Family Guy: Volume Three

Plucked from the graveyard of a basic cable cartoon channel, Family Guy has ascended back to it's rightful place as the edgiest show on television. As Family Guy floundered for a timeslot during the first seasons of its inception on FOX, a steady fan base emerged"¦calling for more of the show they loved. Alas, the show was cancelled after three seasons, never quite finding a comfortable place in the sprawling and unguided lands of primetime television. FOX ditched the show and the creators and producers hoped to salvage what they could from DVD sales and syndication on The Cartoon Network. Little did they know"¦

Sales of the DVD's exceeded everyone's expectations and the ratings on The Cartoon Network continually beat out established late night programs like Letterman and Leno. These were red flags for both FOX and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane is the main drive behind the shows success. Due to his unmatched writing, musical, and vocal talents the show is blindingly fast, smart, and the highest low-brow humor anywhere on TV. From scathing pop culture criticisms, acerbic political incorrectness, and straight up toilet humor, Seth MacFarlane and Family Guy can do it all. In Volume Three you can see the "new" episodes that ushered in the return of Family Guy.

The thirteen episodes in Volume Three make it seem like no time passed at all from the shows cancellation to it's second coming. In fact, these episodes surpass the previous seasons' in their ingenuity and unpredictability. Some key moments include Peter befriends James Woods, Lois becomes a model, Brian teaches troubled youth, Meg gets a makeover, Chris gets married, and Stewie falls in love with an older woman. But that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the hilarious things that go on in Volume Three. If you know the show at all, you know yourself that each episode is so dense with jokes and cutaways that you almost have to watch them on DVD to appreciate everything. Family Guy is ahead of it's time in that respect, watching it once on TV just isn't enough.

The first episode of the new season starts out with an obvious slap in the face to FOX executives who cancelled the show in the first place. Peter points out a ridiculously long list of FOX shows that have dismally failed during the absence of Family Guy. After that the new season is off to the races blasting The Passion of the Christ, reality TV, mental retardation and anything else they can get their hands on.

The special features include a featurette examining the rebirth of the show entitled "World Domination: The Family Guy Phenomenon". Seth Macfarlane and all of the writers, producers, and actors explain their return

and the success and evolution of the show. Another featurette, "Score!", documents the musical aspect of the show. MacFarlane is a big fan of the orchestration, and often uses them to perform special numbers when the show calls for it. Not to mention that Family Guy is one of the only shows on television to still use a live orchestra. There are also commentaries for selected episodes and some footage of table reads with the entire cast. And, believe it or not, cartoons have deleted scenes too"¦only they're in animatic format.

So, if you're one of the die-hard fans who brought the show back in the first place, it's really not an option, you have to buy this. This is one of the only shows where owning the DVD is more than just something to put on a shelf, it's a lifestyle. Especially in a college environment, always a party pleaser, there's no one who won't stop to watch and get smashed, eat all your food, hog the couch, quote the same lines over and over again, and then maybe have sex with you. Your appreciation for the clever wit of Family Guy could get you laid for years to come. Own it.

Season Grade: A

DVD Features Grade: A

Overall Grade: A