Family Guy DVD-BOX 1

From Amazon

Joining the ranks of numerous unconventional and brilliant series that have aired in prime time (such as "The Ben Stiller Show" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe") is Seto McFarland's animated series, "Family Guy." It premiered after the 1999 Super Bowl, sparked major controversy, offended many, and was eventually cancelled (Entertainment Weekly called it "terrible programming sloshing around"). Its fate was sealed when the FOX network prevented viewers from knowing the broadcast schedule in advance (it was cancelled in 2002). This box set contains all 28 episodes from the first two seasons, finally fulfilling the wishes of the show's most avid fans. Fans will be thrilled to hear Stewie Griffin, the megalomaniacal one-year-old baby plotting matricide and world domination, declare "Victory is mine!" once again.

The Griffin family, with their various problems in Quahog, Rhode Island, are reminiscent of "The Simpsons." The father, Peter Griffin, with his distinctive cleft chin, is a dimwit like Homer. In one episode, his troubled wife Lois asks, "Peter, what did you promise me last night?" "I promised I wouldn't drink at a men's party," he replies. "And what did you actually do?" she asks. "I drank at the party... oops, I almost fell into the trap," he laughs. The rest of the family consists of their teenage daughter Meg, a complete outcast at high school; their 13-year-old son Chris, who is just as goofy as his father; and their sarcastic-talking dog Brian. The most memorable character in the series is Stewee (voiced by McFarlane, an Emmy Award winner), a football-headed troublemaker who once escaped the "prison of his mother's ovaries." Family Guy boldly ventures into territory even The Simpsons has steered against. In one episode, Meg's best friend is revealed to be a member of a cult aiming for mass suicide. In another, the Grim Reaper (voiced by Norm MacDonald) becomes an unwelcome guest. Each episode is a fast-paced spectacle, weaving together surreal scenes (in one episode, Peter transforms his house into a puppy), pop culture elements, and parodies of television, movies, and commercials, making it a show you'll want to watch again and again. Finally freed from the constraints of family-friendly broadcast times and the pressure of rigid network executives, Family Guy allows fans to fully enjoy its blasphemous, sacrilegious, and unconventional charm. Don't miss the Griffin family's story on DVD. (Donald Liebenson, Amazon.com)