Jerome is the New Black
Encyclopedia
"Jerome is the New Black" is the seventh episode of the eighth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on November 22, 2009. The episode follows Peter
, Joe and Quagmire
as they go on a search for a new friend, in the absence of Cleveland
. The group eventually decides on Jerome, a hip bar patron, which Peter goes on to regret when he eventually finds out that Jerome and Lois
used to date. Meanwhile, Brian
attempts to discover the source of Quagmire's
personal dislike of him, only to become upset once Quagmire scolds him during a dinner date.
The episode served as a follow-up to the exit of the main character Cleveland Brown, who left Family Guy in order to star in his own Fox spin-off, entitled The Cleveland Show
. Voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson
, who also stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr.
on The Cleveland Show, guest starred as Cleveland's replacement, Jerome. The character has yet to appear in any other episodes, but has been considered for appearances in upcoming episodes. It was first announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International.
The episode was written by series regular John Viener and directed by Brian Iles. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics for its storyline and cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 7.38 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Kevin Michael Richardson and Nana Visitor
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Jerome is the New Black" was released on DVD
along with seven other episodes from the season on June 15, 2010.
left the quartet to move to Stoolbend, Virginia, Peter
, Quagmire and Joe decide to interview potential friends to fill the vacancy, and are approached by a fellow bar patron named Jerome. After impressing the group with his dart skills
, they decide to let Jerome join as their new fourth member. Later, when Peter introduces Jerome to Lois
, she reveals that the two used to date. Peter grows jealous and, in a fit of drunken rage, throws a bottle through the window of Jerome's home, inadvertently causing a fire and burning down his house. Jerome, unaware of the fact that Peter was the vandal who burned down his house, later told Lois "When I find the guy who did it, I'm gonna rip his arms off and do his wife over and over nice and slow in front of him." The next morning, Peter discovers that Lois has invited Jerome to live with them. As time goes on, Peter cannot contain his jealousy and eventually appears to dress as a member of the Ku Klux Klan
, though it is immediately revealed that Peter's intention is to dress as a ghost carrying a torch, kicking Jerome out. During an argument, Lois reveals that Jerome had bought Peter a gift, and he goes on to apologize to Jerome for being so insensitive.
Meanwhile, after his attempt to join Peter's group was not allowed due to Quagmire's dislike for him, Brian
attempt to rectify the situation outside Quagmire's house. However, Brian ends up making things worse by mistaking Quagmire's sister, who is hiding out from her abusive
boyfriend, for one of his dates. Brian tricks Quagmire into going to dinner with him by making him think Cheryl Tiegs
, Quagmire's long-lost love, is the one inviting him. At dinner, Brian attempts to make small talk, but Quagmire does not soften up. Finally, Brian asks Quagmire why he did not like him. Quagmire, in response, lets loose a tirade outlining everything Brian has done that Quagmire finds reprehensible (with Quagmire adding at one point that even though he dates women for their bodies like Brian does, Quagmire is slightly better than Brian in that he is honest about doing something that shallow, even though at some points he's unknowingly pointing himself out to be as bad as Brian, such as not wanting to father his own baby, constantly trying to hit on Lois, his excessive liberal views and dislike of religion) and upsetting afterwards, sarcastically saying "thanks for the fucking steak". Brian then returns home, having been crying on the way back. Stewie
, in an uncharacteristic act of kindness, cheers him up by saying that he only needs to like himself, and then professes his own admiration for Brian by letting him spend the night in his room. Once they begin to sleep, however, Brian passes gas, much to Stewie's dismay.
. The episode was produced to introduce a new fourth member to replace Cleveland Brown
, after removing him from Family Guy, in order to create the spin-off
series The Cleveland Show
, which is also executive produced by Seth MacFarlane
, as well as his voice actor, Mike Henry, and writer Richard Appel
. Voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson
, who portrayed Jerome in the episode, based the character largely on his role as Rockefeller Butts on the short-lived ABC
comedy series The Knights of Prosperity
. Series regulars Peter Shin
and James Purdum
served as supervising directors, with Danny Smith
, Seth MacFarlane
and David Zuckerman
serving as staff writer
s for the episode. The character has yet to appear in any future episodes, but has been considered for appearances in upcoming episodes.
