Does Family Guy's move to the midseason mean FOX is losing faith in the show?

Family Guy has been a regular staple on the FOX network's animation block for well over twenty years. Over its long course, we saw Stewie's world domination goals dissipate, Peter's nonstop goofiness, and plenty of song and dance episodes that were enjoyable but contained Family Guy's trademark raw material. Because of these elements, the show found its place in pop culture history but kept its unique identity, which sets it apart.

Fox made a bold move in March amid Family Guy's season 22 by pushing it to Wednesday nights instead of its usual spot at 9:30 PM EST on Sundays. It followed The Simpsons and Bob's Burgers; the three were the original contenders of Animation Domination on Sundays. The Wednesday night decision was implemented so that the newest animation, Grimsburg, can take the 9:30 PM space. It was a strong shift for Family Guy's fanbase, and the move also caused a temporary drop in the ratings, which drew concern as the show could've been canceled.

Family Guy celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, and creator Seth MacFarlane confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that he has no intentions of ending it despite the Wednesday shift. He even stated that the show could go on "for another 25 years."

Now, FOX announced its veteran Family Guy will be making yet another move, one that hasn't been done in nearly two decades.

Why Fox is moving Family Guy to midseason for season 23

During the Fox Upfronts that took place on May 13, the Fox Television Network Executive Vice President of Program Planning, Dan Harrison, announced why Family Guy, which has always been part of the Fall schedule lineup, is moving midseason, a move that hasn't been made since 2005. However, the decision doesn't reflect the network or its parent company, Disney, is losing faith in Family Guy. In fact, the companies and the execs all have close relationships with the show's creatives.

The midseason decision was affirmed as the network wanted to put another new animated show, Universal Basic Guys, in place of Family Guy in the fall. Fox hopes that the new show will launch successfully, as it'll be on the same night as The Simpsons and Bob's Burgers, who will be entering their 36th and 15th seasons, respectfully.

Harrison further stated the goals surrounding the midseason launch and the fall schedule at the Upfronts, which Deadline highlighted in its report:

"Our goal is to keep the strength of our long-time running legacy series while launching our new Fox-owned animated series like we did with Krapapolis this season. We are going to be launching Universal Basic Guys this year, we want to give a very specific impactful launch for that series."

Family Guy fans needn't worry about this change, as the show will continue delivering its loyal service. Season 23 will have a full-season run, and two holiday specials will drop exclusively on Hulu this December. There'll be plenty of new content to enjoy until midseason launches in January 2025.

As Family Guy is indeed part of the Fox family (and Disney), the network has no plan to drop it, and Harrison shares the confidence that the midseason debut will garner even more success for the long-running series.

"Our long-running series like Family Guy are still of crucial importance to us and our audience. So bringing the show back midseason with a full [episode] order is absolutely our plan. We will give it a great relaunch. The show is beloved, and we know when it comes back on Sunday in midseason, it will resonate with the audience when it comes back just like it always has."