Nothing is sacred, nothing is safe, and nothing should be spared. This ought be the motto of Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, also known as the voice of Peter Griffin, Brian, Quagmire, and numerous others. This show, with it's immense following, pushes the boundaries of animation and censorship, eschewing any sort of continuity, logic, or sense of moral restriction.
So Family Guy rips off The Simpsons, among others. I imagine the creators of the show would simply reply to the critics, "Big whoop, wanna fight about it?" This show does for animated television what Kathy Acker did for literature: steal stuff and push taboos. So what if all the cut-away jokes are interchangeable, stupid, and pointless? They're hysterical!
Family Guy plagiarizes, alludes to, and makes obscure references to everything from pop-culture to famous literature, show tunes to classical music, the banality of existence and the nuances of mundane conversation to the occasional spattering of profundity and political satire. Think TS Eliot's "The Waste Land" if the poem had an entire section lampooning the movie Poltergeist.
Honestly, what other show, in a single episode, makes references to Dawson's Creek, Singing in the Rain, the Macintosh computer speech function, Star Wars, the Tracey Ullman Show, pornographic novels, Kool-Aid commercials, and Emily Bronte?
In the Volume 4 DVD collection, comprising of the second half of season four, the show is up to its usual antics at its typical frenetic pace. Packed in every episode are its trademark cut-away gags, innuendo, and humor that's sure to offend or disgust or both. Notable cameos and guest stars include Wallace Shawn, quarterback Tom Brady, Gary Cole (of Office Space fame), Frank Sinatra Jr., and Robert Downey Jr.
Many of the episodes have an optional censored audio track (so now even young children will be able to watch and see that obscure MC Escher reference) and all the episodes have audio commentary by the show's creators and voice actors. While commentary on most DVDs can be fairly trivial, the exchanges that can be heard on Family Guy are not only hilarious in their own right, but are also extremely useful in navigating the show's complex network of pop-culture allusions. They also tell of a number of omitted jokes and alternate strains of dialogue that, at times, make the show's frequent masturbation gags (pun intended) seem tame. Also included on the DVD are many deleted scenes and extended cuts, a look behind the scenes, and access to special online content.
In this season in particular, the show, which is known for it's many musical numbers and for having it's own orchestra, really asserts itself with spectacularly choreographed sequences and wonderful songs culled from the likes of The Music Man, Paula Abdul, the "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" internet video, and others that are originally written for the show, like "The Freakin' FCC."
The episodes that make it on to the disc are:
"PTV" – Fed up with FCC censorship, Peter starts his own TV station featuring risqué programs.
"Brian Goes Back To College" – Brian returns to college, Peter, Joe, Quagmire, and Cleveland emulate The A-Team.
"The Courtship Of Stewie's Father" – Chris does chores for a creepy old man while Peter and Stewie join forces in tormenting Lois.
"The Fat Guy Strangler" – Peter forms an organization for fat people at the same time Lois discovers she has an estranged and homicidal brother.
"The Father, The Son And The Holy Fonz" – Defying his father's Catholicism, Peter creates a church worshipping Fonzie from Happy Days.
"Brian Sings And Swings" – Brian and Stewie form a new Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra Jr. while Brian sinks further into alcoholism.
"Patriot Games" – Peter is recruited to play for the New England Patriots, only to find that his arrogance gets him traded.
"I Take Thee Quagmire" – Philanderer Glenn Quagmire falls in love with the Griffins' maid and tries to put aside his giggity ways.
"Sibling Rivalry" – Stewie and his half-brother Bertram fight each other in a battle which could determine the fate for the world…or just the playground.
"Deep Throats" – While Meg lands an internship with Mayor Adam West, Brian takes it upon himself to expose the official's corruption.
"Peterotica" – Peter becomes an acclaimed author of pornography, causing his father-in-law to lose all his money when the millionaire is sued for "publishing" Peter's work.
"You May Now Kiss The…Uh…Guy Who Receives" – Brian takes a stand for his gay cousin and attempts to foil Mayor West's decision to ban same-sex marriage.
"Petergeist" – After Peter defiles an Indian burial ground beneath his home, the house is invaded by spirits and Stewie is sucked into the realm of the dead.
"The Griffin Family History" – Stuck in a panic room during a burglary, Peter relates to his family the stories of their ancestral history.
The Family Guy, Volume 4 DVD comes out on Tuesday, November 14th. Buy it: it's a much better way to spend your time than celebrating Prince Charles' birthday.
The Family Guy, Vol. 4 is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
Your Talkback on this Story