Barely Legal (Family Guy)
Encyclopedia
"Barely Legal" is the eighth episode of season five of Family Guy
. The episode originally broadcast on December 17, 2006. The plot sees Meg
developing an obsession with Brian
after he accompanies her as her date for the Junior Prom, eventually leading to her kidnapping Brian in order to engage in sex with him. Meanwhile, Peter
and his friends join the Quahog Police Department to assist Joe with his work, but find being a police officer is not always about action.
The episode was written by Kirker Butler
and directed by Zac Moncrief
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 8.48 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Drew Barrymore
, Barclay DeVeau, Phil LaMarr
, Kerrigan Mahan
, Natasha Melnick
, Garrett Morris
, Tamera Mowry
and Lisa Wilhoit
. The episode won an Annie Award
for "Writing in an Animated Television Production."
deploys the entire Quahog Police Department to Cartagena, Colombia
to search for Elaine Wilder (a fictional character from the film Romancing the Stone
), leaving Joe behind as he was not deployed due to his disability. Peter
, Cleveland
and Quagmire
join the department to assist Joe.
Meanwhile, Meg
threatens to commit suicide
because she does not have a date for her Junior Prom. As a last resort, Brian
agrees to take her. He gets drunk there, defends Meg by insulting Connie D'Amico about her inevitable future, and the two make out. After the dance, Meg begins to think Brian is her boyfriend, despite Brian saying he has no feelings for her. Meg develops an obsession
with Brian, even baking him a pie and using her hair as one of the ingredients. Later on, Meg knocks Brian out, puts him in the trunk of his car and drives away.
Chris
tells Lois
he saw Meg kidnapping Brian, so all present track them down. When they arrive, they see Meg is about to have sex with Brian, whom she has tied up with packaging tape. Lois tells Meg is not thinking right, although Meg insists that she has never been more sure of anything in her life. Lois struggles to explain and says Meg does not know what she needs, and then Quagmire (in an erotic tone) says "I know what she needs... Bring her round my house around 8:30 and I'll straighten her out." It is first implied that Quagmire will try to take advantage of her (this seems even more likely when she comes over to his house, as Quagmire puts on seductive
music, dims the lights and strips down to a speedo
), but he actually (uncharacteristically) begins to have a serious heart-to-heart talk with her, telling her that her entire life is still ahead of her and she should not be in such a hurry to grow up before assuring her that she will find the right person one day. To help Meg, Quagmire gives her his copy of Shel Silverstein
's The Missing Piece
to help give her a better perception of things, and sends her away feeling much better. He then walks into his bedroom, where two of his one night stands await with an array of sex toy
s, asking him if he has the "hwhip
" (with emphasis on the "h").
During the credits, Tom Tucker reports that the Quahog Police have called off the search for Elaine Wilder.
", where Peter blew up Cleveland's house with a tank. This gag occurred three more times in the seventh season episodes "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing
" and "Family Gay
", the season eight
episodes "Spies Reminiscent of Us
", "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag", and the Cleveland Show pilot
. It took several attempts to animate it correctly. The gag of Meg's Junior Prom date killing his brother in order to escape from their planned date was included in the first draft for the episode, as made by Kirker Butler.
A scene featuring Peter, Cleveland, Mort and Quagmire drinking coffee in the booth, waiting for one of them to act irrationally due to Joe adding a substance into their drink, was cut from the broadcast for timing purposes. A deleted scene had been made for the episode, which showed one of the characters present in the booth after Joe added a substance into their drink, turning into a lizard-like creature from Jurassic Park
, but the gag was never used. American actor and comedian Garrett Morris
guest-starred on the episode, portraying the headmaster of the "New York School for the Hard-of-Hearing", which was once a regular Weekend Update
piece on the 1970s episodes of Saturday Night Live
. When Peter and everybody else discover Meg attempting to seduce Brian in the hotel, Peter uses the term "Chinaman"; this was changed for the television broadcast to "oriental guy", as "Chinaman" is deemed to be an offensive word.
