Family Guy has become a very popular show, even after the Fox network canceled it twice. DVD sales and fan adoration of the reruns brought it back. The show is based on Peter and Lois Griffin who have three kids, unpopular Meg; over-weight and not exactly the brightest Chris; trying to conquer the world baby and trying to kill Lois, Stewie; and Brian, the talking almost human yet still the family dog. The family lives in the fictional suburb of Quahog, Rhode Island and with a few wacky neighbors and other characters the politically incorrect show with a hilarious mix of the sexist views of Al Bundy and with idiocy of Homer Simpson the show has become a favorite among television viewers and has helped to make Seth Macfarlane one of the highest paid writers/producers.
Before Family Guy
Macfarlane started illustrating at a very young age. Born on October 26, 1973 in a small town called Kent, Connecticut, at just 8-years-old Macfarlane drew "Walter Crouton" a comic strip published in the Kent Good Times Dispatch.
After recieving a high school diploma in 1991, he went on to go to The Rhode Island School of Design. There he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After a thesis film was submitted to Hanna-Babera, now Cartoon Network by Macfarlane's professor he was hired by the network. There he worked on the cartoons Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and Dexter's Laboratory.
Macfarlane's cartoon shorts on Cartoon Network, caught the eyes of the executives at Fox. They asked him to do a show, which now is the popular, Family Guy.
Family Guy, American Dad!, and More
Macfarlane became the youngest executive producer at 24-years-old. Family Guy has developed into a $1 billion franchise. Macfarlane also created the cartoon American Dad! and Fox has agreed to keep both shows on until 2012.
The popularity of Family Guy has boosted Seth Macfarlane to stardom that has given him chances to appear on different talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Also he has made appearances at universities such as, George Washington University, and Harvard University as a guest speaker.
Family Guy shows Seth Macfarlane's personal interests and personality. The show has both Star Wars and Star Trek influences which is are favorites for him. He also is a fan of Frank Sinatra, his myspace page says that Sinatra is someone he would like to meet. On one episode Brian and Stewie sing with Frank Sinatra Jr.
Macfarlane is a democrat and has donated towards democratic campaigns. He donated to Senator Barack Obama's campaign. The Rhode Island School of Design, gave Macfarlane a Doctorate. Currently production of a spin off from Family Guy called The Cleveland Show that will focus on a recuring character on Family Guy named Cleveland Brown has started and scheduled to be in the 2008-09 line-up on Fox.
