The animated hit series Family Guy has built up a big following over the years, but here's 25 surprising facts that even the biggest fans may not know. The first season of Seth MacFarlane's show debuted in 1999, but it was difficult to imagine at the time that the series would have as much success as it has. Fox momentarily cancelled the series after the second season before reviving it just a few months later with a reduced episode count, and then decided to cancel it again.
Thanks to strong DVD sales though, Fox changed their minds once more and brought Family Guy back for a fourth season and haven't looked back since. MacFarlane just recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first episode airing, and the fact that it's still airing today is a testament to the dedicated fan base Family Guy has built. While some of these fans may have been with the show since the beginning and others found it through reruns, there's a lot of history with the show that not everyone is aware of.
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In the latest Screen Rant video, we take a look at some of the more surprising elements to Family Guy. Although some of these may be more common knowledge, there's plenty of details that even the biggest fans of the show may not be familiar with. Possible recasting, a repeated phrase, an impressive record, and even Quagmire's startling age are just a few of the 25 entries that can be found in the video below:
Through the show's longevity, there are plenty of aspects of Family Guy that have remained the same, which make some of the above facts all the more surprising. William H. Macy voicing Brian would've prevented the creation of one of MacFarlane's most recognizable voices, while also possibly changing the way Brian would be played as the show progressed. The alternate versions of Family Guy based on what platform it's being shown on may drive diehard fans the craziest if they want to make sure they've seen every version possible.
As successful as Family Guy has become, it won't end in the immediate future. Fox just recently renewed the series for season 18. However, the property will soon be absorbed by Disney as part of the studio's acquisition of Fox. Disney's plan for all of Fox's properties isn't yet clear, but it may be somewhat difficult to imagine the family-friendly studio continuing to make the crude-humored show. Then again, as long as Family Guy can continue to be successful and Disney remains willing to let Fox's banner handle more adult content, then there could still be a long-lasting future for the Griffin family.