"Jerome is the New Black", along with the seven other episodes from Family Guys eighth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
set in the United States on June 15, 2010. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "Road to the Multiverse
", and mini-feature entitled Family Guy Karaoke.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson and actress Nana Visitor
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors John G. Brennan
, actor Chris Cox
, actor Ralph Garman
, writer and showrunner Mark Hentemann
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
members Frank Sinatra
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
, and Dean Martin
is shown, featuring several songs with racially offensive lyrics. Immediately after, the group believes that they see their old friend, Cleveland, who moved to Virginia, across the bar, but are disappointed when it is revealed to be a lamp. Peter then goes on to express his desire to finally replace Cleveland, stating that their group is just like the Muppets
character Statler without Waldorf. Deciding to hold auditions for a replacement, they first audition actor Kevin Connolly, who is discouraged from joining once Quagmire attempts to steal his Lucky Charms
cereal. Stewie tells Brian Chris Farley
just died, but Brian tells Stewie that Farley had died a while ago. Stewie is confused because he watched Tommy Boy
the day before, not realizing movies are pre-recorded. Humorously that it was never mentioned, but this was one of many mistakes in the Family Guy series as Stewie's reference was to the movie Black Sheep
At the bar, Jerome and Quagmire have a dialogue which is the same as the two black guys in the film Airplane!
. The next morning after Peter burns down Jerome's house, Peter is surprised to see him in the kitchen with his wife, Lois. Still resenting the fact that Lois and Jerome previously dated, Peter pretends to know nothing of the incident, and goes on to suggest Jerome "shoot people in the D.C. area," in reference to the Beltway sniper attacks
. Feeling sorry for Jerome, Lois invites him to stay at their home, with Peter reluctantly agreeing, before suddenly being cut off mid-sentence by the Mac OS X
spinning wait cursor
. The next day, after Jerome decides to cook for Lois, Peter and Chris, sitting in the other room, overhear Lois passionately complimenting Jerome, and believe they are having sex. Racing to the kitchen, the two discover that she was only complimenting his food, with Don Knotts
as Ralph Furley
from the sitcom Three's Company
also appearing.
Attempting to win over Quagmire, Brian decides to invite him to dinner, using model and actress Cheryl Tiegs
as bait. Soon discovering the invitation to be fake, Quagmire is crushed, causing Brian to suggest that they can be a better team than Lewis
and Clark, and a third member who enjoyed "ripping up maps." After Jerome is convinced to leave by Peter, Lois reveals a gift from Jerome of an original garbage structure from the sitcom Family Ties
.
, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's new show The Cleveland Show
. It was followed by MacFarlane's second show, American Dad!
. It was watched by 2.30 million viewers in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratings
, despite airing simultaneously with the 2009 American Music Awards
on ABC
, Sunday Night Football
on NBC
and The Amazing Race
on CBS
. The episode also acquired a 3.8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, surpassing The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show and American Dad! in addition to edging out all three shows in total viewership.
Reviews of the episode were mostly mixed to negative, calling it an "inconsistent mixed bag episode," with many jokes " flat." In a simultaneous review of the episodes of Spongebob, The Simpsons and American Dad! that preceded and followed the episode respectively, as well as The Cleveland Show, The A.V. Club's
Todd VanDerWerff commented that he thought the episode "started out well before sort of just petering out as the episode went on," comparing it to South Park's
attempt to replace Kenny McCormick
, before ultimately reintroducing the character into the series. In the conclusion of his review, VanDerWerff praised Quagmire's monologue, commenting "it's certainly amusing that the show is spending all of this time tearing down the one character who's a mouthpiece for the creator." Ahsan Haque of IGN
criticized the episode for its "execution," stating, "Auditioning friends to replace Cleveland seemed like a better idea on paper." Haque also praised Quagmire's tirade against Brian, however, as "completely unexpected" and "mildly amusing," but ultimately gave the episode a 6.4 out of 10. In a subsequent review of Family Guys eighth season, Ramsey Isler of IGN listed "Jerome Is the New Black" as "remarkably unfunny, with lazy and unoriginal writing."
