Family Guy - Season 5 [DVD]

The highlights of Family Guy for many, of course, are Stewie the ingenious baby and the family’s dog Brian (arguably the sanest one of the lot), and both are in fine form here. And while this series again allows many of the supporting characters a space in the limelight, it’s Stewie and Brian who remain responsible for some of Family Guy’s funniest moments. Bluntly, there are plenty of them.

Still, there’s little getting away from the fact that season five lacks the spark that energised the superb first two or three series, and as a result, there are episodes here that are good where they were once great. There are, still, plenty of examples of the old magic, and it’s still primarily a real pleasure that’s pretty much guaranteed to raise laughs from those who don’t mind their entertainment with a bit of edge. But it’ll be interesting to see where Family Guy goes from here, and whether its real glory days are permanently consigned to the past. --Jon Foster