re: Actually unpopular opinion: Family Guy is better than Simpsons and South Park

Early family guy is hilarious. The episode Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows is one of the best episodes of a cartoon I’ve ever seen. It’s not written like normal family guy episodes in that it’s more like a drama with no cutscenes.

It is astonishing the amount of iconic episodes and characters that South Park has.

Simpsons in it's first 3-8 years as others mentioned is top tier of all time sitcom. It was when both Groening and O'Brien were writing the shows. Conan left first, and then once Groening pulled back his part in the show, it went to shite (i.e. slapstick jokes and no intelligence). You see the peak Groening had with Simpsons in his Futurama writing. It was all him and Conan.

Family guy first 3-4 seasons, mainly the first 3, were similar in their quality and intelligent writing. It just went to shite when McFarlane got too big and tried to do too many things. It had a similar arc.

South Park on the other hand, has been consistently great and while it has put out garbage, in the long run it has stayed pretty damn great for such a long time.

I still think Futurama and SP are the best two in their peak, and it has to do with their writers.

Family guy just tries to hard to be slapstick and it killed the show's fit with the audience.

In reality, it depends on your preference much like the Seinfeld debate where some people love it and there is nothing greater, while others think it is awful.

Still, Futurama is my favorite.

I like all three shows. Each is great in their own way. That being said, here is how I would rank them:

1.) Simpsons: More clever humor, least shock humor. Most quotable.
2.) Family Guy: About 50/50 on the clever vs. shock humor, at least in the early days.
3.) South Park: Least clever. Mostly shock humor. Really good at taking the piss out of everything though.

Early Family Guy is great for what it is.

Very funny. I came around late on American Dad though and thought it was really good all around.

But South Parks social commentary is second to none, it is it’s own thing.

South Park has moments of GOAT type stuff that won’t ever be replicated.

Here's what you need to know:

1991 - 1999 Simpsons is nearly untouchable. There are probably 4 or 5 entire SEASONS of 22/23 episodes where each episode you are like "oh, shite, THAT one was this season also?!?!". I don't like to rely on "it was ground breaking for its time", because I think it should be funny just in its own right..but having said that, it truly was unlike anything people had seen before (and that includes the animation, which featured intelligent single-camera-esque direction).

Family Guy - first Fox seasons and then 1st one or two comeback seasons are pretty fricking great. It brought an entirely new voice to the table and Seth truly DNGAF. There's a chance that FG provided the single greatest individual peak laughs. (A favorite: Stewie gets knocked unconscious and Lois is talking about taking him to the hospital. Stewie - laid out in her arms - barely rouses himself to squeak out: Don't....take me.....to a....black....doctor.." )


South Park - I personally find it unwatchable. It's funny enough and clever and I love the whole no sacred cows thing (with some REALLY great "art imitating life imitating art" stuff with Shaft ultimately becoming butthurt about scientologh). But it's just grating to watch. The animation sucks (I know, on purpose) and the voices are just too much. I would never be able to watch 10 SPs in a row. But the Simpsons is smooth like butter in that way. FG is also a bit grating to binge watch.


King of the Hill - I'm willing to hear arguments that this is the greatest of all, just for different reasons. Since Mike Judge is the crushing genius of our lives, it's no surprise that he delivered genius consistently, but it really is amazing. The subtlety that was stretched out across seasons is magnificent (it's like season 5 or something when Boomhauer's parents are over for a BBQ and Hank addresses them as "Dr. and Mrs. Boomhauer" )


Futurama - I think there is a strong case for Futurama as the GOAT. I think it is certainly the most clever, the animation is the best AND they did a great job of weaving in feels as well. There's not a single episode of any of the other non-KOTH shows that will have you cutting onions like the one with Fry's dog or the one with Leela and the bees.

American Dad - funny enough. But too grating to binge.

Bob's Burgers - frankly, I just don't get it. I can barely crack a smile.

Futurama is the GOAT

No

90s Simpsons was probably the cleverest, best written sitcom ever, animated or not. The satire and irony is still very fresh today when an older one comes on.