Every Seth MacFarlane TV Show, Ranked From 'Family Guy' to 'The Orville'

Seth MacFarlane certainly knows how to stay busy. The creator of the massively popualr animated sitcom "Family Guy" has since gone onto spearhead a number of TV shows, both live-action and animated. Here's how we rank each series MacFarlane has created or executive produced.

9. 'Dads'

A promising cast is utterly wasted in this sitcom about two best friends and game developers (Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi) who suddenly find their elderly fathers moving in with them. The series' reliance on casual racism is bad enough, but most of the time it just isn't funny. It's little wonder Fox pulled the plug after one season.

8. 'Bordertown'

MacFarlane produced this series created by "Family Guy" writer Mark Hentemann, which follows two neighboring families living in the fictional town of Mexifornia. Unfortunately, what could have been a great source of topical humor instead settles for crude, easy jokes. It didn't make it past the first season.

7. 'The Winner'

This short-lived sitcom features Rob Corddry as a successful man reflecting back on his difficult 30's. It's possible the series could have developed into something special, but the infamously obnoxious laugh track tended to drown out everything else. In any case, Fox didn't give the series much time to find an audience before canceling it.

6. 'The Cleveland Show'

The one advantage "The Cleveland Show" had over "Family Guy" is that the soft-spoken, congenial Cleveland Brown is a far more likable lead than Peter Griffin. That alone wasn't really enough to justify a spinoff, however. The series mainly settled for giving viewers more of the same, while at the same time preventing Cleveland from interacting with his old friends in Quahog for several years.

5. 'Blunt Talk'

Anyone accustomed to seeing Sir Patrick Stewart play wise, benevolent leaders in franchises like "Star Trek" and "X-Men" is in for a shock the first time they watch "Blunt Talk." Stewart's dark turn as a British newscaster trying to establish himself in LA is definitely worth watching. Unfortunately, like too many MacFarlane projects, the series leans too heavily on its shock value humor.

4. 'Family Guy'

"Family Guy" is the animated sitcom that just won't quit. The series survived cancellation and returned stronger than ever in 2005, kicking off what most consider to be the show's golden age. While the show is often criticized for its over-reliance on pop culture references and cutaway jokes, there's a reason it's stuck around for so long.

3. 'The Orville'

"The Orville" is a "Star Trek" spoof that's less actual spoof and more loving tribute to a venerable franchise. That seemed to hurt the series' critical reception early on, but over time more and more people have come to appreciate the series for its ability to tap into a simpler, more innocent era for the sci-fi genre. For some Trek fans, it's actually a more satisfying experience than "Star Trek: Discovery."

2. 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey'

Carl Sagan's documentary series "Cosmos: A Personal Odyssey" is a true classic, but it's also pretty dated at this point. Luckily, MacFarlane helped spearhead this modernized update. The new "Cosmos" is a much flashier series, but one that retains the same spirit of wonder and discovery that fueled the original.

1. 'American Dad!'

It was easy to dismiss "American Dad!" as a simple "Family Guy" clone early on. The series uses many of the same animated sitcom archetypes and tropes, after all. But over time, this series has established itself as a much smarter and more daring alternative to "Family Guy." Thankfully, the series has continued to thrive on TBS after being canceled by Fox.