In addition to the regular cast, actress Drew Barrymore
, voice actor Barclay DeVeau, voice actor Phil LaMarr
, voice actor Kerrigan Mahan
, actress Natasha Melnick
, comedian and actor Garrett Morris
, actress Tamera Mowry
and actress Lisa Wilhoit
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
, actress Alex Breckenridge
, voice actor John G. Brennan
, writer Chris Sheridan, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
. The music played in the background during the black people's parade is taken almost verbatim from the film adaptation
of the 1975
musical The Wiz
. The two songs playing in the background at the junior prom are Hold On to the Nights
by Richard Marx
and Why
by Annie Lennox
. The music used in the background when Peter, Quagmire and Cleveland are entering the police training grounds is a reference to that used in the Police Academy
. The scene where Meg plays Madame Butterfly while turning the lamp on and off and the line "I will not be ignored, Brian" is a reference to 1987
thriller Fatal Attraction
. The entire scene in the hotel where Meg is discovered attempting to seduce Brian is a reference to The King of Comedy
, which MacFarlane notes as one of his favorite movies. When Peter Griffin steals a giraffe
from the zoo, he names the giraffe Allison Janney
. Garrett Morris
reprises his role as Headmaster of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing.
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, slightly being edged out by The Simpsons
, while still winning over American Dad!
.
Kirker Butler
, the writer of this episode, was nominated at the 34th Annie Awards
under the category of "Writing in an Animated Television Production" for his writing of this episode, and Mila Kunis
, voice actor of Meg, was also nominated for her work on this episode under the category of "Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production". In his review of the episode, Dan Iverson of IGN
wrote: "After a couple more episodes like the one that Family Guy had on Sunday night, we could officially and unequivocally call the show the best animated program to air on the weekend", adding "[...] we are completely willing to raise the once hit-or-miss comedy of Family Guy to the level of most consistently funny comedy on FOX Sunday nights — and that is thanks to great stories and hilarious comedy like that of this week's episode "Barely Legal." In a review of Family Guy, Volume five, Nancy Basile regarded "Airport '07
", "Prick Up Your Ears
," and "Barely Legal” as “gem episodes.” Brett Love of TV Squad commented: "It seemed like more of a cohesive story than we have seen in a while as the whole family was tied in to the same storyline", later adding "I liked the story of Meg's infatuation with Brian", concluding with "overall, I'd call this one a really good episode."
However, the Parents Television Council
, a media watchdog group and frequent critic
, named "Barely Legal" the "Worst TV Show of the Week" ending the week of December 28, 2006. PTC member and writer Joey Bozell commented, "It's becoming more and more obvious that these writers' missions is to provide the most offensive content they can imagine and in turn proves they don't have an ounce of respect for the families watching at home."
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. The episode originally broadcast on December 17, 2006. The plot sees Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
developing an obsession with Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
after he accompanies her as her date for the Junior Prom, eventually leading to her kidnapping Brian in order to engage in sex with him. Meanwhile, Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
and his friends join the Quahog Police Department to assist Joe with his work, but find being a police officer is not always about action.
The episode was written by Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler is an American animation writer. Butler is most notably known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, as well as serving as co-executive producer of The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.-Career:Butler joined...
and directed by Zac Moncrief
Zac Moncrief
Zachary Thomas Moncrief is a director of animated television programs, currently serving as a director for the Disney Channel cartoon Phineas and Ferb...
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 8.48 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
, Barclay DeVeau, Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
, Kerrigan Mahan
Kerrigan Mahan
Kerrigan Mahan is an American voice actor, also known as Ryan O'Flannigan.Mahan was born in Los Angeles, California. His voice ranges from young and exuberant to sneering and Lee Van Cleef-ish...
, Natasha Melnick
Natasha Melnick
Natasha Melnick is an American television and film actress. She may be best known for her portrayal of Cindy Sanders on the short-lived NBC dramedy Freaks and Geeks.-Career:Melnick was born in Los Angeles, California...
, Garrett Morris
Garrett Morris
Garrett Gonzalez Morris is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980.-Early life and career:...
