Peter Griffin

Peter Löwenbräu Griffin Sr. (né Justin Peter Griffin) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane, and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in the episode "Death Has a Shadow" on January 31, 1999. Peter was created and designed by MacFarlane himself. MacFarlane was asked to pitch a pilot to the Fox Broadcasting Company based on ''Larry & Steve'', a short made by MacFarlane which featured a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. For the series, Larry was renamed Peter.

Peter is married to Lois and is the father of Meg, Chris, and Stewie. He also has a dog named Brian, with whom he is best friends. He has worked at a toy factory and at Quahog's Brewery. Peter's voice was inspired by the security guards that MacFarlane heard at his school. His appearance was a redesign of the protagonist Larry from MacFarlane's previous animated short films ''The Life of Larry'' and ''Larry & Steve''. He has appeared in several pieces of ''Family Guy'' merchandise—including toys, T-shirts, and video games—and he has made crossover appearances in other shows, including ''The Simpsons'', ''Drawn Together'' and ''South Park'', in addition to fellow MacFarlane-associated series ''American Dad!'', ''Bordertown'' and ''Family Guy'' spin-off ''The Cleveland Show''.

As a character, Peter Griffin was initially praised by critics for his outrageous humor, absurd anecdotes, slapstick antics, and over-the-top, goofy yet endearing personality. Over time, however, reception has become more mixed. Some viewers have criticized his increasingly crude, mean-spirited, and offensive behavior, as well as his growing similarities to Homer Simpson in both personality and comedic style. Provided by Wikipedia