Road to the North Pole
Encyclopedia
"Road to the North Pole" is the seventh episode of the ninth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. Directed by Greg Colton
and co-written by Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith
, the episode originally aired on Fox
in the United States on December 12, 2010. In "Road to the North Pole", two of the show's main characters, baby Stewie
and anthropomorphic
dog Brian
, who are voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane
, go on an adventure to the North Pole
in an attempt to kill Santa Claus
. They eventually discover a dreary, polluting
factory full of disease-ridden elves
and carnivorous, feral
reindeer
, along with a sickly, exhausted Santa who begs to be killed. Stewie and Brian take pity on him, however, and decide to fulfill Christmas by delivering gifts to the entire globe, albeit unsuccessfully.
The "Road to
" episodes which have aired throughout various seasons of Family Guy were inspired by the Road to...
comedy films starring Bing Crosby
, Bob Hope
and Dorothy Lamour
, though this episode was not originally conceived as a "Road to" show. The episode is the second Family Guy Christmas special after the season three
episode, "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", also written by Danny Smith. It was first announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Critical responses to the episode were mostly positive; critics praised its storyline and its numerous cultural references, in addition to receiving criticism
from the Parents Television Council
. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 8.03 million homes during its original airing in the United States. The episode featured guest performances by Drew Barrymore
, H. Jon Benjamin
, David Boreanaz
, Carrie Fisher
, and Karley Scott Collins, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It is narrated by Ron MacFarlane, Seth MacFarlane's father. "Road to the North Pole" was one of five episodes submitted for consideration for an Emmy Award
in 2011, and it was ultimately nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
and Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special.
and Stewie
decide to go to the local mall to see Santa Claus
. The line is extremely long, but just as they reach the front, Santa goes on a break. Stewie decides to travel to the North Pole to seek revenge, with Brian reluctantly agreeing to go along. Attempting to trick Stewie, he brings him to a nearby North Pole-themed amusement park. Soon discovering the charade, Stewie threatens to shoot Brian if he does not take him to the real North Pole. Brian asks Stewie why he is so keen to go the North Pole, and Stewie reveals that his plan is to kill Santa as payback for being brushed off at the mall. Attempting to dissuade Stewie without revealing that Santa is not real, Brian is unable to prevent him from hitchhiking north with a trucker, and so follows him all the way to Canada
. On the way, Stewie accidentally causes a traffic pileup by discharging a flare gun in the cab of the truck, which catches fire and explodes. Crashing his car in a chain reaction, Brian becomes angry and tells Stewie that Santa does not exist. Stewie becomes frustrated and continues to attempt to hitchhike. The pair then encounter a Canadian who gives them his snowmobile.
Continuing north, they soon run out of gas, but receive help from the Aurora Boreanaz
, who instructs them to stay at a nearby cabin. (Boreanaz appears here to repay the favor for Stewie appearing in his own show Bones
.) The two survive the night in the cabin, and set out on foot the next morning. As the cold and snow intensifies, they eventually reach a large gate, marked as the North Pole. Instead of a jolly Christmas atmosphere, however, they discover a dark, gloomy factory
with a pale, sickly-looking Santa inside. Stewie discovers that Santa welcomes Stewie's plan to kill him. Stewie no longer finds the deed entertaining. Santa then takes the two on a tour of his factory, where they see that the elves
and reindeer have become sick and tormented from having to meet the increasing demands of a growing human population. The elves have become horribly inbred
because Santa only started out with a single family of elves and would require more and more each year, while the reindeer have glowing red eyes and have taken on the character of a pack of vicious wolves from eating the elves that wandered out into the snow to die. Santa suddenly collapses, and is too sick to deliver gifts. Brian and Stewie agree to deliver the presents. During their first house visit, they are discovered by one of the home's occupants. This ends badly, with time wasted, the family beaten and tied up and the reindeer having eaten each other.
