Family Guy is an animated sitcom centered around the Griffin family - parents Peter and Lois, their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian. The show is set in Quahog, Rhode Island and uses cutaway gags and self-referential humor, often lampooning American culture. It features a large cast of recurring characters and utilizes catchphrases. The structure relies heavily on cutaway gags and references to current events and pop culture icons.
2. The Content
The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional
family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their
children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their
anthropomorphic pet dog Brian. The show is set
in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode
Island, and exhibits much of its humor in the form
of cutaway gags that often lampoon American
culture.
3. The Cast and Characters
Chris Griffin, Meg Griffin
Neil Goldman
Cleveland Brown,
Herbert,
Greased up deaf guy,
Bruce the
performance artist
Lois Griffin,
Loretta Brown,
Barbara Pewterschmidt,
Tricia Takanawa
4. The Language Style
Family Guy often includes self-referential humor. The most
common form is jokes about Fox Broadcasting, and
occasions where the characters break the fourth wall by
addressing the audience.
The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and
secondary characters have them. Notable expressions
include Quagmire's "Giggity giggity goo", Peter's "Freakin'
sweet", and Joe's "Bring it on!"
5. The Structure
Family Guy uses the filmmaking technique of cutaways, which
occur in the majority of Family Guy episodes. Emphasis is often
placed on gags which make reference to current events and/or
modern cultural icons.
Early episodes based much of their comedy on Stewie's "super
villain" antics
As the series progressed, the writers and MacFarlane agreed that
his personality and the jokes were starting to feel dated, so they
began writing him with a different personality.