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{{short description|Fictional character from the Family Guy franchise}}
{{Article issues|in-universe=July 2009|original research =July 2009|refimprove =July 2009}}
{{pp-move}}

{{other uses}}
{{Family Guy character
{{redirect|Brian the dog|the real dog|Bing (dog)}}
|name = Brian Griffin
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
|picture = ]
{{Infobox character
|caption = Brian Griffin
| series = ]
|relatives = '''Mother:''' ] ''(deceased)''<br>'''Father:''' ] ''(deceased)''<br>'''Son:''' ]<br>'''Cousin:''' ]'''
| image = Brian Griffin.png
|gender = Male
|hair = ] | first = "]" (1999)
|appearance = ] | creator = ]
|voice = ] | designer = Seth MacFarlane
| voice = Seth MacFarlane
|age = born june 1 1986 ]
| gender = Male
| species = ] ("white" ])
| occupation = ]
| religion = None (])
| family = {{unbulleted list
| ] (owner/best friend)
| ] (owner/friend/crush)
| ] (owner)
| ] (owner)
| ] (owner/best friend/frenemy)
}}
| relatives = {{unbulleted list
| Biscuit (deceased mother)
| Coco (deceased father)
| Scout (uncle)
| Jerry (deceased brother)
| Callie (sister)
| Jasper (cousin)
| Ricardo (cousin-in-law)
| Scrappy Brian (deceased nephew)
}}
| children = {{unbulleted list
| Dylan Flannigan (son)
}}
| home = ]
| lbl21 = Age
| data21 = 10 (70 in dog years)
}} }}
'''Brian Griffin'''<!-- Do not change to "H. Brian Griffin" or "Brian Edward Griffin." The use of two different full names suggests both are "one-off" gags--> is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom '']''. He is one of the main characters of the series and a member of the ]. Created, designed, and voiced by ], he is an ] white ] who is the best friend of both Peter and Stewie Griffin and comic ] with the ability to speak, sing, drive, and stand on two legs.
'''Brian Griffin''' is a ] from the ] '']'', and is voiced by show creator ]. He is an ] white ] who stands ]ly (although in early episodes he is often depicted sitting on all fours). MacFarlane uses his normal speaking voice for Brian, as opposed to the vocal modifications he makes when voicing other characters in the show such as ], ], and ]. In the ], Seth MacFarlane provided the same voice as Brian for a dog named Steve, who had a similar personality. In the 1000th issue of '']'', Brian Griffin was selected as the Dog for "The Perfect TV Family."<ref>"TV: Breaking Down the List," ''Entertainment Weekly," #999/1000 June 27 & July 4, 2008, 56.</ref>


<!--"Role in Family Guy" and character conception × 2-->Brian first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in the series premiere "]" on January 31, 1999. MacFarlane was asked to pitch a pilot to the ], based on ], two shorts made by MacFarlane featuring a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. These two characters were redesigned and renamed Peter and Brian, but they retained the same voices and personalities.
==Overview==
Brian is a ] who was born in ] and has lived with the Griffin family since Peter picked him up as a stray. While he exhibits some typical dog behaviors such as eating garbage and being afraid of the vacuum, he also possesses various ] qualities, such as the ability to speak intelligently and attending college. He also has a particularly sharp ].<ref>'']'' staff, ''TV Guide: The Ultimate Resource to Television Programs on DVD''. New York: Macmillan (2005): 87. "Nihilistic animated antics of the grousing Griffins, including Peter, ... Lois, ... Meg and Chris; ... Stewie, ... and family dog Brian, the smartest of the lot."</ref><ref>Navjeet Singh, "", '']'' March 27, 2008. "That one dog, Brian, walks upright, can speak, is highly intelligent and loves to drink as well."</ref> Peter is his best friend, despite Brian's vastly superior intelligence. Seth MacFarlane has once described Brian as "a dog who has a wit as dry as the ]s he drinks."{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} Brian is often the voice of reason in the family, frequently reminding Peter how stupid his plans are.


Brian has been featured in many items of merchandise for ''Family Guy'', and he is considered to be one of the series' biggest merchandising characters. He has also made ] appearances in the other MacFarlane-produced series, such as '']'' and '']''.
Brian is an ] who often gets irritated when confronted with religious intolerance<ref>In ], when Brian makes a remark to Peter's father, Francis Griffin, asking when Stewie will be baptized, Francis threatens him. Brian sarcastically responds: "That's very Christian; believe what I say or I'll hurt you."</ref> or blind faith.<ref>In "]," Brian is dubious of Meg's new found faith in Jesus, eventually dissuading her from it.</ref>


As a character, Brian was initially very well received by critics, although reception in later years has been mixed. When Brian was ] in the ] episode "]", the events of the episode received substantial attention from the media and elicited strongly negative reactions from fans of the series. Brian subsequently returned two episodes later, in "]", after ], his best friend, traveled back in time to save him.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Life of Brian |series=Family Guy |network=Fox |date=November 24, 2013 |season=12 |number=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode |title=Christmas Guy |series=Family Guy |network=Fox |date=December 15, 2013 |season=12 |number=8}}</ref>
Brian has a cultured background; he loves ] and ], has talented ] ability, being able to sing all four parts to a ] simultaneously.<ref name=talents>http://www.wvah.com/programs/familyguy/briangriffin.shtml</ref> He attended ], and is an avid writer. Brian also has aspirations as a novelist, and fleeting mentions of his novel are a running gag on the show.


==Role in ''Family Guy''==
While not seen holding a regular job in Quahog, Brian is depicted both owning and driving a silver ], paying bills, and maintaining a credit card. In various episodes, he has been a ] at ]'s school, a contributor for the '']'', a ],<ref> {{cite episode
], similar to the one Brian drives]]
| title = Deep Throats
Brian is a white-furred ] dog. He can talk, generally walks on his hind legs (using his front legs as arms), has opposable thumbs, drives a ] (with the ] "BRI-DOG"), and is often portrayed as the only sane person in his family. He is the pet dog of the ], and in keeping with the series's treatment of anthropomorphic characters, Brian's human attributes receive little acknowledgment and no explanation; he is largely treated as a human character. Brian is the best friend of both Peter and Stewie, and many of the series' sub-plots center around the latter pairing. They are occasionally at the center of the plot, like in the ] episodes. Brian and Stewie have a ] in which they constantly argue and humiliate each other, and yet are irreplaceable in each other's lives. In the episode "]", they admit that they love each other as friends, and give each other's lives purpose. Despite having many human traits he clearly acts like a dog many times.
| episodelink = Deep Throats
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2006-04-09
| season = 4
| number = 23
| minutes =
}} </ref>
and a ] for the ] ] department.<ref name="s03e01" /> He also worked selling cars while the Griffin family thought that Peter had died in the episode "]". Brian held several jobs while living in ] including ], ] attendant, ], and ] ].<ref name="s03e02">{{cite episode
| title = Brian Does Hollywood
| episodelink = Brian Does Hollywood
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2001-07-18
| season = 3
| number = 2
| minutes =
}}.</ref>


Brian is an alcoholic and very fond of ]s; he is seen to have ] in various episodes when he is told or forced to stop drinking. He ] occasionally, although in the episode "]", after seeing ] promoting a corrupt ] company, he quit smoking, a habit he resumed at the end of that episode. He also regularly smokes ]. After a ], he developed a ] addiction, but after spending time in rehab he managed to achieve ].
==Background==
Brian was born in ], at a ]. For a while he was homeless, ], washing car windows on the side of a highway exit when Peter found him. Having no money to give Brian, Peter brought Brian home to the Griffin family. Brian also intermittently attended ], though he remains one class short of graduating. Brian references his unseen service in the ] in the season 4 episode "]". When Brian returned to Austin to find his mother in "]," he found that she had died and her owners were using her ] body as a table; Brian absconded with her body to give his mother a proper burial. In another episode, when Brian teaches Chris's English class, it is mentioned by Chris that his father's name is "Coco" and that he was hit by a milk truck.