, Tamera Mowry
Tamera Mowry
Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
and Lisa Wilhoit
Lisa Wilhoit
Lisa Marie Wilhoit is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Danielle Chase on the television show My So-Called Life and for being the voice of Connie D'Amico on the television series Family Guy.-Biography:...
. The episode won an Annie Award
Annie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
for "Writing in an Animated Television Production."
Plot
Mayor WestAdam West (Family Guy)
Adam West, also known as Mayor West, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. The character, voiced by the actor of the same name, is the eccentric mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the series is set.-Character:...
deploys the entire Quahog Police Department to Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
to search for Elaine Wilder (a fictional character from the film Romancing the Stone
Romancing the Stone
Romancing the Stone is a 1984 American action-adventure romantic comedy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The film was followed by a 1985 sequel, The Jewel of the Nile....
), leaving Joe behind as he was not deployed due to his disability. Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
, Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
and Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
join the department to assist Joe.
Meanwhile, Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
threatens to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
because she does not have a date for her Junior Prom. As a last resort, Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
agrees to take her. He gets drunk there, defends Meg by insulting Connie D'Amico about her inevitable future, and the two make out. After the dance, Meg begins to think Brian is her boyfriend, despite Brian saying he has no feelings for her. Meg develops an obsession
Obsessive love
Obsessive love is a state in which one person feels an overwhelming obsessive desire to possess another person toward whom they feel a strong sexual attraction, with an inability to accept failure or rejection...
with Brian, even baking him a pie and using her hair as one of the ingredients. Later on, Meg knocks Brian out, puts him in the trunk of his car and drives away.
Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
tells Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
he saw Meg kidnapping Brian, so all present track them down. When they arrive, they see Meg is about to have sex with Brian, whom she has tied up with packaging tape. Lois tells Meg is not thinking right, although Meg insists that she has never been more sure of anything in her life. Lois struggles to explain and says Meg does not know what she needs, and then Quagmire (in an erotic tone) says "I know what she needs... Bring her round my house around 8:30 and I'll straighten her out." It is first implied that Quagmire will try to take advantage of her (this seems even more likely when she comes over to his house, as Quagmire puts on seductive
Seduction
In social science, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person to engage. The word seduction stems from Latin and means literally "to lead astray". As a result, the term may have a positive or negative connotation...
music, dims the lights and strips down to a speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
), but he actually (uncharacteristically) begins to have a serious heart-to-heart talk with her, telling her that her entire life is still ahead of her and she should not be in such a hurry to grow up before assuring her that she will find the right person one day. To help Meg, Quagmire gives her his copy of Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
's The Missing Piece
The Missing Piece (book)
The Missing Piece is a children’s picture book by poet Shel Silverstein.-Plot:The story centers on a circular animal-like creature that is missing a wedge-shaped piece of itself...
to help give her a better perception of things, and sends her away feeling much better. He then walks into his bedroom, where two of his one night stands await with an array of sex toy
Sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure. The most popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals and may be vibrating or non-vibrating...
s, asking him if he has the "hwhip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
" (with emphasis on the "h").
During the credits, Tom Tucker reports that the Quahog Police have called off the search for Elaine Wilder.
Production
A scene shows Cleveland falling out of the bathtub and subsequently out of his house. This is the second time the show has used this gag (as indicated when Cleveland comments that "I gotta stop taking baths during Peter's shenanigans"), the first one being "Hell Comes to QuahogHell Comes to Quahog
"Hell Comes to Quahog" is the third episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on September 24, 2006. The episode follows teenage daughter Meg after she requests that her parents buy her a car. At the showroom, however, her father, Peter,...
", where Peter blew up Cleveland's house with a tank. This gag occurred three more times in the seventh season episodes "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing
Tales of a Third Grade Nothing
"Tales of a Third Grade Nothing" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of Family Guy that aired on November 16, 2008 and ended the first half of the season. The episode's title is an allusion to the Judy Blume children's book Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, whose narrator-protagonist is...
