Brian: Portrait of a Dog
Encyclopedia
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog" is the seventh episode and the season finale of the first season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on May 16, 1999. The episode features anthropomorphic
dog Brian
after he swallows his pride, and joins a dog show, after much convincing, in order to win money for a new air conditioner. But after an argument over a trick gone bad, with his owner, Peter Griffin
, Brian realizes he is a second-class citizen
and runs away from home, landing him in the pound on death row. Desperate to save their dog, the Griffin family
attempts to release Brian, and prevent him from being euthanized.
The episode was written by Gary Janetti
and directed by Michael Dante DiMartino
. It received praise from television critic Ahsan Haque for its storyline and use of cultural references. The episode featured guest performances by Butch Hartman
, Rachael MacFarlane
, Dick Van Patten
, Mary Scheer
, Joey Slotnick
and Wally Wingert
, along with several recurring voice actors for the series.
and, not having air conditioning, the Griffins
are suffering. Peter
learns of an upcoming dog show offering a top prize of $500, which he sees as the perfect way to be able to buy an air conditioner. He persuades a reluctant Brian
to participate. Brian performs his tricks at the dog show
. Peter puts a bone biscuit on Brian's nose; Brian finds this demeaning and becomes angry, so he refuses to "perpetuate the stereotype
of the 'good dog' ", as well as Peter saying he is embarrassed that Brian would not comply. Brian subsequently exits in a huff.
On the way home, Peter and Brian argue until Brian gets out of the car. The police give Brian a ticket, for which Peter has to pay $10, for violating the local leash law, which only widens the rift between Peter and Brian. Another argument ensues and Peter mentions that he found Brian on the road as a stray dog. Angry that Peter brought that up and becoming more angry when Peter then demands that Brian "stop being a bad dog", Brian leaves the house, whereupon he is treated badly and unfairly by the community, and is ultimately forced to sleep at the bus station. Peter buys a new cat which turns out to be mischievous and abusive; the family gets rid of it and searches for Brian. By the time Peter decides to apologize to Brian, Brian has been kicked out of a restaurant and a public store and chased by the police when he was found drinking from a water fountain. Brian becomes homeless, having actually attacked a man on the street for treating Brian as a drunken hobo
and for not believing that Brian was a good dog. He is subsequently taken away by the police and awaits his death sentence via a lethal injection
.
A social worker announces to Brian and the rest of his family that he is sentenced to be put down, which shocks the whole family. While Peter works on Brian's appeal
, Brian decides to study the laws as much as he can and goes to court to defend his own case, but when he finally gets the chance to plead his case, the court decides that "it is stupid" to listen to a dog. During Brian's parole hearing, he references the court case Plessy v. Ferguson
. Just when he is about to be dismissed, Peter steps in and delivers a last-ditch emotional appeal on his behalf. The city council members hearing the case are still not on Brian's side, but Peter promises to give them each $20, which convinces them to free Brian. The charges against Brian are finally dropped and the town shows him new respect, allowing him to finally drink out of a water fountain, showing his status to be the same as that of the other citizens of the community. The family returns home. After Stewie, in an unusual display of respect towards Brian, bows ever so slightly towards him, Brian and Peter are left alone. Brian licks Peter's face in an endearing dog gesture, and threatens to kill him if he ever tells anyone about it.
, his first time writing for the series, and directed by former King of the Hill
director Michael Dante DiMartino
, who was a newcomer to the show at the time, having written "I Never Met the Dead Man
". DiMartino would later go on to co-create and produce Avatar: The Last Airbender
with Bryan Konietzko
at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Roy Allen Smith and Peter Shin
(who have been supervising other episodes of the show), acted as supervising directors. Mike Henry, Neil Goldman, Andrew Gormley
and Garrett Donovan worked in the episode as story editors and staff writers. Series creator Seth MacFarlane, David Zuckerman, Lolee Aries, David Pritchard and Mike Wolf worked as executive producer, while Craig Hoffman, Danny Smith and Gary Janetti worked as supervising producers. In addition to the regular cast, the episode featured the voices of actress and comedienne Mary Scheer
, actors Dick Van Patten
, Joey Slotnick
, Wally Wingert
and actress and sister of show creator Seth MacFarlane, Rachael MacFarlane
. Recurring guest voice actors included actress Lori Alan
and writer and animator Butch Hartman
.
