Reviewed by Toby Weidmann
Stars the voices of Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, James Woods,
Patrick Warburton, Amanda Bynes, Adam West, Mike Henry | Written by Seth McFarlane & others
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £27.99 | Runtime 320 minutes | Directed by Dominic Bianchi & others
"Do you or do you not know that the bird is the word?" One of the most consistently funny TV shows, not just animated shows, currently on the goggle box, Family Guy always delivers belly laughs and slapstick sight gags and satire galore (as long as you are not easily offended!).
Released as Season 8 in the UK, this set actually includes the last four episodes from the US Season 6 and the first nine episodes from Season 7, but however confusing the numerical titling is this set includes some great episodes. The standout episode is probably I Dream Of Jesus, which marks the return of our lord saviour as a record shop assistant and will make you wish you never hear Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen again, although Road To Germany, which sees Brian, Stewie and Mort Goldman travel back in time to Poland in 1939, and Back To The Woods, which sees James Woods causing trouble again, also make this an astute purchase for fans of the show.
EXTRAS ★★★★ As always, the disc comes packed with special features, the best of which are usually the hilarious commentaries, although this season's collection lacks the acerbic comments of show co-creator MacFarlane. The voice behind most of the show's characters is absent from many of the episode commentaries and as funny as executive producer and self-confessed alcoholic Danny Smith is, MacFarlane's witty asides are sadly missed. Other extras include deleted scenes; animatic episodes; a Comic-Con 2008 panel; an excellent behind the show Family Guy Cribz featurette; a Family Guy art show featurette; and an interview with Frank Sinatra Jr, who guest stars in the episode Tales Of A Third Grade Nothing.