--- title: "Ratings Guy (S11E02) | familyguy.co.uk" canonical: "https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e02-ratings-guy/" updatedDate: 2026-09-06 author: Alex Moss description: "Ratings Guy: Family Guy season 11 episode 2 (S11E02), first aired 7 October 2012. Writer and director credits." --- # Ratings Guy Episode 2 of Family Guy season 11 (S11E02), the 190th Family Guy episode overall. Written by Dave Ihlenfeld and David Wright and directed by James Purdum. First broadcast on 7 October 2012. ## Story A letter from the Nielsen Company tells the Griffins that their viewing is to be measured. Tom Tucker asks Peter for suggestions and puts them on air, which irritates Joe and Quagmire, so Peter steals a batch of Nielsen boxes to widen his reach. Programme after programme is altered at his direction until a crowd turns on him and Mayor Adam West destroys the boxes by shooting them. Peter then goes to the Television Producers Guild, admits what he has done and instructs the producers gathered there, among them Kelsey Grammer, Jon Hamm, Dick Wolf, Mark Burnett and J. J. Abrams, to make the programmes he wants. Television settles back to normal, but Herbert has mended the boxes and starts making demands of his own. ## Production and reception - Dave Ihlenfeld and David Wright, freelance writers who had not worked on the series before, wrote it as their second script together after "Grumpy Old Man". ([Wikipedia: Ratings Guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_Guy)) - It is the sixth title to play on the name of the series, after "Family Gay", "Family Goy", "Business Guy", "German Guy" and "Amish Guy". ([Wikipedia: Ratings Guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_Guy)) - Writing staff who follow One Tree Hill wanted the scene in which Peter adds a tree to it cut, and Seth MacFarlane at one point agreed, but the animators liked the gag and argued successfully for keeping it. ([Wikipedia: Ratings Guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_Guy)) - J. J. Abrams, who watches the series, rang the production staff to ask whether he might help make an episode, and appeared as a version of himself. ([Wikipedia: Ratings Guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_Guy)) - Sandra Bernhard agreed to appear as herself on condition that the character reflected her own career and life; animators worked from a photograph she sent and gave the drawing a tooth gap, a larger chin and more lines under the eyes. ([Wikipedia: Ratings Guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_Guy)) ## Facts | Fact | Detail | | --- | --- | | Season | 11 | | Episode | 2 of 22 | | Overall | No. 190 | | Code | S11E02 | | First aired | 7 October 2012 | | Directed by | James Purdum | | Written by | Dave Ihlenfeld and David Wright | | Production code | AACX01 | | Source | Wikipedia: Family Guy season 11 | | Wikidata | Q6100644 | | IMDb | tt2395522 | | Verification | Checked against Wikidata and IMDb: title, date, numbering and credits agree | | US viewers | 6.70 million | ## Voices | Voice | Characters | | --- | --- | | Seth MacFarlane | Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, Stewie Griffin | | Alex Borstein | Lois Griffin | | Seth Green | Chris Griffin | | Mila Kunis | Meg Griffin | | Mike Henry | Bruce the Performance Artist, John Herbert | | J.J. Abrams | J.J. Abrams | | Sandra Bernhard | Sandra Bernhard | | John G. Brennan | Mort Goldman, Horace | | Mark Burnett | Mark Burnett | | Dan Castellaneta | Homer Simpson | 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 - J. J. Abrams as himself - Sandra Bernhard as herself, Sandra Bernhard - Mark Burnett as himself, Mark Burnett - Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson - Michael Clarke Duncan as guy in cowboy boots - Billy Gardell as Mike Biggs - Jon Hamm as himself, Jon Hamm - Kadeem Hardison as NBA player - Dick Wolf as himself, Dick Wolf - Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson - Adam West as Mayor Adam West - Mike Henry as Herbert - J.J. Abrams as J.J. Abrams - John Viener as Nielsen Rep ## Links - Season: [11](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-11/) - Source: [Wikipedia: Family Guy season 11](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_11) - Wikidata: [Q6100644](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6100644) - IMDb: [tt2395522](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395522/) - US viewers: [6.70 million](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_Guy) ## Navigation - Previous: [S11E01 Into Fat Air](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e01-into-fat-air/) - Next: [S11E03 The Old Man and the Big 'C'](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e03-the-old-man-and-the-big-c/) - Season hub: [Season 11](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-11/) - All episodes: [Family Guy episode guide](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/) ## Season 11: episode 2 of 22 - S11E01 [Into Fat Air](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e01-into-fat-air/) - S11E02 Ratings Guy (this entry) - S11E03 [The Old Man and the Big 'C'](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e03-the-old-man-and-the-big-c/) - S11E04 [Yug Ylimaf](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e04-yug-ylimaf/) - S11E05 [Joe's Revenge](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e05-joes-revenge/) - S11E06 [Lois Comes Out of Her Shell](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e06-lois-comes-out-of-her-shell/) - S11E07 [Friends Without Benefits](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e07-friends-without-benefits/) - S11E08 [Jesus, Mary and Joseph!](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e08-jesus-mary-and-joseph/) - S11E09 [Space Cadet](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e09-space-cadet/) - S11E10 [Brian's Play](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e10-brians-play/) - S11E11 [The Giggity Wife](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e11-the-giggity-wife/) - S11E12 [Valentine's Day in Quahog](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e12-valentines-day-in-quahog/) - S11E13 [Chris Cross](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e13-chris-cross/) - S11E14 [Call Girl](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e14-call-girl/) - S11E15 [Turban Cowboy](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e15-turban-cowboy/) - S11E16 [12 and a Half Angry Men](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e16-12-and-a-half-angry-men/) - S11E17 [Bigfat](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e17-bigfat/) - S11E18 [Total Recall](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e18-total-recall/) - S11E19 [Save the Clam](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e19-save-the-clam/) - S11E20 [Farmer Guy](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e20-farmer-guy/) - S11E21 [Roads to Vegas](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e21-roads-to-vegas/) - S11E22 [No Country Club for Old Men](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s11e22-no-country-club-for-old-men/) --- Unofficial fan resource. 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