<P> The first team of writers assembled for the show consisted of Chris Sheridan, Danny Smith, Gary Janetti, Ricky Blitt, Neil Goldman, Garrett Donovan, Matt Weitzman, and Mike Barker . The writing process of Family Guy generally starts with 14 writers that take turns writing the scripts; when a script is finished it is given to the rest of the writers to read . These scripts generally include cutaway gags . Various gags are pitched to MacFarlane and the rest of the staff, and those deemed funniest are included in the episode . MacFarlane has explained that normally it takes 10 months to produce an episode because the show uses hand - drawn animation . The show rarely comments on current events for this reason . The show's initial writers had never written for an animated show; and most came from live - action sitcoms . </P> <P> MacFarlane explains that he is a fan of 1930s and 1940s radio programs, particularly the radio thriller anthology "Suspense", which led him to give early episodes ominous titles like "Death Has a Shadow" and "Mind Over Murder". MacFarlane explained that the team dropped the naming convention after individual episodes became hard to identify, and the novelty wore off . For the first few months of production, the writers shared one office, lent to them by the King of the Hill production crew . </P> <P> Credited with 19 episodes, Steve Callaghan is the most prolific writer on Family Guy staff . Many of the writers that have left the show have gone on to create or produce other successful series . Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan co-wrote 13 episodes for the NBC sitcom Scrubs during their eight - year run on the show, while also serving as co-producers and working their way up to executive producers . Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman left the show and went on to create the long - running and still ongoing adult animated series American Dad! MacFarlane is also a co-creator of American Dad! On November 4, 2013, it was announced that Barker had departed American Dad! during its run as well, after 10 seasons of serving as producer and co-showrunner over the series . </P> <P> During the 2007--2008 Writers Guild of America strike, official production of the show halted for most of December 2007 and for various periods afterward . Fox continued producing episodes without MacFarlane's final approval, which he termed "a colossal dick move" in an interview with Variety . Though MacFarlane refused to work on the show, his contract under Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it would subsequently produce . Production officially resumed after the end of the strike, with regularly airing episodes recommencing on February 17, 2008 . According to MacFarlane, in 2009, it costs about $2 million to make an episode of Family Guy . </P>

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