Death Has a Shadow

Watching the first episode of Family Guy is like taking a time machine back to the Clinton administration. Not only does it give the world a snapshot of the grotesque underbelly of American culture as it stood just before the turn of the millennium, but it also establishes Family Guy as a television sensation.

All the show's trademark comedic devices are here: the random cutaway sequences; the grotesque slapstick American jokes; and the oddball socio-political commentary. Many of the tropes evident in Seth McFarlan's later work are here, too. The use of animals, freakish characters, and inanimate objects as major plot devices which pop up again in American Dad and Ted and its sequel, and the strong male archetype with a warped sense of patriarchal control over his family, present in American Dad, are examples of this trend.

The animation in the first episode is crude for the period, which is a disappointment. And the voice acting is inconsistent with later seasons, a problem seen in other adult animated series such as The Simpsons. The humour offsets these problems to a large extent, although it doesn't entirely eliminate them.

Overall, this is a solid start to what later became a fixture of American Television Culture, despite some strange flaws and a strange obsession with death that hangs over the rest of the season. I strongly recommend it to anybody with an interest in American animated adult television.

No repetitive voices, no boring computerised animation, characters weren't one dimensional and unlikeable, a fun story, good humour, no explaining the jokes. The formula that family guy has lost most of.

This test pilot is awesome because it's very nostalgic and creative.

Watching this again makes me ache for old Family Guy! I only wish this show had stuck with its roots. These older episodes have aged like fine wine.

"Hey man, your clock won't flush!"

The very first episode of Family Guy - the follow-up to the pilot I saw - really stands out. The world, the characters, the tone - it all fits together, even if Quagmire, Cleveland and Joe aren't quite established yet.

The episode does a solid job of setting up the series. Sure, not every element is polished, but the potential is clear from the start. This is one of those must-see episodes - the beginning of an unforgettable story.