Back in Quahog, Peter
discovers that there are no presents underneath the tree. He turns on the television to the local news, which is covering the worldwide lack of gifts. Brian and Stewie interrupt the broadcast, and bring Santa out in a wheelchair. They reveal what humanity's greed has done to him, and urge that everyone ask for only one present each year, in an attempt to save Santa. Chastened, everyone agrees. One year later, the North Pole is once again a thriving toy factory, and Santa has returned to health.
" episodes of the series which air through various seasons of the show. It was directed by Family Guy veteran Greg Colton
, this being the first episode he has directed since the eighth season episode "Go Stewie, Go." This is also Colton's third "Road to" episode, the first being "Road to Germany
" and the second being "Road to the Multiverse
." The episode was written by Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith
, this being the first Smith wrote since "Partial Terms of Endearment
," and his first "Road to" episode. It included staff writers Alex Carter, Andrew Goldberg
and Elaine Ko. It is an hour-long special with three musical numbers. Ron MacFarlane, Seth MacFarlane
's father, served as the episode's narrator. This is also the first "Road to" episode to be composed by Ron Jones
.
Two of the musical numbers, "All I Really Want for Christmas" and "Christmastime is Killing Us" were released as digital download
s on iTunes
. "Christmastime is Killing Us" was available on December 3, 2010, while "All I Really Want for Christmas" was made available on December 10, 2010.
In addition to the regular cast, actress Drew Barrymore
, voice actor H. Jon Benjamin
, actor David Boreanaz
, actress Karley Scott Collins, actress Carrie Fisher
, actor Ron MacFarlane, father of series creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane, actor Bruce McGill
, voice actor Will Ryan
, voice actress Tara Strong
and actress Nana Visitor
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors John G. Brennan
, actor Chris Cox
, actor Ralph Garman
, writer Chris Sheridan, writer Danny Smith, writer Alec Sulkin
, actress Jennifer Tilly
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
" series in Family Guy is a parody of the seven Road to...
comedy films which were released from 1940 to 1962, starring actors Bing Crosby
, Bob Hope
and actress Dorothy Lamour
. The opening credits show images with Brian and Stewie referencing other christmas specials such as The Nutcracker
, A Christmas Carol
, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman
and Home Alone. The credits also show Brian and Stewie performing winter activities, like snowball fights, making snow angels and putting coal
in the christmas socks instead of gifts. Ron MacFarlane who narrated part of the episode mentioned that Kenny Rogers
was supposed to be there.
The episode opens with a musical number in which the members of Quahog sing about what they wish for Christmas. Peter wishes to have actress and models Jessica Biel
and Megan Fox
. Peter also wishes to have lunch with Michael Landon
's ghost. Lois wishes to visit Mexico
and the spanish coasts
with two black guys and some blow
. Chris wishes for Jennifer Garner
and Meg wishes for a Lexus
. The neighbors of Quahog also wish for gifts: Herbert wishes for a drummer boy (there is a picture of singer Nick Jonas
in the wall while he wishes for this), Mayor Adam West wishes for a tinkertoy
, Carl wishes for a blu-ray
version of The Wiz
. Continuing with the song, Jillian Russell wishes for easter egg
s and Mort (who is Jewish) says he will sue
if they put a Christmas tree
in the airport. The song ends with various characters appearing in an advent calender.
Brian and Stewie go to the mall so they can meet Santa, but Peter is asking Santa for gifts, he asks for a game of Uno, a Magna Doodle
, a pet chink (a mix of a chinchilla
and a mink
) and a Charles in Charge
lunchbox. When the fake Santa leaves and Brian demands that he let Stewie sit in his lap, the fake Santa mentions he will be at Applebee's
. Stewie says that Santa leaving before he got a chance to sit in his lap felt like a bigger betrayal than the betrayal of reality on Gary Busey
, this takes us to Busey looking himself in the mirror asking his reflection how he is doing.
