The Untold Secrets Behind Family Guy's Shocking Cancellation & Miraculous Comeback!

Summary

Family Guy was canceled due to low ratings, losing in competition with other popular shows like Frasier, Survivor, and Friends.

The show's revival for season 4 was driven by its success on Adult Swim and impressive DVD sales. Additionally, the cancellation of Family Guy played a role in inspiring and shaping Seth MacFarlane's second show, American Dad.

Family Guy's brief cancellation in 2002 is well-known; however, the question remains: why was the show canceled? Since its premiere in January 1999, Family Guy has been a staple of FOX's lineup and adult animation for over two decades. Its raunchiness, satirical humor, observational comedy, and use of pop culture references quickly appealed to both fans and critics, a sentiment that still holds true even after its recent seasons. With over 409 episodes, Family Guy has achieved a significant milestone that only a few TV series have accomplished.

Given the tremendous success of Family Guy, it is surprising that the show was canceled. Despite currently being in its 21st season, new viewers may not be aware of the show's three-year hiatus. Following the conclusion of season 3 in 2002, FOX canceled Seth MacFarlane's show, only to revive it for a fourth season in 2005. Since then, the show has been consistently airing. While this may seem peculiar, there are valid reasons behind the initial cancellation and subsequent revival of Family Guy. Additionally, it is worth noting how this situation affected another one of MacFarlane's shows.

Family Guy Was Canceled Due To Low Ratings

The cancellation of Family Guy can be explained simply: it consistently struggled with low ratings. Although the show initially performed well in its Sunday night timeslot during season 1, it faced tough competition when it was moved to Thursday nights for season 2, going up against Frasier. Later, it was shifted to Tuesday nights where it had to compete with ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. In both cases, Family Guy consistently lost in the ratings, which led to a brief cancellation by FOX after season 2. Although it was brought back for a third season, the ratings problem persisted. Season 3 was once again scheduled for a Thursday night timeslot, but faced strong competition from Survivor and Friends. Despite FOX's attempts to find a successful timeslot for season 3, the ratings never improved and the constant shuffling ironically led to a further decline in ratings. Ultimately, Family Guy was canceled in 2002, with the last episode of season 3 remaining unaired for over a year.

Why Family Guy Returned For Season 4 (& Beyond)

FOX's Family Guy was initially cancelled due to poor ratings, but this setback turned out to be the catalyst for its revival. Following its cancellation, Cartoon Network purchased the rights to air reruns of the show on their Adult Swim programming block. Surprisingly, this decision proved to be a game-changer as Family Guy became the network's highest-rated program, resulting in a 239% increase in viewership. Furthermore, the show's DVD sales skyrocketed, with the season 1 and 2 sets selling a combined total of 2.2 million copies, making it the best-selling DVD of 2003 and the second best-selling DVD of all time. This cult status on Adult Swim ultimately compelled FOX to resurrect Family Guy for a fourth season in 2004.

The fourth season of Family Guy premiered on May 1, 2005, drawing an impressive 11.85 million viewers, according to The New York Times. Ever since then, the show has remained consistently successful, achieving syndication on numerous channels and streaming services. It is renewed for more seasons each year and has been recognized with multiple awards, including Annie Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards. It is an ironic twist that Family Guy's cancellation was the catalyst for its incredible success that continues to this day.

How Family Guy Being Canceled Helped American Dad

The cancellation of Family Guy was a pivotal moment in the success of both the show itself and the creation of American Dad! FOX, recognizing the cult following of Family Guy, urged Seth MacFarlane to develop a new show to capitalize on its popularity. This led to the creation of American Dad! However, despite the initial intentions, the renewal of Family Guy overshadowed American Dad!'s premiere with a mere three-month gap. Nevertheless, the cancellation of Family Guy was the catalyst for the birth of American Dad!.

Furthermore, Family Guy's situation had a significant impact on the distinct style of American Dad!. As Family Guy was renewed, Seth MacFarlane entrusted the development of American Dad! to co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman. This decision allowed American Dad! to carve out its own unique identity, departing from the cutaway gags commonly associated with Family Guy. The focus shifted towards exploring the dynamics between characters and the surreal nature of the story, rather than relying on joke setups. As a result, Seth MacFarlane's American Dad! found its own voice and established a dedicated following. This achievement would not have been possible without the initial cancellation and subsequent renewal of Family Guy.

Family Guy's Success After Cancelation Is Historic

Family Guy's initial cancellation was due to its low ratings, but upon its return, it skyrocketed in popularity, becoming one of the most beloved TV series. With 21 seasons under its belt, Family Guy has been renewed for seasons 22 and 23, a level of success unmatched by any other canceled show. Futurama, despite having multiple cancellations and renewals, including a late return with season 8 on Hulu, never reached the same level of popularity as Family Guy. Similarly, other cult favorites like Arrested Development and Community were revived after cancellation but couldn't attain the same level of success and even experienced a decline in quality. While Community might be getting a movie, none of these shows lasted as long as Family Guy. Even shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Expanse, and Lucifer, which were fortunate enough to be renewed after cancellation, are unlikely to achieve the same level of success as Family Guy did post-cancellation.