The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz
Encyclopedia
"The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of Family Guy
. The episode follows Peter
's decision to find a new religion for himself. After several failed attempts, he chooses the one man who has always been there for him, Fonzie
, and starts the First United Church of the Fonz.
The episode was written by Danny Smith
and directed by James Purdum
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 8.26 million homes in its original airing in the United States. The episode featured guest performances by Paula Abdul
, Tom Bosley
, Gary Cole
, Charles Durning
, Sherman Hemsley
, Phil LaMarr
, Sherry Romito, Marion Ross
, Amir Talai
, Fred Tatasciore
, Sarah Utterback
and Wally Wingert
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
's devout Catholic
father, Francis, visits Quahog. Upon arrival, he insists that Stewie
be baptized
as a Catholic. After visiting a church with Peter and Stewie, Francis is informed the holy water is tainted and he will have to wait. Francis is in disbelief, and baptizes Stewie himself. Stewie soon becomes unwell and is informed that he must be quarantined and kept in a germ-free environment by a doctor. Then Lois
discovers Peter had Stewie baptized without her knowledge, and tells Peter to stand up for his beliefs and not allow himself to be bullied by his father. Peter converts to Mormonism
, but discovers that Mormons cannot drink alcohol
; he then tries Jehovah's Witnesses
and attempts door-to-door conversion. He finds someone who is actually interested in hearing what he has to say; however, he fails to teach them anything about the religion. As a final attempt, Peter tries Hinduism
; when he tackles the Hindu leader to the floor, believing the red dot on his head
to be a laser spot from a sniper rifle, he is dismissed from the meeting. Unable to find a religion suited to him, Peter decides to create his own religion, based on Happy Days
, calling his newly-founded Church The "First United Church of the Fonz
".
To the Griffins' (mainly Lois') surprise, many people turn up for the first worship service, much to the annoyance of Brian
, who dislikes the idea that Peter is a religious leader (likely due to Brian being an atheist
). In order to stop Peter from continuing his new religion, Brian joins forces with Francis to find a way to deter people from worshiping the Fonz. Representatives from other religions soon turn up at Peter's church during his worship and distract the congregation with other religions, and everyone quickly leaves. Back at home, Lois comforts Peter, who is upset at the failure of his Church, by telling him that if his church embraced the Fonz's values of friendship, it is worthwhile, but Peter highly doubts it, however the scene shifts & Francis is shown looking at a picture of the Fonz, puts it down on a table, gets on his knees as if to pray, and claps to the beat of "Rock Around the Clock
", and the episode ends.
has written all Family Guy episodes to date to feature Francis; the first was "Holy Crap". After Francis puts up the Christian cross
on the Griffins' dining table, Stewie's line, "Yeah, nothing says 'eat up' like a bleeding, half-naked Jew nailed to a piece of wood," was censored from the FOX
and syndicated airings, but retained on the Cartoon Network, TBS, and DVD versions. On Adult Swim, this episode is rated TV-MA, but on TBS, the episode is rated TV-14 for suggestive dialogue (D) and offensive language (L). A sequence shows Peter saying, "I'm sorry, but if another person says taint today, I am going to bust a nut", after the doctor informs him and Lois that Stewie was exposed to tainted holy water, was intended to be included in the episode, but was removed for unknown reasons. After Stewie is placed in a square box to quarantine him, Lois is shown leaving him half-way through changing his diaper—Stewie then says "finish the job, woman! It smells like New Orleans in here". The script for this episode, including this sketch, was prepared before the events of Hurricane Katrina
, so it was never intended to coincide with the events of Katrina. On all airings (including the volume 3 DVD set), Stewie's line has been changed to "It smells like Brian Dennehy
in here!"
