Airport '07
Encyclopedia
"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. Peter, Joe and Cleveland
make a plan to get Quagmire his job back and, although the plan itself fails, Quagmire is re-hired.
The episode was written by Tom Devanney
and directed by John Holmquist
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 8.59 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Barclay DeVeau, Hugh Hefner
, Phil LaMarr
, Rachael MacFarlane
and Fred Tatasciore
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
, Peter
purchases a pickup truck
(resembling either a Toyota Tacoma
or a Dodge Ram
) and decides to become a Redneck
. Peter begins behaving as if he were a redneck, like putting his couch on the front lawn of his home (which forces Chris
to sit on the floor while watching TV) , making sexual advances on his daughter Meg
, and painting over the entire rear window of his pickup, which results in him reversing the car into his neighbor Quagmire's car. After destroying the car, Peter drives Quagmire to the airport, as he is due to fly an airplane (resembling either a Boeing 737
or a Tupolev Tu-204
) bound for Atlanta Airport. While at the airport, Peter steals the fuel used for Quagmire's airplane, believing it will make his pickup fly. Quagmire's plane crashes shortly after due to lack of fuel
. As a result, Quagmire loses his job and is forced to live with the Griffins until he can find another job. Peter claims he is no longer going to be a redneck, although this fails to comfort Quagmire over his loss.
3 weeks later in the Griffins' house, Quagmire exhibits his typical sexual behavior on members of the family, so Lois
tells Peter to help Quagmire get his job back, in order to get him out of the house. Peter, Quagmire, Joe and Cleveland
make up a plan to get Quagmire to get his job back, which consists of Quagmire boarding a flight to New York City
, with Peter, Joe and Cleveland stealing air steward uniforms. When they are in the air, Peter will drug the pilots, forcing Quagmire to step in and land the plane safely. While in the airport before boarding, Quagmire becomes distracted, and ends up having sex with an airport worker, causing him to miss the flight, therefore putting his friends, and those who were also present on the plane, in extreme danger.
A depressed Quagmire resumes to have a drink in the airport bar, where he is greeted by Hugh Hefner
, who gives him inspirational advice. Quagmire walks into the air traffic control tower, and gives Peter detailed instructions on how to land the plane safely, as they are currently in a nose dive. The plane over-runs the runway shortly after, but lands safe. As a reward for his work, Quagmire's job is re-instated, and Peter, Joe and Cleveland are released from federal prison after they were put in for hijacking
(and, according to Peter, were rape
d by inmates while doing time).
provided his own voice for the episode. In the DVD commentary, show producer David Goodman
comments that, throughout the episode, little respect is shown for rednecks. The Thai
women escaping from Quagmire's car after Peter crashes into it were all voiced by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
, a Family Guy producer. Mayor West
is shown reading a book to children at a school, and being told about the plane crash; this is a reference to the reaction of George W. Bush
after being informed about the September 11, 2001 attacks
. The sketch showing news anchorman Tom Tucker showing several scenarios of how the crash could have turned out is a reference, Seth MacFarlane
states, "to how irresponsible it is". The scenario of the man slapping his wife after surviving the plane crash was edited to reduce the number of slaps he struck her with. There is also a crotch shot of Peter getting out of Paris Hilton
's car. The original photo is a paparazzi shot of Britney Spears
, but it was edited with Peter instead of Britney (on DVD, Peter's penis is not blurred out as it is on the televised version).
