Family Guy vs. The Simpsons (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Porter]

I know this subject has probably beaten to death but which do you really think is better. I really believe that the Simpsons is not that great compared to Family Guy. Family Guy was fully developed and laugh out loud funny by it's 2nd episode. But looking back with the new DVD sets the Simpsons first and second seasons were nothing like it's prime years. It was barely funny. I really believe that Family Guy wins because of it's abstract nature. In a way even in the far-fetched episodes, the Simpsons is grounded to reality in a way that makes it less funny to Family Guy. Family Guy will forever remain a cult classic among non-J6Ps. I believe that it was somehow brilliant, while having enough low-brow jokes. It had a very select audience by alienating most people by making fun of the President, african-americans, and many other things in a way that the Simpsons never did. What does everyone else think?

~Kevin

 

[NickSo]

FAMILY GUY RULES! DAMN FOX FOR CANCELLING IT!!! To quote stewie: DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL! (See my sig )
I loved family guy, best show that was on TV.. miles funner than simpsons honestly, great humor.. I laugh at least a dozen times per episode... Im eagerly awating for an annoucenemnt to bring this to R1 DVD (Lucky brits with their FG DVD)

 

[Scott L]

Well call me a J6P then. Well.. maybe not. The characters in the Simpsons are more easy to identify with. A talking dog or crazy baby I have trouble believing and finding funny. Plus the voices are much more distinct as well as the characters in the Simpsons. Everything from the sea captain to the fat comic book nerd guy are unexplainably loveable.
btw check out my new sig!

 

[andrew markworthy]

The Simpsons took until about series 6 for me to tire of them. Family Guy took under one episode.

 

[Jason Quillen]

I've always been a fan of both shows, but I always found Family Guy funnier than Simpsons. The past...2-3 years of the Simpsons has been unbearable for me though. Not a single episode I've seen has been any good. And god, the Simpsons recent "LOOK WHAT CELEBRITY WE HAVE ON THIS WEEK!" crutch is nothing short of tragic. If you depend that heavily on guest stars for an episode to get a "decent" plot then maybe you should start thinking about getting out while your on top, and not the paycheck Fox is pushing towards you.
JQ

 

[RossTerry]

i always thought family guy was like the simpsons on speed.

jokes and gags non stop, some are 'high' brow others 'low' brow, which is similar to the simpsons


both are funny

i give the edge to the simpsons...theyve given me so many quotes and laughs and still entertain me when i watch the daily reruns

 

[Rob Speicher]

Family Guy was so damn funny, I think if they would have given it a fair chance (ie a lead-in from Simpsons) it would have eventually surpassed Simpsons.

 

[ThomasC]

If you depend that heavily on guest stars for an episode to get a "decent" plot then maybe you should start thinking about getting out while your on top, and not the paycheck Fox is pushing towards you.

i heard that back in the late 90s, matt groening wanted to end the simpsons but fox wouldn't let him.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Once again, comparison shows its ugly head.

One is a 12 yr TV phenomenon, and the other barely lasted three seasons, below the radar of TV. Is it just the fact that they were animated that people have to compare them?

Anyway, even if the first two seasons of the Simpsons were weak, the next 5 or 6 were brilliant. Any show would kill to have that long of a winning streak. Seinfeld didn't have it. Cheers didn't have it. Saturday Night Live didn't have it. The only other show I can think of right now that had it was Johny Carson (I'm sure there are more, but I'm not well-versed in TV lore).

The Family Guy was a show of moments. When there were good, they were really good. But The Simpsons... man, so many extremely clever lines, references, visual gags.

I wish Family Guy would have been picked up by Comedy Central. It was too out-there for network TV. The only reason Simpsons stayed on was because it was a kiddie-cartoon pop-culture phenomenon first, then it turned into the masterpiece we all know and love.

 

[Tom Rhea]

I'm a fan of both, but I think the Simpsons is a bit better. True, the first season wasn't very strong (and not as strong as Family Guy's first season), but the second season is much better than you are giving it credit for. Have you seen those episodes recently? I used to think it was a weak season also, but after I got the box set I discovered that a ton of episodes that I thought must surely have come from later seasons (because they were so good) were actually first season.

I think the Simpsons is just better written. The jokes are more subtle (like the classic: Marge -- I thought you liked Japan. You liked Rashomon. Homer -- That's not how I remember it (how many people would get that one?)) Family Guy is certainly more absurdist -- a matricidal infant who wants a camerman to use the "Cybill Shepard" filter on a lens to take months of his age is really out there (and the main reason I like the show), but they didn't have time to reach the same level the Simpsons has.

Still, though, if Fox doesn't start getting those Family Guy box sets to my local dvd emporium soon, I'm gonna [generic threat].

 

[Scott McGillivray]

I have to give "The Simpsons" the nod for the better of the two shows. I really like "Family Guy" for its shock value and surprising story lines. However, the writing in "The Simpons" borders on genius. Some of their references and visual wit is spectacular. This while still maintaining a huge cast of loveable and memorable characters.
For a 2nd place vote, I would go with "Futurama" and 3rd place to "Family Guy" followed by "King of the Hill"
Geeze...I sure like animated shows! Anyone up for some "Flintstone" trivia????