Love it or hate it, Family Guy is here to stay and it's going to be that way for a long time. There's just something about the weird humor and the random antics that draw people in like a moth to a flame. There's something for everyone to love.

Making your way to the top as one of the most prominent cartoon shows on television doesn't come with ease. Family Guy has had a lot of controversy surrounding their identity and the jokes they make. There are a lot of things the creators don't want you to know about when it comes to the little secrets they try to hide from the public. But don't worry, I've got you covered. I bet a lot of you may think you know about the things that the directors have tried to hide from their fans, but I bet I have at least a few curve balls on the list that will catch you off guard.

So here we go, some dark secrets that you really don't want to know about Family Guy. My goal here is to completely stump my readers with some amazing fact that makes them go "Oh my god, really?" I believe I have the perfect secrets to make that happen too! Please, do let me know in the comments if this list really does make you so "OMG," as that would really make my day.

26 To The Grave And Back Again (Twice)

via: imgflip.com

To some, this may not be that big of a secret, but I had no idea that this was the case! I get it, though. Family Guy is a risky show. The animators take a lot of chances with some of their jokes about race, politics, gender, etc. So I understand why FOX would cancel the show more than once.

It brought a bad image to the network.

Fans probably wondered why a show that played upon race, religion, and a lot of other touchy subjects would be allowed on FOX. I'm sure there were plenty of complaints from disgruntled fans and angered samaritans in the public. Despite the fact that people find Family Guy to be controversial, fans still argued for the show to be brought back. They succeeded, twice!

25 A Dark Inspiration For A Main Character

via: familyguy.wikia.com

You know the guy from Silence of The Lambs? Buffalo Bill is the inspiration for Chris's voice. The talented Seth Green does a lot of voices for his show, Robot Chicken, so he is able to change his voice to many different pitches. One day when he and a friend were playing around, Seth Green did a Buffalo Bill voice. The next day he was up for the audition of Chris Griffin, and his friend dared him to do the Buffalo Bill voice for the audition.

Well, Seth Green decided to go with it. I guess the casting crew loved it. Seth Green got the part and now I can't imagine Chris with any other voice. The creators even paid homage to the reference by putting a Silence of The Lambs scene in the show where Chris copies what Buffalo Bill does in front of his camcorder.

24 The Never-Ending Pregnancy

via: imgur.com

Okay, this one is kind of obvious. We all noticed that Bonnie, Joe's wife, was pregnant for a really long time, but did you know just how long she was pregnant? She was pregnant for a whopping total of 116 episodes. Dude, that's 7 seasons! Which means she was pregnant for 7 years.

Imagine carrying a baby for 7 years.

I feel like the creators didn't know how to draw up the baby or something. Maybe they left her pregnant for comedic leverage. I don't know, but we've all seen her like this for a long time until we finally ask ourselves, "she's still pregnant?" Either way, it's hilarious knowing she was with baby for so long, and it's even funnier that she acted like it was a normal part of life.

23 What Could Have Been

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There's no need to lead up to this one. The information is so wild and so unbelievable that it will be sure to knock your socks off when you read it. Okay, you ready? Our friend, Seth Macfarlane, was scheduled to be on flight eleven on September 11, 2001, but he missed his flight by a mere 10 minutes! Isn't that wild? He had just missed the flight that would have been hijacked.

That's a very close call and Seth Macfarlane is blessed to have dodged being a part of that horrific event. Family Guy started in 1999, so I'm sure the show wouldn't have made it as far as it has if it didn't have Seth Macfarlane to help guide them to fame. To all the people who were a part of 9/11 and to those who have lost loved ones, you're in our hearts.

22 The Episode They Didn't Want People To See

via: mentalfloss.com

Season 3's "When You Wish Upon A Weinstein" wasn't the only Family Guy episode to not be allowed on TV. The same thing happened with a season 8 episode, "Partial Terms of Endearment."

This one was banned by Fox, because of its subject matter (which had to do with pro-life activists).

Fans found out about its existence and the fact that Fox had banned it, from Macfarlane himself during the San Diego Comic-Con back in 2009. Unlike the other episode, though, Adult Swim didn't air it either. It instead was released on DVD on its own for viewers to enjoy. At least it got released somehow. Though it took a while to get released, both fans and critics alike gave the episode good reviews.

21 Save It For The Home Release

via: youtube.com

What a lot of people might not know is that there's essentially two versions (or two cuts, at least) of every episode. Since Fox is a network television channel, there's a limit to what they're able to show on the air, especially during a primetime slot. Since Family Guy constantly likes to push the boundaries and try out riskier jokes and gags, there's a difference between what you see on TV and what the episode actually was. You can see the full versions of these episodes either on DVD/Blu-Ray or by streaming them. These include fouler language, but also will have scenes that had to be taken out of the show entirely. It gives fans some incentive to watch the show again, at least.