" and "Family Gay
Family Gay
"Family Gay" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the animated television comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 8, 2009. In the episode, Peter Griffin purchases a brain damaged horse who ends up causing a great deal of collateral damage at the...
", the season eight
Family Guy (season 8)
Family Guy eighth season first aired on the Fox network in twenty episodes from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It ran on Sunday nights between May and July 2010 on BBC Three in the UK...
episodes "Spies Reminiscent of Us
Spies Reminiscent of Us
"Spies Reminiscent of Us" is the third episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 11, 2009...
", "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag", and the Cleveland Show pilot
Pilot (The Cleveland Show)
"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of the animated comedy series The Cleveland Show. Directed by Anthony Lioi and written by series creators Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry and Richard Appel, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 2009...
. It took several attempts to animate it correctly. The gag of Meg's Junior Prom date killing his brother in order to escape from their planned date was included in the first draft for the episode, as made by Kirker Butler.
A scene featuring Peter, Cleveland, Mort and Quagmire drinking coffee in the booth, waiting for one of them to act irrationally due to Joe adding a substance into their drink, was cut from the broadcast for timing purposes. A deleted scene had been made for the episode, which showed one of the characters present in the booth after Joe added a substance into their drink, turning into a lizard-like creature from Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
, but the gag was never used. American actor and comedian Garrett Morris
Garrett Morris
Garrett Gonzalez Morris is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980.-Early life and career:...
guest-starred on the episode, portraying the headmaster of the "New York School for the Hard-of-Hearing", which was once a regular Weekend Update
Weekend Update
Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance...
piece on the 1970s episodes of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. When Peter and everybody else discover Meg attempting to seduce Brian in the hotel, Peter uses the term "Chinaman"; this was changed for the television broadcast to "oriental guy", as "Chinaman" is deemed to be an offensive word.
In addition to the regular cast, actress Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
, voice actor Barclay DeVeau, voice actor Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
, voice actor Kerrigan Mahan
Kerrigan Mahan
Kerrigan Mahan is an American voice actor, also known as Ryan O'Flannigan.Mahan was born in Los Angeles, California. His voice ranges from young and exuberant to sneering and Lee Van Cleef-ish...
, actress Natasha Melnick
Natasha Melnick
Natasha Melnick is an American television and film actress. She may be best known for her portrayal of Cindy Sanders on the short-lived NBC dramedy Freaks and Geeks.-Career:Melnick was born in Los Angeles, California...
, comedian and actor Garrett Morris
Garrett Morris
Garrett Gonzalez Morris is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980.-Early life and career:...
, actress Tamera Mowry
Tamera Mowry
Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
and actress Lisa Wilhoit
Lisa Wilhoit
Lisa Marie Wilhoit is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Danielle Chase on the television show My So-Called Life and for being the voice of Connie D'Amico on the television series Family Guy.-Biography:...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
Lori Alan
Lori Alan , sometimes credited as Lori Allen, is an American voice actress who provides the voice of news anchor Diane Simmons on Family Guy, various voices on Hey Arnold!, and SpongeBob SquarePants as Pearl....
, actress Alex Breckenridge
Alex Breckenridge
Alexandra "Alex" Breckenridge is an American film and television actress, photographer and voice artist. Noted for her role as Willa McPherson on the television series Dirt, she also had a supporting role on the short lived series The Ex List...
, voice actor John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan , a.k.a. Johnny B., is an American actor, film writer, and voice actor. He is a member of the Jerky Boys prank call duo, with Kamal Ahmed, who formed in 1989 and split up in 2001, but reformed in 2006...
, writer Chris Sheridan, writer Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
Cultural references
The movie Mayor West is watching on the television is Romancing the StoneRomancing the Stone
Romancing the Stone is a 1984 American action-adventure romantic comedy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The film was followed by a 1985 sequel, The Jewel of the Nile....
