Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Stewie’ Spinoff from ‘Family Guy’ Lands 2-Season Deal with Fox and Hulu

Fox and Hulu Announce New Spinoff Series Focused on Stewie Griffin

Fox and Hulu have officially ordered two seasons of Stewie, a spinoff from the beloved animated series Family Guy. Centered on the diabolical toddler Stewie Griffin, the new series will explore themes of time and space travel during his preschool years. Created by Family Guy visionary Seth MacFarlane, the series is set to debut during the 2027-28 season, with episodes available for streaming the following day on Hulu and internationally on Disney+.

Stewie will be part of an impressive lineup that includes other long-standing animated series such as Family Guy, American Dad!, The Simpsons, and Bob’s Burgers. In 2025, these series received a four-season renewal in a notable deal, ensuring that all five shows will run through 2029, coinciding with the expiration of Fox’s current $1.5 billion streaming agreement with Hulu.

Sources indicate that the deal for Stewie is structured as a joint commission, with both Fox and Hulu sharing the production costs.

While the exact episode count for Stewie remains undisclosed, it is expected to contain slightly fewer than the 15 episodes per season produced by its predecessors.

MacFarlane, who voices Stewie in Family Guy, will reprise this role in the new series he developed with longtime collaborator Kirker Butler. The storyline follows Stewie as he transitions to a new preschool after being expelled from his previous one, facing a quirky community of classmates and a 75-year-old class turtle with unconventional theories. This new environment quickly transforms mundane school days into fantastical adventures fueled by Stewie’s inventive gadgets.

The spinoff will establish its own unique world, introducing fresh characters without affecting Stewie’s portrayal in Family Guy, where he currently attends Quahog Preschool. Concept art for Stewie hints at nods to the original series, including Stewie’s iconic teddy bear Rupert and his time machine, previously used to save his dog Brian from disaster. Brian is anticipated to make guest appearances in the spinoff.

Over the course of Family Guy’s 24-year run, Stewie has seen significant character development, evolving from his obsession with world domination to embracing friendships and scientific pursuits.

MacFarlane will serve as executive producer for Stewie, alongside Butler, who will take on the role of showrunner, and Kara Vallow. 20th Animation is the production studio behind the project.

In a statement reflecting his characteristic humor, MacFarlane expressed gratitude to Fox for the opportunity, quipping about his collaboration with the network. Butler, in a blend of sincerity and humor, stated, “I am honored and humbled that Seth, 20th Television Animation and Fox have trusted me with one of the most iconic animated characters in the history of television.”

This marks the second spinoff from the Family Guy franchise, following The Cleveland Show, which aired for four seasons. Butler has previously collaborated with MacFarlane on both Family Guy and The Cleveland Show.

Family Guy recently celebrated its milestone 450th episode and continues to rank as one of Fox’s top-performing streaming titles, attracting significant viewership. All episodes of Family Guy and American Dad!, also co-created by MacFarlane, are available for streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.

With a record of delivering over 3 billion minutes watched across platforms in 2025, Family Guy remains a dominant force in adult animated content, alongside American Dad!, recognized also as a leading title in streaming.

MacFarlane, known for his multifaceted contributions to Family Guy, holds five Emmy Awards, including four for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. His work has notably earned the series nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Under Fuzzy Door’s multi-year agreement with Universal Studio Group, the company continues to produce successful content, including the Ted prequel series for Peacock, which recently premiered its second season. Fuzzy Door is also working on an animated Ted series, along with a new breakout series, The ‘Burbs, currently featuring Keke Palmer.

MacFarlane is represented by WME, Joy Fehily Management & Consulting, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.