The Fonz Statue in Peter's church was originally meant to depict The Fonz in a way similar to Jesus's depiction on the Christian cross, but it was rejected due to broadcasting standards. An animated scene showing the congregation of Peter's church singing the Happy Days
theme tune was created but never used as the series producers were unable to obtain the rights to it. The series producers were not able to get Henry Winkler
or Garry Marshall
to guest-star in the episode, so to fill the time gap, they created the scene about Madonna
, which they deemed to be "quite funny".
Peter is shown watching Jaws 5 on the television, a sequence which MacFarlane describes as "one of [his] favourite gags [they've] ever done on the show". Stewie is shown asking viewers to change the channel to one which is showing Desperate Housewives
. When Peter is describing Jesus, he does so in a similar manner to that shown on Quantum Leap. Peter's failed attempt to use Stewie's megaphone
due to its making odd noises is a reference to a sketch from Sesame Street
, but a pinball was used in the Sesame Street gag instead of a megaphone. Peter's stuttering while attempting to say "wrong" is a reference to a scene in which Fonzie
was unable to say the word on Happy Days
. At one point a modified video of "Opposites Attract" with Paula Abdul is shown with Peter dressed like a cat. The music playing in the background during the end credits is "Rock Around the Clock
", the original Happy Days opening theme; additionally, the credits themselves are shown in a similar style and font.
did not actually show up in the show". The Parents Television Council
(PTC), a frequent critic
of the series, labeled "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz" the worst show of the week. Caroline Schukenburg of the PTC commented: "It isn't the first and certainly won't be the last time that the writers of The Family Guy take something as personal and meaningful as religion and mock it in the most superficial and narrow-minded ways for the sake of being outré during the Holidays."
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 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....
's decision to find a new religion for himself. After several failed attempts, he chooses the one man who has always been there for him, Fonzie
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
, and starts the First United Church of the Fonz.
The episode was written 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...
and directed by 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....
. 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 8.26 million homes in its original airing in the United States. The episode featured guest performances by Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, Tom Bosley
Tom Bosley
Thomas Edward "Tom" Bosley was an American actor. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days. He also was featured in recurring roles on Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries...
, Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
, Charles Durning
Charles Durning
Charles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
, Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
, 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...
, Sherry Romito, Marion Ross
Marion Ross
Marion Ross is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Cunningham on the television series Happy Days from 1974 to 1984.-Early life:...
, Amir Talai
Amir Talai
Amir Talai is an Iranian-American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and comedian.Talai made appearances in MADtv, Adventures in Homeschooling, Nip/Tuck, Cold Case, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He also played the role of Raza in the movie Harold and...
, Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
, Sarah Utterback
Sarah Utterback
Sarah Utterback is an American actress, most notable for her role as Nurse Olivia Harper on ABC's medical drama series Grey's Anatomy. She is also a film and theater producer.-Life:...
and Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Plot
PeterPeter 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....
's devout Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
father, Francis, visits Quahog. Upon arrival, he insists that 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....
be baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
as a Catholic. After visiting a church with Peter and Stewie, Francis is informed the holy water is tainted and he will have to wait. Francis is in disbelief, and baptizes Stewie himself. Stewie soon becomes unwell and is informed that he must be quarantined and kept in a germ-free environment by a doctor. Then 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...
discovers Peter had Stewie baptized without her knowledge, and tells Peter to stand up for his beliefs and not allow himself to be bullied by his father. Peter converts to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, but discovers that Mormons cannot drink alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
; he then tries Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
and attempts door-to-door conversion. He finds someone who is actually interested in hearing what he has to say; however, he fails to teach them anything about the religion. As a final attempt, Peter tries Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
; when he tackles the Hindu leader to the floor, believing the red dot on his head
Tilaka
200px|thumb|right|Indian woman with tilaka and [[Bindi |bindi]]In Hinduism, the tilaka or tika or tilak is a mark worn on the forehead and other parts of the body...
to be a laser spot from a sniper rifle, he is dismissed from the meeting. Unable to find a religion suited to him, Peter decides to create his own religion, based on Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
, calling his newly-founded Church The "First United Church of the Fonz
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
".
