Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows
Encyclopedia
"Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows" is the seventeenth episode of the third season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on January 17, 2002. The episode features Brian
after he is sentenced to community service, and must look after a cranky, elderly woman, who he soon begins to despise, until he sees a documentary revealing her remarkable singing ability. Meanwhile, Peter
decides to grow a beard, which soon becomes the home for a family of endangered birds.
The episode was written by Allison Adler
and directed by Dan Povenmire
. It received high praise from critics, receiving an Emmy Award
for the song "You've Got a Lot to See", which is featured in the episode. The episode featured guest performances by A. J. Benza
, Gary Cole
, Adria Firestone, Melora Hardin
, Butch Hartman
, Phil LaMarr
, Jane Lynch
, Nicole Sullivan
and Wally Wingert
, along with several recurring voice actors for the series.
attempts to cheer up Brian by suggesting Peter take him to a laser rock concert that he was planning on attending, along with Quagmire
and Cleveland
. While there, Brian begins looking around the theater at all of the loving couples (Three Dog Night - One Is The Loneliest Number playing), and becomes even more depressed, eventually deciding to begin drinking. On the drive home with the guys, he is soon pulled over by Joe, and arrested for driving under the influence. Appearing in court one month later, Brian is sentenced to one hundred hours of community service in the "Outreach to the Elderly" program, and assigned to an elderly woman named Pearl, who has not left her house for 30 years. Appearing at her home the next day, he quickly becomes angered by her constant nagging, eventually deciding to tell her to "drop dead." Later that day, however, Brian soon discovers Pearl was actually a brilliant opera singer during the 1940s and 50s, who was shamed into hiding once she faced demands to sing her more popular radio jingles. Deciding to visit Pearl later that night, he discovers her with a noose around her neck, about to commit suicide, but saves her at the last second. The two quickly bond over Pearl's singing, and become close friends. Suggesting they go out for dinner, Brian leads Pearl out of her house, but she is immediately run over by a passing car, requiring immediate medical attention. Spending their last seconds together in virtual reality, which Brian had bought while at the rock concert, Pearl soon dies from her injuries, leaving Brian alone once more.
Meanwhile, after watching an episode of Grizzly Adams on television, Peter decides to grow a beard, despite Lois's disapproval. After his beard is fully grown, the Griffin family
decide to go out for dinner, and are soon pestered by a small bird
, who eventually settles in Peter's facial hair. Unaware that the bird is actually an endangered species, Peter attempts to remove the bird, but is soon threatened with criminal prosecution if he does so. Left with no other choice but to let the bird live within his hair, Peter attempts to continue life as normally as possible, until he can no longer take the bird's constant squawking, and decides to shoot the bird. Stopped at the last second by Lois, Peter accidentally shoots a nearby window, causing the bird to fly out. Thankful that the bird is finally gone, the two soon hear peeping coming from inside his facial hair, and discover three small baby birds. Won over by their resemblance to his own children, he decides to keep the baby birds, and take the place of its mother. As time goes on, he becomes reluctant to release the birds once they have become fully grown, but is ultimately convinced by Lois to release them back into the wilderness once they attempt to fly out of their bedroom window.
writer Allison Adler
, and directed by series regular Dan Povenmire
before the conclusion of the third production season
.
Initially, the "tearjerker" ending was not planned, and series creator Seth MacFarlane
had intended to close the episode with a series of gags, similar to many other episodes. Voice actress and staff writer Alex Borstein
, along with Allison Adler, convinced MacFarlane that the episode would be far more effective if it were to end on a down note, eventually calling it the only episode to have "real human emotion".
Following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, 20th Century Fox decided to edit the musical number "You've Got a Lot to See" by digitally removing the World Trade Center
towers, as well as replacing the likeness of former President George W. Bush
with a beer bong on a tarot card with a tarot card featuring trash talk-show host Jerry Springer
during the animation sequence between Pearl and Brian.
In addition to the regular cast, gossip columnist and television host A. J. Benza
, actor Gary Cole
, opera singer Adria Firestone, actress Melora Hardin
, writer and animator Butch Hartman
, voice actor Phil LaMarr
, actress Jane Lynch
, actress Nicole Sullivan
and voice actor Wally Wingert
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
and writer Mike Barker also made minor appearances.
