Seth MacFarlane, the creator of one of the most controversial TV shows of all time, has a very particular opinion about modern television. The mastermind behind animated gems like Family Guy and American Dad! isn’t entirely happy with the “pessimistic” tone of the stories on TV today, and says this could be having an effect on audiences. MacFarlane isn’t exactly a storyteller who’s known for sticking to the rules, but he might have a point in saying that few shows currently airing seem all that interested in making you feel a pinch of hope.
As reported by Deadline, MacFarlane recently appeared on the podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, and addressed the current state of television. “They’re certainly giving us a lot of cautionary tales,” he said when referring to popular dystopian shows on television and streaming. “But where are the blueprints that they once gave us for how to do things correctly?”
Also known for creating and voicing the foul-mouthed teddy bear Ted, MacFarlane said that his popular show The Orville was his response to the bleak state of TV. It’s not a secret that the series is a homage to Star Trek, a show he obviously admired and followed growing up:
“That’s why I did The Orville, because when I was a kid, Hollywood was providing that voice in various forms. There was a lot of hope, and some of the blame lies right here in this town. The dishes that we are serving up are so dystopian and so pessimistic. And yeah, there’s a lot to be pessimistic about, but it’s so one-sided. There’s nothing we’re doing that’s providing anyone an image of hope.
“It can’t all be just, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen to you if you f— up.’ You do need, ‘Here’s what you can achieve if you change your ways and do things right.'”
The “dystopian” and “pessimistic” shows he’s referring to include The Last of Us, The Handmaid’s Tale, Severance, Squid Game, The Walking Dead, and Black Mirror, among others. Though TV also has plenty of optimistic comedies and dramas, there’s no shortage of gloomy fiction that can make any viewer afraid of the future.
“What We Do Well Is Tell Stories, And We’re Not Doing the Best Job Right Now”
Universal Pictures
MacFarlane spoke candidly about the political landscape and how Hollywood has failed to reach its audience the way it should. Although there’s more to being a celebrity than giving people hope, MacFarlane makes a good point, saying that the outcome of the last election reflects what audiences really think about celebrity influence. It isn’t only about social media use, but about the stories they have the opportunity to tell:
“That’s the only thing really that Hollywood can do that’s worthwhile because as we all learned from this election, nobody gives a f— what celebrities think. We can tweet, we can talk. Like, people don’t care. They don’t care. What we do well is tell stories, and we’re not doing the best job right now of telling those stories in a way that gives people hope.”
Release Date
January 31, 1999
Network
FOX
Directors
Peter Shin, Pete Michels, John Holmquist, Greg Colton, Brian Iles, Julius Wu, Joseph Lee, Joe Vaux, Mike Kim, Steve Robertson, Dan Povenmire, James Purdum, Dominic Bianchi, Dominic Polcino, Bob Bowen, Monte Young, Zac Moncrief, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bert Ring, Seth Kearsley, Scott Wood, Chuck Klein, Brian Hogan, Gavin Dell
Writers
Steve Callaghan, Patrick Meighan, Mark Hentemann, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Tom Devanney, Alex Carter, Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild, Gary Janetti, Andrew Goldberg, Mike Desilets, Anthony Blasucci, Matt Weitzman, Kirker Butler, Damien Fahey, John Viener, Brian Scully, Ted Jessup, Chris Regan, Matt Pabian, Garrett Donovan, Ricky Blitt, Aaron Lee, Julius Sharpe
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Seth MacFarlane
Peter Griffin / Brian Griffin / Stewie Griffin / Glenn Quagmire / Tom Tucker (voice)
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Lois Griffin / Tricia Takanawa / Loretta Brown / Barbara Pewterschmidt (voice)
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