Simpsons. Simpsons had a beautiful satirical feel, along with tons of humour derived from observation. The scripts didn't have jokes and gags like other shows, they had humour from character and beautiful characters they were. A wonderfully conflicted family with every archetype represented. Every plot was well written, well thought out and funny. I miss seasons 1 - early 10. Now it's shock humour and poo jokes. Family Guy... it has unoriginal characters, and a talking dog and baby. But the fact is, the talking dog and baby should have their own show. They're the only real characters. As a result, we don't get to see how these characters interract with a dog and a baby because the rest of the family are just wraiths designed to get jokes across. Jokes that have no basis in character and no substance. It's really sad that this is what's popular now... anyone can write a Family Guy script, here...
PETER: Brian, I learned how to pee from skyscrapers!
BRIAN: Dear God, I need a tequila...
PETER: But it didn't go so well last night...
FLASHBACK
Peter walks up to the side of the skyscraper roof and runs into another person.
MAN1: Huh. You come to pee off the, uh... skyscraper too, huh?
PETER: Yeah.
MAN1: Why are you peeing off this skyscraper?
PETER: Well... whenever a building rises up like a mighty penis... I will urinate from it!
MAN1: I'm doing it because I like to expose myself, and possibly molest people named Peter.
PETER: Oh my God, what a coincidence!
Man1 unzips his fly, smiling.
HE'S OUR FAMILY GUY!
See? You too can write your very own Family Guy episode. Just give it little story and lots of bad references the 12 year old viewing audience won't get and will only laugh at because "Dude... the dog talks! This weed is like... whoa..."
Whereas Family Guy's references and parodies detract from the story and are meaningless, Simpsons parodies are generally entwined in the story, short, to the point, and undistracting. Some of Family Guy's jokes fail because it's just a reference. If you've never seen the source, you're lost. In Simpsons, stuff like Bart and the cupcakes goes right over people's heads. Most won't even realise it's a reference to A Clockwork Orange. But you don't have to get that to enjoy it. And much of the time the Simpsons references get a satirical point across. Like Sideshow Bob being a Republican.