50 best television shows set across the United States

Rhode Island: Family Guy

The premise: What started out as just another stop on the FOX animation juggernaut machine, has become a cult hit that pleases audiences of all sorts. Peter Griffin and his family are television icons, with a solid 16 seasons under their belt.

Peter is a working-class man who lives in a seemingly ordinary town with his wife, Lois, three kids, and talking dog. Peter’s youngest, Stewie, is wise and precocious beyond his years, performing like a grouchy old man trapped in the diapered body of a baby. The dog also talks, usually offering the most level-headed advice.

The setting: The Griffins live in Quahog, a fictional suburb of Providence, Rhode Island. It’s absolutely significant because the town was founded by Peter’s ancestor, Griffin Peterson, and was gifted control of the area after beating the king in a talent show. Of course, all the Griffins’ friends live here, and most of them reside on Spooner Street.

The most Rhode Island thing about it: Creator Seth MacFarlane has said many, many times that he uses his own experiences to inform how Quahog is drawn conceptualized. He went to the Rhode Island School of Design, and he uses names very familiar to Rhode Island residents, like Pawtucket. MacFarlane has also said he based Quahog on the town of Cranston, Rhode Island.