Does Disney Own Family Guy & If So, Why Isn't It Available On Disney+?
When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, audiences had many questions. Would this mean Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) from "Avatar" is technically a Disney princess? And does Disney own "Family Guy," and would it put the animated sitcom on Disney+ alongside the family-friendly fare?
As part of the acquisition, Disney does own "Family Guy," along with all of Fox's other animated series like "Bob's Burgers." However, Disney has made it a point to keep more adult-oriented programming off of Disney+ in the United States. Instead, all of that content can be found on Hulu, with every season of "Family Guy" there, including new episodes the day after they air on Fox. Of course, that could change in the future. Disney seems to be more experimental as of late, allowing more mature shows on Disney+ in the States. "The Simpsons" was another big get for Disney as part of the acquisition, and there are definitely episodes of that show that push the boundaries of what Disney+ offers typically.
The studio also put all of the former Netflix Marvel shows on Disney+, such as "Daredevil," "Jessica Jones," and "Luke Cage." With this in mind, it's possible Disney could include shows like "Family Guy" on its U.S. streaming service in the future.
Family Guy has already commented on Disney buying Fox
"Family Guy" frequently comments on major pop culture moments, so the show naturally had to give its take on the Disney-Fox acquisition. It happened sooner than most people probably expected in 2019 when "Family Guy" released "Disney's The Reboot." The episode consists of the Griffin family viewing a focus group of people watching various pilots for "Family Guy" reboots, all in jest. These include a show where Lois (Alex Borstein) is now a spunky career woman and a "Riverdale" parody.
Executive producer Rich Appel told Entertainment Weekly exactly how long it took them to decide to poke fun at the acquisition, "I'd say about 20 minutes." The episode didn't explicitly make fun of Disney, but it did parody the modern age of studios, streaming, and how everyone's looking to stay fresh and mine existing intellectual property for new shows.
But "Family Guy" isn't the only show to bite the hand that feeds it. "The Simpsons," which did leap to Disney+, poked fun at its new owners in between making direct-to-Disney+ shorts incorporating elements of Marvel and Star Wars. Patty and Selma were chronic smokers on the sitcom. In Season 31, Episode 13 — "Frinkcoin" — Selma asks Patty, "Got a cigarette?" Patty responds, "Not since we moved to Disney," and the two don Mickey Mouse ears. "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" may have new owners, but Disney is at least allowing them to continue doing what they do best — satirize everyone and everything.