He is the son of Coco and Biscuit, who were normal dogs, though Brian's human attributes have been present since his puppyhood. He claims his father was a ]. Brian received an ] education, having attended ], as seen in "]", but dropped out one course away from graduating. He is also an ] veteran because Stewie signed them both up for the Army in "]". ''Family Guy'' uses a ] in which the characters do not age much, so the series is always assumed to be set in the current year. However, several of the characters, such as ], have aged two to three years since the series' ], while others, such as ] and Brian, have aged very little. At the start of the series, Brian was 6, but he is currently 10 years old.<ref name="book">{{cite book|title=Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide, Seasons 1–3|last=Callaghan |first=Steve|isbn=978-0-06-083305-3|chapter=A Hero Sits Next Door|page=|publisher=]|location=New York City|year=2005|authorlink=Steve Callaghan|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/familyguyofficia00call|url=https://archive.org/details/familyguyofficia00call/page/32}}</ref> Despite his intelligence, Brian has shown conventional dog behavior on occasion. He greatly fears the vacuum cleaner which Lois refers to as "Mr. Hoover", he once ran excitedly into the kitchen when Meg shook a bag of dog food in "]", and in the episode "]" it is revealed that Brian can only defecate and urinate on the Griffins' front lawn.
==Relationships==
===Romantic===
In addition to behaving like a human, Brian most commonly pursues relationships with humans.<ref name="frax">{{cite news |first=Frazier |last=Moore |work=Associated Press |title=Hindsight: 'Family Guy' dog Brian dates MTV star |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090504/ap_en_tv/us_tv_hindsight_family_guy_2 |date=May 4, 2009}}</ref> Usually, other characters do not comment on the ] aspects of such a sexual relationship; exceptions include "]", where Peter asks Lois why she wants to stay with Brian, then remarks, "That, and uh, hi? He's a dog." MacFarlane mentions in the commentary for "Castaway" that making episodes about Brian being in love is "always a line that we have to walk," concerning the mainstream ] anxiety regarding ].


In several episodes, events have been linked to specific times, although this timeline has been contradicted in subsequent episodes. An example of this is when in "]", Peter is shown in a flashback finding a fully grown Brian as a ]. In "]", Brian tries to regain attention from the Griffin family by showing them home videos of him as a puppy, although none of the videos of him as a puppy showed any member of the Griffin family, so it is possible that the videos were filmed by a previous owner. Brian also has a human son named Dylan, who is a regular marijuana smoker, before Brian manages to turn Dylan's life around from a violent, uneducated teenager to an eloquent and kind-hearted young man. Their relationship becomes strained over time as Brian distances himself from Dylan, until he learns that his son has been cast in a television show and uses Dylan to land a job as a writer for the show. Stewie is very confused as to how Brian as an 8-year-old dog can have a teenage son, and Brian's remark about it being in dog years confuses him even further.
Throughout the series, Brian is shown both pursuing ] as well as long-term relationships. In "]", Brian discovers that he has an ] son named Dylan Flannigan; he slept with a former girlfriend named Tracy and unknowingly impregnated her before their relationship ended and they parted ways. Brian reconciles with his unruly son, who then moves back in with his mother. Brian had a regular girlfriend ] who appeared in several episodes. They broke up when Brian was not ready to commit to her. Brian finally express his true love for Jillian in the "]" episode during her wedding vows but Jillian married her human groom, Derek, anyway.<ref name="frax"/>


Brian is a ], who supports legalizing marijuana, ] and ending the ]. He is also an ], although in the episode "]" he starts praying out of panic when news anchors ] and ] announce that the world will end (later revealed to be an ] joke). In "]", Brian revealed that he ].
Brian also has relationships with dogs. In the episode "]", he is faced with being ]ed as punishment for impregnating Seabreeze, a racing dog owned by Lois' father, ]. At the last moment, however, he discovers that the real father turns out to be ].


Despite once being portrayed as having a high intellect, more recent episodes have depicted Brian as having an average-at-best intelligence and being a fraudulent intellectual, such as pretending to be well-read or understanding concepts he does not, such as the ] theory in "]". While he often tries to show his intelligence, he is frequently corrected by others (mainly Stewie). After taking the ]s for Meg, it is revealed that ], which causes him to have an ]; the low SAT score is later explained by Brian having a ] at the time. He has since been generally insecure about his intelligence and will sometimes take credit for some of Stewie's achievements in order to make himself look smart.
===With family members===
In "]", Brian makes out with Meg at a dance after he gets drunk. The kiss affects Meg, causing her to become deeply infatuated with him. In "Brian In Love" Brian confesses to his therapist that he is in love with Lois. Eventually Stewie finds out and chews Brian out of the crush. Before that, Brian refers to his crush as "smitten" and almost tells Lois he loves her. In the end, Brian decides to keep his love for Lois a secret.
<ref>{{
| title = Brian in Love
| episodelink = Brian in Love
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2000-03-07
| season = 2
| number = 4
| minutes =
}}</ref>


Brian sees himself as a romantic and has had several relationships over the years, mainly with human women like ], ], ], and ]. Although, in "Brian Dates a Bitch", he falls for female show-dog Ellie. In his romantic pursuits, Brian will often abandon his own personal beliefs and personality in order to make himself more appealing to the women he is attracted to, sometimes even resorting to lying in order to make himself look good. These relationships often end badly due to his inflated ego or being caught in a deception.
]"]]
In the episode "]", Peter comes home, after a long absence where he is presumed dead, to find Brian has been married to Lois for a period of several months, with Brian having taken a job to support the family in Peter's absence. Lois has insisted on keeping separate beds despite Brian's requests that they consummate their relationship. Lois returns to Peter, but later mentions she was "one day" from deciding to finally have sex with Brian, to Brian's great frustration.


His longest-lasting relationship was with Jillian Russell, a beautiful but dimwitted girl who Brian dated in season 5. He eventually ] in season 6. This eventually leads to a fight when Brian reveals he did not want to move in with her. He later tries to win her back but discovers she is now dating ], leaving him heartbroken.
In "]", Brian takes Peter and Lois on a vacation to ], which he won to receive a writing award for a poem he wrote. There, he read an excerpt from the poem, which is about Lois. He then spends an entire day with her, though his repressed feelings of love lead him to have fantasies of him kissing Lois. He eventually loses his self-restraint and ends up trying to have sex with her while openly professing his passion. When Brian apologizes, Lois herself finally admits that she had thoughts about being with Brian, saying she imagined having sex with him would be the same as "doing it with a stuffed animal," though they both agree she should be with Peter, for the time being.


Brian's most significant relationship was with Jess Schlotz, a woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who Brian meets in a bar in "Married...With Cancer". As Jess had only a little time left to live, Brian agrees to help her with her bucket list and the two fall in love. The couple eventually get married as Jess's time grows shorter, a decision Brian later regrets when Jess's doctor says she will make a full recovery. Brian is deeply depressed following the marriage, becoming overweight and emotionally distant to the point where Jess brings him to the pound to be ]. The two remain married until Jess' death, which occurs during a commercial break.
As Peter's best friend, Brian has had to adapt to Peter being substantially less intelligent than he is. Brian's affection for Peter is shown in the episode "]" when, after Peter saves him from being ], Brian licks Peter's face. Also in "The Thin White Line" when Brian defends Peter when he is accused of being Brian's "x-factor".


