10 TV Shows That Blatantly Trolled Viewers
7. Brian's Dead? Just Kidding! - Family Guy
After being on the air for over a decade, you'd think a TV series would run out of ways to shock viewers.
However, Family Guy managed to pull it off. In Season 12 Episode 6, Brian Griffin was hit by a car, leaving him mortally wounded. Before shuffling off his mortal coil, Brian gave a heartwarming goodbye to Peter and his family for taking him in.
In a desperate attempt to move on, the Griffins adopt a new dog called Vinny. Considering Vinny was incorporated into the opening song in the very next episode, it looked like he was here to stay.
Although Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane, knew Brian's death would upset the fanbase, he didn't expect them to be angry. Like... REALLY angry. Mere hours after the episode aired, a petition was set up to have Brian Griffin resurrected, which gained well over a thousand signatures.
However, MacFarlane never intended for Brian's death to be permanent. In fact, it was reversed two episodes later. According to executive producer, Steve Callaghan, Brian's brief demise was simply "a fun way to shake things up".