Family Guy has parodied and referenced many pop culture moments throughout its run, and George Lucas evidently felt uncomfortable about one particular Star Wars spoof. Back in 2007, the Fox animated series premiered the Season 6 episode “Blue Harvest,” in which Peter told the story of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope while the Griffins were stuck at home during a blackout.
The episode was definitely a long time coming, especially since Family Guy had referenced the franchise numerous times before the episode. In a 2009 Q&A with L.A. Times, creator Seth MacFarlane shared what George Lucas actually thought of the episode. He said that when “Blue Harvest” was about to air, they “were invited up to his ranch, and we sat down and watched it with him. We were half-expecting him to say, ‘You know what? We can’t allow this to air.’ But he brought his son, and they were both into it..” Additionally, Lucas even “laughed a few times. He’s a very muted guy.”
While Lucas was seemingly okay with that spoof, there was one other parody he wasn’t particularly fond of. The Season 8 episode “Something, Something Darkside” was similar to “Blue Harvest,” only Peter tells the story of The Empire Strikes Back. At one point in the episode, Peter and Chris drop some F-bombs during an argument, and it apparently went too far. Via TheThings, episode director Dominic Polcino told Syfy Wire that “[Lucasfilm] were leery about some of the humor that went dark. Saying, ‘F— you, dad’ and stuff like that.” Luckily, Lucas did eventually sign off on the entire episode.
Family Guy is known for going too far, but it’s what makes Family Guy, Family Guy. Even though it was uncomfortable for George Lucas to watch at first, it is nice that he approved the episode in full. Considering Star Wars was able to air one more parody during Season 9, Lucasfilm had a lot of faith in the series. It’s been 13 years since the last Star Wars parody, so fans shouldn’t be expecting another one. However, it’s always possible that it could happen again in the future. As long as Family Guy continues, you never know what could happen.
All Family Guy episodes are streaming on Hulu, so at the very least, fans are able to go back and watch the three parody episodes as many times as they want.