 In 1997 , while writing for Carol , MacFarlane planned to develop the Larry shorts into a short film series for MADtv ; however , the project was abandoned because the show did not possess a large enough budget to make any kind of animation . As development continued , the genre gradually shifted to a prime @-@ time series , while the characters of Larry and Steve formed the basis for Peter and Brian , respectively . During the year , a Hanna @-@ Barbera development executive introduced MacFarlane to alternative comedians Mike Darnell and Leslie Collins in an attempt to get Hanna @-@ Barbera back into the prime @-@ time business . The executives were unimpressed ; a year later , MacFarlane contacted Collins at Fox ; she arranged a meeting with him and the company executives to create a series based on the characters entitled Family Guy . 