The name that the person specified on the telephone when ringing the Griffin's house to contact Quagmire ("Long Rod Von HugenDong") was changed, as broadcasting standards personnel objected to the original name. The "Prom Night Dumpster Baby
" gag was pitched by Danny Smith
. Walter Murphy
resumed to organize a 40-piece orchestra to perform the musical for the episode. The sketch showing Quagmire becoming Joe's careworker and changing his diaper was cut from television, as certain types of feces
jokes are prohibited from television. Quagmire shown climbing out of a deceased woman's coffin was censored from television, as broadcasting standards objected to the nature of the joke, as the man speaking at her funeral implied she was a virgin. After engaging in sex with an airport worker, Quagmire states "the contents of your vagina may have shifted during coitus" this was changed to "the contents of your panties may have shifted during coitus" for broadcasting on Fox. The conversation between Hugh Hefner and Quagmire in the airport has a slight echo, due to recording in Hefner's den, rather than the production studios. As a result, an echo of similar level was added to Quagmire's voice in order to equal both voices out.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Barclay DeVeau, magazine publisher Hugh Hefner
, voice actor Phil LaMarr
, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
and voice actor Fred Tatasciore
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
, actor Ralph Garman
, writer Mark Hentemann
, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
. After Quagmire crashes the plane, his co-pilot is shown to be Nien Nunb, a reference to 1983
science-fiction film Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
. The scene in which Mayor West is notified of the plane crash while reading to children is a reference to George Bush being told of the September 11 attacks while reading to children, as shown in Michael Moore
's documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11
. The mice that say "three weeks later" is a reference to 1995 film Babe
. The faux introduction after Peter and Lois' conversation is a reference to Will & Grace
. The scene of the airplane taking off as Peter and his friends prepare to drug the pilots is a reference to Airplane!
, as is "Hugh Hefner
's" peptalk to Quagmire and the playing of the Notre Dame Victory March
. The plane in the episode shares its flight number, 209, with the aircraft from the Airplane! film. Other music from Airplane! is used as Quagmire is assisting Peter in landing the airplane safely. The style of the end credits in the episode is a reference to the television series Little House on the Prairie
. The musical number Prom Night Dumpster Baby refers to Melissa Drexler
aka "Prom Mom" who in 1997 gave birth to a baby boy in the bathroom at her high school senior prom
, and disposed of the newborn in the trash. During Peter and his friends' highjacking of the plane, Peter makes a reference to the film Last Holiday (which happens to be the plane's in-flight-movie) calling it "Queen Latifah on skis". After Peter successfully lands the plane, he, Joe, and Cleveland watch the ending of "Last Holiday" (which is different from the actual ending of the movie) where Queen Latifah's character is shown failing to perform a snowboarding jump via a ramp and getting injured.
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, being slightly edged out by The Simpsons
, while still winning over American Dad!
.
In a review of Family Guy, Volume five, Nancy Basile regarded “Airport ’07,” alongside “Prick Up Your Ears
,” and "Barely Legal
” as “gem episodes.” Ahsan Haque of IGN
commented "When Family Guy is at its best, audiences are typically presented with an overwhelming barrage of cultural references, some disturbing imagery, and usually left with a sufficiently catchy musical number — all put together to tell a somewhat cohesive story. In this respect, "Airport '07" succeeds admirably by excelling at all of the above," adding that "the disturbing elements in this episode seem to be there purely for shock value." Brett Love of TV Squad reviewed the episode positively, writing "Peter finding the identity he'd been searching for his whole life, that of a redneck, was a long way to go to get to him being the cause of Quagmire getting fired, but it was worth the trip," adding "there were a lot of fun bits in the redneck segment." Love concluded to write "Overall, a really good episode."
Family Guy (season 5)
Family Guy fifth season first aired on the Fox network in eighteen episodes from September 10, 2006 to May 20, 2007 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "Stewie Loves Lois" and finished with "Meet the Quagmires"...
of Family Guy
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 March 4, 2007. The plot follows Quagmire being dismissed from his job as a pilot after 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....
decided to remove the airplane fueling hose prematurely. Peter, Joe and 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,...
make a plan to get Quagmire his job back and, although the plan itself fails, Quagmire is re-hired.
The episode was written by Tom Devanney
Tom Devanney
Tom Devanney is an American animation television writer. Devanney is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
and directed by John Holmquist
John Holmquist
John Holmquist is a television animation director. He has worked on several episodes of Rugrats as a director and storyboard artist for the late 90's to early 2000's...
. 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 8.59 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Barclay DeVeau, Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
, 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...
, Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
and Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Plot
After attending a redneck comedy showBlue Collar Comedy Tour
The Blue Collar Comedy Tour was a comedy troupe featuring Jeff Foxworthy with three of his comedian friends, Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Larry the Cable Guy, who had replaced fellow comedian Craig Hawksley, who performed in the first twenty shows on the tour...
, 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....
purchases a pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
(resembling either a Toyota Tacoma
Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck produced and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation since 1995. The Tacoma was a compact pickup until a model redesign in 2005 when it was reclassified to a mid-size...
or a Dodge Ram
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
) and decides to become a Redneck
Redneck
Redneck is a historically derogatory slang term used in reference to poor, uneducated white farmers, especially from the southern United States...