Brian and Stewie decide to go to the North Pole, to visit the real Santa Clause, but Brian does not want Stewie to get disappointed if Santa is not what everybody thinks he is, to this Stewie responds that Brian is as negative as Eeyore
from Winnie-the-Pooh
series. To prevent Stewie from going to the North Pole he tells him that Santa is not real, Stewie questions this also asking if Elmo
, SpongeBob SquarePants
and Curious George
were real. On their way to the North Pole Brian and Stewie find themselves in Canada were they meet a man with a thick Canadian accent
, they also see the Aurora borealis and the Aurora Boreanaz (an aurora with David Boreanaz
's face).
When they finally get to the North Pole they find out its very industrialized, Stewie compares it to Bridgeport, Connecticut
, this takes us to a Bridgeport resident writing a letter to the Family Guy writer staff about Stewie's comment. When Santa Claus is near death, he shocks Stewie by saying "Soon I'll be with Allah
". Brian and Stewie find a sick Santa so they decide to give the presents to the world, in there travel the Statue of Liberty
can be seen. Unfortunately they are not able to deliver the presents, the next morning the residents of Quahog are upset because they have no presents, but Mort says he got eight mediocre gifts
.
, and followed by Family Guy creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane
's second show, American Dad!
. It was watched by 8.03 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
, despite airing simultaneously with the Desperate Housewives
on ABC
, The Amazing Race
and Undercover Boss
on CBS
and Sunday Night Football
on NBC
. The episode also acquired a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating American Dad! and The Simpsons in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings increased significantly from the previous week's episode.
This episode received generally positive response from critics. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave "Road to the North Pole" a positive review, stating that it is "a satisfying episode of Family Guy all around, filled with funny gags and nice moments." He especially praised the musical segments, and the portrayal of the North Pole, writing that "the way the episode kept piling more and more ridiculous horrors on top of each other kept the whole thing funny." He rated the episode an "A-". Jason Hughes of TV Squad also praised the songs and the depiction of Santa's factory, though he found the delivery of the episode's message "heavy-handed." Kate Moon of TV Fanatic gave the episode 3.6 out of 5 stars. She said, "I had mixed feelings about this one, despite its clever moments and hopeful ending. While I normally have no problems about Family Guy’s shocking or offensive themes, I felt bit disconcerted about the direction of this Christmas episode." She went on to say, "Perhaps it was the way that the series stomped on something as innocent as Santa and his elves and twisted them all around. Or perhaps it was the cannibalistic reindeer. Whatever the specific reason, the irreverent nature of Family Guy seemed just a little too graphic for me this time around."
The Parents Television Council
, a conservative campaigning critic of Seth MacFarlane works, named Family Guy its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for "Road to the North Pole" for the week ending on December 17, 2010. It got this rating due to sexual content and excessive violent scenes including the scene in which Stewie beats a man to death with a baseball bat, and the scenes featuring Seth MacFarlane's father, Ron, while also stating, "Forget naughty or nice. This show was simply nauseating." Robin Pierson of The TV Critic gave "Road to the North Pole" a 47 out of a possible 100, said "A little more interesting plot wise than the usual fare but otherwise just as gruesome". He especially disliked the portrayal of Santa and his elves and the violence.
The episode was among four other episodes submitted by the Family Guy production team for consideration of an Emmy Award
nomination, in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
category. "Road to the North Pole" was submitted, along with "Halloween on Spooner Street
", "And I'm Joyce Kinney
", "New Kidney in Town
" and "Trading Places
". While the show did not garner a nomination for Outstanding Comedy series, the episode itself earned three of the four nominations Family Guy received in 2011. The episode garnered a nomination for Ron Jones
for Outstanding Music Composition For
A Series
, Walter Murphy
earned a nomination in the same category for "And Then There Were Fewer
". The episode was also nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (for song Christmastime Is Killing Us, written by Ron Jones, Seth MacFarlane, and Danny Smith
) and Outstanding Sound Mixing For A
Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation.
