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VIDEOAll in the Family Guy: Why the Griffins Are the Biggest Thing On TV
Despite cancellations and modest ratings, this could be TV's most powerful show.
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After a high-profile 1999 debut, the show won an Emmy before disappointing ratings led to its cancellation in 2000 and 2002. Strong DVD sales and solid rerun viewership on the Cartoon Network (TWX) gave the show an incredible third life.
Ironically, since returning to production in 2004, the show’s ratings haven’t come close to exceeding the viewer numbers that got Family Guy canceled in the first place.
The original Family Guy DVD sold an incredible 2.5 million copies, and subsequent DVDs upped total sales to 4.5 million by 2005. Despite solid ratings on Fox that year, it was licensing that made it a bona fide phenomenon.
This past year, the show became one of the UK’s top-rated programs, and series creator Seth MacFarlane announced an upcoming feature film. After signing a rumored $100 million contract with Fox, MacFarlane has also launched an online entity: Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. The channel has a prominent presence on YouTube (GOOG) - largely thanks to its partnerships with advertisers like Burger King (BKC).
Meanwhile, Family Guy has also become the single most-searched-for show on Hulu, the breakout online venture launched by News Corp, NBC Universal (GE), and Disney (DIS).
Though it has yet to air a single episode, Fox has already renewed the spinoff Cleveland Show for a second season and announced a clothing licensing deal. In the meantime, Family Guy has already partnered with Glu Mobile (GLUU), Subway, Devil’s Due Publishing, 2K Games, Mezco Toyz, and even Trivial Pursuit (HAS). Not bad for a show that's lampooned so many different brands that it was once considered a walking lawsuit.
In March, after winning a lawsuit brought by Disney, Fox amped up the show’s satirical take on pop culture. The most recent episode made use of characters from MTV’s (VIA) The Hills, NBC’s the Tonight Show, New Line Cinema’s Austin Powers, and Sony’s (SNE) Mr. Magoo.
Today, these references aren’t grounds for a lawsuit; they're just endorsements from TV’s most powerful brand.
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