. The music played in the background during the black people's parade is taken almost verbatim from the film adaptation
The Wiz (film)
The Wiz is a 1978 musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical...
of the 1975
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
musical The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
. The two songs playing in the background at the junior prom are Hold On to the Nights
Hold On to the Nights
"Hold On to the Nights" is a power ballad and number-one hit for singer Richard Marx. This was the fourth and final single released from his self-titled debut album, and the first to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100.-Charts:...
by Richard Marx
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
and Why
Why (Annie Lennox song)
"Why" is the first solo single by the Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released in 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album Diva and reached no.5 in the United Kingdom and number thirty-four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The single also reached no.6 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart...
by Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
. The music used in the background when Peter, Quagmire and Cleveland are entering the police training grounds is a reference to that used in the Police Academy
Police Academy (film)
Police Academy is a 1984 comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, and starring Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall and G.W. Bailey. It grossed approximately $146 million worldwide and spawned six more films in the Police Academy series.-Plot:...
. The scene where Meg plays Madame Butterfly while turning the lamp on and off and the line "I will not be ignored, Brian" is a reference to 1987
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
thriller Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
. The entire scene in the hotel where Meg is discovered attempting to seduce Brian is a reference to The King of Comedy
The King of Comedy (1983 film)
The King of Comedy is a 1983 American dark comedy film starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, and directed by Martin Scorsese. The subject of the movie is celebrity stalking...
, which MacFarlane notes as one of his favorite movies. When Peter Griffin steals a giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
from the zoo, he names the giraffe Allison Janney
Allison Janney
Allison Brooks Janney is an American actress, best known for her role as C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.- Personal life :...
. Garrett Morris
Garrett Morris
Garrett Gonzalez Morris is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980.-Early life and career:...
reprises his role as Headmaster of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing.
Reception
In a significant decrease from the previous week, the episode was viewed in 8.48 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, slightly being edged out by The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, while still winning over American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
.
Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler is an American animation writer. Butler is most notably known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, as well as serving as co-executive producer of The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.-Career:Butler joined...
, the writer of this episode, was nominated at the 34th Annie Awards
34th Annie Awards
The ceremony for the 34th Annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in animation in 2006, was held on February 11, 2007 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California.The nominations were announced on December 4, 2006.Winners are marked in bold text....
under the category of "Writing in an Animated Television Production" for his writing of this episode, and Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
, voice actor of Meg, was also nominated for her work on this episode under the category of "Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production". In his review of the episode, Dan Iverson of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote: "After a couple more episodes like the one that Family Guy had on Sunday night, we could officially and unequivocally call the show the best animated program to air on the weekend", adding "[...] we are completely willing to raise the once hit-or-miss comedy of Family Guy to the level of most consistently funny comedy on FOX Sunday nights — and that is thanks to great stories and hilarious comedy like that of this week's episode "Barely Legal." In a review of Family Guy, Volume five, Nancy Basile regarded "Airport '07
Airport '07
"Airport '07" is the twelfth episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode originally broadcast on March 4, 2007. The plot follows Quagmire being dismissed from his job as a pilot after Peter decided to remove the airplane fueling hose prematurely...
", "Prick Up Your Ears
Prick Up Your Ears (Family Guy)
"Prick Up Your Ears" is the sixth episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode was originally broadcast on November 19, 2006. In this episode Lois discovers that Chris’ school has removed the sex education program and decides to bring the class back by becoming the teacher. Unfortunately,...
," and "Barely Legal” as “gem episodes.” Brett Love of TV Squad commented: "It seemed like more of a cohesive story than we have seen in a while as the whole family was tied in to the same storyline", later adding "I liked the story of Meg's infatuation with Brian", concluding with "overall, I'd call this one a really good episode."
However, the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a media watchdog group and frequent critic
Criticism of Family Guy
The American animated sitcom Family Guy has been the target of numerous complaints concerning taste and indecency. Parents Television Council has expressed moral opposition to the series, and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission....
, named "Barely Legal" the "Worst TV Show of the Week" ending the week of December 28, 2006. PTC member and writer Joey Bozell commented, "It's becoming more and more obvious that these writers' missions is to provide the most offensive content they can imagine and in turn proves they don't have an ounce of respect for the families watching at home."