4/3/23, 3:38 AM Brian: Portrait of a Dog - Wikipedia
Brian: Portrait of a Dog
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog" is the seventh episode and the
season finale of the first season of the animated comedy series "Brian: Portrait of a
Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on Dog"
May 16, 1999. The episode features anthropomorphic dog Family Guy episode
Brian after he swallows his pride, and joins a dog show, after
Episode no. Season 1
much convincing, in order to win money for a new air
conditioner. But after an argument over a trick gone bad, with Episode 7
his owner, Peter Griffin, Brian realizes he is a second-class Directed by Michael Dante
citizen and runs away from home, landing him in the pound DiMartino
on death row. Desperate to save their dog, the Griffin family
Written by Gary Janetti
attempts to release Brian, and prevent him from being
euthanized.[1] Production code 1ACX07
Original air date May 16, 1999
The episode was written by Gary Janetti and directed by
Michael Dante DiMartino. It received praise from television Guest appearances
critic Ahsan Haque for its storyline and use of cultural
references. The episode featured guest performances by Butch Lori Alan as Dianne Simmons
Hartman, Rachael MacFarlane, Dick Van Patten, Mary Scheer, Butch Hartman
Joey Slotnick and Wally Wingert, along with several recurring
voice actors for the series. Rachael MacFarlane
Dick Van Patten as Thomas
Plot Bradford
Mary Scheer as Mary Bradford
Quahog is in the grip of an unusual heat wave and, not having Joey Slotnick
air conditioning, the Griffins are suffering. Peter learns of an Wally Wingert
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; finding this demeaning and becoming angry, Brian 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. A police officer gives 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 cruelly
by the community, and is (ultimately) forced to sleep at the bus shelter. Peter buys a new pet, a cat,
which turns out to be troublesome 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 him as a drunken hobo and for
not believing that he was not a good dog but a crazy animal. He is subsequently arrested by the
police.
A social worker announces to Brian and the rest of his family that Brian is sentenced to death by
lethal injection, which shocks everyone. While Peter works on Brian's appeal, Brian decides to
study the law as much as he can, and goes to court to defend himself, and finally gets the chance to
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4/3/23, 3:38 AM Brian: Portrait of a Dog - Wikipedia
plead his case before the Quahog City Council. During his parole hearing, he references the court
case Plessy v. Ferguson, but unfortunately for him, the council believes that it's stupid to listen to
a dog. Just when Brian is about to be dismissed, Peter steps in and delivers a last-ditch emotional
appeal on his behalf. The city council members remain unmoved until Peter bribes them with $20
each, and Brian is immediately freed. The charges against him 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 and Stewie, in
an unusual (at the time) display of respect towards Brian, bows ever so slightly towards him. Brian
and Peter are then left alone. Brian licks Peter's face in an endearing dog gesture, and threatens to
kill him if he ever tells anyone about it.[1][2]
Production
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog" was written by Gary Janetti, his first time
writing for the series,[3] and directed by former King of the Hill director
Michael Dante DiMartino,[3] who was a newcomer to the show at the
time, having directed "I Never Met the Dead Man".[3][4] DiMartino
would later go on to co-create and produce Avatar: The Last Airbender
with Bryan Konietzko at Nickelodeon Animation Studios.[5] Roy Allen
Smith and Peter Shin (who have been supervising other episodes of the
show), acted as supervising directors.[3] Mike Henry, Neil Goldman,
Andrew Gormley and Garrett Donovan worked in the episode as story
editors and staff writers.[3] Series creator Seth MacFarlane, David Michael Dante DiMartino
Zuckerman, Lolee Aries, David Pritchard and Mike Wolf worked as directed the episode
executive producer, while Craig Hoffman, Danny Smith and Gary Janetti
worked as supervising producers.[3] In addition to the regular cast, the
episode featured the voices of actress and comedian Mary Scheer, actors Dick Van Patten, Joey
Slotnick, and actress and sister of show creator Seth MacFarlane, Rachael MacFarlane.[3]
Recurring guest voice actors included actress Lori Alan, writer and animator Butch Hartman, and
voice actor Wally Wingert.[3]
Cultural references
The episode makes references to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. While arguing his case before the
city council, Brian tries to reference the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson,
before being cut off. Another reference comes after Brian is freed, he drinks from a drinking
fountain in a defiant manner, a reference to the 1974 television movie, The Autobiography of Miss
Jane Pittman.[6] Other media references include the Griffins watching the TV show Eight is
Enough and Peter writing a letter to Angus MacGyver, from the show MacGyver, asking him to
rescue Brian from jail.[6] When Brian puts eye drops into his eyes before the dog show, he says
"Showtime" with jazz hands. This ritual and phrase are a reference to Joe Gideon in All That Jazz.
Reception
Ahsan Haque of IGN 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."[6]
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4/3/23, 3:38 AM Brian: Portrait of a Dog - Wikipedia
"Portrait of a Dog", along with the twenty-seven other episodes from Family Guy 's first and
second season, were released on a 4-disc DVD set in the U.S. on April 15, 2003. The sets included
brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several
episodes.[7] It also features French and Spanish versions of the episodes, an alteration of an
episode, and deleted scenes of some episodes.[7]
References
1. Plot synopsis information for the episode "Brian: Portrait of a Dog" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
2003.
2. Callaghan, Steve (2005). Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1–3. Harper Collins
Publishers. pp. 38–41. ISBN 0-7528-7399-7.
3. "Family Guy — Brian: Portrait of a Dog Cast and Crew" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121017
140627/http://tv.yahoo.com/family-guy/show/the-son-also-draws/episode/1549). Yahoo! TV.
Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original (https://tv.yahoo.com/family-guy/show/the-son-also-draw
s/episode/1549) on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
4. "Family Guy — I Never Met the Dead Man Cast and Crew" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110
615061924/http://tv.yahoo.com/episode/1544/castcrew). Yahoo! TV. Yahoo! Inc. Archived from
the original (https://tv.yahoo.com/episode/1544/castcrew) on 2011-06-15. Retrieved
2010-05-07.
5. DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan (2006). "In Their Elements". Nickelodeon
Magazine (Winter 2006): 6.
6. Haque, Ashan (2008). "Family Guy Flashback: "Brian: Portrait of a Dog" Review" (http://tv.ign.c
om/articles/885/885471p1.html). IGN. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
7. "Family Guy — Volume 1" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121015144536/http://www.tvshowso
ndvd.com/releases/Family-Guy-Volume-Release/1666). TVShowsonDVD.com. Archived from
the original (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Family-Guy-Volume-Release/1666) on
2012-10-15. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
External links
Television portal
"Brian: Portrait of a Dog" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0576923/) at IMDb
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