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...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
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...
. It originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on November 22, 2009. The episode follows 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....
, Joe 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...
as they go on a search for a new friend, in the absence of 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,...
. The group eventually decides on Jerome, a hip bar patron, which Peter goes on to regret when he eventually finds out that Jerome and 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...
used to date. Meanwhile, 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...
attempts to discover the source of Quagmire's
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...
personal dislike of him, only to become upset once Quagmire scolds him during a dinner date.
The episode served as a follow-up to the exit of the main character Cleveland Brown, who left Family Guy in order to star in his own Fox spin-off, entitled The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. Voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
, who also stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr.
Cleveland Brown, Jr.
Cleveland Raj Rerun Dwayne Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is the son of Cleveland Brown and his late ex-wife Loretta...
on The Cleveland Show, guest starred as Cleveland's replacement, Jerome. The character has yet to appear in any other episodes, but has been considered for appearances in upcoming episodes. It was first announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International.
The episode was written by series regular John Viener and directed by Brian Iles. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics for its storyline and 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 7.38 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Kevin Michael Richardson and Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor , born Nana Tucker, is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire.-Early life:...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Jerome is the New Black" was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
along with seven other episodes from the season on June 15, 2010.
Plot
Upset that ClevelandCleveland 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,...
left the quartet to move to Stoolbend, Virginia, 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....
, Quagmire and Joe decide to interview potential friends to fill the vacancy, and are approached by a fellow bar patron named Jerome. After impressing the group with his dart skills
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
, they decide to let Jerome join as their new fourth member. Later, when Peter introduces Jerome to 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...
, she reveals that the two used to date. Peter grows jealous and, in a fit of drunken rage, throws a bottle through the window of Jerome's home, inadvertently causing a fire and burning down his house. Jerome, unaware of the fact that Peter was the vandal who burned down his house, later told Lois "When I find the guy who did it, I'm gonna rip his arms off and do his wife over and over nice and slow in front of him." The next morning, Peter discovers that Lois has invited Jerome to live with them. As time goes on, Peter cannot contain his jealousy and eventually appears to dress as a member of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, though it is immediately revealed that Peter's intention is to dress as a ghost carrying a torch, kicking Jerome out. During an argument, Lois reveals that Jerome had bought Peter a gift, and he goes on to apologize to Jerome for being so insensitive.
Meanwhile, after his attempt to join Peter's group was not allowed due to Quagmire's dislike for him, 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...
attempt to rectify the situation outside Quagmire's house. However, Brian ends up making things worse by mistaking Quagmire's sister, who is hiding out from her abusive
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
boyfriend, for one of his dates. Brian tricks Quagmire into going to dinner with him by making him think Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and actress.- Early years :Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota but raised in Alhambra, California, and she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma...
, Quagmire's long-lost love, is the one inviting him. At dinner, Brian attempts to make small talk, but Quagmire does not soften up. Finally, Brian asks Quagmire why he did not like him. Quagmire, in response, lets loose a tirade outlining everything Brian has done that Quagmire finds reprehensible (with Quagmire adding at one point that even though he dates women for their bodies like Brian does, Quagmire is slightly better than Brian in that he is honest about doing something that shallow, even though at some points he's unknowingly pointing himself out to be as bad as Brian, such as not wanting to father his own baby, constantly trying to hit on Lois, his excessive liberal views and dislike of religion) and upsetting afterwards, sarcastically saying "thanks for the fucking steak". Brian then returns home, having been crying on the way back. Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
, in an uncharacteristic act of kindness, cheers him up by saying that he only needs to like himself, and then professes his own admiration for Brian by letting him spend the night in his room. Once they begin to sleep, however, Brian passes gas, much to Stewie's dismay.
