How Family Guy Paved The Way For Futurama's Many Revivals
Matt Groening's and David X. Cohen's animated sci-fi comedy series "Futurama" debuted on March 28, 1999. Only a few months earlier, on January 31, Seth McFarlane's animated sitcom "Family Guy" also premiered. They were both primetime animated sitcoms on the same network, and both were part of a wave of "Simpsons"-adjacent shows that tangled the airwaves for years. "Futurama" had the advantage over all the others, however, as it was co-developed by "Simpsons" creator Groening himself. 1999 also saw the release of the "Dilbert" animated series, "Home Movies" on the UPN, "Mission Hill" on the WB, and the stop-motion series "The PJs," as well as "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Batman Beyond," and "Ed, Edd n Eddy." It was a banner year.
As such, "Futurama" and "Family Guy" were often mentioned as a unit in conversations. Many fans of one watched the other, even though one was a sci-fi slapstick program and the other was a crass, "Married... with Children"-style sendup of sitcom wholesomeness.
"Futurama" ran for four seasons before being canceled by Fox in 2003. In the years that followed, "Futurama" accrued a fanatical devotion, largely thanks to DVD sales and reruns on cable TV. In 2008, the series was resurrected.
It seems that there was precedent in the form of "Family Guy," which was also canceled in 2003, but then picked up again ... by the same network ... in 2005. In a 2010 interview with the AV Club, Cohen noted that "Futurama" would not have been considered for revival had Fox not already revived "Family Guy."
Bite my shiny, canceled ass
By 2010, "Futurama" had actually been canceled and resurrected twice over, so Cohen was an old hat at sensing popular opinions on his program changing during the "down" periods. The first time, however, was something of a coup. It was very, very rare that shows were canceled and then revived. But Cohen noted the DVD sales and Adult Swim as key factors:
"The first time around, when we got canceled off the Fox network, I definitely thought it was done. There was not really any clear reason for optimism at that point. We disbanded the whole operation. Everybody went off. [...] I did a couple of other jobs for a few years. And it wasn't a common thing — certainly then or now — for shows to come back after they were canceled. It was really the reruns on Adult Swim that began to attract good ratings at 2 a.m. or whatever."
Cohen also noted that "Family Guy" might have been the template his show was to follow. "Family Guy" gave everyone hope. If one animated Fox sitcom could make its way back to the airwaves, surely an animated sci-fi spoof could as well:
"'Family Guy's' return via DVD and then back to episodes, that paved the way for us and started to give us some optimism. So initially, I would say we really thought we were done for. [Everyone] had come to grips with moving on with their lives. Subsequent events have made us unsure of anything in this lifetime. We've come and gone a couple of times now, so now I don't make predictions anymore. I'm slightly less surprised now when either the 'cancelation' or the 'you're back' phone call comes in."
Notable: "Futurama" was revived for a third time in 2023.
Groening vs. MacFarlane
Cohen also wanted to note that the comparisons between "Family Guy" and "Futurama" were not the basis of any kind of rivalry between Groening or MacFarlane. The men were both animation gurus behind long-lived deconstructionist animated sitcoms, but neither sought to outdo or cast aspersions on the other. Indeed, MacFarlane, who acts in his shows, has appeared on "Futurama" several times. MacFarlane once provided the voice of Fry's beloved dog Seymour, and he sang the opening theme song for the 2009 "Futurama" TV movie "Into the Wild Green Yonder."
It seems that MacFarlane's casting in "Yonder" was Cohen's way of saying thank you; Cohen was grateful to the popularity of "Family Guy," as "Futurama," at least back in the mid-2000s, was able to ride on its coattails. Cohen said:
"We always enjoy seeing things that seem to suggest that Seth MacFarlane and Matt Groening have periscopes trained on each other and are eager to beat each other up if they ever meet in a dark alley. So it's just a subtle jab at people who are perpetuating that. I think there's no actual ill will over here."
MacFarlane's opinions on "Futurama" have not become a matter of record, but it may be safe to assume that he's fond of the show and a fan of Groening and of Cohen.
"Futurama" has come and gone and come again, while "Family Guy" has been churning out episodes regularly since 2005. It is now 2023 and both shows are airing still. Animation fans can be grateful. Let's party like it's 1999.