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Raves Continue! The absolute best animated comedy series: THE FAMILY GUY - A must buy! (1 Viewer)

Ronald Epstein

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A few months back when I reviewed this title
for Ron's Reviews, I had sampled just
three of the 28 episodes that comprised this
Season ONE and TWO DVD collection.

Over the past week, I have spent every evening
watching at least one or two episodes per night
and having the absolute time of my life in the
process.

I can't believe Fox canceled what I believe to
be the most innovative and outrageously funny
animated comedy ever brought to television.

I think the main reason I love this show so much
is because it seems to be written by people who
have grown up during the same era I have. The
show constantly cuts itself off from the main
story line as it interjects some sort of whacky
side-line incident that relates to a television
show, movie, or long-forgotten commercial. The
show is chock-full of movie and TV commercial
references that are so well parodied that you
can't help but bust out laughing.

Family Guy also pushes the envelope as far as it
can. Though I can certainly understand why parents
might not want their children to watch this show, it
makes perfect entertainment for us older kids.

My favorite moments from the first boxed set?
The WILLY WONKA parody was priceless! The Griffins
on Reality TV was expertly captured. Most of all,
I give tribute to every cutaway that expertly
parodied some sort of childhood memory I had
forgotten about over the years.

I am a huge fan of THE SIMPSONS and I have recently
been introduced to FUTURAMA -- but by a long shot,
THE FAMILY GUY is the most cleverly written and
produced animated series that I have ever seen.
Unfortunately, the program ended up being a perfect
example of how a five-star show could be so badly
time slotted by a network to the point where it got
canceled by its own mishandling.

You guys know that when I like something, I talk
highly about it. When I don't like something, I
don't hesitate to trash it on this forum. May I
take this opportunity to turn a few more of you
on to THE FAMILY GUY. It may be the most underrated
of all the Fox animated sitcoms, but I promise you
that buying this under $40 boxed set may be the
most enjoyable purchase you have made in some time.

I look forward to discovering the episodes on the
upcoming Volume 2/Season 3 boxed set as well as
hearing comments from fellow FAMILY GUY fans.

Go Stewie!
 

TonyD

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well said ron the side interjections or digressions were genius.

i loved when in one ep they were watching my favorite game show, MATCH GAME.

"Forgetful Freddy is so absent minded that when he tried to remember his friends name, he drew a _________."

or the time they were watching wheel of fortune. the answer was "GO TUCK YOURSELF IN" a T and the word IN were missing from the puzzle.
 

Jarrod Hines

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The most important aspect of the show (in my opinion, naturally) is the fact that the viewer never really knows what to expect from moment to moment; this is quite an escape from the formulaic crap that is common on TV today. I am especially fond of the moments that replicate real-life situations or stand as peculiar (and often brief) asides to the main story, such as Stewie and Brian discussing which car they like best (prior to hotwiring one) during "Road to Rhode Island."

Stewie impersonating Bill Bixby's David Banner also had me in the floor the first time I saw it :)
 

David Owens

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Ron-

You're in for another good time with Season 3. I think the envelope is even pushed further with the last batch of episodes that were made.

I started watching the show from its post-Super Bowl premiere back in 1999. (mostly because I used to work with a guy who could pass for Peter Griffin's twin in real life), but from the 1st show I was hooked. I've gone through all of Seasons 1 and 2 probably 3 times so far and still fall off of the couch in hysterics.

It's refreshing to see DVD bring this hidden gem to people's attention after Fox gave it the shaft. I only hope that now that the DVD has reportedly sold 400,000 copies, and the reruns on the Cartoon Network (which you may want to catch for a preview of Season 3 Ron) are among the highest rated shows on cable, that someone gives the show a new lease on life.
 

Adam_WM

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I also cannot wait for the new box. When the show was on, I only saw the first season because of cancellation and re-shifting of time slots, etc. I am anxiously awaiting the new set. As my for one of my favorite moments,

GO _UCK
YOURSELF

=

GO TUCK
YOURSELF
IN
 

Scott_J

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Adam, that was a classic moment.

Puzzle: GO _UCK
YOURSELF

Contestant: "Go tuck yourself in."

Peter: "I was so close."

Awesome show. Can't wait for the next set in September.
 

Colin Jacobson

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First
the most innovative and outrageously funny
animated comedy ever brought to television.

When did Ron turn into Hyperbole Man? :D

At the risk of thread-crapping (not my intention), I have to indicate that I don't think Family Guy deserves the adulation. I'll take The Simpsons over it any day of the week. Or King of the Hill over it. Or Futurama. Or The Flintstones. Or...
 

Bill>Moore

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I LOVE The Family Guy. And I have many people here (and at DVDfile) to thank for it. I never watched the show when it was on. I knew of it, but never bothered to tune in (that and Fox's crazy scheduling). When the DVDs came out, everybody was raving about them and I finally caught one ep on the Cartoon Network. I cracked up the whole episode and with that, I got online and paid $12 extra shipping to have the set sent to my house overnight (I was on a trip and wouldn't be home for until the next night). It's a shame this show didn't last longer than it did, but I hope the possiblity of the feature-length DVD Seth mentioned last week or so comes true.
 

