Family Guy Star Recalls His Mother Trying To Get The Show Cancelled

Summary Patrick Warburton's mother tried to get Family Guy cancelled, despite him playing Joe Swanson and using his money to support his family - including her.

The show has survived for 25 years, with season 23 already greenlit, thanks to its creative team and controversial humor.

Family Guy remains popular, hinting at more episodes even beyond season 23.

Family Guy star Patrick Warburton recalls his mother trying to get the series cancelled, despite his prominent role in the animated comedy. Warburton has portrayed paraplegic police officer Joe Swanson on the show since season 1, originally appearing in a recurring role before becoming a series regular in season 4. This means he's been part of the show since it began airing in 1999, with the 25th anniversary happening this year.

Speaking with People during the show's 25th anniversary celebration at PaleyFest LA, Warburton revealed that his mother tried to get Family Guy cancelled despite her son's role as Joe. The actor explained how he was assisting his mother financially with the money he made from the show, and that despite this, his parents still hate the show to this day. Check out what Warburton had to say below:

My mother belonged to the American Television Council and they were trying to get the show canceled. I was helping support my parents with Family Guy money. She tried to get me to sign the petition [to cancel the show]. I said, 'Mom, if you don't think I'm going to talk about this publicly, this is the greatest irony. You're laundering money, you're laundering it to yourself.' They hate it more today.

Why Family Guy Is Still Going After 25 Years

Despite Warburton's family having their misgivings about the animated comedy, the show is still going strong to this day, with Family Guy season 22 having ended earlier in April 2024. Season 23 has already been greenlit, showcasing the longevity of the series. While the show was indeed cancelled after season 3 in 2002, it was brought back in 2005 thanks to high DVD sales and new life on syndicated reruns. This indicates just how large a legacy the series has, despite some controversy surrounding its content over the years.

One key reason the series is still going is due to the talent of the creative team behind the series. This includes Seth MacFarlane, the series creator who voices Peter, Brian, and Stewie Griffin, as well as the episodes having simple premises lending themselves to topical cutaway gags. The characters are also memorable, with Peter becoming such a pop culture staple that he was later added to the video game Fortnite, partially due to the online popularity of the series. It seems that, even after season 22, the show will maintain its relevance as a popular comedy.

Related 10 Best Family Guy Characters Voiced By Seth MacFarlane Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy's creator, also voices many of the show's characters. Some of his performances require more skill than others.

While the efforts of Warburton's mother to get the series cancelled reveals just how controversial the show has been for its dark humor, its continued success means it probably won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Although it's not as popular as it once was, the fact the series has continued to find some level of popularity means more episodes could arrive even beyond season 23. With the series currently 25 years in with no sign of slowing down, there could be plenty of other episodes to come in the future.

All episodes of Family Guy are streaming on Hulu.

Source: People