In the realm of animated comedy aimed at adults over children, Fox has dominated the landscape for quite some time. Dating back to the 90s, two of their most successful animated shows have been The Simpsons and Family Guy.
While both have massive fan bases, they’ve also had something of a spirited rivalry as some claim Family Guy is a ripoff of The Simpsons. Even though the rivalry has become more friendly in recent years, it wasn’t always that way. Let’s take a closer look at a Family Guy deleted arc that included a crossover with The Simpsons, complete with an affair and multiple murders.
‘The Simpsons’ is one of the longest-running TV shows in history
The Simpsons began as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show on Fox. From there, it transitioned into its own series. While the show took a minute to find its stride, it was popular almost immediately. While it had simple plotlines and somewhat shoddy animation in its first two seasons, it eventually became one of the greatest comedy series in TV history.
Not only did it feature a multi-talented voice cast, but it also had a collection of some of the best comedy writers in the industry. Legendary comedic minds such as Conan O’Brien and Dana Gould have worked on the show.
The Simpsons tells the story of a regular family in the town of Springfield. The family is made up of father Homer, mother Marger, brother Bart, and sisters Maggie and Lisa.
The series is also noted for its large collection of side characters who provide plenty of laughs. Characters like Moe the bartender, Police Chief Wiggum, and Principal Skinner pop up semi-regularly while others such as Disco Stu make more sporadic but nonetheless hilarious appearances.
While the show hasn’t reached the same amount of critical acclaim in recent years that it received during its first 10, it is still well-liked and successful. It’s been on the air for over 30 seasons.
‘Family Guy’ followed in the footsteps of ‘The Simpsons’
It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if that’s the case, The Simpsons should feel flattered by Family Guy. Beginning in the late 90s, Family Guy appeared to be a clone of The Simpsons.
It centered on an overweight, dumb husband in a fictional town. He also had a family of a wife, a daughter, and two sons (including a baby). Family Guy also featured a cast of side characters from around the Griffins hometown of Quahog, Rhode Island.
Where Family Guy began to veer away from The Simpsons was in its style of comedy. While both would often tackle celebrities and headlines, Family Guy embraced the non-sequitur.
In a running gag that would be lampooned by South Park, Family Guy often has “cutaways” where a character will reference a situation followed by a cut to a completely different scene to put this reference on display.
While both shows have similarities, they also feuded a bit over the years.
The deleted Family Guy arc that took a shot at ‘The Simpsons’
According to Screen Rant, there was one joke made on Family Guy about The Simpsons deemed so crass that it never made it to Fox. The cutaway begins with the cad neighbor of Peter, Quagmire, forcing himself on Marge.
Later, they are heard discussing the sex they just had. Homer walks in on them, and Quagmire is heard killing the entire family via gunshot, including baby Maggie.
The joke fell in line with Family Guy’s over-the-top shock humor, but for the network, it was a bridge too far. Hearing it described, it makes sense why they wouldn’t want to put it on air.
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