I bring this up because Seth McFarlane was able to resurrect the "Family Guy" series thanks to the active viewership of Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" regulars. Regulars like myself, who learned to love certain aspects of the show that hadn't shown up before when FG was on Fox. Also, the fact that the DVDs from the past seasons were huge sellers certainly didn't hurt.
But there's something...different, this time around. I think I sensed it when watching the return episode on Fox, and that's the fact that nothing ever changes on the show. One of the great things about good sitcoms is how characters develop, but there's none of that on FG. Sure, it's supposed to be a stupid cartoon, but the show that it's often accused of stealing from ("The Simpsons") has been a benchmark of character growth and development (well, except for Homer).
So suddenly the cutaways to pop culture and various other hilarities are still good, but they're the best part of the show. The plots are crap, the characters are static. McFarlane is pushing not only this on America, but also "American Dad", a slightly amusing but mostly groan-inducing half-hour of FG-like animation and lesser-than-FG punchlines. :barf:
Please tell me I'm not the only one who senses something foul in the state of Rhode Island, now that FG is back and worse than ever (it's so bad now, I'm almost beginning to wonder if it was ever good to begin with). Was it better for FG to burn out and fade away, leaving nostalgic memories of a era when it was "good"? Or is the new season better than I think (do the plots actually work for other people? The cutaways are still some of the best in TV, but it's harder to wait for them now).
Anyway, just a long-ass whine on my part, perhaps. I feel betrayed...