===Writing career===
Although they share a shifting dislike for one another, Brian and Stewie have similar levels of intelligence and sophistication, as well as sharing several cultural interests. They are often paired as a duo. In the episode "]", when Brian is on the equivalent of Death Row, Stewie makes numerous expressions of delight at Brian's situation; however, at the end of the episode, when Brian has triumphed and returned home, Stewie addresses Brian and bows to him, in a sort of gesture of respect between adversaries. Stewie at times considers himself as Brian's ''buddy'' but revels in tormenting Brian by openly professing disgust for the dog, particularly for Brian's natural dog behavior, alcohol problems, different opinions, and difficulty completing his novel. Brian, in turn, expresses open contempt for Stewie's plans to kill Lois and take over the world.
Brian is an aspiring but struggling writer—this is said to be a reference to ] from '']'', and reflective of a younger MacFarlane. Brian is unemployed, but he is often seen writing various novels, screenplays, or essays. His difficult writing career and apparent lack of talent is used as a recurring joke throughout the series. In the episode "]", Brian wins an award for an essay he wrote, though he later admits that he ]d the piece.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/03/03/family-guy-play-it-again-brian/|title=Family Guy: Play it Again, Brian – VIDEO|work=]|last=Trechak |first=Brad|date=March 3, 2008|access-date=February 26, 2010}}</ref>


In the episode "]", Brian starts writing his book ''Faster Than the Speed of Love'', which is revealed to be a rip-off of the '']'' films, specifically '']''.
Brian and Stewie are often paired in storylines as a comedy duo, specifically the ''Road to...'' episodes which openly imitate the ]/] pairing in their "]" movies,{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} complete with musical numbers. Though they seem to often show enmity towards each other, Brian and Stewie are good friends.


In the episode "]", Brian finally publishes ''Faster Than the Speed of Love'', and the novel is shipped, but it is critically panned and does not sell a single copy.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.film.com/tv/family-guy/season-8-2008/episode-12-420/27594853|publisher=]|title= 420 |access-date=August 1, 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> In the episode "]", he receives an invitation from the Rhode Island Society for Special Literary Excellence to an award ceremony celebrating his novel. Brian, convinced that he is a great writer, attempts to gain the family's interest in this piece of news but fails to do so. Once he arrives at the "award ceremony", however, he discovers that he has misunderstood the meaning of the word "]".
==Drug usage==
Brian is the most drug-prone character on the show, running the gamut from the legal to the illicit.


In the episode "]", he writes a television script entitled "What I Learned on Jefferson Street", and it is shown to ] who picks it up after reading it. Although the script is good, the finished product is not, as ] intervenes and turns Brian's script into a farcical comedy piece revolving around Woods going back to college, where he is roommates with a monkey named Mr. Nubbins. In the episode "]", Brian writes a bestselling self-help book, ''Wish It, Want It, Do It'', which he writes in a few hours and consists mostly of blank pages. The book is an immediate success, but Brian lets the fame go to his head. He eventually causes the downfall of his book's popularity, and things go back to normal. Brian mentions it again in "]" in order to get a girl.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://d-panabaker.org/2010/03/29/danielle-panabaker-on-family-guy/ |title=Danielle Panabaker on Family Guy |publisher=D-Panabaker.org |access-date=April 4, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122232622/http://d-panabaker.org/2010/03/29/danielle-panabaker-on-family-guy/ |archive-date=November 22, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Behind the scenes of 'Family Guy' Character 'voice' star to speak|work=]|date=November 19, 2006|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AD&p_theme=ad&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11597438A790F3B8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D}}</ref>
Brian is depicted smoking in early episodes but did not smoke during the 2006–2007 season. In the commentary for the episode "]" on ''The Freakin' Sweet Collection'', "Brian" (MacFarlane in character) states he has quit smoking and has gained weight as a result.


Brian's latest literary attempt came in the episode "]", where he writes a play titled ''A Passing Fancy''. The play becomes very popular in Quahog; however, Brian is upset when he realizes that Stewie writes a play that is better than his. Stewie's play is eventually shown on ]. Brian becomes depressed, as he wants to be a good writer for the few remaining years he has, and doesn't want to be overshadowed by Stewie, who has his whole life ahead of him.
Throughout the series, Brian is prone to ], one of the qualities for which Stewie derides him. He is often seen holding his trademark ] in several episodes. He also drinks Pawtucket Patriot Ale, ], ] and ].


==Character==
In ], he develops a ] addiction after becoming a ].<ref name="s03e01">{{cite episode
===Creation===
| title = The Thin White Line
] created and voices Brian.]]
| episodelink = The Thin White Line
''Family Guy'' creator ] created a cartoon short entitled '']''.<ref>{{cite news|date=November 5, 2006|url=http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/05.11/03-classday.html|title=''Family Guy'' Seth MacFarlane to speak at Class Day|work=Harvard Gazette|access-date=October 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418134025/http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/05.11/03-classday.html|archive-date=April 18, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The short centered around a middle-aged man named Larry and his anthropomorphic dog Steve.<ref name="GreatReporter">{{cite news |url = http://greatreporter.com/mambo/content/view/1383/11/|title = Seth MacFarlane&nbsp;– he's the "Family Guy"|access-date = October 18, 2009|last = Bartlett|first = James|date = March 12, 2007|work = The Great Reporter|publisher = Presswire Limited}}</ref> In 1997, when MacFarlane was working for ], writing for shows such as '']'', '']'', and '']'',<ref name="Yahoovid">{{cite news|last=MacFarlane |first=Seth|year=2006|url=http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/1929627/2891929 |title=Inside Media at MTR (2006): ''Family Guy'' 2 |work=]|publisher=]|access-date=October 18, 2009}}</ref> he made a ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Cartoonist MacFarlane funny guy of Fox's 'Family' Subversive voice of series is his|date=January 29, 1999|work=]|last=Graham |first=Jefferson|page=7E}}</ref> The short caught the eye of ] representatives, who asked him to create a TV series revolving around the characters.<ref name="GreatReporter"/> MacFarlane received a US$50,000 budget to develop a pilot for the show, which was, as MacFarlane stated in a 2006 interview, "{{interp|...}} about one twentieth of what most pilots cost".<ref name="Yahoovid"/> MacFarlane claims to have drawn inspiration from several sitcoms, namely '']'' and '']''.<ref name="Road to">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/429/429628p10.html|title=Interview with Seth MacFarlane|work=] |access-date=December 9, 2009}}</ref> Several premises were also carried over from several 1980s ]s he watched as a child, namely '']'', and '']''.<ref name="MacFarlaneTIME">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1844711,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926152756/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1844711,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2008|title=Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane|last=Cruz |first=Gilbert|date=September 26, 2008|magazine=]|access-date=August 28, 2009}}</ref>
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2001-07-11
| season = 3
| number = 1
| minutes =
}} Brian becomes addicted to cocaine and attends treatment in the first part of this two-part episode.</ref>


In three months, MacFarlane created the Griffin family and developed a pilot for the show he called ''Family Guy''.<ref name="FastCompany">{{cite news|work=]|last=Dean |first=Josh |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1042476/seth-macfarlanes-2-billion-family-guy-empire |title=Seth MacFarlane's $2 Billion Family Guy Empire|date=October 13, 2008|access-date=May 12, 2023}}</ref> Brian's character was largely based on Steve, and Larry would be the main inspiration for the Peter character.<ref name="AWN">{{cite news|url=http://www.awn.com/news/events/cartoon-network-pilots-screened-asifa-east-nycs-school-visual-arts|title=Cartoon Network Pilots Screened by ASIFA East at NYC's School of Visual Arts|last=Strike |first=Joe|publisher=]|date=February 13, 2007|access-date=October 18, 2009}}</ref>
Casual mentions of Brian's marijuana usage are also recurrent in the show, though are usually fleeting and ancillary to the main plot line. Despite being apparently ignorant of the drug in ] in ], Brian has referred to buying, being in possession of, or smoking ] in a number of episodes. In ], Brian successfully lobbies for the drug's legalization after being arrested for possession.


