Larry shorts

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The Larry shorts were two animated films made by Seth MacFarlane in the 1990s, which led to the development of Family Guy as a prime-time TV show from 1999 onwards.

1 The Life of Larry (1995)
2 Larry and Steve (1997)
3 Relationship with Family Guy
4 Legacy
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] The Life of Larry (1995)

The Life of Larry (1995)

Seth MacFarlane created a short film entitled The Life of Larry while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. It featured a middle-aged slob named Larry Cummings, his cynical talking dog, Steve, wife Lois, and pudgy teenage son Milt. The film begins with a live-action segment where MacFarlane, as himself, briefly describes the show and its characters. The film includes many of the same gags that would appear in the first few episodes of Family Guy, such as the Star Trek parody in I Never Met the Dead Man.

[edit] Larry and Steve (1997)

After being hired at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc., MacFarlane was given a chance at the age of 22 in 1996 to direct a sequel entitled Larry and Steve, a nine minute short which was broadcast as part of Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons strand.

Larry and Steve (1997)

This short begins with Steve in front of a camcorder recording an SOS tape for someone to come and save him from his bumbling owner, Larry. Steve recounts for the tape the misadventures that have ensued ever since Larry bought Steve from the dog pound, focusing on a series of misadventures and hijinks that ensued when the pair went to the mall to buy items for Larry's apartment.

While at the mall, the two destroy nearly everything. For example, Larry is looking for a light bulb for his bedside lamp. He puts in a high-wattage bulb and criticizes Steve for saying that it wasn't a good idea to put the bulb in by commenting that he didn't go to kindergarten for twelve years because he was stupid (but because he got his foot caught in the radiator). When Larry plugs the lamp in, it turns into a wide lightsaber and he cuts the store in half. As this is happening, Larry references the "Luke, I am your father..." line from The Empire Strikes Back by saying "Luke, this is your landlord. You still haven't returned my weedwacker".

[edit] Relationship with Family Guy

Both shorts portray vast similarities to Family Guy, including similar voices and character status for Peter and Brian's character, as well as an airline pilot character with a voice similar to that of Glenn Quagmire (who is an airline pilot). Also Larry mentions a store named Stewie's. Stewie would later become the name of Peter Griffin's infant son. Milt would become Chris, and Larry's wife is named Lois.

The "Drive-by arguments", Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, the "What is diarrhea", and Star Trek parody gags were later recreated almost identically for Family Guy.

[edit] Legacy

Executives at Fox Broadcasting Company saw both shorts, and MacFarlane was given the opportunity to develop a show based on them ^{[citation needed]}. He agreed, leaving Hanna-Barbera and working on the characters of Larry and Steve, who eventually evolved into Peter and Brian Griffin. Family Guy premiered on Fox in 1999 and over 80 episodes have been made in two runs, between 1999-2002 and 2005-present.