The series was successfully nominated in 2009, but failed to merit an award. Mark Hentemann
, executive producer and showrunner of Family Guy said of the nominating process, "We had internal discussions in the writers' room, and it seemed like we were much more akin to the other primetime comedies than we were to children's shows in animation. We assumed we would not get anywhere, and so it was a great surprise when we got the nomination."
Family Guy (season 9)
Family Guy ninth season first aired on the Fox network in eighteen episodes from September 26, 2010 to May 22, 2011 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. Directed by Greg Colton
Greg Colton
Greg Colton is an American animation director. Colton is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy....
and co-written by Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, the episode originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on December 12, 2010. In "Road to the North Pole", two of the show's main characters, baby Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
and anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
dog Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
, who are voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
, go on an adventure to the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
in an attempt to kill Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. They eventually discover a dreary, polluting
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
factory full of disease-ridden elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
and carnivorous, feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, along with a sickly, exhausted Santa who begs to be killed. Stewie and Brian take pity on him, however, and decide to fulfill Christmas by delivering gifts to the entire globe, albeit unsuccessfully.
The "Road to
Road to... (Family Guy)
The Road to... episodes, also known as the Family Guy Road shows, are a series of episodes in the animated series Family Guy. They are a parody of the seven Road to... comedy films, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, which were released from 1940 until 1962...
" episodes which have aired throughout various seasons of Family Guy were inspired by the Road to...
Road to...
Road to ... refers to a series of seven comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. They are also often referred to as the "Road" pictures or the "Road" series. The movies were a combination of adventure, comedy, romance, and music...
comedy films starring Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
, though this episode was not originally conceived as a "Road to" show. The episode is the second Family Guy Christmas special after the season three
Family Guy (season 3)
Family Guy third season first aired on the Fox network in twenty-two episodes from July 11, 2001 to November 9, 2003 before being released as a DVD box set and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "The Thin White Line" and finished with "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein"...
episode, "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas", also written by Danny Smith. It was first announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Critical responses to the episode were mostly positive; critics praised its storyline and its numerous cultural references, in addition to receiving criticism
Criticism of Family Guy
The American animated sitcom Family Guy has been the target of numerous complaints concerning taste and indecency. Parents Television Council has expressed moral opposition to the series, and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission....
from the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 8.03 million homes during its original airing in the United States. The episode featured guest performances by Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
, H. Jon Benjamin
H. Jon Benjamin
Henry Jon Benjamin , known professionally as H. Jon Benjamin and Jon Benjamin, is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his voice-over roles as Jason and Coach McGuirk on Home Movies, Ben on Dr...
, David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
, Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, and Karley Scott Collins, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It is narrated by Ron MacFarlane, Seth MacFarlane's father. "Road to the North Pole" was one of five episodes submitted for consideration for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 2011, and it was ultimately nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-Total Awards:* CBS - 10* ABC - 7* NBC - 6* FOX - 3* Syndicated - 3* Discovery Channel - 2...
and Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special.
Plot
As the Griffins write their Christmas lists, BrianBrian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
and Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
decide to go to the local mall to see Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. The line is extremely long, but just as they reach the front, Santa goes on a break. Stewie decides to travel to the North Pole to seek revenge, with Brian reluctantly agreeing to go along. Attempting to trick Stewie, he brings him to a nearby North Pole-themed amusement park. Soon discovering the charade, Stewie threatens to shoot Brian if he does not take him to the real North Pole. Brian asks Stewie why he is so keen to go the North Pole, and Stewie reveals that his plan is to kill Santa as payback for being brushed off at the mall. Attempting to dissuade Stewie without revealing that Santa is not real, Brian is unable to prevent him from hitchhiking north with a trucker, and so follows him all the way to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. On the way, Stewie accidentally causes a traffic pileup by discharging a flare gun in the cab of the truck, which catches fire and explodes. Crashing his car in a chain reaction, Brian becomes angry and tells Stewie that Santa does not exist. Stewie becomes frustrated and continues to attempt to hitchhike. The pair then encounter a Canadian who gives them his snowmobile.
