Two creators that have spawned giant TV empires

The best creative minds in the industry can turn a seemingly small idea into a gargantuan creative empire.

We all know the major film series such as Star Wars that had humble beginnings as the brainchild of George Lucas before its launch in 1977 and is now the centerpiece of the Disney brand, including spin-offs, theme park rides, console games, and merchandise for seemingly every facet of the story.

Here are two other examples of people who continue to astound with their range of creativity, further growing vast empires of success.

Seth MacFarlane

MacFarlane began his career at Hanna-Barbera but was given the opportunity to create his own cartoon special ‘Family Guy’ by FOX in 1999. The show was popular and ratings were solid but FOX made the move to cancel the series after only three seasons. Impressive DVD sales and a backlash by the show’s fans resulted in a swift change of heart, and now the rest is history.

Family Guy has recorded 21 seasons and remains as popular as ever with MacFarlane’s wit and voice the driving force behind its success, including lead character Peter Griffin. MacFarlane branched out with the creation of a new cartoon ‘American Dad’, which has been equally as popular since its launch in 2005.

The success of his shows allowed MacFarlane to become a household name in the United States, and the world of film was soon calling. A foul-mouthed teddy bear named Ted was the result, providing a box-office smash. It spawned a sequel and now even a TV show to join MacFarlane’s empire, which also includes the sci-fi comedy The Orville.

Not only has MacFarlane’s empire spread across TV, but it has also made its way to console games for Family Guy and American Dad. You’ll even find a slot version of Ted while browsing the top jackpot king games online, which also include classic names from the screen such as Rick and Morty, The Goonies, and many others. These slot themes are a great way to introduce new audiences to online games, offering the same rewards and enjoyment of your typical game as you would find in a casino at Las Vegas using a familiar twist like Ted.

It highlights the reach and diversity of MacFarlane’s growing empire that one of his leading brands is considered to appeal to a wide audience. A seemingly simple idea from the origins of Family Guy can go a long way, breaking across different industries including console gaming and iGaming.

Shonda Rhimes

We all know now that Rhimes has created the vast creative empire known as ‘Shondaland’. But, she too had humble beginnings serving as a screenwriter on the HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and then Britney Spears’ movie debut Crossroads, the latter of which earned Rhimes a nomination for worst screenplay at the Golden Raspberries. However, her career would soon change with the launch of Grey’s Anatomy.

It was an overnight success and has been responsible for propelling Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, and Sandra Oh along with Patrick Dempsey into the zeitgeist. Buoyed by the success of Grey’s, ABC ordered a spin-off Private Practice and then again 13 years later with Station 19. Not one to rest on her laurels, Rhimes continued to expand her horizons moving into the political sphere with Scandal with headline character Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), and then a thriller with How To Get Away With Murder. Her success was noted by Netflix and the result was a smash hit, adapting the Julia Quinn ‘Bridgerton’ book series for television.

Every direction Rhimes has turned has been an overwhelming success since the launch of Grey’s. Although it has not quite had a universal spread to other spheres such as the gaming and iGaming realms. If there can be a slot game about Downton Abbey, why not Bridgerton? It could be an area to turn in the future if Rhimes ever stops putting out hit TV shows.