These past few years, it has become more evident that animation isn’t just for children. Indeed, it’s also for us who are kids at heart. However, that doesn’t mean that we would be into shows like “Peppa Pig,” “Thomas & Friends,” or “Paw Patrol.” Instead, we want something animated that also deals with adult content. And that is the niche that “Family Guy,” along with a few other shows, fulfill.

If you’re getting bored with typical TV sitcoms, then this show may be perfect for you. However, if you haven’t checked it out yet, you should start streaming episodes right away. If you must know, there are several episodes and seasons to watch. After all, we’re talking about a show that’s been around since 1999.

And while the show itself is intriguing, its behind-the-scenes secrets are also quite interesting. Check out what we found:

15 Family Guy Was Originally Intended To Be Used As Inserts Within Mad TV

While at school, MacFarlane created the short “Life with Larry.” When Fox saw it, they asked for a pilot, which MacFarlane assumed, would be used as inserts for Mad TV. But then, according to Hollywood Reporter, “Fox, upon seeing the fruits of MacFarlane's labor, scrapped the idea of inserts and ordered Family Guy to series…”

14 William H. Macy Auditioned To Voice Brian

On Twitter, MacFarlane once admitted, “True fact: William H. Macy auditioned for Brian on Family Guy in 1997. I think I made a bad call.” Without a doubt, Macy would have been perfect on the show since he had experience voicing the character of Leo Lionheart on “The Lionhearts.” Perhaps, Macy can do voice work for the show in the near future?

13 Seth Green Used Silence Of The Lambs' Buffalo Bill As Inspiration For Chris' Voice

While speaking with Page Six, Charlie Korsmo recalled, “We were playing around with the voice [of Chris] … the one voice we used to do was Buffalo Bill from ‘Silence of The Lambs.’ Our idea for his voice was to do Buffalo Bill as an 11-year-old boy … And that’s what he’s doing on the show.”

Related: 15 Times ‘Family Guy’ Trolled Movies In Ways Only The Animated Show Could

12 Family Guy Was Partially Inspired By Seth MacFarlane’s Father's Friends

While speaking with The Great Reporter, MacFarlane explained, “When I was growing up, my father had lots of friends: big, vocal, opinionated New England, Irish Catholics. They were all bursting at the seams with personality, and Family Guy came out of a lot of those archetypes that I spent years observing.”

11 A Lot Of The Show's Writers Have Performance Experience Themselves

While speaking with ClearVoice, Steve Callaghan, the show’s executive producer, explained, “A lot of our writers have a performance background. So they’ll put on a little song and dance, dog-and-pony show for the rest of us and pitch aloud all the different gags. Hopefully there’s one in there that we really like.”

10 The Show Received An Angry Phone Call From Jon Stewart After He Was Mocked In An Episode

MacFarlane recalled, “There was a very inside joke on Family Guy referring to the fact that he was working before the writers' strike was over. It was admittedly a very direct middle finger of a joke, which I don't discount. But he called and was very angry about it. The call lasted an hour.”

Related: Family Guy: 16 Wild Revelations About Peter And Lois’ Relationship

9 The Crew Determines If A Show Is Funny Enough During Table Reads

Callaghan revealed, “Table reads are a really important part of the process.” During this process, they “bring in people from outside the office” to “bring a freshness and more objective perspective to it – to see if they find it funny the same way we do.” The goal is to make a show that’s “funny for as many people as possible.”

8 Seth MacFarlane Confessed That His Vocal Cords Take A Beating

MacFarlane told Time, “I'm pretty abusive with it. I pretty much beat the crap out of it. There are times when I'm under the weather and the corporate machine tries to put me in the recording booth anyway. It's always up to me to say, ‘Guys, listen to me, listen to what I sound like. I'm not myself.’”

7 The Network Was Concerned That An Opening Song Might Bore Audiences

MacFarlane recalled, “Certainly in Family Guy and American Dad, we actually had to fight to have an opening title song. The fear from the network is that somebody somewhere is going to change the channel, and as a result, they are just terrified of the idea of a main title that people might be bored by.”

Related: Family Guy: 20 Fan Designs Better Than The Actual Characters

6 At First, The Emmy's Didn't Approve Of Their Statue Appearing In The Family Guy/Simpsons Crossover Fight Scene

Executive producer Rich Appel recalled, “The Emmy organization didn't want to clear us to use the Emmy image, which, you have to get [permission] if you're really going to do it. As they explained to me, 'It's just being used as a weapon.’” Fortunately, Appel got them to change their minds after he got to talk to “a live person."

5 So Far, The Show Has Been Sued Three Times

First, it was sued by Carol Burnett for allegedly using a “slightly altered version” of her show’s musical theme. The show was also sued for the song “I Need a Jew” and a straight-to-DVD episode that included the character of Jesus Christ. At one point, MacFarlane remarked, “When we get sued, it’s usually because someone is cranky.”

4 Before Mila Kunis, Lacey Chabert Voiced Meg Griffin

According to a report from Complex, “It was a contractual thing. Creator Seth MacFarlane said there was a mistake on her contract and that she didn't intend to stay for the full run of the show. She wanted to go, and the team was cool about it.” Later on, Chabert also did voice work for the TV show “Robot Chicken.”

3 An Episode Typically Takes About A Year To Make

Callaghan told Business Insider, “That whole process takes about a year, so what's nice is that you've constantly got this flow of episodes going through our pipeline. ... It gives you a chance to have a little distance from it and then it comes back and you get another chance to view it with fresh eyes.”

2 Seth MacFarlane Admitted That Family Guy Took Inspiration From The Simpsons

The “Family Guy” creator told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m the first person to say, stylistically, absolutely, we took 100 cues from The Simpsons. Look at when All in the Family came out. Suddenly it created a whole new style of doing things. The timing style of Family Guy was directly influenced by The Simpsons because it worked. They cracked that nut.”

1 Fox Censors The Show When It Comes To Word Usage, Including The Mention Of The World Trade Center

While speaking with The New York Times, MacFarlane revealed that Fox made him change a joke after they found out that it contained the phrase World Trade Center. Of this decision, he lamented, “People in America, they’re getting dumber. They’re getting less and less able to analyze something and think critically, and pick apart the underlying elements.”

Next: So ‘Family Guy’ And The Royal Family Walk Into A Bar…