Seth MacFarlane, famously the voice behind Peter Griffin and Quagmire of Family Guy, believes much of today’s Hollywood television landscape is, well… depressing. MacFarlane appeared on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast and shared his candid thoughts on Hollywood’s current offerings.
From Cheers to Jeers – Hope to Handmaids
The podcast, hosted by Cheers star Ted Danson, reflected on an era when TV could feel hopeful and welcoming—a place “where everybody knows your name.” Seth MacFarlane reminisced about shows from his youth, saying, “When I was a kid, Hollywood was providing that voice in various forms and there was a lot of hope.” He cited Star Trek: The Next Generation as inspiration for his own creation, The Orville, a fun, space-oriented take on the sci-fi genre.
Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard in Star Trek: Picard (2023), Paramount+
By contrast, he said, “The dishes that we are serving up now are so dystopian and so pessimistic. And yeah, there’s a lot to be pessimistic about, but it’s so one-sided. There’s nothing we’re doing that’s providing anyone an image of hope.”
Shows like The Sopranos and The Handmaid’s Tale, he argued, exemplify this bleak turn.
Anti-Heroes and a Dystopian Outlook
Seth MacFarlane acknowledged the craftsmanship behind Hollywood TV hits like The Handmaid’s Tale, calling it “beautifully written, beautifully directed,” but emphasized its dismal outlook. “There is a lot more of that than what we used to get from Captain Picard,” he noted. He also pointed out Hollywood’s fixation on anti-heroes and suggested that the industry has perhaps lost its sense of purpose.
Michael Burnham on Star Trek Discovery – YouTube, Star Trek
One of his most poignant statements to Danson: “What we do do well is tell stories. And we’re not doing the best job right now of telling those stories in a way that gives people hope.”
On Today’s Hollywood Menu: Bitter & Bland
Beyond Handmaid’s Tale and The Sopranos, shows like 13 Reasons Why and Drawn Together explore darker aspects of life than most audiences encounter daily. Even superhero and sci-fi shows often skew grim.
Ironheart in the trailer for Ironheart – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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Take Marvel’s Ironheart, for instance: Riri Williams, a genius with extraordinary opportunities, turns her back on these gifts, scams fellow students, complains about not being Tony Stark, and joins a gang of criminals—hardly the lighthearted, hopeful fare viewers expect from a superhero series.
Joy From the Past – Hope for the Future
Where does this leave us? Trends in entertainment cycle, and perhaps the era of relentlessly dark stories is waning. There was a time when television could tackle life’s lessons while still offering hope. Shows like Good Times, The Facts of Life, Cheers, Friends, and The Office made audiences laugh, fall in love with characters, learn something, and leave with a smile. Television should inspire the best in humanity.
Even if Hollywood strays from that path, we live in a time where platforms like YouTube allow creators to inspire and uplift. The human spirit is resilient, and as Doc Brown once said, “The future is whatever you make of it. So make it a good one!”
What do you think of the current state of television? Do you agree with Seth MacFarlane about Hollywood? Are there shows today that inspire you? What do you believe the future holds? Sound off in the comments below.