20 Predicting The Future

via: queerty.com

Family Guy might do a lot of things wrong, but sometimes they're shockingly right... without even knowing it. Back in 2005, they aired a joke where Stewie runs in a mall saying "I've escaped from Kevin Spacey's basement!"

It's pretty incredible, especially in 2018 when we know the truth surrounding this actor.

Seth Macfarlane has since given interviews stating that the joke was not written by him, and the rumor had to be explained to him before the joke aired. Since, at the time, there was an incident going around involving him and a dog park, the network allowed the joke. Little did they know what would come over a decade later, and how true their statement was. People always talk about The Simpsons predicting the future, but it seems that Family Guy does as well.

19 It's About Quality, Not Quantity

via familyguy.wikia.com

It takes a full year to make just one episode of Family Guy! The producers work hard to make sure each and every aspect of the show is polished and ready to go for your tv screen. It must be a very daunting and meticulous task. But still, a year? Who would have ever guessed that? I'm sure that wasn't the case when Family Guy first aired back in 1999, but as time went on and technology began to advance, things begin to be more complicated and new heights are able to be reached. Whatever the process is, the creators don't miss a beat. We always have new episodes when they're supposed to be aired each week. Keep up the good work, guys.

18 Well, There Is A Resemblance

via avclub.com

Ever heard of Jimmy Corrigan? He's a character from a comic strip entitled Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid On Earth, created by Chris Ware. If you do a quick Google search of Jimmy Corrigan, you will realize that he and Stewie share a lot of similarities. They both have football shaped heads with little whiskers for hair, they both are highly intelligent, and they both don't like their mother.

You've got to admit, there are some similarities.

People have accused Seth Macfarlane of stealing Stewie from Chris Ware's comic strip. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. I just know that I'm happy about whatever influenced Seth's decision to create Stewie, whether it be from an outside source or just himself. Stewie is my favorite character and has been since the beginning.

17 We Found The Right One... Finally

via: screenrant.com

It's not uncommon for animators to change a character's voice in the beginning of a show. At one point they may feel like the voice doesn't match as well as they originally thought. Real Family Guy sleuths may already know this, and if you go back to the first season you can tell that Meg's voice is different than her current voice.

That's because Meg was voiced by actress Lacey Chabert at the time. No, Lacey wasn't fired and replaced by Mila Kunis, it was just a contractual issue and Lacey didn't want to commit to the full show. No tension at all. In "Back To The Pilot" episode, Stewie makes a remark about Meg's voice being different. He says, "What's up with Meg's voice? She sounds like someone who is about to give up a huge opportunity." Shots fired.

16 Busy Year, Huh?

via: familyguy.wikia.com

Family Guy drums up a lot of controversy with its episodes. Each joke they make is likely to offend someone. I wonder how stars feel about seeing themselves on Family Guy portrayed in unforgiving ways. They are willing to do almost anything for a good laugh, and its safe to say that they will stand their ground when they do it too. But it has gotten them in hot water before.

They were sued twice in 2007.

The first time was by Carol Burnett, who didn't like the jokes they made about her. She sued for $2 million but lost. They were then sued by Bourne Company Music Publishers, who own the rights to "When You Wish Upon A Star." Family Guy had parodied this, and they claimed it was offensive. Once again, Family Guy won the suit.

15 The Fall Of A Showrunner

via: twitter.com

When you think of Family Guy, you'll often think of Seth Macfarlane, since he's the one who started the show and voices most of the characters. But did you know he's not in charge of it anymore? In a Reddit AMA he did in 2017, he revealed that not only does he no longer write for the show, he hasn't since 2010. Though he's still listed as an executive producer, he isn't involved in the show creatively at all anymore. He's more or less just a voice actor at this point, and just does the character voices and goes home. It's kind of crazy to think about since this entire show was his brainchild to begin with. But hey, I guess enough is enough sometimes, and we've all got to move on.

14 Disillusioned With His Own Show

via: youtube.com

Speaking of Seth Macfarlane, he doesn't even like the show anymore. And no, we're not projecting. He's said it himself. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2011, he said that he thought the show would end. He stated, "I think seven seasons is about the right lifespan for a TV series." Now, keep in mind that this interview would have been right around when he stopped writing and being creatively involved with the show.

It's clear that Macfarlane was over the show at this point.

