Family Guy is evolving.
Since its inception in 1999, Family Guy has had a reputation for making off-colour jokes about just about everyone.
Recent episodes of the show prove that that's still the case, but executive producer Alec Sulkin has pointed out that the show has evolved since its early days... and that some things that used to be fodder for their comedy is now off-limits.
Sulkin was asked by TVLine about a recent in-show reference where lead character Peter Griffin said they were "trying to phase out" jokes about gay people.
"If you look at a show from 2005 or 2006 and put it side by side with a show from 2018 or 2019, they're going to have a few differences," Sulkin said. "Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back then, we now understand is not acceptable."
Now on air for 20 years, those behind the Seth MacFarlane-created show say that their "views are different."
Sulkin's fellow executive producer Rich Appel said that it wasn't a case of being told what they could and couldn't say. "No, we’ve changed too," he said. "The climate is different, the culture is different and our views are different. They’ve been shaped by the reality around us, so I think the show has to shift and evolve in a lot of different ways."