. Peter begins behaving as if he were a redneck, like putting his couch on the front lawn of his home (which forces 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:...
to sit on the floor while watching TV) , making sexual advances on his daughter 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....
, and painting over the entire rear window of his pickup, which results in him reversing the car into his neighbor Quagmire's car. After destroying the car, Peter drives Quagmire to the airport, as he is due to fly an airplane (resembling either a Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
or a Tupolev Tu-204
Tupolev Tu-204
The Tupolev Tu-204 is a twin-engined medium-range jet airliner capable of carrying 210 passengers, designed by Tupolev and produced by Aviastar SP and Kazan Aircraft Production Association. First introduced in 1989, it is considered to be broadly equivalent to the Boeing 757 and has competitive...
) bound for Atlanta Airport. While at the airport, Peter steals the fuel used for Quagmire's airplane, believing it will make his pickup fly. Quagmire's plane crashes shortly after due to lack of fuel
Fuel Starvation
Fuel starvation and fuel exhaustion are problems that can affect internal combustion engines fuelled by either diesel, kerosene, petroleum or any other combustible liquid or gas. If no fuel is available for an engine to burn, it cannot function...
. As a result, Quagmire loses his job and is forced to live with the Griffins until he can find another job. Peter claims he is no longer going to be a redneck, although this fails to comfort Quagmire over his loss.
3 weeks later in the Griffins' house, Quagmire exhibits his typical sexual behavior on members of the family, so 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...
tells Peter to help Quagmire get his job back, in order to get him out of the house. Peter, Quagmire, Joe and 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,...
make up a plan to get Quagmire to get his job back, which consists of Quagmire boarding a flight to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with Peter, Joe and Cleveland stealing air steward uniforms. When they are in the air, Peter will drug the pilots, forcing Quagmire to step in and land the plane safely. While in the airport before boarding, Quagmire becomes distracted, and ends up having sex with an airport worker, causing him to miss the flight, therefore putting his friends, and those who were also present on the plane, in extreme danger.
A depressed Quagmire resumes to have a drink in the airport bar, where he is greeted by Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
, who gives him inspirational advice. Quagmire walks into the air traffic control tower, and gives Peter detailed instructions on how to land the plane safely, as they are currently in a nose dive. The plane over-runs the runway shortly after, but lands safe. As a reward for his work, Quagmire's job is re-instated, and Peter, Joe and Cleveland are released from federal prison after they were put in for hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
(and, according to Peter, were rape
Prison rape
Prison rape commonly refers to the rape of inmates in prison by other inmates or prison staff.In 2001, Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 140,000 inmates had been raped while incarcerated. and there is a significant variation in the rates of prison rape by race...
d by inmates while doing time).
Production
Hugh HefnerHugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
provided his own voice for the episode. In the DVD commentary, show producer David Goodman
David A. Goodman
David A. Goodman is an American writer and producer and a graduate of the University of Chicago, earning an BA in 1984. He was one of the executive producers of Family Guy, beginning its fourth season, joining the show as a co-executive producer in season three...
comments that, throughout the episode, little respect is shown for rednecks. The Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
women escaping from Quagmire's car after Peter crashes into it were all voiced by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong is a Thai American author, and an executive story editor/co-producer on Family Guy....
, a Family Guy producer. Mayor West
Adam 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:...
is shown reading a book to children at a school, and being told about the plane crash; this is a reference to the reaction of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
after being informed about the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. The sketch showing news anchorman Tom Tucker showing several scenarios of how the crash could have turned out is a reference, Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
states, "to how irresponsible it is". The scenario of the man slapping his wife after surviving the plane crash was edited to reduce the number of slaps he struck her with. There is also a crotch shot of Peter getting out of Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
's car. The original photo is a paparazzi shot of Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, but it was edited with Peter instead of Britney (on DVD, Peter's penis is not blurred out as it is on the televised version).
The name that the person specified on the telephone when ringing the Griffin's house to contact Quagmire ("Long Rod Von HugenDong") was changed, as broadcasting standards personnel objected to the original name. The "Prom Night Dumpster Baby
Melissa Drexler
Melissa Drexler , gained infamy for delivering a baby in a restroom stall at her high school prom and putting the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter, and was sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment...
