Back to the Pilot
Encyclopedia
"Back to the Pilot" is the fifth episode of the tenth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. The episode originally aired on Fox
in the United States on November 13, 2011. In "Back to the Pilot", two of the show's main characters, baby genius Stewie
and anthropomorphic
dog Brian
, both voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane
, use a time machine
to travel back in time to the first episode of the series, "Death Has a Shadow
". Trouble ensues however, when Brian tells his former self about the September 11 attacks, causing the present to be dramatically changed, and ultimately resulting in a civil war
. The two must then prevent themselves from going back to the past in the first place, but soon realize that it will be much more difficult than they had originally thought.
The episode was written by Mark Hentemann
and directed by Dominic Bianchi
. It received high praise from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving some criticism for its portrayal of the September 11 attacks. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 6.01 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Lacey Chabert
, Chris Cox
, Ralph Garman
, Christine Lakin
, Phil LaMarr
and Fred Tatasciore
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It was first announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International.
approaches Stewie
about helping him find a tennis ball he'd urinated on, Stewie asks if Brian remembers the date that he lost it. Brian tells him that he buried it on January 31, 1999 (the day that the first episode of the series
originally aired). Using Stewie's time machine to travel back to that date, the two soon come upon the Griffin family
, but notice that their past looks more strange than they remembered it: The family continually pauses for cutaways, and Meg
's voice sounds different
. Telling Brian that he mustn't alter the past by getting the tennis ball and that he should instead memorize its location, Stewie goes into his room to set up their return to the present before Past Stewie suddenly enters. The two Stewies then meet, and Stewie tells Brian to come out from his hiding place after explaining himself to Past Stewie. Brian and Stewie then attempt to return to the present, but find that the transportation device's batteries are running low. Later, the two manage to take advantage of Peter dumping his extra welfare money out of a blimp above Super Bowl XXXIII
to collect the money needed to purchase new batteries. It was only after the two return to the present that Stewie learns that Brian told his past self about the September 11 attacks ahead of time, allowing Past Brian to stop the event and alter the timeline as a result.
While watching the local news, it is also discovered that former President
George W. Bush
, who has lost the 2004 election, has returned to Texas
and seceded from the United States
, along with the rest of the southern United States
, resulting in a second Civil War. Brian insists that things will still be better in the end, but when they travel five years into the future they find a computer generated
post-apocalyptic future caused by nuclear attacks all across the United States. Admitting that he made a mistake, Brian asks how the situation can be resolved. The two then return to prevent Brian from telling his past self about the attacks. They then return to the present, whereupon Stewie learns that Brian has taken credit for the Harry Potter
series, and they seek to repair this by again trying to prevent themselves from telling any future events. This causes hundreds of Stewies and Brians to appear, however, to prevent them from telling the future. Having had enough of this, one Stewie tells his numerous future selves to take their respective Brians and return to their time. From there, Stewie takes Brian back a minute before their past selves arrive and forces them to return to their time. With that, the altered timeline ceases to exist, and the two return home.
. It was directed by series regular Dominic Bianchi
, shortly after the conclusion of the ninth production season
, in his second episode of the season. Bianchi also previously served as director for the series's landmark 150th episode "Brian & Stewie
". The episode was written by series showrunner and executive producer Mark Hentemann
, who joined the show as a writer in its third season
. Series regulars Peter Shin
and James Purdum
served as supervising directors, with Andrew Goldberg and Alex Carter serving as executive story editors, and Spencer Porter, Anthony Blasucci, Mike Desilets, and Deepak Sethi serving as staff writers for the episode. Composer Ron Jones
, who has worked on the series since its inception, returned to compose the music for "Back to the Pilot". The episode was originally intended to be the seventh installation in the series's hallmark Road to...
episodes, but it was changed before airing.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Chris Cox
, actor Ralph Garman
, and actress Christine Lakin
guest starred in the episode. Archival recordings of actress Lacey Chabert
, and voice actors Phil LaMarr
and Fred Tatasciore
from "Death Has a Shadow
" were used, although they still received credit. Recurring guest voice actors Patrick Warburton
and writer John Viener made minor appearances throughout the episode. Chabert's role in the episode was that of Meg Griffin
in the pilot episode. Chabert had previously voiced Meg, before eventually being replaced by actress Mila Kunis
, who had a role on the television series That '70s Show
during Family Guys first season. Chabert left the series after completing the first production of episodes in order to focus on her schoolwork, as well as her participation in the television series Party of Five
.
and Allen Gregory
, and followed by Family Guy creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane
's second show, American Dad!