===Voice===
==Political beliefs==
The voice of Brian is provided by series creator Seth MacFarlane, who also provides the voices of many other characters including ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Cartoonist MacFarlane funny guy of Fox's 'Family' Subversive voice of series is his|work=]|last=Graham |first=Jefferson|date=January 29, 1999|page=E7}}</ref> Brian's voice is MacFarlane's normal speaking voice. ] auditioned unsuccessfully for the role.<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23365 |title=Seth MacFarlane |access-date=September 26, 2007 |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |date=January 26, 2006 |work=The A.V. Club |publisher=Onion, Inc. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926223220/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23365 |archive-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref>
Brian has a ] political philosophy mirroring MacFarlane's, stating in ] that he votes ] (despite that in ], he states he doesn't vote at all.).<ref name=Advocate>{{cite news |first=Voss |last=Brandon |title=Big Gay Following Seth MacFarlane |format=Magazine |publisher=Michael Phelps |pages=22-23 |url=http://www.advocate.com/issue_story.asp?id=51793&page=3 |last = Voss|first = Brandon|date = 2008-02-26 <!-- This is correct. Issue date is after online publication. -->|work = ]|publisher = PlanetOut|accessdate=2008-02-15|archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref> Brian's views have been demonstrated: through his criticism of then-Presidential ] ] in his musical number "You've Got a Lot to See"; he has been shown reading ]'s book '']'', ''Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy'' by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and reading '']'', driving a ] which displays a "] ]" ], and voicing support for ]<ref>In the episode "]", Brian is quoted as saying "You know, I like ]; I don't care what anyone says."</ref> and ].<ref>In the episode "]," Brian goes out of his way to prevent a ] ban proposed by mayor ] after his cousin Jasper comes to Quahog to get married to his ] boyfriend.
</ref> He is an ]<ref>In "]," Brian turns off the air conditioning in favor of a more environmentally safe alternative, to which Lois replies, "Save your ] BS for the winter months."</ref> and has been critical of anti-immigrant sentiment.<ref>In ], Brian harshly criticizes the newly patriotic Peter's border patrol efforts, accusing Peter of being swept up in post-9/11 patriotism and saying that immigrants are an instrumental part of society.</ref> He is also a vehement supporter of ] legalization.<ref>In the episode ], Brian successfully lobbies for the legalization of ].</ref>


In the episode "]", Brian was voiced by Japanese actor Kotaro Watanabe in a scene in an alternate universe where everything is Japanese (due to an American defeat in the ]).<ref name="cast">{{cite web |url=https://tv.yahoo.com/episode/217820/castcrew |title=Family Guy – Road to the Multiverse – Cast and Crew |publisher=Yahoo! |access-date=April 4, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615055718/http://tv.yahoo.com/episode/217820/castcrew |archive-date=June 15, 2011 }}</ref>
==Racism==
In several episodes, Brian is embarrassed by his own displays of racism.


==Reception==
In "]" he barks in reflexive hostility toward a black man, then apologizes anxiously, blaming his father.<ref name="s04e04">{{cite episode
{{quote box|align=right|width=30em|quote= "Man's best friend is a poor understatement when it comes to dealing with Peter's constant mission to paint the world with all sorts of stupid. You'd think witnessing so much anti-thought would cut the poor guy a break, but no. And that's part of the character's charm: Always being on hand for the solid quip or sarcastic commentary. Having lived with the Griffins for many years, and being accepted (and audibly heard more than Stewie for some reason) as a peer, Brian has become a character as important to fans as the show's titular star." |source= Ahsan Haque, '']''<ref name=matee>{{cite web|publisher=IGN|last=Haque |first=Ahsan|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/987/987014p8.html|title= Top 25 Family Guy Characters|access-date=August 18, 2010}}</ref>}}
| title = Don't Make Me Over
| episodelink = Don't Make Me Over (Family Guy)
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2005-06-05
| season = 4
| number = 4
| minutes =
}}</ref> In the episode "]", Stewie asks Brian a rhetorical question along the lines of "What kind of man would I be if I ran off now?" to which Brian replies "You'd be a black man,"<ref name="s05e07">{{cite episode
| title = Chick Cancer
| episodelink = Chick Cancer
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2006-11-26
| season = 5
| number = 7
| minutes =
}}</ref> after which Brian again cites his father. However, in the episode "]", Brian is taken aback after Peter says that he acquired crack cocaine "from Black's," referring to a white guy selling crack behind Black's Hardware Store.<ref name="s05e10">{{cite episode
| title = Peter's Two Dads
| episodelink = Peter's Two Dads
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2007-02-11
| season = 5
| number = 10
| minutes =
}}</ref>


Ahsan Haque of ] has given Brian a positive review, calling him the best talking man-dog.<ref name=matee/> He also praised Brian's adventures with Stewie calling them, "center of many of the show's best bits".<ref name=matee/> Haque later made a list titled "Family Guy: Stewie and Brian's Greatest Adventures", where he stated that "Brian and Stewie paired together has always been a winning formula for Family Guy". They also praised the selection of Brian to play ] as they stated in the "]" review. In their list of "What Else Should Family Guy Make Fun Of?", IGN commented that Brian would be perfect to play ], if ''Family Guy'' ever decides to make a ] parody.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/106/1068679p1.html|title=What Else Should Family Guy Make Fun Of?|work=]|last=Haque |first=Ahsan|date=February 11, 2010|access-date=February 28, 2010}}</ref> In a review of the seventh season, Haque wrote that Brian "unfortunately was terribly misused this season. He's degenerated into nothing more than a soapbox for the political views of the writers".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/986/986840p1.html|title=Family Guy: Season 7 Review|publisher=IGN|last=Haque |first=Ahsan|date=May 28, 2009|access-date=September 24, 2010}}</ref> In a review of the eighth season, following his transition into a heel character, Ramsey Isler stated that Brian "left his lofty position as the voice of reason and switched to pretentious loser".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/109/1093953p1.html|title=Family Guy: Season 8 Review|publisher=IGN|last=Haque |first=Ahsan|date=June 2, 2010|access-date=September 24, 2010}}</ref>
Brian seems normally comfortable around ] and the Brown family. However, when working as a cab driver, Brian gets in trouble anyway for not picking up Cleveland, stating his hurry to run an errand for Lois as an obvious excuse.<ref name="s04e25">{{cite episode
| title = Deep Throats
| episodelink = Deep Throats
| series = Family Guy
| serieslink = Family Guy
| network = Fox
| airdate = 2006-04-09
| season = 4
| number = 23
| minutes =
}} Brian tells Lois he'll pick up the milk at the end of his shift because he's "gotta go... first fare of the night." When he pulls over and looks at Cleveland (it is not clear whether they personally recognized each other), he changes his mind and remarks "I should really pick up that milk now before I forget." Cleveland calls Brian a "son of a bitch," throws a rock at the cab, and smashes it later in the episode.</ref>


Emily VanDerWerff of '']'' praised the Brian character, and stated that "Brian has always been the show's best character and its most developed one".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/rednecks-and-broomsticks-from-bed-to-worse-dog-gon-1798207560 | title=Rednecks and Broomsticks"/"From Bed to Worse"/"Dog Gone"/"G-String Circus|publisher=]|last=VanDerWerff |first=Emily|date=November 30, 2009|access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> In a 2004 interview, Seth MacFarlane noted his similarities to Brian.<ref name="rusli">{{cite news|first=Evelyn|last=Rusli|title='Family Guy': Today Princeton, tomorrow the world|work =The Daily Princetonian|publisher=Princeton University|url =http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2004/02/05/arts/9500.shtml|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20040821091530/http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2004/02/05/arts/9500.shtml|archive-date =August 21, 2004|access-date = January 5, 2008 |date=February 5, 2004}}</ref> He also revealed that Brian is his favorite character, because he feels most comfortable when playing that role.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.quirkbooks.com/post/10-things-family-guy-taught-me-about-books | title=10 Things Family Guy Taught Me About Books| date=August 23, 2013}}</ref>
In the episode "]", Brian dates a black woman named Shauna Parks, to whom he often nervously rambles about how much he likes African-Americans. He even requests to change "] High School" to "] High School" in order to impress her.


