Family Guy Season 8 Review

No time to blog properly, still, but the updates from Laura-land are that life is hectic, going much as can be expected, and that I have become one of THOSE people in proud possession of a BlackBerry. But I have a Family Guy review for you to read:

Anyone who knows me knows I am an obsessive Family Guy fan. So it will come as no surprise to them that I have had this item on pre-order since May. Or that I am about to sing the praises of Seth MacFarlane once again.

If you have not yet discovered that the bird is the word, I highly recommend this DVD set. Remember that this was a show that was historically cancelled and then resurrected by DVD sales, and spend your money generously.

In return, you’ll get 13 new episodes, including plenty of gags and sequences cut from TV; with “all the poops and farts and nudity intact”, as Peter would put it. There are also, for the hardcore nerds like me, commentaries on each episode, deleted scenes, and even a behind the scenes tour of the production offices which will make wannabe sitcom writers drool in envy!

Season 8 really offers nothing new, just more of the same characters and laughs you know and love. This will be the last season to feature Cleveland (before he leaves for his spin off) and I don’t want to give anything away, but this might also be the last we see of the un-funny Evil Monkey for a while. Plus, Bonnie next door FINALLY has her baby! High points include Peter adopting a new dog to replace an aging Brian, Stewie’s time machine, and the return of the inimitable James Woods.

If you’re a regular viewer or if you just enjoy quirky insult humour, then Season 8 will not disappoint.

But, this just isn’t them at their very best. The jokes have gotten less clever and more in your face. Perhaps this is just because I have been watching more American Dad lately, but the cutaways and setups seem clunky and contrived; and it seems like the plot is getting more and more far fetched in the search for more outrageous humour. What used to be hilariously esoteric sometimes now seems merely vaguely random.

When insulting celebrities, it is the same ones who take the hits time after time, and occasionally the crude jokes go just that little bit too far. Some of them make it patently clear why they were unacceptable for mainstream TV, and with good reason, says the little bit of a prude left in me. Also, some gags seem to go on a tad too long at times, as though the writers didn’t know how to end it and just kept going, even though the joke and the punch-line have both already been hit. But then again, as Brian put it: “If you don’t like it, go complain on the Internet”...

If you’re a big fan or a semi-interested viewer, then this is new material to satisfy you. And it’s laugh out loud funny at times. But if you’re new to the show, or trying to sell it on someone, seasons 3/4/5 are much better samples to turn to. Worth having around the house though, and I’m still in love enough to have told my Amazon account to email me the second Season 9 goes on sale!