Why Family Guy Fans Are Divided Over Whether The Show Should Finally End

"Family Guy" is an animated comedy series created by Seth MacFarlane that premiered on Fox in 1999. The show, which stars MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, and Patrick Warburton, follows the Griffin family and their ludicrous adventures in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island. The cartoon sitcom relies heavily on meta-humor and bizarre cutaway gags, both of which have solidified "Family Guy" in the annals of comedy history.

Except, "Family Guy" isn't history just yet. Although Disney is now the parent company owning Peter Griffin's dysfunctional family, the adult-oriented project is well into its twenties, both in years and in seasons. As with all stories that make it so far, conversations have turned to whether or not the series has more to offer. Has "Family Guy" overstayed its welcome, or should it be permitted to continue ad nauseam? Yes, the fans have weighed in, but there's a surprising reason as to why the discussion is as prevalent as it is.

Redditor u/Turkeyppman posted a poll on r/familyguy asking whether or not the series should continue. While the poll was decided in favor of "Family Guy" pressing onward and upward into the next season, there was an additional piece of information provided in the post. The original poster provided a quote by creator Seth MacFarlane on the subject, and it doesn't read the way that might be expected, but it does stir the pot of controversy.

"Part of me thinks that Family Guy should have already ended. I think seven seasons is about right," MacFarlane told The Hollywood Reporter in 2011. "I talk to the fans and in a way I'm kind of secretly hoping for them to say we're done with it ... There are plenty of people who say the show is kind of over the hill, but still the vast majority go pale in the face when I mention the possibility." He elaborated on these thoughts in the interview, but broadly it sounds as if he feels like the show is creatively stagnating, and that he wants to move on to other projects. Or maybe he's just bored ... celebrities are hard to keep occupied. 

Either way, "Family Guy" is barreling ahead as if there's no end in sight, no matter how MacFarlane might feel based on a few sparse words.