television and DVD versions of Family Guy are different. The show broadcasts a mildly censored version on TV, whereas, on home media, it is even more raunchy and crude.

4) Family Guy voice actors are paid an insane salary

The cast members of Family Guy were making up to $250,000 per episode in 2013. This is impressive considering voice actors don’t get paid this much.

5) Lois Griffin was blonde initially

Central character Lois Griffin was blonde in the Family Guy pilot episode. While her look may explain Chris’s hair, nobody can imagine Lois without her signature red hair.

6) George Lucas is a fan of Family Guy

Star Wars creator George Lucas is a big fan of Family Guy. Lucas let the creator incorporate Star Wars into the show's plot several times. As a result, there are many throwbacks and homages to Star Wars.

7) Each episode of Family Guy includes one catchphrase

Every episode of Family Guy features at least one expression of the phrase “What the Hell”.

8) Family guy was canceled twice

Due to low ratings initially, Fox canceled Family Guy after two seasons but revived it soon after. This resulted in season 3 having fewer episodes, and Fox canceled the show again. But after a colossal 3 million DVDs were sold, Fox brought back the show two years later. Since then, Family Guy has become a billion-dollar franchise.

9) Family Guy had a precursor show

Seth McFarlane created a show Larry & Steve which aired on Cartoon Network in 1997. Larry & Steve was a precursor to Family Guy, and the latter’s central characters Peter and Brian were based on Larry and Steve, respectively.

10) South Park creators hate Family Guy

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have voiced their disdain for Family Guy on multiple occasions. The pair hate the show's cutaway jokes and have called it lazy writing.