Joe D

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I absolutely love The Family Guy. I think the whole show can be summarized in the first episode when Peter is in court and everyone is saying "Ohh No," and then The Kool Aid Dude comes in and says, "Ohh Ya."

It's just a great moment and shows what will become of the series.
 

NickSo

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yes, family guy is my absolute favourite show ever... I can't wait for season three.

Puzzle: GO _UCK
YOURSELF

Contestant: "Go tuck yourself in."

Peter: "I was so close."
And after that, peter says:

"I cant believe i missed that and MY HAIRY AUNT" (paraphrased) :laugh: Think about it ;)

Also, any family guy addicts can join in on the Eternal Family Guy Quotes Thread in TV AND HDTV PROGRAMMING here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...ght=family+guy
 

Inspector Hammer!

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Yes! I'm so glad that you discovered, fully, the greatness of the show, Ron. :emoji_thumbsup:

In the opinion of this Family Guy fan, it is even funnier than the much loved Simpsons, a show that I am no longer a fan of BTW.

'Stewie' is one of the funniest animated creations in a long time, an infant with a football-shaped noggin and a thirst for evil plots, both against the world...and his own mother! :laugh:

I started a topic on the show in the tv area a couple of months ago asking precisly why the show was cancelled, I got many different explanations, but the concencous seems to be that it was simply moved around too much and pitted, unfairly, against bigger shows like Friends.

It's as if FOX were TRYING to kill this poor show! Perhaps because it made them nervous on a weekly basis, who knows. What IS clear is that they were damn fools for cancelling it.

"She'll pretty much have to..." :laugh::laugh:
 

Dan Rudolph

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I love The Family Guy as well. As far as how it compares to King of the Hill, The Simpsons and Futurama, well, I'm glad I don't have to choose.
 

RudyN

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I was finally able to pick this up from work yesterday and spent all day watching it. Absolutely hilarious. I can't wait for the next volume.
 

Gregory E

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reruns on the Cartoon Network (which you may want to catch for a preview of Season 3 Ron)
Yeah....11:30pm Mon-Thurs.

The cancellation of The Family Guy has to be one of the most bone-headed mistakes any network has ever made. But thanks for releasing them on DVD, Fox! Although you did cut a couple parts out. :angry:
 

Robert Ringwald

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not only is it boneheaded, but they did it like 3 times!

If I recall, they cancelled it, the fans complained, the renewed it for season 2.

They cancelled it again, and renewed it when they found a blank spot on the schedule. After season 3, it was cancelled for the last time... (that's what i remember at least.)

I can see Peter now...

My Hairy _unt

"Hmmmm..."
 

Jimmy M

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I too think Family Guy was much more consistantly funny than The Simpsons. And I love The Simpsons.

"Stewie, do you wany some ice cream?"

"Yes, and I don't want any sprinkles. For every sprinkle I find, I will kill you!"

Jimmy!
 

Tim Hoover

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Family Guy is, without a doubt, one of the sickest and most subversive television shows ever to hit primetime - and I love it!

The final season has some outstanding episodes, including one where Brian becomes addicted to cocaine. The Griffins place him in a very posh rehab center. Upon touring the swanky facility, Chris exclaims "Wow! No wonder people do drugs!!!"
 

Matthew Furtek

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I enjoyed the continuity they had between shoes sometimes. It was almost like a sitcom in that way. This is seen with the evil monkey in Chris's closet... also the Season 3 plot-line of Peter trying to find work and another character getting killed off.

What burns me about the DVD set is that Seth and crew had recorded commentaries for all 28 episodes, in addition to the fact that the commentaries Fox kept were also cut (all that dead air time...). But, its hard to fight the machine, especially when I never would've believed this would come to DVD.

Matthew Furtek
 

GuruAskew

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At the risk of thread-crapping (not my intention), I have to indicate that I don't think Family Guy deserves the adulation. I'll take The Simpsons over it any day of the week. Or King of the Hill over it. Or Futurama. Or The Flintstones. Or...
I totally agree. I'm absolutely baffled when I see people praising this show. I'm offended by it, but not from any sort of moral standpoint. I'm offended by the writers apparantly complete lack of comedic understanding that was confirmed every time an episode of this show was produced. The characters are all annoying and unlikeable, their designs are unappealing, the animation is terrible, and the jokes are predictable and ultimately unfunny. Not only could you see the jokes coming from a mile away, the show had an irritating way of over-explaining said jokes after the fact. Out of sheer morbid curiosity I was watching an episode on Cartoon Network the other day while on the phone with a friend. It was the episode where, in a blatant ripoff of a classic "Simpsons" episode, the family relocated to avoid a criminal who wanted to kill their son. In a painful "Dukes of Hazzard" joke, Brian the dog went to jump in through the window after Peter demonstrated how he entered the car. Having never seen the episode, I still told my friend on the phone "the window is rolled up" and not only was my prediction correct, the joke was then painfully explained *after* the fact as well. Anyways, I guess it takes different strokes to move the world.
 

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