Family Guy Flashcards
Premiere and Controversy
Family Guy premiered on January 31, 1999, after Super Bowl XXXIII, with the episode “Death Has a Shadow,” drawing 22 million viewers and sparking controversy due to its adult content.
Initial Ratings Success
The show aired on Sundays at 8:30 pm between The Simpsons and The X-Files, earning decent ratings. At the end of its first season, it ranked No. 33 in Nielsen ratings with 12.8 million households tuning in.
Shift to Thursday Nights
Moving to Thursdays at 9 pm for its second season, competing against NBC’s Frasier, Family Guy experienced a significant decline in ratings. Fox then removed it from the schedule, airing episodes irregularly.
Cancellation Announcement
In March 2000, the show returned on Tuesdays at 8:30 pm but struggled against Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, ranking No. 114 in Nielsen ratings. Fox announced its cancellation in May 2000 after the second season.
First Revival
Despite the cancellation, Fox ordered 13 additional episodes on July 24, 2000, forming a third season. Family Guy returned on November 8, 2001, in a challenging time slot on Thursday nights at 8:00 pm.
Second Cancellation
Fox frequently shifted the show during its second and third seasons, negatively impacting ratings. On May 15, 2002, Fox’s fall line-up excluded Family Guy, and the network officially announced its cancellation shortly thereafter.
What were some of the rerun rights difficulties?
Fox struggled to find networks interested in reruns of Family Guy. Cartoon Network eventually acquired the rights almost for free, as stated by the president of 20th Century Fox Television.
What network did Family Guy have success on that led to it’s second revival?
Family Guy premiered in reruns on Adult Swim on April 20, 2003, quickly becoming the top-rated program on the block. It dominated late-night viewing, outperforming both cable and broadcast competition and boosting viewership by 239%.
What helped Family Guy achieve cult status?
The complete first and second seasons were released on DVD the same week Family Guy premiered on Adult Swim. The show gained cult status, selling 400,000 copies within one month and reaching a total of 2.2 million copies, making it the best-selling television DVD of 2003.
When was Family Guy’s second revival?
The success in DVD sales and reruns reignited Fox’s interest. On May 20, 2004, Fox ordered 35 new episodes of Family Guy, marking a historic revival based on DVD sales, a first in television history.