To the Griffins' (mainly Lois') surprise, many people turn up for the first worship service, much to the annoyance of 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...
, who dislikes the idea that Peter is a religious leader (likely due to Brian being an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
). In order to stop Peter from continuing his new religion, Brian joins forces with Francis to find a way to deter people from worshiping the Fonz. Representatives from other religions soon turn up at Peter's church during his worship and distract the congregation with other religions, and everyone quickly leaves. Back at home, Lois comforts Peter, who is upset at the failure of his Church, by telling him that if his church embraced the Fonz's values of friendship, it is worthwhile, but Peter highly doubts it, however the scene shifts & Francis is shown looking at a picture of the Fonz, puts it down on a table, gets on his knees as if to pray, and claps to the beat of "Rock Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
", and the episode ends.
Production
Episode writer and executive show producer Danny SmithDanny 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...
has written all Family Guy episodes to date to feature Francis; the first was "Holy Crap". After Francis puts up the Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
on the Griffins' dining table, Stewie's line, "Yeah, nothing says 'eat up' like a bleeding, half-naked Jew nailed to a piece of wood," was censored from the 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...
and syndicated airings, but retained on the Cartoon Network, TBS, and DVD versions. On Adult Swim, this episode is rated TV-MA, but on TBS, the episode is rated TV-14 for suggestive dialogue (D) and offensive language (L). A sequence shows Peter saying, "I'm sorry, but if another person says taint today, I am going to bust a nut", after the doctor informs him and Lois that Stewie was exposed to tainted holy water, was intended to be included in the episode, but was removed for unknown reasons. After Stewie is placed in a square box to quarantine him, Lois is shown leaving him half-way through changing his diaper—Stewie then says "finish the job, woman! It smells like New Orleans in here". The script for this episode, including this sketch, was prepared before the events of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, so it was never intended to coincide with the events of Katrina. On all airings (including the volume 3 DVD set), Stewie's line has been changed to "It smells like Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
in here!"
The Fonz Statue in Peter's church was originally meant to depict The Fonz in a way similar to Jesus's depiction on the Christian cross, but it was rejected due to broadcasting standards. An animated scene showing the congregation of Peter's church singing the Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
theme tune was created but never used as the series producers were unable to obtain the rights to it. The series producers were not able to get Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
or Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
to guest-star in the episode, so to fill the time gap, they created the scene about Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, which they deemed to be "quite funny".
Cultural references
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. When Peter is describing Jesus, he does so in a similar manner to that shown on Quantum Leap. Peter's failed attempt to use Stewie's megaphone
Megaphone
A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, blowhorn, or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, cone-shaped horn used to amplify a person’s voice or other sounds towards a targeted direction. This is accomplished by channelling the sound through the megaphone, which also serves to match the...
due to its making odd noises is a reference to a sketch from Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, but a pinball was used in the Sesame Street gag instead of a megaphone. Peter's stuttering while attempting to say "wrong" is a reference to a scene in which Fonzie
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
was unable to say the word on Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
. At one point a modified video of "Opposites Attract" with Paula Abdul is shown with Peter dressed like a cat. The music playing in the background during the end credits is "Rock Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
", the original Happy Days opening theme; additionally, the credits themselves are shown in a similar style and font.
Reception
"The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz" finished 40th in the weekly ratings for the week of December 12–18, 2005, with a Nielsen rating of 8.26 million viewers. Ryan Budke, of TV Squad, said, "This was one of the funniest episodes this year." He added, "I was cracking up from beginning to end on this one." He was "a little disappointed that Henry WinklerHenry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
did not actually show up in the show". 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...
(PTC), a 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....
of the series, labeled "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz" the worst show of the week. Caroline Schukenburg of the PTC commented: "It isn't the first and certainly won't be the last time that the writers of The Family Guy take something as personal and meaningful as religion and mock it in the most superficial and narrow-minded ways for the sake of being outré during the Holidays."