Every TV Show Created by Seth MacFarlane Ranked Worst to Best

Seth MacFarlane He’s been quietly one of the busiest men in Hollywood for some time now, and his efforts have resulted in him being responsible for creating five TV shows over the course of his career. Although MacFarlane also had several appearances in other films and TV shows, these projects often had very little to do with him other than casting him as an actor. However, MacFarlane’s talents go beyond his impressive voice and live-action rolesas he is also heavily involved when it comes to keeping things running behind the scenes.

Seth MacFarlane has created shows across multiple genres, and some have even made the list of longest-running comedies of all time. Although he specializes in animation projects, he has also branched out of the medium and into the world of live action. MacFarlane is often the figure around whom the rest of the show is builtalthough there are varying degrees of how prominently it is featured. Although he did not invent the concept of adult animation, MacFarlane’s work has spawned other adult-oriented animated programs such as Family Guy.

5

The Cleveland Show (2009-2013)

Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy Spinoff Canceled After Four Seasons

The Cleveland Show remains the only Seth MacFarlane spinoff, originating from Family Guy in 2009. Like its parent show, Fox canceled it due to low ratings. Different Family Guy, The Cleveland Show never reappeared, and the spinoff’s title character and his family were reinstated as Spooner Street residents on MacFarlane’s flagship show after Fox pulled the plug afterwards The Cleveland Show season 4.

MacFarlane probably got very lucky with The Cleveland ShowThe cancellation of, as spinoffs don’t always have the advantage of following the main show, with the potential to save most of the main characters if the new project fails. The Cleveland Show It wasn’t particularly bad, but it wasn’t great either. It also didn’t stand out enough Family Guymaking it seem like a poor imitation rather than existing as an entity of its own.

Despite being the show’s creator, MacFarlane’s workload as a voice actor on The Cleveland Show it was very light compared to his other animation projects. His main responsibility was to bring Tim the Bear to life – although he also voiced Family Guy characters like Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire whenever they appeared The Cleveland Show. The very fact that Family Guy cameos used to be some of the spinoff’s best moments It’s very revealing when it comes to why The Cleveland Show was MacFarlane’s least successful TV creation.

4

American Dad! (2005-present)

The Smith Family Was Created When Family Guy Was Fired

Created following Family Guycancellation, American Dad! has enjoyed an uninterrupted run since it debuted in 2005. When Family Guy was brought back due to popular demand, MacFarlane found himself at the beginning of his TV empire. MacFarlane trademarks established in Family Guy can be found all over American Dad! The Smiths, like the Griffins, were a typical nuclear family with two other unconventional housemates. While Family Guy there was a talking dog and a baby supervillain, American Dad! took things further by including a sentient fish and a chaotic alien.

Family GuyThe cancellation of must have had an impact on MacFarlane’s formula, as American Dad! there’s a huge difference. While Family Guy relied heavily on his now-iconic jokes that are often irrelevant to the plot, American Dad! completely avoided this Seth MacFarlane trope. Even after Family Guy was resurrected, American Dad! continued to focus on story-heavy episodes that were rarely as silly as those of its predecessor. That being said, MacFarlane’s second show made and continues to produce some bizarre episodes as well as those that are quite grounded.

Each season of American Dad! comes with at least a few brilliant episodes, but there are often several duds as well. The show’s best episodes prove why it’s been on the air for so long, but the harsh truth is that the show’s premise feels less original due to the existence of Family Guy. Although Family Guy itself was essentially a more adult-focused version The Simpsonsnarrowing the appeal to a more mature audience transformed what MacFarlane’s first show could achieve. American Dad! did that too, but it was no longer innovative.