It's especially strange knowing that Family Guy's direct competitors, South Park and The Simpsons, have been airing for a lot longer than that. I guess all good things have to come to an end sometime, and Macfarlane wishes that end had been sooner than later.

13 Is He Or Isn't He?

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There are moments in Family Guy where we catch glimpses of Stewie's orientation. We might hear him say a remark that suggests his interest in men or see him fist pumping in a nightclub for same-gender couples. But we didn't know for sure. I thought all of these situations were just opportunities for the creators to make more jokes. After all, Stewie has had relationships with female characters before (but they never worked out). Well, during an interview with Hugh Hefner's magazine, Seth Macfarlane confirmed that Stewie Griffin is, in fact, gay. I wonder what convinced Seth to create a gay baby character. Even more, I wonder why he chose this particular magazine to unveil our favorite baby's interest in men.

12 Receiving Backlash For Subject Matter

via: familyguy.wikia.com

Family Guy's always been known for pushing the boundaries, but sometimes they take it a bit too far. I don't know what made the animators want to create a character with down syndrome and portray her the way that they did, but they took a chance and did. I know they received a lot of backlash from the community about this episode.

Everyone thought it was controversial, and several groups of people called for it to be banned.

The episode, Extra Large Medium, is about a romance brewing between Chris Griffin and a girl with down syndrome. There was even a musical number during this episode that was, dare I say it, catchy, but highly offensive. You'd think some topics would be too taboo for Family Guy to cover. But you'd be wrong.

11 You're Never Supposed To Do That!

via: familyguy.wikia.com

Anybody out there should already know there is one thing you're never supposed to do with a baby. Well, actually, there are a lot of things you are never supposed to do with a baby, but this one thing should be common knowledge.

You are never, ever supposed to shake a baby. Shaking a baby is highly dangerous. You can seriously hurt them. But I guess Peter never learned that lesson, and as a result, we lost the opportunity to see what Peter Griffin Jr. would have been like. That's right, there was a Peter Griffin Jr. They had another kid! Peter vigorously shook him until he was no more. Peter's logic was that if he shook baby Peter enough, he would stop crying. This was an instance of the show itself taking a very dark turn.

10 Come On, Brah

via: youtube.com

There were a lot of people who auditioned for the role of Chris. Almost all of them did his voice as a surfer dude.

If you look at him, Chris does favor that type of voice.

He has the long blonde hair poking out of his hat, and he has those droopy eyes that make him seem out of it. I don't know, but surfers do seem like they have that chill personality where they don't let anything get to them. Anyway, when Seth Green auditioned for the part of Chris, he was actually the only person to not put on a surfer dude's voice. I know it had to be pretty frustrating for the casting crew to have the same type of voice each time a new person auditioned, and Seth Green had to have been a breath of fresh air.

9 Why Do They Do Her Like This?

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You may have missed this episode, so you may not know that Meg's heart is where her brain is. Yep, the creators do whatever they can to make this poor girl's life worse and worse every chance they get.

Maybe that's why she keeps that pink hat on her head all the time, to hide the horrible disfigurement of a beating heart in her head. She already has a hard time getting a boyfriend, so imagine if she didn't hide her flaw. If anything, maybe this article will bring awareness to Meg's sad life. Maybe, it will rally fans together and help show that people do care about her. Or maybe, this will just make us laugh at her just like before and shrug our shoulders at her problems.

8 The Great Cartoon Wars

via: ign.com

There have been a lot of shots fired between The Simpsons and Family Guy. In one episode of The Simpsons, they show a character flipping through a book. On one of the pages, we see a picture of Peter Griffin with the caption "plagiarismo" under his picture, which suggests that Family Guy copies their plots from The Simpsons. Family Guy then takes a shot back at the Simpsons when they show Quagmire having an affair with Marge Simpson.

Homer walks in catches them in the act and Quagmire then kills the entire Simpson family.

After these back and fourths between the two shows, Fox steps in and puts an end to all of the mumbo-jumbo between the two shows and made them settle things. As a result, we got the highly-anticipated The Simpsons Guy crossover episode.

7 I'm More Of A Stewie Fan Myself

via: businessinsider.com

We've talked a lot about Seth Macfarlane and what he likes (and doesn't like) about Family Guy. I happen to know who his favorite character is. It's Brian Griffin. Brian is an interesting character. He's an intelligent talking dog, who lusts over both human and female dogs. He's highly talented and also likes drinks. He has a troubled life and it's hard to pin down if he is better friends with Stewie or Peter. Brian is voiced by Seth Macfarlane, and some fans thought that he ended him so he could lighten his workload. But Seth actually did it so he could teach fans to not take things for granted. BOOM! Two secrets in one list item. You're welcome, readers.