North by North Quahog/References

• At the beginning, the shows Peter mentions are all shows that were cancelled by FOX during the time that Family Guy itself was off the air, having been cancelled. Most websites have the beginning wrong by having Louie instead of Luis, which was on FOX for only a few weeks in 2003.
• Garfield at Large was the first book of the Garfield compilation series. Stewie reads it to the kids in this episode.
• The Honeymooners is parodied by a supposed 'clip' from it that ends with Ralph Kramden punching Alice into a table.
• Two and a Half Men is parodied by literally having two and a half men.
• The Passion of the Christ is watched by Peter at the beginning of the show. Later on, Peter and Lois discover a trailer for a supposed sequel Passion of the Christ 2: Crucify This. Determined to "save the world from another two hours of torture" Peter steals the actual film canister intending to destroy it.
• The episode title is a reference to North by Northwest. Some scenes and the soundtrack are also inspired by North by Northwest in some places.
• As the episode is an homage to the movie North by Northwest (directed by British director Alfred Hitchcock), the title, several scenes (such as Peter being chased by a cropdusting plane in a field and the final chase sequence across the faces of Mount Rushmore), certain sets (Mel Gibson’s cliffside house in this episode is an exact facsimile of North by Northwest’s Phillip Vandamm’s (James Mason) cliffside house), and even direct quotations (“We’re on top of the monument!” is found both in the film and in this episode, both in the exact same context) are taken from the film. More so, the show also utilizes the actual Bernard Herrmann-composed theme music from the film on several occasions. The closing credits theme is done in the Bernard Herrmann style.
• Pinocchio appears in a cutaway with Geppetto.
• On finding a hotel to spend the night while their car gets fixed, Peter and Lois encounter a hooker, much to Lois’ concern. Peter reassures her by saying “Keep absolutely still, Lois; their vision is based on movement,” a reference to Jurassic Park in which the main protagonist (Alan Grant) has a similar (and equally erroneous) line when they encounter a Tyrannosaurus, as well as a reference to the general concept of avoiding movement-based-visioned predators by remaining still. (This same hooker is seen with Charlie Brown in “Mother Tucker.”)
• After this, Meg states she wants to watch the George Lopez show, to which Chris states that “That only furthers the stereotype that George Lopez is funny.” This joke was originally Meg saying she wants to watch 8 Simple Rules, and Chris answering, “That show hasn’t been the same since they killed off John Ritter’s character,” but this was cut as it was thought to be in bad taste.
• Barrington is believed to be associated with racism in Family Guy. This episode features the Park Barrington Hotel in New York City, where “they don’t allow Asians inside.” Whether the town is racist or not, there is some basis for the perception. According to the 2000 census, the population of Barrington is 96.4% white, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% African American.
• Brian’s car is a Toyota Prius. Given his apparent liberal political beliefs, it makes sense that he would drive a hybrid vehicle. This car was chosen after a two-day discussion in the writers’ room, and was finally decided due to the producer of the show having bought one recently.
• After Chris is caught drinking, Flint from the cartoon G.I. Joe gives an educational message, like he (and others) did on the real G.I. Joe show. He is even voiced by his original actor, Bill Ratner.
• Lois’ remark about Mel Gibson’s Nazi paraphernalia is a reference to the controversy over his father’s anti-semitic views and the alleged anti-semitic tone of The Passion of the Christ. Ironically, Mel Gibson was later involved in a scandal where he let loose a string of anti-semitic remarks after being pulled over for drunk driving by two officers.
• The scene where Peter drives through the mall pursued by Mel Gibson’s goons is similar to a scene in The Blues Brothers where Jake and Elwood Blues were being pursued by the police and took a reckless route through a mall in an attempt to lose them. The parody even uses the music “I Can’t Turn You Loose” from the original scene.
• Stewie reads the first Garfield strip collection, Garfield at Large, but mentions Garfield having to put up with Nermal, whose introduction actually came in the third book (Garfield Bigger Than Life).
• In the Passion of the Christ 2 preview, Jesus’ car’s license plate is “WWID” (“What Would I Do?”), a play on “WWJD” (“What Would Jesus Do?”)
• The trailer for Passion of the Christ 2 is narrated by movie trailer voice Don LaFontaine.
• Having abducted Lois in the cropdusting plane, Mel Gibson mentions in his kidnap ransom note that his movie Bird on a Wire can be seen on TBS Superstation.
• At the end of the episode, the Greased Up Deaf Guy says “It’s good to be back, America,” making a reference to the resurrection of the show.
• When Brian is changing Stewie, Stewie pees on Brian and yells "Aft torpedoes, fire!" This is a reference to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, in which the line is used by Khan when ordering the Reliant to fire on the Enterprise during the climactic battle in the Mutara Nebula.

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