==Writing== ===Commendations===
In IGN's "''Family Guy'': Top 10 Fights", Brian's fight with Stewie in the episode "] (season 4, 2006) is ranked number 5.<ref name="Fights">{{cite web|publisher=IGN|last=Haque |first=Ahsan|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/100/1005692p1.html|title= Family Guy: Top 10 Fights|access-date=November 14, 2009}}</ref> In ]'s "Top 10 musical moments in ''Family Guy''", Brian ranked number 6, number 5, and number 3 with the songs, "The Freakin' FCC" from "]" (season 4, 2005), "Never Gonna Give You Up" from "]" (season 5, 2007) and "This House Is Freakin' Sweet" from "]" (season 2, 1999), respectively.<ref name="Musical Moments">{{cite web |last=Haque |first=Ahsan|title= Family Guy: Top 10 Musical Moments|website=] |publisher=]|location=San Francisco, California|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/949/949158p10.html |access-date=November 14, 2009}}</ref> In a list of the Top 25 ''Family Guy'' characters compiled by IGN, Brian was placed second on the list (behind Stewie). They stated that "man's best friend is a poor understatement" with regards to Brian.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/05/28/igns-top-25-family-guy-characters?page=8 |publisher=IGN |date=May 27, 2009 |title=IGN's Top 25 Family Guy Characters |access-date=February 13, 2013}}</ref>
Brian is also known for writing a novel, with ] poking fun at his inability to finish the novel in numerous episodes. In the Season 6 episode ], Brian reveals the title, "Faster Than The Speed Of Love". He describes the book to ], and she humorously reveals that it has the same plot as the movie ]. In the Season 7 episode ], Brian's novel is finally published, and it breaks a record by not selling a single copy.


===Death and resurrection===
==Similarities with Seth MacFarlane==
{{Main|Life of Brian (Family Guy)|Christmas Guy}}
In 2004, in an interview with ''The Daily Princetonian'', MacFarlane noted his similarities to Brian on ''Family Guy'', revealing, ''"I have some Brian type issues from time to time&nbsp;— looking for the right person&nbsp;— but I date as much as the next guy."''<ref name="rusli">{{cite news | first=Evelyn | last=Rusli | coauthors= | title='Family Guy': Today Princeton, tomorrow the world | date= | publisher=Princeton University | url =http://web.archive.org/web/20040821091530/http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2004/02/05/arts/9500.shtml | work =The Daily Princetonian | pages = | accessdate = 2008-01-05 | language = }} Published ], ].</ref> He made a similar statement on the radio show "Loveline," on which he frequently appears as a guest. During an interview with ], when asked to whom of the characters MacFarlane relates the most, he replied: ''"Easily Brian... because he drinks, because he's complex, because he over-analyzes everything; he's a delightfully charming neurotic."''<ref>{{cite video|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMBQWv-YbCQ|title=Family Guy celebrates 100 episodes with Seth MacFarlane|publisher='s YouTube channel|accessdate=Apr. 3, 2009}}</ref>

Brian's death was the main focus in the ] episode "]". After Stewie destroys his time machine because of the risks of changing history and losing their lives, Brian and Stewie arrive home with a street hockey net they had found in a dump, where Stewie destroyed his time machine for good. As he is setting it up, Brian is struck by a reckless driver in a ] and later succumbs to his injuries at the veterinary clinic. Stewie is unable to rebuild the time machine as he cannot acquire a new power supply. After a month of mourning the loss of their beloved pet, the family replaces Brian with a new dog, named Vinny.
The death of Brian in the episode "]" was met with massive opposition and anger from ''Family Guy'' fans around the world, many of whom threatened to ] the show due to Brian's absence. ''Family Guy''{{'s}} official Facebook and Twitter pages were bombarded with messages and comments from fans demanding that they bring Brian back. Hostile messages were also directed towards ''Family Guy''{{'s}} producing staff, including the show's creator, ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latintimes.com/articles/10569/20131124/brian-griffin-dies-family-guy-twitter-lashes-out-seth-macfarlane.htm |title=Brian Griffin Dies On 'Family Guy': Twitter Lashes Out at Seth MacFarlane |date=November 25, 2013|last=Valdez |first=Maria |work=]|access-date=December 3, 2013}}</ref> MacFarlane later thanked fans "for caring so much about the canine Griffin, he is overcome with gratitude."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/12/15/family-guy-seth-macfarlane-reveals-he-killed-brian-griffin-to-teach-fans-a-lesson/ |title=Family Guy: Seth MacFarlane Reveals He Killed Brian Griffin To Teach Fans A Lesson |date=December 16, 2013|work=ComicBook|access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref> Fan petitions sprang up within hours of "Life of Brian"'s first airing, also receiving media attention including most prominently a ] petition directed towards Seth MacFarlane,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-family-guy-brian-death-protest-20131125,0,3694745.story|title='Family Guy' fans protest death of Brian the dog|date=November 25, 2013|last=Day |first=Patrick Kevin|work=]|access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/family-guy-fans-protest-death-brian-dog-215224563.html |title='Family Guy' fans protest death of Brian the dog |date=November 25, 2013 |agency=Agence France-Presse |publisher=Yahoo! News |access-date=November 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128114324/https://news.yahoo.com/family-guy-fans-protest-death-brian-dog-215224563.html |archive-date=November 28, 2013 }}</ref> making the petition one of the fastest-growing entertainment-related petitions on the site,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/25/family-guy-petition-to-save-fan-favorite-character|title=Family Guy Petition to Save Fan-Favorite Character|date=November 25, 2013|last=Cornet|first=Roth|publisher=]|access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref> attracting over 120,000 signatures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/family-guy-fans-petition-brians-659785?mobile_redirect=false|title='Family Guy' Fans Petition Against Brian's Death|date=November 25, 2013|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|work=]|access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref>

Two episodes later in "]", Stewie still misses Brian dearly and spots a past incarnation of himself who has traveled forward in time to Christmas (an event referenced in "Life of Brian"). Stealing the time machine's return pad from his past self while Vinny provides a distraction, Stewie goes back in time and saves Brian's life, at the cost of erasing himself from history. Brian is extremely grateful for being saved, but Stewie of this timeline finds Brian's affections unnerving, not knowing the reason behind them. The episode ends with the family sitting around their Christmas tree with everything back to normal. After "Christmas Guy" aired, Seth MacFarlane ], "you didn't really think we'd kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we'd have to be fucking high."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/family-guy-brian-lives-665836 |title=Family Guy: Brian Lives |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 15, 2013 |accessdate=May 12, 2023}}</ref>

==In other media==
Brian is featured in a ''Family Guy'' parody in the '']'' episodes "]" and "]". The scene depicted a conversation between Peter and Brian leading to one of the show's trademark cut-away gags; like Peter, Brian was rendered in the distinct animation style of ''South Park''. Brian also appeared in one episode of Seth MacFarlane's other animated sitcom, '']'' titled ''The People vs. Martin Sugar''. When ] begins to mention his list of "Top 10 Fictitious Dogs", with the last one being Brian, he briefly appears confused asking Stan, "Uh, do I know you?", which is an homage to MacFarlane himself since he voices both characters. Brian and the rest of the family appear in '']'' episode, "]" as guests in the season 25 premiere.

