--- title: "The Fat Guy Strangler (S04E17) | familyguy.co.uk" canonical: "https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e17-the-fat-guy-strangler/" updatedDate: 2026-09-06 author: Alex Moss description: "The Fat Guy Strangler: Family Guy season 4 episode 17 (S04E17), first aired 27 November 2005. Writer and director credits." --- # The Fat Guy Strangler Episode 17 of Family Guy season 4 (S04E17), the 67th Family Guy episode overall. Written by Chris Sheridan and directed by Sarah Frost. First broadcast on 27 November 2005. ## Story Peter skips his medical to eat steak with friends, so Lois takes him to Dr Hartman, who calls him healthy but fat. Offended, Peter breaks a family photograph, and Lois spots an unfamiliar boy in it. Her father Carter denies she has a brother. Breaking into her parents' house, she finds that Patrick has spent decades in a mental hospital, having seen his mother with Jackie Gleason as a child. Lois has him released and brings him home, where he introduces an imaginary wife, Marion. Peter meanwhile founds an association for fat people. Dressed as Gleason's character Ralph Kramden, he triggers Patrick, who starts strangling fat men. Lois refuses to believe it until Brian shows her Patrick's room, full of victims and photographs. In the woods Patrick is strangling Peter when Lois threatens to stab Marion. He lets go and agrees to return to the hospital, with monthly family visits. ## Production and reception - The episode began when Robert Downey Jr. rang the production staff asking to take part, as his son was a fan; the writers created Patrick for him to voice. ([Wikipedia: The Fat Guy Strangler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fat_Guy_Strangler)) - Bob Barker voiced himself hosting The Price Is Right, one of two appearances on the show, though Seth MacFarlane has never met him. ([Wikipedia: The Fat Guy Strangler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fat_Guy_Strangler)) - Chris Sheridan wrote and Sarah Frost directed the episode, whose guest voices also included Will Sasso, Tara Strong and Max Burkholder. ([Wikipedia: The Fat Guy Strangler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fat_Guy_Strangler)) - A funeral song sung by the overweight characters appears only on the DVD, cut from broadcast for time, and George W. Bush declined an offer to voice himself. ([Wikipedia: The Fat Guy Strangler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fat_Guy_Strangler)) - The premise resembles Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, and Nancy Basile named it one of her favourite episodes of Volume 4 alongside "PTV". ([Wikipedia: The Fat Guy Strangler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fat_Guy_Strangler)) ## Facts | Fact | Detail | | --- | --- | | Season | 4 | | Episode | 17 of 30 | | Overall | No. 67 | | Code | S04E17 | | First aired | 27 November 2005 | | Directed by | Sarah Frost | | Written by | Chris Sheridan | | Production code | 4ACX20 | | Source | Wikipedia: Family Guy season 4 | | Wikidata | Q4051073 | | IMDb | tt0576935 | | Verification | Checked against Wikidata and IMDb: IMDb differs on title (Fat Guy Strangler) | | US viewers | 9.85 million | ## Voices | Voice | Characters | | --- | --- | | Seth MacFarlane | Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, Stewie Griffin | | Alex Borstein | Lois Griffin, Jennifer | | Seth Green | Chris Griffin | | Mila Kunis | Meg Griffin | | Bob Barker | Bob Barker | | David Boat | Hand #1 | | Alexandra Breckenridge | Cybill Shepherd | | Max Burkholder | Young Patrick Pewterschmidt | | Barclay DeVeau | Tammy | | Robert Downey Jr. | Patrick Pewterschmidt | Principal voice credits as recorded by IMDb, which lists up to ten credits per episode, so recurring characters can be missing here. Guest voices below come from Wikipedia and TVmaze. ### Guest voices - Bob Barker as himself - Robert Downey Jr. as Patrick Pewterschmidt, Patrick Pweterschmidt - Max Burkholder as Young Patrick Pewterschmidt - Dave Boat as Hand #1 - Barclay DeVeau - Margaret Easley as Hand #2 - Kim Parks - Will Sasso as Todd - Anne-Michelle Seiler - Tara Strong as Boy in "Ball-in-a-Cup" Commercial - Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson - Lori Alan as Diane Simmons - Alexandra Breckenridge as Cybill Shepard - Ralph Garman as Fat Guy - Bobby McFerrin as Caveman #2 - John Viener as Bob Barker - Alec Sulkin as Caveman #3 - Tom O'Rourke as Fat Guy - Chris Sheridan as Half-Dead Fat Guy ## Links - Season: [4](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-4/) - Source: [Wikipedia: Family Guy season 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_4) - Wikidata: [Q4051073](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4051073) - IMDb: [tt0576935](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0576935/) - US viewers: [9.85 million](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_4) ## Navigation - Previous: [S04E16 The Courtship of Stewie's Father](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e16-the-courtship-of-stewies-father/) - Next: [S04E18 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e18-the-father-the-son-and-the-holy-fonz/) - Season hub: [Season 4](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-4/) - All episodes: [Family Guy episode guide](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/) ## Season 4: episode 17 of 30 - S04E01 [North by North Quahog](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e01-north-by-north-quahog/) - S04E02 [Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e02-fast-times-at-buddy-cianci-jr-high/) - S04E03 [Blind Ambition](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e03-blind-ambition/) - S04E04 [Don't Make Me Over](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e04-dont-make-me-over/) - S04E05 [The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e05-the-cleveland-loretta-quagmire/) - S04E06 [Petarded](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e06-petarded/) - S04E07 [Brian the Bachelor](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e07-brian-the-bachelor/) - S04E08 [8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e08-8-simple-rules-for-buying-my-teenage-daughter/) - S04E09 [Breaking Out Is Hard to Do](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e09-breaking-out-is-hard-to-do/) - S04E10 [Model Misbehavior](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e10-model-misbehavior/) - S04E11 [Peter's Got Woods](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e11-peters-got-woods/) - S04E12 [Perfect Castaway](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e12-perfect-castaway/) - S04E13 [Jungle Love](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e13-jungle-love/) - S04E14 [PTV](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e14-ptv/) - S04E15 [Brian Goes Back to College](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e15-brian-goes-back-to-college/) - S04E16 [The Courtship of Stewie's Father](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e16-the-courtship-of-stewies-father/) - S04E17 The Fat Guy Strangler (this entry) - S04E18 [The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e18-the-father-the-son-and-the-holy-fonz/) - S04E19 [Brian Sings and Swings](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e19-brian-sings-and-swings/) - S04E20 [Patriot Games](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e20-patriot-games/) - S04E21 [I Take Thee Quagmire](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e21-i-take-thee-quagmire/) - S04E22 [Sibling Rivalry](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e22-sibling-rivalry/) - S04E23 [Deep Throats](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e23-deep-throats/) - S04E24 [Peterotica](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e24-peterotica/) - S04E25 [You May Now Kiss the... Uh... Guy Who Receives](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e25-you-may-now-kiss-the-uh-guy-who-receives/) - S04E26 [Petergeist](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e26-petergeist/) - S04E27 [The Griffin Family History](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e27-the-griffin-family-history/) - S04E28 [Stewie B. Goode](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e28-stewie-b-goode/) - S04E29 [Bango Was His Name, Oh!](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e29-bango-was-his-name-oh/) - S04E30 [Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e30-stu-and-stewies-excellent-adventure/) --- Unofficial fan resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FOX, Disney, or Fuzzy Door Productions.