Ah, 4th of July: sweltering heat, burgers on the grill, firecracker hijinks ... and family dysfunction.

With families gathering together this weekend to kick off barbecue season, we ponder TV's favorite animated families, The Simpsons and Family Guy's clan, the Griffins. Sure, they're both dysfunctional, but who would you rather hang with on a long weekend?

It's time to figure out which family rules when it comes to animation domination.

FAMILY DYNAMICS
Where two or more family members gather, there's bound to be a little tussle time. You can count on plenty of jabs by the jaws going on in Springfield, but the Simpsons are no match when it comes to Griffin family smackdowns. Sure, there was a time when Homer realized he had a bizarre medical condition that made him unable to get knocked out -- so of course we had a nice episode about his foray into the boxing ring that went nowhere. But while Homer has chased down Bart and threatened to kill the boy, he's never engaged in the ruthless pounding that occurs in the Griffin household. The entire family has no problem slapping, smacking and knocking each other to bloody pulps. And don't forget when Lois came gunning commando style for Stewie in the Oval Office. She did stop short when he reminded her that he was still her little boy, but that didn't stop dad Peter from polishing the tyke off. As it turns out, it was just a Stewie simulation, but still. This one has to go to the Griffin fam.
Family Guy: 1
The Simpsons: 0

BBQ GRILL SKILLS
You can certainly stock up on Family Guy merchandise like the giggily, giggily, giggily barbecue apron. And the series' references to beefsteak has little to do with what you'll find at a traditional cookout. So when it comes to knowing how to slap some meat on the barbie, you gotta go with Homer -- even if his roast pig ended up in a bad place during the vegetarian episode. You'll remember Lisa attempting to thwart the pig fest by advocating vegetarianism. No? Not even when Bart and Homer formed the conga line and sang "You don't win friends with salad"? OK, how about the time when Homer tried to make a do-it-yourself barbecue pit that made him the toast of the art world? Doesn't matter. When it comes to the best barbecue, gotta go with our Home Man.
Family Guy: 1
The Simpsons: 1

FAMILY FUN AND GAMES
We're not talking video games here. No, this is company picnic time. Like when Peter Griffin showed up at the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Company's picnic and engaged in contests like catching the greased-up deaf guy, or surviving the shooting-darts-at-employees man hunt game. Peter, of course, was last guy standing and earned some extra vacation time. Woo-hoo. Poor Homer. When he went to the company picnic, he just realized that his family was hopelessly dysfunctional and took them all to a therapist for shock treatment. Thank goodness for medical lawsuits, because the result was the Simpons ending up where they belonged: In front of a new TV set, far away from any outdoor activities.
Family Guy: 2
The Simpsons: 1

COMEBACKS
America loves a comeback! But as much as we root for the underdog, you just know that neither of these families is going to be a winner. Bart's never going to get out of the fourth grade, and Homer's never going to move up in the world. On the other hand, the Griffins have managed to pull off the ultimate comeback. Family Guy survived not one, but two cancellations. Fox canceled the series after the second season when ratings slipped. But public outcry -- and a shift in network management -- allowed the series to come back for a third season. After the third season, it was dumped again by Fox execs, who didn't see the upswing in ratings the fans promised. But when Family Guy exploded in DVD sales, Fox reconsidered its position and brought the series back. When it gets the ax next time, it looks like Family Guy will earn the record for most often canceled and revived series of all time.
Family Guy: 3

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Look, which family would you want to be related to? Probably neither, but when it comes right down to it, at least you don't have to worry about someone trying to knock you down or bump you off if you spend it with the Simpsons.
Family Guy: 3
The Simpsons: 2

There will always be controversy about which series is the best, but now we know which one comes up with the cheesy blue ribbon in our TV Throwdown: Family Guy. Happy 4th of July, everyone!

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