Brian was also featured, along with ], in advertisements for ] and ]. He and Stewie also introduced the ] with a song which recapped the events in television, over the past year. The song was adapted from the one sung by Brian, Stewie and ] in the ''Family Guy'' episode "]".

===Merchandise===
Brian is featured on the '']'' CD,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pe.com/entertainment/stories/PE_Fea_Ent_D_familyguy.stuff.581fa.html|title='Family Guy' goes beyond TV with CD, movie|work=]|last=Owen|first=Rob|authorlink=Rob Owen (journalist)|date=May 1, 2005|access-date=October 19, 2009|archive-date=July 20, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720234011/http://www.pe.com/entertainment/stories/PE_Fea_Ent_D_familyguy.stuff.581fa.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and also plays a significant part in '']'', the first ''Family Guy'' video game, which was released by ] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|title='Family Guy' makes for simple-but-funny gaming|date=November 24, 2006|work=]}}</ref> He (along with Stewie) features at the center of ''Family Guy''{{'s}} second video game, '']''.

MacFarlane recorded exclusive material of Brian's voice and other ''Family Guy'' characters for a 2007 pinball machine of the show by ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Family Guy pinball is freakin' sweet|last=Finley |first=Adam|publisher=]|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/03/family-guy-pinball-is-freakin-sweet/|date= February 3, 2007|access-date= October 19, 2009}}</ref> In 2004, the first series of ''Family Guy'' toy figurines was released by ], each member of the Griffin family had their own toy, with the exception of Stewie, of whom two different figures were made.<ref>{{cite news|title=Here's the Offbeat Stuff that true geeks are made of|work=]|last=Clodfelter |first=Tim|date=November 11, 2004|page=33}}</ref> Over the course of two years, four more series of toy figures have been released.<ref>{{cite news|last=Szadkowski |first=Joseph|work=]|date= June 3, 2006|title=Undead monster doomed to wander the high seas}}</ref>

As of 2009, six books have been released about a ''Family Guy'' universe, all published by ] since 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harpercollins.com/search/index.aspx?kw=family+guy |title=Search results: Family Guy |work=] |access-date=August 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102055402/http://www.harpercollins.com/search/index.aspx?kw=family+guy |archive-date=January 2, 2011 }}</ref> This include '']'' ({{ISBN|978-0-7528-7593-4}}), which covers the entire events of the episode "]",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061143328/Family_Guy_It_takes_a_Village_Idiot_and_I_Married_One/index.aspx |title=Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One |work=HarperCollins |access-date=December 26, 2008 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208074710/http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061143328/Family_Guy_It_takes_a_Village_Idiot_and_I_Married_One/index.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded'' ({{ISBN|978-1-4051-6316-3}}), a collection of seventeen essays exploring the connections between the series and historical philosophers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hartwick.edu/x21175.xml |title=Philosophy Professor Jeremy Wisnewski Publishes Book on ''Family Guy'' |publisher=] |access-date=August 23, 2009 |date=September 18, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527204648/http://www.hartwick.edu/x21175.xml |archive-date=May 27, 2010 }}</ref> which include Brian as a character.
A book written from Brian's point of view (actually written by ]) was published in 2006. It was called ''Brian Griffin's Guide to Booze, Broads and the Lost Art of Being a Man''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Family-Guy-Brian-Griffins-Broads/dp/B002FL5FHA/ |title=Family Guy: Brian Griffin's Guide: to Booze, Broads, and the Lost Art of Being a Man |via=Amazon |access-date=December 27, 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Television}}
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{Reflist}}

==External links==
* at Fox.com


{{Family Guy}} {{Family Guy}}
{{Seth MacFarlane}}


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Latest revision as of 14:10, 5 January 2025

Fictional character from the Family Guy franchise For other uses, see Brian Griffin (disambiguation). "Brian the dog" redirects here. For the real dog, see Bing (dog).

Fictional character
Brian Griffin
Family Guy character
First appearance"Death Has a Shadow" (1999)
Created bySeth MacFarlane
Designed bySeth MacFarlane
Voiced bySeth MacFarlane
In-universe information
SpeciesDog ("white" labrador retriever)
GenderMale
OccupationWriter
Family
Children
  • Dylan Flannigan (son)
Relatives
  • Biscuit (deceased mother)
  • Coco (deceased father)
  • Scout (uncle)
  • Jerry (deceased brother)
  • Callie (sister)
  • Jasper (cousin)
  • Ricardo (cousin-in-law)
  • Scrappy Brian (deceased nephew)
ReligionNone (atheist)
HomeQuahog, Rhode Island
Age10 (70 in dog years)

Brian Griffin is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom Family Guy. He is one of the main characters of the series and a member of the Griffin family. Created, designed, and voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is an anthropomorphic white labrador retriever who is the best friend of both Peter and Stewie Griffin and comic foil with the ability to speak, sing, drive, and stand on two legs.

Brian first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in the series premiere "Death Has a Shadow" on January 31, 1999. MacFarlane was asked to pitch a pilot to the Fox Broadcasting Company, based on The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve, two shorts made by MacFarlane featuring a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. These two characters were redesigned and renamed Peter and Brian, but they retained the same voices and personalities.

Brian has been featured in many items of merchandise for Family Guy, and he is considered to be one of the series' biggest merchandising characters. He has also made crossover appearances in the other MacFarlane-produced series, such as American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.

As a character, Brian was initially very well received by critics, although reception in later years has been mixed. When Brian was killed off in the season 12 episode "Life of Brian", the events of the episode received substantial attention from the media and elicited strongly negative reactions from fans of the series. Brian subsequently returned two episodes later, in "Christmas Guy", after Stewie, his best friend, traveled back in time to save him.

Role in Family Guy

A Toyota Prius, similar to the one Brian drives

Brian is a white-furred anthropomorphic dog. He can talk, generally walks on his hind legs (using his front legs as arms), has opposable thumbs, drives a second-generation Toyota Prius (with the license plate "BRI-DOG"), and is often portrayed as the only sane person in his family. He is the pet dog of the Griffin family, and in keeping with the series's treatment of anthropomorphic characters, Brian's human attributes receive little acknowledgment and no explanation; he is largely treated as a human character. Brian is the best friend of both Peter and Stewie, and many of the series' sub-plots center around the latter pairing. They are occasionally at the center of the plot, like in the "Road to..." episodes. Brian and Stewie have a love–hate relationship in which they constantly argue and humiliate each other, and yet are irreplaceable in each other's lives. In the episode "Brian and Stewie", they admit that they love each other as friends, and give each other's lives purpose. Despite having many human traits he clearly acts like a dog many times.

Brian is an alcoholic and very fond of dry martinis; he is seen to have withdrawal symptoms in various episodes when he is told or forced to stop drinking. He smokes occasionally, although in the episode "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", after seeing Peter promoting a corrupt cigarette company, he quit smoking, a habit he resumed at the end of that episode. He also regularly smokes marijuana. After a brief stint as a drug-sniffing dog, he developed a cocaine addiction, but after spending time in rehab he managed to achieve sobriety.

He is the son of Coco and Biscuit, who were normal dogs, though Brian's human attributes have been present since his puppyhood. He claims his father was a racist. Brian received an Ivy League education, having attended Brown University, as seen in "Brian Goes Back to College", but dropped out one course away from graduating. He is also an Iraq War veteran because Stewie signed them both up for the Army in "Saving Private Brian". Family Guy uses a floating timeline in which the characters do not age much, so the series is always assumed to be set in the current year. However, several of the characters, such as Meg Griffin, have aged two to three years since the series' pilot episode, while others, such as Stewie and Brian, have aged very little. At the start of the series, Brian was 6, but he is currently 10 years old. Despite his intelligence, Brian has shown conventional dog behavior on occasion. He greatly fears the vacuum cleaner which Lois refers to as "Mr. Hoover", he once ran excitedly into the kitchen when Meg shook a bag of dog food in "Barely Legal", and in the episode "Bill & Peter's Bogus Journey" it is revealed that Brian can only defecate and urinate on the Griffins' front lawn.