Continuing north, they soon run out of gas, but receive help from the Aurora Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
, who instructs them to stay at a nearby cabin. (Boreanaz appears here to repay the favor for Stewie appearing in his own show Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
.) The two survive the night in the cabin, and set out on foot the next morning. As the cold and snow intensifies, they eventually reach a large gate, marked as the North Pole. Instead of a jolly Christmas atmosphere, however, they discover a dark, gloomy factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
with a pale, sickly-looking Santa inside. Stewie discovers that Santa welcomes Stewie's plan to kill him. Stewie no longer finds the deed entertaining. Santa then takes the two on a tour of his factory, where they see that the elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
and reindeer have become sick and tormented from having to meet the increasing demands of a growing human population. The elves have become horribly inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
because Santa only started out with a single family of elves and would require more and more each year, while the reindeer have glowing red eyes and have taken on the character of a pack of vicious wolves from eating the elves that wandered out into the snow to die. Santa suddenly collapses, and is too sick to deliver gifts. Brian and Stewie agree to deliver the presents. During their first house visit, they are discovered by one of the home's occupants. This ends badly, with time wasted, the family beaten and tied up and the reindeer having eaten each other.
Back in Quahog, Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
discovers that there are no presents underneath the tree. He turns on the television to the local news, which is covering the worldwide lack of gifts. Brian and Stewie interrupt the broadcast, and bring Santa out in a wheelchair. They reveal what humanity's greed has done to him, and urge that everyone ask for only one present each year, in an attempt to save Santa. Chastened, everyone agrees. One year later, the North Pole is once again a thriving toy factory, and Santa has returned to health.
Production and development
"Road to the North Pole" is the sixth episode of the "Road toRoad to... (Family Guy)
The Road to... episodes, also known as the Family Guy Road shows, are a series of episodes in the animated series Family Guy. They are a parody of the seven Road to... comedy films, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, which were released from 1940 until 1962...
" episodes of the series which air through various seasons of the show. It was directed by Family Guy veteran Greg Colton
Greg Colton
Greg Colton is an American animation director. Colton is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy....
, this being the first episode he has directed since the eighth season episode "Go Stewie, Go." This is also Colton's third "Road to" episode, the first being "Road to Germany
Road to Germany
"Road to Germany" is the third episode of the seventh season of Family Guy. It originally aired on October 19, 2008, on Fox. It is Brian and Stewie's fourth road adventure, following "Road to Rhode Island", "Road to Europe", "Road to Rupert", and is succeeded by "Road to the Multiverse". The...
" and the second being "Road to the Multiverse
Road to the Multiverse
"Road to the Multiverse" is the first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Greg Colton and written by Wellesley Wild, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 2009...
." The episode was written by Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, this being the first Smith wrote since "Partial Terms of Endearment
Partial Terms of Endearment
"Partial Terms of Endearment" is the twenty-first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Joseph Lee and written by Danny Smith, the episode originally aired on BBC Three in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2010, and has not been allowed to air in the United...
," and his first "Road to" episode. It included staff writers Alex Carter, Andrew Goldberg
Andrew Goldberg (TV writer)
Andrew Goldberg is currently a writer for Family Guy, where he has written several episodes. He is also the author of Brian Griffin's Guide to Booze, Broads, and the Lost Art of Being a Man, a book published by HarperCollins focusing on Brian Griffin's beliefs.- Biography :Andrew Goldberg was born...
and Elaine Ko. It is an hour-long special with three musical numbers. Ron MacFarlane, Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
's father, served as the episode's narrator. This is also the first "Road to" episode to be composed by Ron Jones
Ron Jones (composer)
Ron Jones is an American composer who has written music for TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Duck Tales, American Dad!, and Family Guy...