. It was watched by 6.01 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
, despite airing simultaneously with Desperate Housewives
on ABC
, The Good Wife on CBS
and Sunday Night Football
on NBC
. The episode also acquired a 3.1/7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating Allen Gregory and American Dad!, in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings increased slightly from the previous week's episode, "Stewie Goes for a Drive
".
Reviews of the episode by television critics were highly positive, calling it "an episode of Family Guy that rewards every viewer who liked the show in the past." Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club
gave high praise to the episode, writing, "At first, I was simply pleased that "Back to the Pilot" didn’t screw things up at the beginning, but as the episode went, I kept looking at the clock and being amazed that it hadn't dropped the ball yet. It used short cutaways and a plethora of self-referential jokes the writers must have stockpiled for years about the animation quality, voice quality, and structure of the pilot to every possible advantage." He continued, "It wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and it's not on the same level as the occasional brilliance that South Park
reaches on about one occasion per season nowadays, but it's the most fun I’ve had watching the show that didn’t involve a Star Wars
parody in many years." McFarland concluded his review by giving the episode a grade of A-. Kate Moon of TV Fanatic also enjoyed the episode, noting, ""Back to the Pilot" was a great meta episode of Family Guy. From poking fun at its own flaws in the original series to acknowledging how silly the cutaway gags can be, Family Guy shone at its layered best tonight." She continued, "Treating its animated characters like real actors was a nice touch as well. Watching the original family showed how much the characters evolved and changed throughout the series' long run." Moon concluded her review by giving the episode a 4.2 out of 5.
The episode was also the subject of criticism for its portrayal of the September 11 attacks, in which Brian and Stewie go back in time to make the attacks happen again, ultimately resulting in a high five
when they are successful. The Daily Mail
reported on the episode writing, "Nothing is ever off limits for Family Guy and its creator Seth MacFarlane
. No topic is taboo, not the holocaust, not drunk driving and not even abortion, but last night's episode may finally have crossed the line." Terri Pous of Time
continued, "It sounds custom-made for a "too soon" label, and it probably is. But avid Family Guy viewers live for "too soon" moments, no matter how sensitive the material." Other news organizations, including Entertainment Weekly
noted the show has "joked about everything from the Holocaust to domestic abuse," but wondered if the episode went too far. Deadline
also commented that it "squeaked past the Fox standards and practices department but is sure to raise as many eyebrows."
Family Guy (season 10)
Family Guy tenth season debuted on the Fox network, on September 25, 2011. The series followed the Griffin family, a dysfunctional family consisting of father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie and Brian, the family pet, who reside in their hometown of Quahog...
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...
. The episode 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 November 13, 2011. In "Back to the Pilot", two of the show's main characters, baby genius Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
and 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...
, both voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
, use a time machine
Time Machine
A time machine is a fictional/hypothetical device used to achieve time travel. The term may also refer to:-Novels and films:* The Time Machine, an 1895 novel by H. G...
to travel back in time to the first episode of the series, "Death Has a Shadow
Death Has a Shadow
"Death Has a Shadow" is the first episode of the animated series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States after Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999. The episode is based on series creator Seth MacFarlane's original pitch to Fox, The Life of Larry, and is a remake of...
". Trouble ensues however, when Brian tells his former self about the September 11 attacks, causing the present to be dramatically changed, and ultimately resulting in a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. The two must then prevent themselves from going back to the past in the first place, but soon realize that it will be much more difficult than they had originally thought.
The episode was written by Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
and directed by Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi is an American animation director. Bianchi is known for directing multiple episodes of the animated series Family Guy, most notably the show's celebrated 150th episode, "Brian & Stewie"....
. It received high praise from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving some criticism for its portrayal of the September 11 attacks. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 6.01 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
, Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, Christine Lakin
Christine Lakin
Christine Helen Lakin is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Alicia "Al" Lambert on the 1990s ABC/CBS situation comedy Step by Step and as Joan of Arc in Showtime's Reefer Madness...
, Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
and Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It was first announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Plot
When BrianBrian 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...
approaches Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
about helping him find a tennis ball he'd urinated on, Stewie asks if Brian remembers the date that he lost it. Brian tells him that he buried it on January 31, 1999 (the day that the first episode of the series
Death Has a Shadow
"Death Has a Shadow" is the first episode of the animated series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States after Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999. The episode is based on series creator Seth MacFarlane's original pitch to Fox, The Life of Larry, and is a remake of...
originally aired). Using Stewie's time machine to travel back to that date, the two soon come upon 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...
, but notice that their past looks more strange than they remembered it: The family continually pauses for cutaways, and Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
's voice sounds different
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
. Telling Brian that he mustn't alter the past by getting the tennis ball and that he should instead memorize its location, Stewie goes into his room to set up their return to the present before Past Stewie suddenly enters. The two Stewies then meet, and Stewie tells Brian to come out from his hiding place after explaining himself to Past Stewie. Brian and Stewie then attempt to return to the present, but find that the transportation device's batteries are running low. Later, the two manage to take advantage of Peter dumping his extra welfare money out of a blimp above Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
to collect the money needed to purchase new batteries. It was only after the two return to the present that Stewie learns that Brian told his past self about the September 11 attacks ahead of time, allowing Past Brian to stop the event and alter the timeline as a result.
While watching the local news, it is also discovered that former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who has lost the 2004 election, has returned to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and seceded from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, along with the rest of the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, resulting in a second Civil War. Brian insists that things will still be better in the end, but when they travel five years into the future they find a computer generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
post-apocalyptic future caused by nuclear attacks all across the United States. Admitting that he made a mistake, Brian asks how the situation can be resolved. The two then return to prevent Brian from telling his past self about the attacks. They then return to the present, whereupon Stewie learns that Brian has taken credit for the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series, and they seek to repair this by again trying to prevent themselves from telling any future events. This causes hundreds of Stewies and Brians to appear, however, to prevent them from telling the future. Having had enough of this, one Stewie tells his numerous future selves to take their respective Brians and return to their time. From there, Stewie takes Brian back a minute before their past selves arrive and forces them to return to their time. With that, the altered timeline ceases to exist, and the two return home.
Production and development
The episode was first announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, on July 23, 2011, by series creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlaneSeth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
. It was directed by series regular Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi
Dominic Bianchi is an American animation director. Bianchi is known for directing multiple episodes of the animated series Family Guy, most notably the show's celebrated 150th episode, "Brian & Stewie"....
, shortly after the conclusion of the ninth production season
Family Guy (season 9)
Family Guy ninth season first aired on the Fox network in eighteen episodes from September 26, 2010 to May 22, 2011 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication...
, in his second episode of the season. Bianchi also previously served as director for the series's landmark 150th episode "Brian & Stewie
Brian & Stewie
"Brian & Stewie" is the seventeenth episode of the eighth season, and 150th overall episode, of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on May 2, 2010. The episode features anthropomorphic dog Brian and baby Stewie after they are accidentally trapped inside of a...
". The episode was written by series showrunner and executive producer Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
, who joined the show as a writer in its third season
Family Guy (season 3)
Family Guy third season first aired on the Fox network in twenty-two episodes from July 11, 2001 to November 9, 2003 before being released as a DVD box set and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "The Thin White Line" and finished with "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein"...
. Series regulars 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!"...
and James Purdum
James Purdum
James Purdum is an American animation director. Purdum is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
served as supervising directors, with Andrew Goldberg and Alex Carter serving as executive story editors, and Spencer Porter, Anthony Blasucci, Mike Desilets, and Deepak Sethi serving as staff writers for the episode. Composer Ron Jones
Ron Jones (composer)
Ron Jones is an American composer who has written music for TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Duck Tales, American Dad!, and Family Guy...
, who has worked on the series since its inception, returned to compose the music for "Back to the Pilot". The episode was originally intended to be the seventh installation in the series's hallmark Road to...