In several episodes, events have been linked to specific times, although this timeline has been contradicted in subsequent episodes. An example of this is when in "Brian: Portrait of a Dog", Peter is shown in a flashback finding a fully grown Brian as a stray. In "The Man with Two Brians", Brian tries to regain attention from the Griffin family by showing them home videos of him as a puppy, although none of the videos of him as a puppy showed any member of the Griffin family, so it is possible that the videos were filmed by a previous owner. Brian also has a human son named Dylan, who is a regular marijuana smoker, before Brian manages to turn Dylan's life around from a violent, uneducated teenager to an eloquent and kind-hearted young man. Their relationship becomes strained over time as Brian distances himself from Dylan, until he learns that his son has been cast in a television show and uses Dylan to land a job as a writer for the show. Stewie is very confused as to how Brian as an 8-year-old dog can have a teenage son, and Brian's remark about it being in dog years confuses him even further.

Brian is a political liberal, who supports legalizing marijuana, gay marriage and ending the war on terror. He is also an atheist, although in the episode "April in Quahog" he starts praying out of panic when news anchors Tom Tucker and Diane Simmons announce that the world will end (later revealed to be an April Fools' joke). In "Brian and Stewie", Brian revealed that he voted for John McCain in 2008.

Despite once being portrayed as having a high intellect, more recent episodes have depicted Brian as having an average-at-best intelligence and being a fraudulent intellectual, such as pretending to be well-read or understanding concepts he does not, such as the multiverse theory in "Road to the Multiverse". While he often tries to show his intelligence, he is frequently corrected by others (mainly Stewie). After taking the SATs for Meg, it is revealed that Brian actually scored the lowest in the class, which causes him to have an identity crisis; the low SAT score is later explained by Brian having a brain tumor at the time. He has since been generally insecure about his intelligence and will sometimes take credit for some of Stewie's achievements in order to make himself look smart.

Brian sees himself as a romantic and has had several relationships over the years, mainly with human women like Rita, Ida, Padma, and Kate. Although, in "Brian Dates a Bitch", he falls for female show-dog Ellie. In his romantic pursuits, Brian will often abandon his own personal beliefs and personality in order to make himself more appealing to the women he is attracted to, sometimes even resorting to lying in order to make himself look good. These relationships often end badly due to his inflated ego or being caught in a deception.

His longest-lasting relationship was with Jillian Russell, a beautiful but dimwitted girl who Brian dated in season 5. He eventually moves in with her but is unable to pay rent in season 6. This eventually leads to a fight when Brian reveals he did not want to move in with her. He later tries to win her back but discovers she is now dating Adam West, leaving him heartbroken.

Brian's most significant relationship was with Jess Schlotz, a woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who Brian meets in a bar in "Married...With Cancer". As Jess had only a little time left to live, Brian agrees to help her with her bucket list and the two fall in love. The couple eventually get married as Jess's time grows shorter, a decision Brian later regrets when Jess's doctor says she will make a full recovery. Brian is deeply depressed following the marriage, becoming overweight and emotionally distant to the point where Jess brings him to the pound to be put down. The two remain married until Jess' death, which occurs during a commercial break.

Writing career

Brian is an aspiring but struggling writer—this is said to be a reference to Snoopy from Peanuts, and reflective of a younger MacFarlane. Brian is unemployed, but he is often seen writing various novels, screenplays, or essays. His difficult writing career and apparent lack of talent is used as a recurring joke throughout the series. In the episode "Play it Again, Brian", Brian wins an award for an essay he wrote, though he later admits that he plagiarized the piece.

In the episode "Movin' Out (Brian's Song)", Brian starts writing his book Faster Than the Speed of Love, which is revealed to be a rip-off of the Iron Eagle films, specifically Aces: Iron Eagle III.

In the episode "420", Brian finally publishes Faster Than the Speed of Love, and the novel is shipped, but it is critically panned and does not sell a single copy. In the episode "Dog Gone", he receives an invitation from the Rhode Island Society for Special Literary Excellence to an award ceremony celebrating his novel. Brian, convinced that he is a great writer, attempts to gain the family's interest in this piece of news but fails to do so. Once he arrives at the "award ceremony", however, he discovers that he has misunderstood the meaning of the word "special".

In the episode "Brian Griffin's House of Payne", he writes a television script entitled "What I Learned on Jefferson Street", and it is shown to CBS who picks it up after reading it. Although the script is good, the finished product is not, as James Woods intervenes and turns Brian's script into a farcical comedy piece revolving around Woods going back to college, where he is roommates with a monkey named Mr. Nubbins. In the episode "Brian Writes a Bestseller", Brian writes a bestselling self-help book, Wish It, Want It, Do It, which he writes in a few hours and consists mostly of blank pages. The book is an immediate success, but Brian lets the fame go to his head. He eventually causes the downfall of his book's popularity, and things go back to normal. Brian mentions it again in "Yug Ylimaf" in order to get a girl.

Brian's latest literary attempt came in the episode "Brian's Play", where he writes a play titled A Passing Fancy. The play becomes very popular in Quahog; however, Brian is upset when he realizes that Stewie writes a play that is better than his. Stewie's play is eventually shown on Broadway. Brian becomes depressed, as he wants to be a good writer for the few remaining years he has, and doesn't want to be overshadowed by Stewie, who has his whole life ahead of him.

Character

Creation

Series creator Seth MacFarlane created and voices Brian.

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane created a cartoon short entitled Life of Larry. The short centered around a middle-aged man named Larry and his anthropomorphic dog Steve. In 1997, when MacFarlane was working for Hanna-Barbera Studios, writing for shows such as Johnny Bravo, Dexter's Laboratory, and Cow and Chicken, he made a sequel to Life of Larry. The short caught the eye of 20th Century Fox representatives, who asked him to create a TV series revolving around the characters. MacFarlane received a US$50,000 budget to develop a pilot for the show, which was, as MacFarlane stated in a 2006 interview, "[...] about one twentieth of what most pilots cost". MacFarlane claims to have drawn inspiration from several sitcoms, namely The Simpsons and All in the Family. Several premises were also carried over from several 1980s Saturday-morning cartoons he watched as a child, namely The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, and Rubik, the Amazing Cube.

In three months, MacFarlane created the Griffin family and developed a pilot for the show he called Family Guy. Brian's character was largely based on Steve, and Larry would be the main inspiration for the Peter character.

Voice

The voice of Brian is provided by series creator Seth MacFarlane, who also provides the voices of many other characters including Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, and Glenn Quagmire. Brian's voice is MacFarlane's normal speaking voice. William H. Macy auditioned unsuccessfully for the role.

In the episode "Road to the Multiverse", Brian was voiced by Japanese actor Kotaro Watanabe in a scene in an alternate universe where everything is Japanese (due to an American defeat in the Second World War).

Reception

"Man's best friend is a poor understatement when it comes to dealing with Peter's constant mission to paint the world with all sorts of stupid. You'd think witnessing so much anti-thought would cut the poor guy a break, but no. And that's part of the character's charm: Always being on hand for the solid quip or sarcastic commentary. Having lived with the Griffins for many years, and being accepted (and audibly heard more than Stewie for some reason) as a peer, Brian has become a character as important to fans as the show's titular star."