.
Two of the musical numbers, "All I Really Want for Christmas" and "Christmastime is Killing Us" were released as digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. "Christmastime is Killing Us" was available on December 3, 2010, while "All I Really Want for Christmas" was made available on December 10, 2010.
In addition to the regular cast, actress Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
, voice actor H. Jon Benjamin
H. Jon Benjamin
Henry Jon Benjamin , known professionally as H. Jon Benjamin and Jon Benjamin, is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his voice-over roles as Jason and Coach McGuirk on Home Movies, Ben on Dr...
, actor David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
, actress Karley Scott Collins, actress Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, actor Ron MacFarlane, father of series creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane, actor Bruce McGill
Bruce McGill
Bruce Travis McGill is an American actor who has an extensive list of credits in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jack Dalton on the television series MacGyver and as Daniel Simpson "D-Day" Day in National Lampoon's Animal House.-Early life:McGill was born in San...
, voice actor Will Ryan
Will Ryan
Will Ryan is an American voice actor and producer–writer–composer, well-known for singing about the American West. In the late seventies he teamed up with Phil Baron as Willio and Phillio. They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the US...
, voice actress Tara Strong
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
and actress Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor , born Nana Tucker, is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire.-Early life:...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan , a.k.a. Johnny B., is an American actor, film writer, and voice actor. He is a member of the Jerky Boys prank call duo, with Kamal Ahmed, who formed in 1989 and split up in 2001, but reformed in 2006...
, actor Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, writer Chris Sheridan, writer Danny Smith, writer Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
, actress Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:...
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
Cultural references
This episode as well as the entire "Road toRoad to... (Family Guy)
The Road to... episodes, also known as the Family Guy Road shows, are a series of episodes in the animated series Family Guy. They are a parody of the seven Road to... comedy films, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, which were released from 1940 until 1962...
" series in Family Guy is a parody of the seven Road to...
Road to...
Road to ... refers to a series of seven comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. They are also often referred to as the "Road" pictures or the "Road" series. The movies were a combination of adventure, comedy, romance, and music...
comedy films which were released from 1940 to 1962, starring actors Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and actress Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
. The opening credits show images with Brian and Stewie referencing other christmas specials such as The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman
"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the...
and Home Alone. The credits also show Brian and Stewie performing winter activities, like snowball fights, making snow angels and putting coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
in the christmas socks instead of gifts. Ron MacFarlane who narrated part of the episode mentioned that Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
was supposed to be there.
The episode opens with a musical number in which the members of Quahog sing about what they wish for Christmas. Peter wishes to have actress and models Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
and Megan Fox
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
. Peter also wishes to have lunch with Michael Landon
Michael Landon
Michael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza , Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven...
's ghost. Lois wishes to visit Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the spanish coasts
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with two black guys and some blow
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Chris wishes for Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Affleck , better known as Jennifer Garner, is an American actress and film producer. Garner gained recognition on television for her performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the thriller drama series Alias, which aired on ABC for five seasons from 2001 to 2006...
and Meg wishes for a Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
. The neighbors of Quahog also wish for gifts: Herbert wishes for a drummer boy (there is a picture of singer Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas
Nicholas Jerry "Nick" Jonas is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor best known as one of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band he formed with his brothers Joe and Kevin. The Jonas Brothers originally started as an attempted solo singing career for Nick, but the record producer liked the...
in the wall while he wishes for this), Mayor Adam West wishes for a tinkertoy
Tinkertoy
The Tinkertoy Construction Set was created in 1914—one year after the A. C. Gilbert Company's Erector Set—by Charles H. Pajeau and Robert Pettit in Evanston, Illinois. Pajeau, a stonemason, designed the toy after seeing children play with pencils and empty spools of thread. He and...