, before being cut off. Another reference comes after Brian is freed, he drinks from the drinking fountain in a defiant manner, which is a reference to the 1974 television movie, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
. Other media references include the Griffin family watching the television show Eight is Enough
and Peter writing a letter to Angus MacGyver
, from the show MacGyver
, asking him to rescue Brian from jail.
rated the episode a 9.6/10, praising the random jokes and calling it "yet another finely crafted early episode that tells a great cohesive story, has some great random jokes, and throws in a bucket of social satire for good measure. This was also the final episode of the extremely short but groundbreaking first season, and definitely ranks amongst the best in the series."
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog", along with the twenty-seven other episodes from Family Guys first and second season, were released on a four-disc DVD
set in the United States on April 15, 2003. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes. The DVD also features French and Spanish versions of the episodes, an alteration of an episode, and deleted scenes of some episodes.
Family Guy (season 1)
The first season of the animated comedy series Family Guy aired on Fox from January 31, 1999, to May 16, 1999, and consisted of seven episodes. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family—father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie and their anthropomorphic dog Brian,...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on May 16, 1999. The episode features anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
dog Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
after he swallows his pride, and joins a dog show, after much convincing, in order to win money for a new air conditioner. But after an argument over a trick gone bad, with his owner, Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
, Brian realizes he is a second-class citizen
Second-class citizen
Second-class citizen is an informal term used to describe a person who is systematically discriminated against within a state or other political jurisdiction, despite their nominal status as a citizen or legal resident there...
and runs away from home, landing him in the pound on death row. Desperate to save their dog, the Griffin family
Griffin family
The Griffin family is a family from the animated television series Family Guy. The Griffins are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode...
attempts to release Brian, and prevent him from being euthanized.
The episode was written by Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti is an American television writer and producer.He has written for Family Guy, and was the executive producer of Will and Grace.-External links:...
and directed by Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
. It received praise from television critic Ahsan Haque for its storyline and use of cultural references. The episode featured guest performances by Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, executive producer, animation director, storyboard artist, voice actor, occasional singer, producer, and creator of the animated series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.-Childhood:Hartman was born in Highland Park,...
, Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
, Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
, Mary Scheer
Mary Scheer
Mary Scheer is an American actress and comedian. She is best known as one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for playing Freddie's mother, Marissa Benson, on iCarly...
, Joey Slotnick
Joey Slotnick
Joey Slotnick is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Slotnick was born in Chicago, Ill.His film roles include computer industry pioneer Steve Wozniak in the film Pirates of Silicon Valley, and a part in the 1996 blockbuster Twister...
and Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
, along with several recurring voice actors for the series.
Plot
Quahog is in the grip of an unusual heat waveHeat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
and, not having air conditioning, the Griffins
Griffin family
The Griffin family is a family from the animated television series Family Guy. The Griffins are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode...
are suffering. Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
learns of an upcoming dog show offering a top prize of $500, which he sees as the perfect way to be able to buy an air conditioner. He persuades a reluctant Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
to participate. Brian performs his tricks at the dog show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
. Peter puts a bone biscuit on Brian's nose; Brian finds this demeaning and becomes angry, so he refuses to "perpetuate the stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
of the 'good dog' ", as well as Peter saying he is embarrassed that Brian would not comply. Brian subsequently exits in a huff.
On the way home, Peter and Brian argue until Brian gets out of the car. The police give Brian a ticket, for which Peter has to pay $10, for violating the local leash law, which only widens the rift between Peter and Brian. Another argument ensues and Peter mentions that he found Brian on the road as a stray dog. Angry that Peter brought that up and becoming more angry when Peter then demands that Brian "stop being a bad dog", Brian leaves the house, whereupon he is treated badly and unfairly by the community, and is ultimately forced to sleep at the bus station. Peter buys a new cat which turns out to be mischievous and abusive; the family gets rid of it and searches for Brian. By the time Peter decides to apologize to Brian, Brian has been kicked out of a restaurant and a public store and chased by the police when he was found drinking from a water fountain. Brian becomes homeless, having actually attacked a man on the street for treating Brian as a drunken hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
and for not believing that Brian was a good dog. He is subsequently taken away by the police and awaits his death sentence via a lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
.
