If you grew up having a TV in your living room, you might've watched at least 1 episode of Simpsons and Family Guy. These two animated series are a staple for kids.
According to IMDb critics, these two shows are among the best-animated sitcoms, sparking many debates about which is the better show.
If you're curious about which of Simpsons vs Family Guy is more satisfactory, our team conducted in-depth research and looked into various categories to decide.
Family Guy Or Simpsons?
It is challenging to judge the Simpsons vs Family Guy battle because both the Fox sitcoms are still releasing episodes, and their history is a rollercoaster of good and bad reviews.
However, as of today, Family Guy is leading in the statistics of people watching and downloading its previous Family Guy seasons.
To predict what would happen and who would stay on top in the next release of both The Simpsons and Family Guy, we made a comparison of their past and present episodes.
Head-To-Head Battle
Characters
Both shows have wonderful characters with funny dispositions in the world. The Simpsons and Family Guy writers were able to tackle social issues using these families.
However, adult audiences will tell you that the Simpson family has better character development than the Family Guy has with their characters.
Main Characters
The Family Guy's main characters are Stewie, Lois, Brian, Chris, and Meg, while the Simpsons Family has Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie [1].
Supporting Characters
From the first episode of the early years of the Family Guy series, they have made us laugh with many of their interesting supporting characters over the decades.
Some characters that made a mark on the television and adults are Connie D'Amico, Ernie the Giant Chicken, Mayor Adam West, and Tom Tucker.
The Simpsons have its twist of supporting characters, including Mona Simpson, Kent Brockman, Tory McClure, Sideshow Bob, Lenny, and Carl.
Read: Top Family Guy Quotes
Awards
Seth MacFarlane and Matt Groening are among the best authors, along with Matt Stone and Trey Parker of the South Park sitcoms.
They are one of the few authors to win multiple Emmys and nominations.
Having 30 nominations and 9 Emmys, the Family Guy is one of the best comedy shows aired in the history of comedy sitcoms. They even won 12 voice-over performances [2].
Of course, the Simpsons will not back down from the fight. With over 98 nominations and 35 Emmys, the Simpsons, beloved even by their competitors, always bags the awards.
Considering the awards, the Simpsons will easily win the battle, but audiences on television do not only care about the awards as there are still many factors to consider.
Humor
Both Family Guy and The Simpsons have a comedy style of relating to parents and children.
They use common sense to add the similarity of the animation with real-life situations.
This category can be subjective, but we think that Family Guy has more laughs with their episodes, and one can easily relate to the jokes in their series.
Unpredictability vs Refined Humor
In the previous point, we specified that Family Guy is an easy laugh for the fans. However, the Simpsons' style of getting us to laugh wins when it comes to unpredictability.
The Simpsons family has a lot of moments where they have a serious dialogue, but later on, it turns out as a funny joke.
Kids might find the Simpsons' family boring because they will not get their humor, unlike with Family Guy, but the moment they get it, we can say that it lives up to the hype.
Guest Stars
How do you immortalize guest stars forever with the children? Put them in sitcoms.
Watching both shows, we observed that there are more guest stars in The Simpsons than in The Family Guy.
Audiences watch television as an escape from reality, and putting real people inside the television offers the idea of an alternate reality where everything is light and fun.
Tackling Complex Subjects
Pop culture has evolved from simple conservation to leaning toward liberalism.
We think that The Simpsons did a better job tackling more complex issues than Family Guy. They tackle sensitive topics related to politics, like racism and sexism, in a more relevant way.
Catchphrases & Cultural Impact
Another strength of the Simpsons is that they did a great job making up-to-date catchphrases with every season. Their animated series uses jargon that relates to the audience.
Meanwhile, Family Guy takes more risks regarding dialogues with sensitive topics. They have this uncanny ability to show societal issues in a funny yet mind-boggling way.
Audience & Legacy
When Fox aired The Simpsons in 1987 and The Family Guy in 1999, their journeys differed from the rest of other sitcoms.
The Simpsons had a constant rating, with little growth, while The Family Guy was canceled by Fox due to a very low rating in 2002.
Today, Fox is still continuously streaming Simpsons, giving The Family Guy a second chance last 2020. The audiences remained the same, but the legacy changed.
News and ratings show that The Family Guy has higher views and downloads today than The Simpsons.
This is why the cartoon wars between the two are still raging up to this day.
FAQs
Who would win Peter Griffin vs Homer Simpson?
In the crossover episode of Family Guy in Season 13, a fist battle ended up with Griffin winning. However, some suggest that Homer's character is too tough for Griffin to put down.
In what episode do The Simpsons fight the Family Guy?
It was Season 13, Episode 1, when "The Simpsons Guy" was aired.
The intention of the crossover is unknown, but we think the crossover is a must to finally create an answer to the question: who will win between the two fathers?
Was Family Guy inspired by The Simpsons?
Yes, Stewie said in the "Family Guy Viewer Mail #2" that Family Guy is based on the American sitcom The Simpsons.
In Summary
With everything we've laid out above, we hope this can help you select your side in the Simpsons vs Family Guy debate.
Not all your friends will agree that the Griffins are better than the Simpsons, but ratings today will show otherwise.
In the end, both shows are equally great, and the decision will still depend on your preference.
If you're looking to buy Family Guy merch for a fan or yourself, make sure to check Toynk out for officially licensed and authentic merchandise.
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References:
- https://comicvine.gamespot.com/profile/singli6/lists/simpsons-characters-in-order-of-excellence/33966/
- https://envelope.latimes.com/awards/titles/family-guy/
