4. Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Watch a few episodes of Family Guy and it will become abundantly clear that creator Seth McFarlane is a fan of Star Wars. In September 2007, McFarlane got the chance to make an hour-long Family Guy episode dedicated to this film, and the result is the Emmy-nominated Blue Harvest (taking its name from the fake working title of Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi), one of the highest rated and funniest Family Guy entries yet, as well as one of the best Star Wars parodies ever.
This movie-episode follows the first Star Wars film (Episode IV -- A New Hope), to a tee, with Luke Skywalker (Chris Griffin) looking to rescue Princess Leia (Lois Griffin) from the evil Darth Vader (Stewie Griffin) with the help of Jedi master Obi-Wan (Old Man Herbert), Han Solo (Peter Griffin), and his sidekick Chewbacca (Brian). However, in true Family Guy fashion, creator Seth McFarlane piles on even more laughs with incredibly strange sidetracks, like the "How to Blow Up the Death Star" instructional video hosted by Magic Johnson, and even some references to other Family Guy episodes. As part of the ultimate nod to Family Guy fans, Meg Griffin, an oft-degraded character of the series, makes a two-second appearance as the dianoga, a creature that emerges amidst sewage.
Though it may seem aimed at a narrow fan base, Blue Harvest is appealing to causal fans of both Family Guy and Star Wars because it depicts iconic characters from the television show in the even more iconic roles from Star Wars. The more die-hard fans will appreciate the precision with which this movie copies its source, often using the exact camera angles as those used in the movie. Blue Harvest is the ultimate in-joke and a great blessing for fans of both franchises.
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