" gag was pitched by Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
. Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
resumed to organize a 40-piece orchestra to perform the musical for the episode. The sketch showing Quagmire becoming Joe's careworker and changing his diaper was cut from television, as certain types of feces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
jokes are prohibited from television. Quagmire shown climbing out of a deceased woman's coffin was censored from television, as broadcasting standards objected to the nature of the joke, as the man speaking at her funeral implied she was a virgin. After engaging in sex with an airport worker, Quagmire states "the contents of your vagina may have shifted during coitus" this was changed to "the contents of your panties may have shifted during coitus" for broadcasting on Fox. The conversation between Hugh Hefner and Quagmire in the airport has a slight echo, due to recording in Hefner's den, rather than the production studios. As a result, an echo of similar level was added to Quagmire's voice in order to equal both voices out.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Barclay DeVeau, magazine publisher Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
, 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 actress Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
and voice actor Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
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....
, actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, writer Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
, writer Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, 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
Peter imagining flying his pickup truck through the air and greeting fighter jet pilots is a reference to Top GunTop Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
. After Quagmire crashes the plane, his co-pilot is shown to be Nien Nunb, a reference to 1983
1983 in film
-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
science-fiction film Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
. The scene in which Mayor West is notified of the plane crash while reading to children is a reference to George Bush being told of the September 11 attacks while reading to children, as shown in Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
's documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
. The mice that say "three weeks later" is a reference to 1995 film Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
. The faux introduction after Peter and Lois' conversation is a reference to Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
. The scene of the airplane taking off as Peter and his friends prepare to drug the pilots is a reference to Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
, as is "Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
's" peptalk to Quagmire and the playing of the Notre Dame Victory March
Notre Dame Victory March
The "Notre Dame Victory March" is the fight song for the University of Notre Dame. It was written by two brothers who were Notre Dame graduates. The Rev. Michael J. Shea, a 1905 graduate, wrote the music, and his brother, John F. Shea, who earned degrees in 1906 and 1908, wrote the original lyrics...
. The plane in the episode shares its flight number, 209, with the aircraft from the Airplane! film. Other music from Airplane! is used as Quagmire is assisting Peter in landing the airplane safely. The style of the end credits in the episode is a reference to the television series Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
. The musical number Prom Night Dumpster Baby refers to Melissa Drexler
Melissa Drexler
Melissa Drexler , gained infamy for delivering a baby in a restroom stall at her high school prom and putting the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter, and was sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment...
aka "Prom Mom" who in 1997 gave birth to a baby boy in the bathroom at her high school senior prom
Senior Prom
Senior Prom is a still-classified United States Air Force program to develop a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance purposes , designed to be launched from a Lockheed DC-130, B-52 Stratofortress, or B-1 Lancer.-Origin and development:The program began in the late 1970s after the...
, and disposed of the newborn in the trash. During Peter and his friends' highjacking of the plane, Peter makes a reference to the film Last Holiday (which happens to be the plane's in-flight-movie) calling it "Queen Latifah on skis". After Peter successfully lands the plane, he, Joe, and Cleveland watch the ending of "Last Holiday" (which is different from the actual ending of the movie) where Queen Latifah's character is shown failing to perform a snowboarding jump via a ramp and getting injured.
Reception
In a very slight improvement over the previous week, the episode was viewed in 8.59 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, being slightly 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...
.
In a review of Family Guy, Volume five, Nancy Basile regarded “Airport ’07,” alongside “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
Barely Legal (Family Guy)
"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...
” as “gem episodes.” Ahsan Haque 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...
commented "When Family Guy is at its best, audiences are typically presented with an overwhelming barrage of cultural references, some disturbing imagery, and usually left with a sufficiently catchy musical number — all put together to tell a somewhat cohesive story. In this respect, "Airport '07" succeeds admirably by excelling at all of the above," adding that "the disturbing elements in this episode seem to be there purely for shock value." Brett Love of TV Squad reviewed the episode positively, writing "Peter finding the identity he'd been searching for his whole life, that of a redneck, was a long way to go to get to him being the cause of Quagmire getting fired, but it was worth the trip," adding "there were a lot of fun bits in the redneck segment." Love concluded to write "Overall, a really good episode."