I’d take Futurama over Family Guy but that’s about like saying I’d take a severe head cold over the flu. I’ve watched both and they simply are not funny. It’s an excruciating experience to be subjected to either one. Of course, either is preferable to King of the Hill which has absolutely no reason to exist.
Futurama is among the greatest TV shows of all times. It wins for its wide breadth of topics, unexpected twists, different varieties of humor, and touching moments when you least expect them. When I first heard the concept, I though that it would flop because it would only be spoofing cliches from old science fiction shows. Instead the authors attacked such a huge range of topics that each episode was a miniature masterpiece. Some are social satire, some are straight-up parody, some are romantic comedy. Some switch styles right in the middle of the episode.
Family Guy is a bunch of fart jokes and breast jokes. Watched ten minutes, never had any desire to see an eleventh.
Hurrah! Zoidberg is popular! Take that, online dating service!
Another Futurama vote here. I like Family Guy (though I never caught the new episodes post-cancellation) but a couple viewings are enough to drain an episode dry for me. Futurama has much more replayability.
Both are funny in their way and I don’t hate Family Guy at all but Futurama just has a spark the other lacks.
To the OP, that just means you have taste. 
I try and try and try to like Family Guy. I really do. A lot of people whose opinions I respect really like it. It sounds like something I’d like. I find myself saying “Hey, that is funny in theory.” Megalomaniac baby? Love the concept. Too bad the execution is sub-Pinky and the Brain. Martini-swilling dog that went to Brown? Sure fire hit–probably actually mocking people like me, in fact. Makes me long for Lisa Simpson. One thing I always hate about the show is the goddamned theme song. Just fucking grates on me. I’ve tried TiVOing it and skipping the theme. No dice. I must come to the conclusion that I just don’t like the show.
Futurama on the other hand is an all-time classic.
Futurama, Family Guy - good.
King of the Hill - bad.
The Simpsons - used to be good.
Venture Brothers - wins.
Gosh, I think they’re both hilarious. I don’t know why anyone would want to choose one over the other; they have different styles, and sometimes you need something different. It’s like choosing between blondes and brunettes. The world needs both, my friends.
It’s “King of the Hill” I find tiresome. It’s had its moments, but it’s getting awfully tired, and what has always struck me about it is that there’s no reason that show should be animated. It’d be funnier if they hired good actors to do it live. “Family Guy” and “Futurama,” as well as “The Simpsons” all make use of their being animated to present scenes, images, and jokes that would be impossible or overly expensive for a live action show.
A more interesting case is “South Park,” which has moments of comedic brilliance interspersed with long stretches of agonizing tedium. It’s hard to rate.
Wanna fight about it?
I like Family Guy, but Futurama is just in another league. A couple of Futurama episodes damn near made me cry (Fry’s Dog…) I can’t imagine that happening with any other animated comedy.
In fact, thinking more about it, I can think of lots and lots of genuine emotional reaction I’ve had for Futurama characters. When Fry sits next to Leela’s bedside while she’s in a coma? When he forces the worms out of his body so he’ll be himself? Fry giving up the ability to play the Holophoner? That’s more than just gags.
My opinion:
Simply counting the number of laughs per episode, FG wins hands down. But Futurama has much more going for it than just laughs: plots, characters that you really care about, who develop and grow from week to week, drama, pathos, tragedy and all sorts of things. Overall, Futurama is the better show.
Oh yeah? Well, I think Futurama earns an occasional chuckle while being interesting and having a semi-coherent and often intelligent plot.
But Family Guy is funny.
So there!
At this point, Jayrot and surbey roll around fighting for about 3 minutes, filling time.
Warmth – now that I think about it, that’s exactly what Family Guy is missing. All arguments aside about the subjective styles of humor between the two shows (although Futurama is much funnier), Futurama has characters that exhibit real emotions – characters you can care about. In Family Guy, the characters exist only to carry the jokes, and they act in predictable stereotypical ways. The writers avoid anything emotional like the plague, and as a result, the show feels cold and cynical, with no redeaming value.
Everybody remembers Fry’s dog though, or Leela’s real parents. The drama in Futurama balances out the comedy and the show is much richer and warmer as a result. The same could be said about the first few seasons of the Simpsons (before it lost its soul and became a gag-driven sketch comedy).
Family Guy seasons 1-3 is more laugh out loud funny than Futurama, but Futurama is a better show as a whole. Also, The best Simpsons blows away the best Family Guy, but the worst Family Guy is light years better than the worst Simpsons. The best American Dad is almost as good as the best Family Guy…
You’re right, of course, but you’re completely missing the point of the thread. It’s not about which show is funnier, it’s a thread where pretentious jackoffs can congregate and slap each other on the back about just how damn smart and sophisticated they are because they like Futurama and Family Guy sucks, and oh, hey, by the way, isn’t it a shame how terrible The Simpsons has been since season 8? My God, I’ve watched every episode for the last few years and they all suck. Can’t wait 'til Sunday to see how bad this week’s episode sucks. Try this: Mentally read each of the posts in this thread in that upper crust, old money, I’m so much more cultured and intelligent than you, clenched back teeth tone of voice that they teach at Mt. Holyoke/Smith/Hah-vard/Yale/etc. You’ll see what I’m talking about.
You know, I just read my last post and realized that it could easily be read that I was calling posters here pretentious jackoffs. That wasn’t my intent, I was talking in general terms. Sorry for not being clear.
That’s okay, some people just hate awesomeness.
Futurama wins. Hands down. Every time. Family Guy can have its moments but the incessant, mundane evil of the protagonist just wears on me. I’m meant to root for Peter? Sympathize with him? He’s a monster, and that eventually that just wears me out.
Just like Peggy Hill.
Or Jerry Seinfeld.
I see it as classic low-brow vs. high-brow humor. Physical humor over intellectual humor. Family Guy falls in the same tradition of the Three Stooges, Three’s Company, and other comedies that rely on one not thinking, just reacting to whats presented.
Futurama is just the opposite, requiring one to think to fully appreciate all the humor that is presented. It follows the tradition of Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
And part of the tradition of each style is making occasional jabs at the other.
I happen to prefer Futurama-style humor. My roommate on the other hand just went and bought the the latest season of Family Guy. Which is why I am in my room cruising the Dope. He had never watched an episode of Futurama either until I was doing so the other night. He gave it a thumbs up. Unfortunately, I cannot do the same for Family Guy. I never cared much for the Three Stooges either.
And please remember to read all the above in your best Hah-vard voice, (though I prefer Oxford British when I am being pretentious.) 
That was perfect!
I guess Weirddave likes Family Guy.
Figures.