Family Guy

To the enjoyment of many a teenaged boy — and to the chagrin of many a 'South Park' staff member — 'Family Guy' premiered in 1999 with a new animation technique that would later be used in Emmy winners like '30 Rock': the cutaway shot. These shots were ridiculous, they were random, they were written by manatees, some might say, but they also felt warm and cozy to a generation of viewers who loved nostalgic pop culture references before meme accounts took up that mindshare.

Kate was one of those viewers, which is why she was excited to dive into the history of 'Family Guy' and its multi-hyphenate creator, Seth MacFarlane, alongside co-host Allison on our latest episode. During this week's episode, we learn about the animated short that launched MacFarlane into recognition, exactly why 'South Park' dunked so heavily on 'Family Guy,' and the Oscar-nominated actor who almost voiced Brian.