Production and development
First announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International, the episode was written by series regular John Viener, and directed by Brian Iles before the conclusion of the eighth production seasonFamily 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...
. The episode was produced to introduce a new fourth member to replace Cleveland Brown
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,...
, after removing him from Family Guy, in order to create the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
, which is also executive produced by 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,...
, as well as his voice actor, Mike Henry, and writer Richard Appel
Richard Appel
Richard "Rich" Appel is an American writer, producer and former attorney. Growing up in Wilmette, Illinois, Appel developed a love of comedy and dreamt of a career as a comedy writer; he attended Harvard University and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. Following in his mother's footsteps Appel...
. Voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
, who portrayed Jerome in the episode, based the character largely on his role as Rockefeller Butts on the short-lived ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
comedy series The Knights of Prosperity
The Knights of Prosperity
The Knights of Prosperity was a short-lived comedy series that premiered on ABC in the United States on Wednesday, January 3, 2007. It was created by Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman, who also created the NBC comedy-drama Ed...
. Series regulars Peter Shin
Peter Shin
Peter Shin is the:*supervising director of Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story*director of Big Bug Man.*director of Family Guy episodes:**"Death Has a Shadow"**"Emission Impossible"**"North by North Quahog"**"It's a Trap!"...
and James Purdum
James Purdum
James Purdum is an American animation director. Purdum is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
served as supervising directors, with 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...
, 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,...
and David Zuckerman
David Zuckerman
David Zuckerman is a farmer and a Progressive member of the Vermont House of Representatives, representing Chittenden-3-4 district. He grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts where he attended Brookline High School.-Career:...
serving as staff writer
Staff writer
Staff writer is a byline that indicates that the author of the article at hand is employed by the periodical that published the article as a regular staff member, and not as a freelance writer or special contributor....
s for the episode. The character has yet to appear in any future episodes, but has been considered for appearances in upcoming episodes.
"Jerome is the New Black", along with the seven other episodes from Family Guys eighth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on June 15, 2010. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "Road to the Multiverse
Road to the Multiverse
"Road to the Multiverse" is the first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Greg Colton and written by Wellesley Wild, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 2009...
", and mini-feature entitled Family Guy Karaoke.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson and actress Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor , born Nana Tucker, is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire.-Early life:...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors 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...
, actor Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, 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 and showrunner 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 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 also made minor appearances.
Cultural references
In the opening scene of the episode, Peter, Joe and Quagmire are shown watching television at the Drunken Clam, when an infomercial featuring Rat PackRat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
members Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
is shown, featuring several songs with racially offensive lyrics. Immediately after, the group believes that they see their old friend, Cleveland, who moved to Virginia, across the bar, but are disappointed when it is revealed to be a lamp. Peter then goes on to express his desire to finally replace Cleveland, stating that their group is just like the Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
character Statler without Waldorf. Deciding to hold auditions for a replacement, they first audition actor Kevin Connolly, who is discouraged from joining once Quagmire attempts to steal his Lucky Charms
Lucky Charms
Lucky Charms is a brand of cereal produced by the General Mills food company of Golden Valley, Minnesota, United States. It first appeared in stores in 1964. The cereal consists of two main components: toasted oat-based pieces and multi-colored marshmallow bits in various shapes, the latter making...
cereal. Stewie tells Brian Chris Farley
Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley was an American comedian and actor. Farley was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995....
just died, but Brian tells Stewie that Farley had died a while ago. Stewie is confused because he watched Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy is a 1995 road comedy film directed by Peter Segal, written by Bonnie and Terry Turner, and Fred Wolf. It stars former Saturday Night Live colleagues Chris Farley and David Spade. The film tells the story of a socially and emotionally immature man who learns lessons about friendship and...
the day before, not realizing movies are pre-recorded. Humorously that it was never mentioned, but this was one of many mistakes in the Family Guy series as Stewie's reference was to the movie Black Sheep
Black sheep
In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness...