Road to... (Family Guy)
The Road to... episodes, also known as the Family Guy Road shows, are a series of episodes in the animated series Family Guy. They are a parody of the seven Road to... comedy films, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, which were released from 1940 until 1962...
episodes, but it was changed before airing.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, and actress Christine Lakin
Christine Lakin
Christine Helen Lakin is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Alicia "Al" Lambert on the 1990s ABC/CBS situation comedy Step by Step and as Joan of Arc in Showtime's Reefer Madness...
guest starred in the episode. Archival recordings of actress Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
, and voice actors Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
and Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
from "Death Has a Shadow
Death Has a Shadow
"Death Has a Shadow" is the first episode of the animated series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States after Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999. The episode is based on series creator Seth MacFarlane's original pitch to Fox, The Life of Larry, and is a remake of...
" were used, although they still received credit. Recurring guest voice actors Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
and writer John Viener made minor appearances throughout the episode. Chabert's role in the episode was that of Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
in the pilot episode. Chabert had previously voiced Meg, before eventually being replaced by actress Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
, who had a role on the television series That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
during Family Guys first season. Chabert left the series after completing the first production of episodes in order to focus on her schoolwork, as well as her participation in the television series Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
.
Reception
"Back to the Pilot" was broadcast on November 13, 2011, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory is an American animated television series created by Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel, and Jarrad Paul that airs on FOX. The series premiered on October 30, 2011.-Synopsis:...
, and followed by Family Guy creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
's second show, American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. It was watched by 6.01 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, despite airing simultaneously with Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, The Good Wife on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The episode also acquired a 3.1/7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating Allen Gregory and American Dad!, in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings increased slightly from the previous week's episode, "Stewie Goes for a Drive
Stewie Goes for a Drive
"Stewie Goes for a Drive" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on November 6, 2011 in the United States on Fox. After actor Ryan Reynolds moves into the house across the street, Peter Griffin decides to befriend him...
".
Reviews of the episode by television critics were highly positive, calling it "an episode of Family Guy that rewards every viewer who liked the show in the past." Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave high praise to the episode, writing, "At first, I was simply pleased that "Back to the Pilot" didn’t screw things up at the beginning, but as the episode went, I kept looking at the clock and being amazed that it hadn't dropped the ball yet. It used short cutaways and a plethora of self-referential jokes the writers must have stockpiled for years about the animation quality, voice quality, and structure of the pilot to every possible advantage." He continued, "It wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and it's not on the same level as the occasional brilliance that South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
reaches on about one occasion per season nowadays, but it's the most fun I’ve had watching the show that didn’t involve a Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
parody in many years." McFarland concluded his review by giving the episode a grade of A-. Kate Moon of TV Fanatic also enjoyed the episode, noting, ""Back to the Pilot" was a great meta episode of Family Guy. From poking fun at its own flaws in the original series to acknowledging how silly the cutaway gags can be, Family Guy shone at its layered best tonight." She continued, "Treating its animated characters like real actors was a nice touch as well. Watching the original family showed how much the characters evolved and changed throughout the series' long run." Moon concluded her review by giving the episode a 4.2 out of 5.
The episode was also the subject of criticism for its portrayal of the September 11 attacks, in which Brian and Stewie go back in time to make the attacks happen again, ultimately resulting in a high five
High five
The high five is a celebratory hand gesture that occurs when two people simultaneously raise one hand, about head high, and push, slide or slap the flat of their palm and hand against the palm and flat hand of their partner...
when they are successful. The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
reported on the episode writing, "Nothing is ever off limits for Family Guy and its creator Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
. No topic is taboo, not the holocaust, not drunk driving and not even abortion, but last night's episode may finally have crossed the line." Terri Pous of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
continued, "It sounds custom-made for a "too soon" label, and it probably is. But avid Family Guy viewers live for "too soon" moments, no matter how sensitive the material." Other news organizations, including Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
noted the show has "joked about everything from the Holocaust to domestic abuse," but wondered if the episode went too far. Deadline
Deadline.com
Deadline.com, part of Jay Penske's PMC, is an online magazine, founded and edited by Nikki Finke.-Publication:The site is updated several times a day, with the infotainment industry as its focus.-History:...
also commented that it "squeaked past the Fox standards and practices department but is sure to raise as many eyebrows."