# Death Of Brian Griffin
The Death of Brian Griffin refers to the November 24, 2013 Family Guy episode 'Life of Brian,' in which the talking dog Brian was hit by a car and killed, plus the massive fan backlash that pressured Fox to resurrect him three weeks later. A Change.org petition topped 100,000 signatures inside 72 hours before producers reversed the death in the December 15, 2013 episode 'Christmas Guy.'
## Origin
'Life of Brian,' the sixth episode of Family Guy's twelfth season, aired on Fox on November 24, 2013[1]. Brian is hit by a car while playing street hockey with baby Stewie and dies at the hospital soon after his injuries[2]. Rather than reset the death immediately with Stewie's time machine, the writers kept the loss in place and dropped in the new family dog Vinny inside the same half hour[3].
Executive producer Steve Callaghan told E! News the idea 'got pitched in the writers' room, and it sort of caught fire,' calling the death 'a fun way to shake things up'[2]. Callaghan added that a dog dying in a road accident felt more plausible than losing one of the human Griffins[3]. Sopranos veteran Tony Sirico was cast quickly for Vinny to keep the family formula intact, and voice actors Mila Kunis and Seth Green were reportedly stunned by the twist[3].
- **Platform:** Fox (broadcast) / Twitter and Change.org (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Family Guy writers (Seth MacFarlane, Steve Callaghan)
- **Date:** 2013
## Overview
The Death of Brian Griffin refers to the temporary killing off of Brian, the talking dog from Fox's animated sitcom Family Guy, in the November 24, 2013 episode 'Life of Brian'[1]. Brian was struck by a reckless driver while playing street hockey with baby Stewie outside the family's Quahog home and died at the hospital from his injuries[2]. Producers introduced a replacement dog named Vinny, voiced by Sopranos actor Tony Sirico, inside the same episode[3].
The move triggered a major fan revolt against Fox. Viewers piled onto Twitter with the tags #RIPBrian and #BringBackBrian, and a fan-launched Change.org petition topped 100,000 signatures inside three days[5]. The outrage drew coverage from CNN, TMZ, and every major entertainment outlet within a week of the broadcast[3].
## How It Spread
Twitter lit up during the broadcast itself. Fans flooded the tags #RIPBrian and #BringBackBrian, with analytics service Topsy counting at least 6,000 mentions of #BringBackBrian inside the first hour, and a Facebook memorial titled 'R.I.P Brian from Family Guy' cleared 758,000 likes by November 27[4].
Alabama fan Aaron Thompson launched a Change.org petition early Monday morning, arguing that the writers 'killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed America's dog!'[5]. It collected 1,500 signatures within hours[2], 35,000 by Tuesday morning[1], and passed 100,000 inside 72 hours[5]. CNN, TMZ, CBS, The Huffington Post, The Independent, and International Business Times all covered the backlash within days[3]. CNN quoted former Family Guy writer David Zuckerman, who tweeted that although he was no longer with the show, he still hoped 'Brian isn't really dead'[1].
The stunt resolved itself in the December 15, 2013 Christmas special 'Christmas Guy,' when a still-grieving Stewie ran into a past version of himself carrying the time machine, borrowed it, and pulled Brian out of the road before the fatal collision could happen[4]. Fox never wavered publicly during the three-week gap, and the writers folded the reversal into a holiday episode roughly three weeks after the initial death aired[1].
## How to Use
The Death of Brian Griffin is more an event than a template, but people typically invoke the phrase and the #BringBackBrian tag whenever a long-running animated series kills off a fan-favorite character, or when a network reverses an unpopular creative decision under audience pressure[1]. The Change.org petition itself is often held up as an early template for coordinated online fandom campaigns aimed at TV producers[5].
## Cultural Impact
The episode is still cited as an early proof that social media fan campaigns can push networks into reversing creative choices. Steve Callaghan initially framed the death as a chance to reshape 'the family dynamics and the characters,' a shift that lasted exactly three weeks before the writers restored the status quo[2]. Seth MacFarlane told reporters at a Television Critics Association panel that 'the rage wasn't something we counted on,' said the storyline had helped ratings, and ruled out doing it again: 'Would I do it again? No. We already did it.'[4]
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Death Of Brian Griffin?
It refers to the November 24, 2013 Family Guy episode 'Life of Brian,' in which the talking dog Brian was hit by a car and died, plus the fan backlash that pressured Fox to bring him back weeks later[1].
### Where did Death Of Brian Griffin come from?
The death happened in Season 12, Episode 6 of Fox's Family Guy, and the backlash spread from Twitter to a Change.org petition and mainstream outlets like CNN within days[1].
### What does Death Of Brian Griffin mean?
It covers both the in-show death of the Griffin family dog and the fan campaign, tagged #BringBackBrian, that pushed producers to reverse the plot[5].
### How do you use Death Of Brian Griffin?
People typically reference the event when a long-running show kills off a fan-favorite character, or when a network flips an unpopular plot decision after online outcry[1].
### Is Death Of Brian Griffin still popular?
The event is largely historical now, remembered as an early proof that online fan campaigns can pressure networks, though the specific hashtags aren't in daily rotation anymore[3].
### Which Family Guy episode killed Brian?
'Life of Brian,' the sixth episode of Family Guy's twelfth season, aired on Fox on November 24, 2013[1].
### Who voiced the replacement dog Vinny?
Sopranos actor Tony Sirico, best known as Paulie Walnuts, voiced the short-lived replacement dog Vinny[3].
### How many signatures did the Change.org petition collect?
Aaron Thompson's Change.org petition passed 1,500 signatures within hours[2] and topped 100,000 inside its first 72 hours[5].
### Why did Family Guy's producers kill Brian off?
Steve Callaghan told E! News the death was 'a fun way to shake things up' pitched in the writers' room, and that a dog dying in a car accident felt more realistic than losing one of the human Griffins[2].
### Who is Aaron Thompson?
Aaron Thompson is a Family Guy fan from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who launched the Change.org petition demanding Fox bring Brian back[2].
## References
1. [https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/26/showbiz/tv/family-guy-brian-petition/]()
2. [https://www.eonline.com/news/484931/family-guy-fans-petitioning-to-bring-brian-back-to-life]()
3. [https://www.ibtimes.com/why-did-family-guy-kill-brian-4-reasons-producers-killed-dog-life-brian-episode-video-1484056]()
4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/death-of-brian-griffin]()
5. [https://www.change.org/petitions/seth-macfarlane-and-fox-broadcasting-company-bring-brian-griffin-back-to-family-guy]()
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