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Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad!) discusses the influence of adult animated series and names his "Mt. Rushmore" of shows.
Posted in: Fox, TV | Tagged: american dad, bobs burgers, family guy, the simpsons
Family Guy: Seth MacFarlane Has His "Mt. Rushmore" of Adult Animation
Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad!) discusses the influence of adult animated series and names his "Mt. Rushmore" of shows.
Article Summary
- Seth MacFarlane names his "Mt. Rushmore" of adult animated TV, spotlighting key influences on Family Guy.
- His top four picks are The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad!, and Bob's Burgers—all Fox classics.
- MacFarlane credits The Simpsons for rewriting the rulebook and inspiring a new era in adult animation.
- We could see South Park, Spawn, and Beavis and Butt-Head as worthy of consideration.
As far as animated empires go, it's safe to say that Seth MacFarlane has the biggest with not one, but two juggernauts in Family Guy and American Dad!, both most synonymous with Fox. There's also the cult hit The Cleveland Show, his CG-hybrid live-action franchise Ted, and his ongoing contributions to his Family Guy co-star Seth Green and his Adult Swim stop-motion animated parody series, Robot Chicken. Naturally, one must wonder what MacFarlane holds regarding the greatest pioneering shows of adult animation. Speaking to Complex, MacFarlane revealed his Mt. Rushmore of quintessential animated shows, and suffice to say, some might find it underwhelming since he sticks to Fox.
Family Guy Creator Seth MacFarlane Picks His Mt. Rushmore of Adult Animated Series
"I think anyone who is being honest would say The Simpsons. I mean, they rewrote the rulebook for all of us. There would be no Family Guy, no Bob's Burgers, no King of the Hill, no Futurama," MacFarlane said. "You know, no F Is For Family, no Big Mouth. The Simpsons rewrote the rulebook in every way, writing-wise, animation-wise, and I took all of it, ripped it off, and did Family Guy."
After adding Family Guy as his second series, MacFarlane largely stuck to Fox, "The last two in adult animation? I mean, we have The Simpsons. I mean, I'll say Family Guy. Can I say American Dad?!. We've been on for 20 years. I have to say Bob's Burgers is doing pretty great. I like those guys a lot, those would be the four." Off the top of my head, I would pick The Simpsons, easily. I would have also picked HBO's Spawn from Todd McFarlane and Alan B. McElroy, which was as gritty as most of its adult live-action contemporaries, lasting for three seasons. South Park, which I understand why MacFarlane didn't consider with similar gritty and raunchy humor, but it has sustained ever since its premiere in 1997 and is still going strong after 29 years. Since MacFarlane brought up Mike Judge's King of the Hill, I would argue his previous show, MTV/Paramount+'s Beavis and Butt-Head, along with Nickelodeon's Ren & Stimpy, are also worthy of mention.
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