3

The Orville (2017-present)

Seth MacFarlane’s Space Opera Is Very Different From His Other Shows

Seth MacFarlane’s love for science fiction is easy to identify in all of his projects, but The Orville it was the first time he had the opportunity to commit to the genre. MacFarlane’s space opera is an undeniable love letter to the Star Trek golden era of the franchise. Although the show started out as something close to a parody the comedic elements of The Orville largely fellallowing it to become a straight-up science fiction saga. The Orville borrows heavily from Star Trekbut it’s also different enough for the uninitiated to enjoy.

One of the few disadvantages The Orville is that it’s often not sure what kind of program it wants to be. Some episodes, especially the earlier ones, have many of the hallmarks of a Seth MacFarlane sitcom. However, there are some devastatingly sad scenes as the show progresses. Both versions of The Orville are brilliantly executed, but there’s something about how the two types of moments are transitioned that can feel a little jarring at times.

Another thing that hurts The Orvillefluidity is the long wait between stations. Although The Orville seasons 1 and 2 arrived in consecutive years in 2017 and 2018, The Orville season 3 didn’t arrive until 2022 and had to be gently renamed as The Orville: New Horizons. While the show is an understandably large undertaking, it’s difficult to fall in love with a project that is so inconsistent with its release schedule.

2

Ted (2024-present)

The enchanted, foul-mouthed cuddly toy returns in a prequel to the Ted films

Ted takes place before the events of MacFarlane’s 2012 debut film of the same name. As his second live-action TV show Ted is much more self-assured than The Orville and it doesn’t depend on anything other than the two Ted films that preceded it for it to make sense. The show doesn’t compromise on the films’ brilliantly crude sense of humor, and Seth MacFarlane’s performance as the franchise’s title character continues to be wildly hilarious.

Because of when the Ted show is set, it wouldn’t make sense for Mark Wahlberg to return as John Bennett. However, Max Burkholder is the perfect replacement to play the younger version of John. The dynamic between John and Ted is as authentic and fantastic as it was in the films the characters debuted in, which is impressive when half of the duo has already been recast.

Ted also does a great job of introducing new supporting characters who still feel like they belong in the movie world. Not only that, but the show also delves into some pretty meta stories about Ted’s origin and the magic that quietly exists in the sitcom canon. It’s a satirical take on fairytale worldbuilding, but it finds a way to be as genuinely compelling as it is entertaining.

1

Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-present)

There’s a reason Family Guy is Seth MacFarlane’s flagship show

No matter what else he does during his career, It’s hard to imagine Seth MacFarlane being remembered for any project more than Family Guy. The long-running animated sitcom has become so closely tied to popular culture that it can be easy to miss certain jokes and references as originating from MacFarlane’s most successful show. The show’s return two years after its initial cancellation is the biggest piece of evidence to support the argument that Family Guy being Seth MacFarlane’s best TV show.

Family GuyThe dark sense of humor helped pave the way for its successors, giving the animated sitcom medium even greater license to push comedy boundaries. Family Guy It’s also a brilliant comfort show, as almost every episode can be watched at any time without worrying about watching them out of sequence. This is not exclusive Family Guybut it’s also not true of all of Seth MacFarlane’s shows. Additionally, Family Guy Not afraid to tug at the heartstrings occasionallybut these moments are often so wrapped up in irreverent plotting that they still feel true to the show’s reputation.

Everything that makes Seth MacFarlane’s TV shows so compelling can be found at Family Guywith all of his other projects missing at least one of his signature elements. While the show’s numerous spoofs and parodies of iconic franchises are part of what makes it Family Guy so good, MacFarlane and company managed to curate a vast cast of original characters and stories that can be revisited at any time.

Although Family GuyWhile the best episodes have already aired, the unpredictable nature of the show means that an excellent installment can come out of nowhere. Despite the presence of some discouraging episodes in recent years, the good still vastly outweighs the bad. It’s almost impossible to get bored while watching Family Guybecause even if the plot is weak, the show can throw a cut at the audience and make them laugh quickly. In short, there are many reasons why Family Guy occupies first place on the list of Seth MacFarlaneTV show collection.