Ahsan Haque, IGN

Ahsan Haque of IGN has given Brian a positive review, calling him the best talking man-dog. He also praised Brian's adventures with Stewie calling them, "center of many of the show's best bits". Haque later made a list titled "Family Guy: Stewie and Brian's Greatest Adventures", where he stated that "Brian and Stewie paired together has always been a winning formula for Family Guy". They also praised the selection of Brian to play Chewbacca as they stated in the "Blue Harvest" review. In their list of "What Else Should Family Guy Make Fun Of?", IGN commented that Brian would be perfect to play Q, if Family Guy ever decides to make a James Bond parody. In a review of the seventh season, Haque wrote that Brian "unfortunately was terribly misused this season. He's degenerated into nothing more than a soapbox for the political views of the writers". In a review of the eighth season, following his transition into a heel character, Ramsey Isler stated that Brian "left his lofty position as the voice of reason and switched to pretentious loser".

Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club praised the Brian character, and stated that "Brian has always been the show's best character and its most developed one". In a 2004 interview, Seth MacFarlane noted his similarities to Brian. He also revealed that Brian is his favorite character, because he feels most comfortable when playing that role.

Commendations

In IGN's "Family Guy: Top 10 Fights", Brian's fight with Stewie in the episode "Patriot Games (season 4, 2006) is ranked number 5. In IGN's "Top 10 musical moments in Family Guy", Brian ranked number 6, number 5, and number 3 with the songs, "The Freakin' FCC" from "PTV" (season 4, 2005), "Never Gonna Give You Up" from "Meet the Quagmires" (season 5, 2007) and "This House Is Freakin' Sweet" from "Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater" (season 2, 1999), respectively. In a list of the Top 25 Family Guy characters compiled by IGN, Brian was placed second on the list (behind Stewie). They stated that "man's best friend is a poor understatement" with regards to Brian.

Death and resurrection

Main articles: Life of Brian (Family Guy) and Christmas Guy

Brian's death was the main focus in the season twelve episode "Life of Brian". After Stewie destroys his time machine because of the risks of changing history and losing their lives, Brian and Stewie arrive home with a street hockey net they had found in a dump, where Stewie destroyed his time machine for good. As he is setting it up, Brian is struck by a reckless driver in a hit and run and later succumbs to his injuries at the veterinary clinic. Stewie is unable to rebuild the time machine as he cannot acquire a new power supply. After a month of mourning the loss of their beloved pet, the family replaces Brian with a new dog, named Vinny. The death of Brian in the episode "Life of Brian" was met with massive opposition and anger from Family Guy fans around the world, many of whom threatened to boycott the show due to Brian's absence. Family Guy's official Facebook and Twitter pages were bombarded with messages and comments from fans demanding that they bring Brian back. Hostile messages were also directed towards Family Guy's producing staff, including the show's creator, Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane later thanked fans "for caring so much about the canine Griffin, he is overcome with gratitude." Fan petitions sprang up within hours of "Life of Brian"'s first airing, also receiving media attention including most prominently a Change.org petition directed towards Seth MacFarlane, making the petition one of the fastest-growing entertainment-related petitions on the site, attracting over 120,000 signatures.

Two episodes later in "Christmas Guy", Stewie still misses Brian dearly and spots a past incarnation of himself who has traveled forward in time to Christmas (an event referenced in "Life of Brian"). Stealing the time machine's return pad from his past self while Vinny provides a distraction, Stewie goes back in time and saves Brian's life, at the cost of erasing himself from history. Brian is extremely grateful for being saved, but Stewie of this timeline finds Brian's affections unnerving, not knowing the reason behind them. The episode ends with the family sitting around their Christmas tree with everything back to normal. After "Christmas Guy" aired, Seth MacFarlane tweeted, "you didn't really think we'd kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we'd have to be fucking high."

In other media

Brian is featured in a Family Guy parody in the South Park episodes "Cartoon Wars Part I" and "Part II". The scene depicted a conversation between Peter and Brian leading to one of the show's trademark cut-away gags; like Peter, Brian was rendered in the distinct animation style of South Park. Brian also appeared in one episode of Seth MacFarlane's other animated sitcom, American Dad! titled The People vs. Martin Sugar. When Stan Smith begins to mention his list of "Top 10 Fictitious Dogs", with the last one being Brian, he briefly appears confused asking Stan, "Uh, do I know you?", which is an homage to MacFarlane himself since he voices both characters. Brian and the rest of the family appear in The Simpsons episode, "Homerland" as guests in the season 25 premiere.

Brian was also featured, along with Stewie, in advertisements for Wheat Thins and Cool Whip. He and Stewie also introduced the 2007 Emmy Awards with a song which recapped the events in television, over the past year. The song was adapted from the one sung by Brian, Stewie and Peter in the Family Guy episode "PTV".

Merchandise

Brian is featured on the Family Guy: Live in Vegas CD, and also plays a significant part in Family Guy Video Game!, the first Family Guy video game, which was released by Sierra Entertainment in 2006. He (along with Stewie) features at the center of Family Guy's second video game, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse.

MacFarlane recorded exclusive material of Brian's voice and other Family Guy characters for a 2007 pinball machine of the show by Stern Pinball. In 2004, the first series of Family Guy toy figurines was released by Mezco Toyz, each member of the Griffin family had their own toy, with the exception of Stewie, of whom two different figures were made. Over the course of two years, four more series of toy figures have been released.

As of 2009, six books have been released about a Family Guy universe, all published by HarperCollins since 2005. This include Family Guy: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One (ISBN 978-0-7528-7593-4), which covers the entire events of the episode "It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One", and Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded (ISBN 978-1-4051-6316-3), a collection of seventeen essays exploring the connections between the series and historical philosophers. which include Brian as a character. A book written from Brian's point of view (actually written by Andrew Goldberg) was published in 2006. It was called Brian Griffin's Guide to Booze, Broads and the Lost Art of Being a Man.

See also

References

  1. "Life of Brian". Family Guy. Season 12. Episode 6. November 24, 2013. Fox.
  2. "Christmas Guy". Family Guy. Season 12. Episode 8. December 15, 2013. Fox.
  3. Callaghan, Steve (2005). "A Hero Sits Next Door". Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide, Seasons 1–3. New York City: HarperCollins. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-06-083305-3.
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  5. "420". Film.com. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
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  11. Graham, Jefferson (January 29, 1999). "Cartoonist MacFarlane funny guy of Fox's 'Family' Subversive voice of series is his". USA Today. p. 7E.
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  23. VanDerWerff, Emily (November 30, 2009). "Rednecks and Broomsticks"/"From Bed to Worse"/"Dog Gone"/"G-String Circus". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  24. Rusli, Evelyn (February 5, 2004). "'Family Guy': Today Princeton, tomorrow the world". The Daily Princetonian. Princeton University. Archived from the original on August 21, 2004. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  25. "10 Things Family Guy Taught Me About Books". August 23, 2013.
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  31. Day, Patrick Kevin (November 25, 2013). "'Family Guy' fans protest death of Brian the dog". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
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  33. Cornet, Roth (November 25, 2013). "Family Guy Petition to Save Fan-Favorite Character". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  34. Goldberg, Lesley (November 25, 2013). "'Family Guy' Fans Petition Against Brian's Death". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  35. Goldberg, Lesley (December 15, 2013). "Family Guy: Brian Lives". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
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  38. Finley, Adam (February 3, 2007). "Family Guy pinball is freakin' sweet". TV Squad. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  39. Clodfelter, Tim (November 11, 2004). "Here's the Offbeat Stuff that true geeks are made of". Winston-Salem Journal. p. 33.
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  44. Family Guy: Brian Griffin's Guide: to Booze, Broads, and the Lost Art of Being a Man. Retrieved December 27, 2012 – via Amazon.

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