[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Family_Guy_4165.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Clockwise, starting from the left: [[TheGenericGuy Chris]], [[ManChild Peter]], [[WomenAreWiser Lois]], [[ButtMonkey Meg]], [[BrainyBaby Stewie]], and [[DeadpanSnarker Brian]].]]

->'''Lois:''' [[HypocriticalHumor It seems today / that all you see / is violence in movies and sex on TV!]]
->'''Peter:''' But where are those good, old fashioned values...
->'''Chris, Meg, Brian, and Stewie:''' ...On which we used to rely?
->'''The whole family, joined by backup singers:''' Lucky there's a [[TitleDrop Family Guy]]! Lucky there's a man who / positively can do / all the things that make us...
->'''Stewie:''' ...Laugh and cry!
->'''The family:''' He's... a... Fam... ily... Guy!

'''''Family Guy''''' is an {{animated series}} created by SethMacFarlane about a DysfunctionalFamily who... well, that's about it, really. It presents us with four main characters--slow-witted blue-collar jerk Peter, who is basically a crueler, more imbecilic, and often more cheerful [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Al Bundy]]; smart and efficient (and constantly closer-to-Earth) HouseWife Lois; insecure teenage Meg; and good-hearted but moronic son Chris--and puts them through a series of adventures usually sparked by Peter's selfishness and/or idiocy. In addition to these somewhat cookie-cutter characters are Brian the martini-sipping intellectual dog and Stewie the laser-toting megalomaniac baby, although they've gotten much more screen time in recent seasons.

Chaotic and somewhat out of the ordinary, the show is notorious for its {{Cutaway Gag}}s, as well as targeting literally every subject under the sun with [[RapidFireComedy a million gags per minute]]. Depending on who you ask, it's either sloppy, unstructured and tasteless, or unorthodox and acceptably simple entertainment. With later seasons, the randomness increased and character dynamics shifted, with Stewie becoming less of a mad conqueror and more of a showman with homicidal, homosexual, and/or violent tendencies, Meg becoming a ButtMonkey (supposedly due to the fact that the writers felt her too bland a character) and Brian becoming more and more of a pompous loser. The animation style became stiffer, and the show as a whole became more [[SadistShow mean-spirited]]. It's drawn flak for this, but its fanbase is as loyal as any other.

The show made history for American network television for being {{uncanceled}} -- twice. {{FOX}} announced the show's cancellation after its second season in 2002. The show was resurrected not long after, but ratings suffered as its [[ScrewedByTheNetwork time slot changed constantly and it competed against the ratings-behemoths of]] ''{{Series/Survivor}}'' and ''{{Series/Friends}}''. After the third season, FOX called the show "canceled for good". But in 2005, the show was resurrected yet again, due to popular request, impressive ratings for the reruns on Creator/AdultSwim, and unusually successful DVD-set sales. ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' is now one of the network's most successful franchises, promoted by the suits with the same fervor as ''Series/TwentyFour'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', and ''AmericanIdol''. This made SethMacFarlane THE highest paid Hollywood writer for a few years after its second revamp- it allowed him to produce the SpinOff series ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'', and ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', both under the same studio, along with the ''Franchise/StarWars'' spoof ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuyPresentsLaughItUpFuzzball''.

As a final point, it's worth remembering SethMacFarlane is not as heavily involved in the writing of more recent episodes as you might think. While he's still an executive producer, and thus can veto scripts, chances are [[ScapegoatCreator he's not the one you should aim bile at]] when it comes to specific gags, aesops and messages in the plotlines.

There are currently three games based on the series. First was the ''Family Guy Video Game!'' for PlayStation2, {{Xbox}}, and PlayStationPortable. Next came ''Family Guy Online'', a browser-based MMORPG. The third is ''FamilyGuyBackToTheMultiverse'' for PlayStation3, {{Xbox 360}}, and PC.

!!Additional pages:
* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BiggestComplaint/FamilyGuy Vent all your complaints here]]
* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BestEpisode/FamilyGuy Vote for the best episode here]]
* [[http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Has its own wiki]]
* [[Recap/FamilyGuy Episode Guides and the tropes associated are here]].
* [[DrinkingGame/FamilyGuy The "Just For Fun" Drinking Game]].
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!!Tropes found in the series:
[[index]]
* FamilyGuy/TropesAToC
* FamilyGuy/TropesDToI
* FamilyGuy/TropesJToP
* FamilyGuy/TropesQToZ
[[/index]]
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