, Carl wishes for a blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
version of The Wiz
The Wiz (film)
The Wiz is a 1978 musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical...
. Continuing with the song, Jillian Russell wishes for easter egg
Easter egg
Easter eggs are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime.The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans...
s and Mort (who is Jewish) says he will sue
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
if they put a Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
in the airport. The song ends with various characters appearing in an advent calender.
Brian and Stewie go to the mall so they can meet Santa, but Peter is asking Santa for gifts, he asks for a game of Uno, a Magna Doodle
Magna Doodle
Magna Doodle is the original product name of a children's magnetic drawing toy, consisting of a drawing board, a magnetic stylus, and a few magnet shapes...
, a pet chink (a mix of a chinchilla
Chinchilla
Chinchillas are crepuscular rodents, slightly larger and more robust than ground squirrels, and are native to the Andes mountains in South America. Along with their relatives, viscachas, they make up the family Chinchillidae....
and a mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
) and a Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge is an American sitcom series which starred Scott Baio as Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Jersey, who worked as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board...
lunchbox. When the fake Santa leaves and Brian demands that he let Stewie sit in his lap, the fake Santa mentions he will be at Applebee's
Applebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of September 2011, there were 2,010 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, one U.S. territory and 14 other countries...
. Stewie says that Santa leaving before he got a chance to sit in his lap felt like a bigger betrayal than the betrayal of reality on Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
, this takes us to Busey looking himself in the mirror asking his reflection how he is doing.
Brian and Stewie decide to go to the North Pole, to visit the real Santa Clause, but Brian does not want Stewie to get disappointed if Santa is not what everybody thinks he is, to this Stewie responds that Brian is as negative as Eeyore
Eeyore
Eeyore is a character in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, anhedonic, old grey stuffed donkey who is a friend of the title character, Winnie-the-Pooh....
from Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
series. To prevent Stewie from going to the North Pole he tells him that Santa is not real, Stewie questions this also asking if Elmo
Elmo
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster and currently hosts the last full 15 minute segment on Sesame Street, Elmo's World, which is aimed at toddlers. His puppeteer, Kevin Clash, uses falsetto to produce his voice...
, SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants (character)
SpongeBob SquarePants is a main fictional character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Tom Kenny and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by cartoonist Stephen Hillenburg...
and Curious George
Curious George
Curious George is the protagonist of a series of popular children's books by the same name, written by Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey. The books feature a curious brown monkey named George, who is brought from his home in Africa by "The Man with The Yellow Hat" to live with him in a big city.When...
were real. On their way to the North Pole Brian and Stewie find themselves in Canada were they meet a man with a thick Canadian accent
Canadian English
Canadian English is the variety of English spoken in Canada. English is the first language, or "mother tongue", of approximately 24 million Canadians , and more than 28 million are fluent in the language...
, they also see the Aurora borealis and the Aurora Boreanaz (an aurora with David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
's face).
When they finally get to the North Pole they find out its very industrialized, Stewie compares it to Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, this takes us to a Bridgeport resident writing a letter to the Family Guy writer staff about Stewie's comment. When Santa Claus is near death, he shocks Stewie by saying "Soon I'll be with Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
". Brian and Stewie find a sick Santa so they decide to give the presents to the world, in there travel the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
can be seen. Unfortunately they are not able to deliver the presents, the next morning the residents of Quahog are upset because they have no presents, but Mort says he got eight mediocre gifts
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
.
Reception
"Road to the North Pole" was broadcast on December 12, 2010, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and followed by Family Guy creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
's second show, American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. It was watched by 8.03 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, despite airing simultaneously with the Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)
The Amazing Race is an American reality game show in which teams of two or four race around the world against other teams, with the first-place team winning $1,000,000. As the original version of the Amazing Race franchise, the CBS program has been running since 2001 and is airing its nineteenth...
and Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a television franchise series that has been released in multiple countries, originating in 2009 on the British Channel 4...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The episode also acquired a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating American Dad! and The Simpsons in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings increased significantly from the previous week's episode.