A social worker announces to Brian and the rest of his family that he is sentenced to be put down, which shocks the whole family. While Peter works on Brian's appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
, Brian decides to study the laws as much as he can and goes to court to defend his own case, but when he finally gets the chance to plead his case, the court decides that "it is stupid" to listen to a dog. During Brian's parole hearing, he references the court case Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
. Just when he is about to be dismissed, Peter steps in and delivers a last-ditch emotional appeal on his behalf. The city council members hearing the case are still not on Brian's side, but Peter promises to give them each $20, which convinces them to free Brian. The charges against Brian are finally dropped and the town shows him new respect, allowing him to finally drink out of a water fountain, showing his status to be the same as that of the other citizens of the community. The family returns home. After Stewie, in an unusual display of respect towards Brian, bows ever so slightly towards him, Brian and Peter are left alone. Brian licks Peter's face in an endearing dog gesture, and threatens to kill him if he ever tells anyone about it.
Production
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog" was written by Gary JanettiGary Janetti
Gary Janetti is an American television writer and producer.He has written for Family Guy, and was the executive producer of Will and Grace.-External links:...
, his first time writing for the series, and directed by former King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
director Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
, who was a newcomer to the show at the time, having written "I Never Met the Dead Man
I Never Met the Dead Man
"I Never Met the Dead Man" is the second episode of the first season of the animated comedy series Family Guy, originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 11, 1999. The episode follows Peter Griffin as he teaches his daughter Meg how to drive. Due to his horrible advice they crash into a...
". DiMartino would later go on to co-create and produce Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
with Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Roy Allen Smith and Peter Shin
Peter Shin
Peter Shin is the:*supervising director of Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story*director of Big Bug Man.*director of Family Guy episodes:**"Death Has a Shadow"**"Emission Impossible"**"North by North Quahog"**"It's a Trap!"...
(who have been supervising other episodes of the show), acted as supervising directors. Mike Henry, Neil Goldman, Andrew Gormley
Andrew Gormley
Andrew Gormley was the drummer for the band Rorschach , a hardcore band from New Jersey.- Bands :* Torment - drums * Under Control - drums * Rorschach - drums...
and Garrett Donovan worked in the episode as story editors and staff writers. Series creator Seth MacFarlane, David Zuckerman, Lolee Aries, David Pritchard and Mike Wolf worked as executive producer, while Craig Hoffman, Danny Smith and Gary Janetti worked as supervising producers. In addition to the regular cast, the episode featured the voices of actress and comedienne Mary Scheer
Mary Scheer
Mary Scheer is an American actress and comedian. She is best known as one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for playing Freddie's mother, Marissa Benson, on iCarly...
, actors Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
, Joey Slotnick
Joey Slotnick
Joey Slotnick is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Slotnick was born in Chicago, Ill.His film roles include computer industry pioneer Steve Wozniak in the film Pirates of Silicon Valley, and a part in the 1996 blockbuster Twister...
, Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
and actress and sister of show creator Seth MacFarlane, Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
. Recurring guest voice actors included actress Lori Alan
Lori Alan
Lori Alan , sometimes credited as Lori Allen, is an American voice actress who provides the voice of news anchor Diane Simmons on Family Guy, various voices on Hey Arnold!, and SpongeBob SquarePants as Pearl....
and writer and animator Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, executive producer, animation director, storyboard artist, voice actor, occasional singer, producer, and creator of the animated series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.-Childhood:Hartman was born in Highland Park,...
.
Cultural references
The episode makes references to the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the United States. While arguing his case before the city council, Brian tries to reference the landmark United States Supreme Court case Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
, before being cut off. Another reference comes after Brian is freed, he drinks from the drinking fountain in a defiant manner, which is a reference to the 1974 television movie, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1971 novel by Ernest J. Gaines. The story depicts the struggles of African Americans as seen through the eyes of the narrator, a woman named Jane Pittman...
. Other media references include the Griffin family watching the television show Eight is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
and Peter writing a letter to Angus MacGyver
Angus MacGyver
Angus MacGyver, known as just MacGyver or Mac until the final season of the American spy television series MacGyver, is the highly intelligent, optimistic action hero played by Richard Dean Anderson. He prefers non-violent conflict resolution wherever possible and refuses to carry or use a gun...
, from the show MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
, asking him to rescue Brian from jail.
Reception
Ahsan Haque of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the episode a 9.6/10, praising the random jokes and calling it "yet another finely crafted early episode that tells a great cohesive story, has some great random jokes, and throws in a bucket of social satire for good measure. This was also the final episode of the extremely short but groundbreaking first season, and definitely ranks amongst the best in the series."
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog", along with the twenty-seven other episodes from Family Guys first and second season, were released on a four-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on April 15, 2003. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes. The DVD also features French and Spanish versions of the episodes, an alteration of an episode, and deleted scenes of some episodes.