At the bar, Jerome and Quagmire have a dialogue which is the same as the two black guys in the film 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...
. The next morning after Peter burns down Jerome's house, Peter is surprised to see him in the kitchen with his wife, Lois. Still resenting the fact that Lois and Jerome previously dated, Peter pretends to know nothing of the incident, and goes on to suggest Jerome "shoot people in the D.C. area," in reference to the Beltway sniper attacks
Beltway sniper attacks
The Washington sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three others critically injured in various locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia...
. Feeling sorry for Jerome, Lois invites him to stay at their home, with Peter reluctantly agreeing, before suddenly being cut off mid-sentence by the Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
spinning wait cursor
Spinning wait cursor
The spinning wait cursor is a cursor in Apple's Mac OS X that indicates an application is not responding to system events.The Apple Human Interface Guidelines officially refers to it as the "spinning wait cursor"...
. The next day, after Jerome decides to cook for Lois, Peter and Chris, sitting in the other room, overhear Lois passionately complimenting Jerome, and believe they are having sex. Racing to the kitchen, the two discover that she was only complimenting his food, with Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
as Ralph Furley
Ralph Furley
Ralph "RF" Furley is the name of a fictional character from the sitcom Three's Company, played by Don Knotts.Mr. Furley is the landlord of a Santa Monica apartment building that is owned by his brother, Bart, who acquired it from Stanley Roper. It is the home to Jack Tripper, Larry Dallas, Janet...
from the sitcom Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
also appearing.
Attempting to win over Quagmire, Brian decides to invite him to dinner, using model and actress Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Tiegs
Cheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and actress.- Early years :Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota but raised in Alhambra, California, and she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma...
as bait. Soon discovering the invitation to be fake, Quagmire is crushed, causing Brian to suggest that they can be a better team than Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
and Clark, and a third member who enjoyed "ripping up maps." After Jerome is convinced to leave by Peter, Lois reveals a gift from Jerome of an original garbage structure from the sitcom Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
.
Reception
"Jerome Is the New Black" was broadcast on November 22, 2009, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by an episode of The SimpsonsThe 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...
, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's new show The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. It was followed by MacFarlane's second show, 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...
. It was watched by 2.30 million viewers in its original airing, 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...
, despite airing simultaneously with the 2009 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2009
The 37th American Music Awards took place on November 22, 2009 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominees were announced on October 13, 2009. For the first time in history, there was no host for the year's ceremony. Instead, various celebrities introduced the performers similar...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)
The Amazing Race is an American reality game show in which teams of two or four race around the world against other teams, with the first-place team winning $1,000,000. As the original version of the Amazing Race franchise, the CBS program has been running since 2001 and is airing its nineteenth...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The episode also acquired a 3.8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, surpassing The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show and American Dad! in addition to edging out all three shows in total viewership.
Reviews of the episode were mostly mixed to negative, calling it an "inconsistent mixed bag episode," with many jokes " flat." In a simultaneous review of the episodes of Spongebob, The Simpsons and American Dad! that preceded and followed the episode respectively, as well as The Cleveland Show, The A.V. Club's
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
Todd VanDerWerff commented that he thought the episode "started out well before sort of just petering out as the episode went on," comparing it to South Park's
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
attempt to replace Kenny McCormick
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
, before ultimately reintroducing the character into the series. In the conclusion of his review, VanDerWerff praised Quagmire's monologue, commenting "it's certainly amusing that the show is spending all of this time tearing down the one character who's a mouthpiece for the creator." 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...
criticized the episode for its "execution," stating, "Auditioning friends to replace Cleveland seemed like a better idea on paper." Haque also praised Quagmire's tirade against Brian, however, as "completely unexpected" and "mildly amusing," but ultimately gave the episode a 6.4 out of 10. In a subsequent review of Family Guys eighth season, Ramsey Isler of IGN listed "Jerome Is the New Black" as "remarkably unfunny, with lazy and unoriginal writing."