Back to the Pilot

"Back to the Pilot"
Family Guy episode
Stewie unintentionally runs into his old self.
Episode no.	Season 10 Episode 5
Directed by	Dominic Bianchi Peter Shin (pilot)
Written by	Mark Hentemann Seth MacFarlane (pilot)
Production code	9ACX08
Original air date	November 13, 2011
Guest appearance(s)
Lacey Chabert as Meg in pilot Chris Cox as George W. Bush Ralph Garman as Dog in the Window Christine Lakin as Joyce Kinney Phil LaMarr as Judge in pilot Fred Tatasciore as John Madden in pilot
Episode chronology
← Previous "Stewie Goes for a Drive" Next → "Thanksgiving"
Family Guy (season 10) List of Family Guy episodes

"Back to the Pilot" is the fifth episode of the tenth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It 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 second 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, an example of 9/11 humor despite being self-aware. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed by 6.01 million people 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.