Shows like Family Guy take many forms, as there are several reasons why the hit animated Fox series has lasted for as long as it did. Premiering in 1999, Seth MacFarlane created the show as a more absurdist take on The Simpsons. While both shows are about family units going through various slapstick situations, Family Guy took it over the line when it came to off-the-wall humor. The Simpsons seem almost tame in comparison to Family Guy, as the former is more like an animated sitcom, while the latter is like sketch comedy with a loose story tying all the gags together.

After Fox canceled the show after three seasons, fans protested and DVD sales convinced Fox to bring it back. Now, with 21 seasons and more to come, the show has brought its characters through just about every zany situation imaginable, with some of the best involving their talking dog Brian and tyrannical baby Stewie. There are plenty of influences for the show, and there are also a lot of shows like Family Guy that popped up after the fact, clearly owing their existence to the exploits of the Griffin family and their various friends and foes.

11 Futurama (1999- )

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While Family Guy is often compared to The Simpsons due to the two having a very similar premise, its sense of humor means shows like Family Guy are actually more in line with Futurama. Matt Groening went a little more out there and a little darker with his second show, which some might even argue is better than The SImpsons. It’s set a thousand years into the future as a pizza delivery boy who was cryogenically frozen on New Year’s Eve 1999 is thawed out in the year 3000. He moves in with a robot and falls in love with a one-eyed woman. With its hysterical and mind-boggling sci-fi adventures, this show was like an early template for Rick and Morty.

10 Chappelle’s Show (2003-2006)

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It could be argued that shows like Family Guy are more sketch shows than sitcoms. Its episodes have plots, but they are very loose and are often left unresolved in favor of a random non-sequitur gag to see the episode out. The cutaway gags have become the main attraction, and they’re like little animated sketches. Dave Chappelle’s short-lived sketch show has a similar sensibility and, more importantly, it’s very funny. Sketches such as “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories” and “Black Bush” are beloved comedic gems.

9 South Park (1997- )

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Even though South Park did a whole episode about how it hates being compared to Family Guy, TV viewers who enjoy one tends to enjoy the other. South Park made a strong case for itself as the superior show in the episode “Cartoon Wars,” claiming it doesn’t go for cheap laughs, tells real stories, has a more satirical bite, and all of its jokes serve a story. Still, for anyone who loves adult animation and Pythonesque ridiculous humor and characters who do stupid things with hilarious consequences in shows like Family Guy, then South Park will definitely be their cup of tea. It’s more focused on current events than Family Guy, but it’s just as funny – if not funnier.

8 Robot Chicken (2005- )

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This animated sketch comedy series was co-created by Seth Green, who voices Chris Griffin in Family Guy. Each episode is a breezy 11 minutes long, and they’re animated in a stop-motion style with toys and action figures. The show has also featured guest appearances by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and the voice of Meg, Mila Kunis, and on at least one occasion, all three appeared in the same episode. Robot Chicken even has its own series of special episodes parodying the Star Wars saga – something Family Guy often refers to in its own Star Wars episodes. Robot Chicken has shows like Family Guy's sick sense of humor, and it’s just as funny and sharp.

7 30 Rock (2006-2013)

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This hit NBC comedy series was created by Tina Fey and stars the SNL legend as, essentially, herself (although the character’s name is Liz Lemon). She’s the head writer of an NBC sketch variety series called The Girlie Show, and she clashes with her new boss Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin. As in shows like Family Guy, a lot of the humor in 30 Rock hinges on the viewer being pop culture literate. There are dozens of references to movies, TV, music, politics, celebrities, and other realms of popular culture in every episode. Also, like shows like Family Guy, it’s sharp, smartly written, and well-plotted.

6 The Cleveland Show (2009-2013)

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The short-lived Family Guy spin-off series The Cleveland Show is often mocked by the mothership as “the Black version of our show.” Granted, it’s not as strong or as funny as Family Guy, nor is its character as endearing or well-developed. However, it has the same sense of humor and a lot of the same voice actors as shows like Family Guy, and it’s ultimately underrated. It’s not great; it’s just not as bad as its complete dismissal by the TV-viewing community would have you think it is. There’s a lot to love about The Cleveland Show. It’s worth reconsidering.

5 The Sarah Silverman Program (2007-2012)

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Shows like Family Guy are pretty much sitcoms in name only, as it often deviates from the storylines it sets up and takes on a loose structure. The same could be said of Sarah Silverman’s Comedy Central show The Sarah Silverman Program. The show doesn’t necessarily have stories; it just has half-hour episodes chock-full of little nuggets of comic gold. The two series share the same absurd sense of humor and penchant for random non-sequiturs that take things in a whole new direction unexpectedly. As in shows like Family Guy, The Sarah Silverman Program is edgy and dark, yet still witty and very funny.

4 Paradise PD (2018-2022)

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Paradise PD is a Netflix animated comedy series about cops from the creators of Brickleberry. While Brickleberry didn’t manage to walk the line between obscenity and hilarity as well as shows like Family Guy, Paradise PD definitely does. It’s like the creators have finally honed their voice and found a way to maintain their crude sense of humor and graphic, explicit style of animation without also being alienating or off-putting. Like Family Guy, the characters of Paradise PD are well-rounded and always have a hilarious line to add to a scene – plus, there’s a talking dog who likes to drink and do drugs.

3 Big Mouth (2017- )

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This Netflix animated comedy series starring Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, and Jessi Klein is about a bunch of pre-teen kids going through puberty. The show received praise for showing the female side of puberty and the teenage experience as well as the male side, as pop culture has neglected the female side of things in the past. Big Mouth follows in the footsteps of shows like Family Guy as an animated show targeted at an adult audience with a lot of cringe humor, crude jokes, and ridiculous sight gags – but it goes one step further as a story that is relatable and human, too.

2 Beavis And Butthead (1993- )

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A lot of the scenes in shows like Family Guy revolve around the family sitting on the couch in the living room, watching TV shows, and commenting on them. That’s the whole premise of this iconic ‘90s cartoon from Silicon Valley creator Mike Judge. It’s about two teenagers – the titular pair – who sit around all day, watching TV shows (using actual clips from TV shows and not exaggerated animated versions like Family Guy), and making snide remarks. It’s a similar premise to Mystery Science Theater 3000, albeit in an animated form and using short clips of TV shows instead of full feature-length movies. It also received a revival on Paramount+.

1 American Dad! (2005- )

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American Dad! began as a second-stringer to shows like Family Guy. It was Seth MacFarlane’s other show. However, as some critics claimed Family Guy’s quality slowly declined, American Dad! started getting better. The series began as a political satire about a conservative CIA agent clashing with his liberal hippie daughter, but it has since evolved into one of the funniest, wildest, most underrated gems on television. Ever since the show softened its political edge and started focusing more heavily on the Roger character, it has joined the ranks of Rick and Morty as one of the smartest, funniest cartoons on the air.