This episode received generally positive response from critics. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave "Road to the North Pole" a positive review, stating that it is "a satisfying episode of Family Guy all around, filled with funny gags and nice moments." He especially praised the musical segments, and the portrayal of the North Pole, writing that "the way the episode kept piling more and more ridiculous horrors on top of each other kept the whole thing funny." He rated the episode an "A-". Jason Hughes of TV Squad also praised the songs and the depiction of Santa's factory, though he found the delivery of the episode's message "heavy-handed." Kate Moon of TV Fanatic gave the episode 3.6 out of 5 stars. She said, "I had mixed feelings about this one, despite its clever moments and hopeful ending. While I normally have no problems about Family Guy’s shocking or offensive themes, I felt bit disconcerted about the direction of this Christmas episode." She went on to say, "Perhaps it was the way that the series stomped on something as innocent as Santa and his elves and twisted them all around. Or perhaps it was the cannibalistic reindeer. Whatever the specific reason, the irreverent nature of Family Guy seemed just a little too graphic for me this time around."
The Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a conservative campaigning critic of Seth MacFarlane works, named Family Guy its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for "Road to the North Pole" for the week ending on December 17, 2010. It got this rating due to sexual content and excessive violent scenes including the scene in which Stewie beats a man to death with a baseball bat, and the scenes featuring Seth MacFarlane's father, Ron, while also stating, "Forget naughty or nice. This show was simply nauseating." Robin Pierson of The TV Critic gave "Road to the North Pole" a 47 out of a possible 100, said "A little more interesting plot wise than the usual fare but otherwise just as gruesome". He especially disliked the portrayal of Santa and his elves and the violence.
The episode was among four other episodes submitted by the Family Guy production team for consideration of an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination, in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
category. "Road to the North Pole" was submitted, along with "Halloween on Spooner Street
Halloween on Spooner Street
"Halloween on Spooner Street" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 2010. The episode follows baby Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian as they go trick-or-treating on Halloween...
", "And I'm Joyce Kinney
And I'm Joyce Kinney
"And I'm Joyce Kinney" is the ninth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 16, 2011. The episode follows housewife Lois after she becomes close friends with the local news anchor Joyce Kinney. In an attempt to...
", "New Kidney in Town
New Kidney in Town
"New Kidney in Town" is the eighth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 9, 2011. The episode follows Peter, after he drinks kerosene, causing him to suffer from immediate kidney failure...
" and "Trading Places
Trading Places (Family Guy)
"Trading Places" is the thirteenth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 20, 2011...
". While the show did not garner a nomination for Outstanding Comedy series, the episode itself earned three of the four nominations Family Guy received in 2011. The episode garnered a nomination for Ron Jones
Ron Jones (composer)
Ron Jones is an American composer who has written music for TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Duck Tales, American Dad!, and Family Guy...
for Outstanding Music Composition For
A Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-Total Awards:* CBS - 10* ABC - 7* NBC - 6* FOX - 3* Syndicated - 3* Discovery Channel - 2...
, Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
earned a nomination in the same category for "And Then There Were Fewer
And Then There Were Fewer
"And Then There Were Fewer" is the first episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 26, 2010. The episode follows the citizens of Quahog, Rhode Island, after they are invited by actor James Woods to his stately...
". The episode was also nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (for song Christmastime Is Killing Us, written by Ron Jones, Seth MacFarlane, and Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
) and Outstanding Sound Mixing For A
Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation.
The series was successfully nominated in 2009, but failed to merit an award. Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
, executive producer and showrunner of Family Guy said of the nominating process, "We had internal discussions in the writers' room, and it seemed like we were much more akin to the other primetime comedies than we were to children's shows in animation. We assumed we would not get anywhere, and so it was a great surprise when we got the nomination."