Pop Culture

'How Did ‘Family Guy’ Not Get Canceled' Prompt Has Fans Sharing Favorite Wild Moments From Show

The Seth MacFarlane-created show returns later this year for its 23rd season

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane in 2005.
Jaimie Trueblood via Getty Images

Seth MacFarlane's long-running animated sitcom, Family Guy, is set to return to later this year with its 23rd season, and fans are reminiscing over how much the show has been able to get away with over the years.

The series, which follows Peter Griffin and the rest of his family's exploits, first premiered on FOX all the way back in 1999. Due to low ratings, it was canceled following its third season but eventually returned in 2005 thanks to its popularity on DVD and Adult Swim, which picked it up for syndication. The raunchy content, outside of an episode FOX worried could be perceived as anti-Semitic ("When You Wish Upon a Weinstein"), was never an issue with the network. But now, some fans have questioned how the show hasn't been canceled for some of its more out-of-pocket moments.

There's been plenty of offensive jokes and episodes from the show's history, such as episodes that reference the Boston Marathon bombing or 9/11, garnering controversy and criticism. The animated sitcom, which makes extensive use of cutaway gags, has touched on subjects as dark as sexual assault, infant death, pedophilia, and multiple real-life tragedies.

The show has refused to ever be anything but itself, though, and has earned itself a loyal audience throughout its 22 seasons. Fans have questioned how it hasn't been canceled, at least in the "social-political" sense, with how edgy some of its humor can get. After one fan said the show had some "crazy moments," others shared some of its wildest moments.

Back in July, Complex published a ranking of the 15 Funniest Adult Animated Series and Family Guy came in at No. 4 on the list behind Rick And Morty, The Simpsons, and South Park.

Check out some fan-favorite clips below.

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