Shark Bytes

This is from someone who used to enjoy the show but who now feels Family Guy is sinking fast. . .and you know what?. .. I don't really think Seth Macfarlane cares. He is now filthy rich and has that big network contract that will enable him to do pretty much what he wants regardless.
The plots keep getting weaker and weaker and Peter just keeps getting more and more stupid. He is being made to look so stupid , insensitive, and clueless that it is becoming an annoyance.
To pay any kind of homage to the song "surfin bird" has really hit a low point. That song is generally conceded to be the worst song ever to crack the top 10 of a music survey.
On one hand, I guess it may be within the scope of comprehension to understand how someone with Peter Griffins mentality could like the "surfin bird", On the other, it's hard to understand. . .even in the context of a cartoon show. . . how a familiy would stay connected to a character like this.
But again, does Seth Macfarlane care? I doubt it. He just goes with a formula of 1) make Peter as stupid and oblivious as possible, and 2) find a way to insert a couple of cheap political or religious shots to put into the episode.
Family Guy may stay around a while. . .mostly due to the network investment. . .but I think it has had its best days ratings wise.

Well, Family Guy took the adult oriented route. More, err, you get it. I still like it, though.

As some one who's always liked animated sitcoms (specifically the older Simpsons episodes, The Critic, and Futurama), I thought I would dig this show but just never did. Have you ever really really tried to like something but just couldn't bring yourself to do so? Well, that describes my feelings about Family Guy. I gave this show numerous chances to grow on me but it never even made me chuckle, not even the older episodes.

Nuroticat, you have hit on EXACTLY why Family Guy has jumped the shark... Attention comedy cartoon producers: keep your political views to yourself. I don't care if your left, right or somewhere in between, I watch comedy cartoons like this to take a break from political crap. I don't want to know what you think about any politician one way or the other. As far as dogs, even anthropomorphic cartoon dogs, having sex with human women, not funny. Stewie hitting on Brian, not funny. Please Seth! Bring back the old Family Guy.

Good news. The spirit of Family Guy's original run is alive and well in the new American Dad episode "1600 Candles".
Unlike FG, American Dad is a show that's actually gotten better over time.

If you're a fan of Family Guy Seasons 1-3, Season 4 of American Dad is shaping up to be something you'll love.

Is it me or is everything animated now exactly the same - Simpsons went more like Family Guy, Family Guy goes more South Park, American Dad is Family Guy, Robot Chicken is just the bits in Family Guy where Peter says 'remember when....' etc. No-one is laughing anymore, these shows only just manage to raise the occasional smile. What is needed, is some fresh blood with new ideas, but they probably won't get a chance with these shows dragging on and on instead.

My reaction to season 6's finale: It can't get any worse. My reaction to Season 7's premiere: It got worse. Damn.

Didn't laugh once, didn't smile once, didn't feel anything but ill for 30 minutes. I feel silly reacting with such emotion about a cartoon, but FG seasons 1-3 were an integral part of my college years; I've become attached to the characters.

The following is a list of things I NEVER want to see in a Family Guy episode AGAIN. Srsly, make it stop.

Peter hitting people. (or any other forms of random, exaggerated cruelty)

Insipid liberal group think "jokes". (HAHAHAHA OMG LAURA BUSH KILLED A GUY OMG LOL...gag me.)

Brian having sex with human women.

And my #1 peeve...

Stewie hitting on Brian.

Last week's season premiere painted Family Guy as a show that primarily focuses on the above list. Seasons 1-3 had none of these nasty elements.

Sadly, I'm certain these focal points will dominate the show for the rest of its run. Speaking of which, remember when Stewie cared about dominating the world instead of dominating Brian? Seth McFarlane doesn't. Sigh.

Today's Family Guy is a joke. What was once a cult phenomenon is now universally hated, except by 13 year olds who think shock humor is fresh.

Scratch that. South Park is shock humor. Family Guy is just...shock.

Addendum: The plot summary for a later Season 7 episode looks promising. (Mort Goldman using Stewie's time machine to travel back to WWII; haven't seen Mort in a while!) But I won't get my hopes up.

Just for "Road to Europe" alone "Family Guy" has not jumped the shark. "You and I are - so awfully different", "Tom BOSLEY!", "The reason we die is because we accept it as an inevitability.

Peter caters to the lowest rung of the TV ladder, but Stewie and Brian totally make this show.

I was hoping Family Guy would jump back this year. Just like with last year's season finale, the first half of the Family Guy season premiere was funny as Brian was Snoopy and Stewie mispronouncing words. However, the second half was not funny and kind of gross (especially after Cleveland got something not so good from Brian's girlfriend).

Jumped it when they made a pinball machine after this abomination. The pinball machine sucks as does the show. Terrible attempts at humor...ugh.

I do enjoy family guy, I did enjoy the older episodes with plots and I do enjoy their episodes now when they overly exaggerate everyday situations (the random popping during the plot is also very funny).

They jumped the shark with the friggin movies about stewie.

Other then that, awesome show to me even though the reason why I like it is the reason why so many others don't like it.

Family Guy is awful. No one with any comedic delectation whatsoever enjoys this show.

The series jumped the shark when they came back to TV. The plotlines used to be realistic, funny twists on everyday life. Now Stewie is off joining the army, going back in time, or killing Lois, its just not like their real anymore. Their less like the Simpsons and more like Spongebob.

It's not that it's a Simpsons ripoff, or that it repeats jokes (which it does) or includes way way too many obnoxious song numbers, no; it's that the plots and ADD cutaways have lost their charm and originality and seem now pandered to a fanboyish audience still amused at the stock characters fitting their gimmick. The authenticity has been lost to become a merchandise giant, aroused by its own antics, out of touch with genuine parody, out of ideas. It should not have been brought back for more than a season. American Dad is a far better work IMHO.

It has its hilarious, laugh out loud, moments. But I find myself wincing at the drawn out jokes that they seem to make every episode. It just needs some intelligent jokes once in a while and its back on track.

My vote is for "hasn't jumped the shark" (yet?)