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"...
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...
. It 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 January 17, 2002. The episode features 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...
after he is sentenced to community service, and must look after a cranky, elderly woman, who he soon begins to despise, until he sees a documentary revealing her remarkable singing ability. Meanwhile, Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
decides to grow a beard, which soon becomes the home for a family of endangered birds.
The episode was written by Allison Adler
Allison Adler
Allison Beth Adler is an American producer and writer for television. She is from California.-Career:Adler has worked on television series including Still Standing and Family Guy. She worked on the TV series Chuck, but she left in May 2010 to work on the ABC series No Ordinary Family...
and directed by Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
. It received high praise from critics, receiving an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for the song "You've Got a Lot to See", which is featured in the episode. The episode featured guest performances by A. J. Benza
A. J. Benza
Alfred Joseph “A.J.” Benza is a gossip columnist and television host. He was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, though he moved with his family to West Islip, New York on Long Island shortly after his birth. He has two sisters, Rosalie and Lorraine.He is married to his second wife,...
, Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
, Adria Firestone, Melora Hardin
Melora Hardin
Melora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...
, Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, executive producer, animation director, storyboard artist, voice actor, occasional singer, producer, and creator of the animated series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.-Childhood:Hartman was born in Highland Park,...
, 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...
, Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
, Nicole Sullivan
Nicole Sullivan
Nicole Julianne Sullivan is an American actress, comedian and voice artist. Sullivan is best known for her six seasons on the sketch comedy series MADtv and five seasons on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens.She has played a recurring character on Scrubs and voices the villainous Shego in...
and Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
, along with several recurring voice actors for the series.
Plot summary
Deciding to go on a date with a hot but dumb blonde, Brian soon discovers he is dating "an idiot." Returning home depressed, LoisLois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
attempts to cheer up Brian by suggesting Peter take him to a laser rock concert that he was planning on attending, along with Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
and Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
. While there, Brian begins looking around the theater at all of the loving couples (Three Dog Night - One Is The Loneliest Number playing), and becomes even more depressed, eventually deciding to begin drinking. On the drive home with the guys, he is soon pulled over by Joe, and arrested for driving under the influence. Appearing in court one month later, Brian is sentenced to one hundred hours of community service in the "Outreach to the Elderly" program, and assigned to an elderly woman named Pearl, who has not left her house for 30 years. Appearing at her home the next day, he quickly becomes angered by her constant nagging, eventually deciding to tell her to "drop dead." Later that day, however, Brian soon discovers Pearl was actually a brilliant opera singer during the 1940s and 50s, who was shamed into hiding once she faced demands to sing her more popular radio jingles. Deciding to visit Pearl later that night, he discovers her with a noose around her neck, about to commit suicide, but saves her at the last second. The two quickly bond over Pearl's singing, and become close friends. Suggesting they go out for dinner, Brian leads Pearl out of her house, but she is immediately run over by a passing car, requiring immediate medical attention. Spending their last seconds together in virtual reality, which Brian had bought while at the rock concert, Pearl soon dies from her injuries, leaving Brian alone once more.
Meanwhile, after watching an episode of Grizzly Adams on television, Peter decides to grow a beard, despite Lois's disapproval. After his beard is fully grown, 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...
decide to go out for dinner, and are soon pestered by a small bird
White-rumped Swallow
The White-rumped Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It was first formally described as Hirundo leucorrhoa by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1817 in his Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay...
, who eventually settles in Peter's facial hair. Unaware that the bird is actually an endangered species, Peter attempts to remove the bird, but is soon threatened with criminal prosecution if he does so. Left with no other choice but to let the bird live within his hair, Peter attempts to continue life as normally as possible, until he can no longer take the bird's constant squawking, and decides to shoot the bird. Stopped at the last second by Lois, Peter accidentally shoots a nearby window, causing the bird to fly out. Thankful that the bird is finally gone, the two soon hear peeping coming from inside his facial hair, and discover three small baby birds. Won over by their resemblance to his own children, he decides to keep the baby birds, and take the place of its mother. As time goes on, he becomes reluctant to release the birds once they have become fully grown, but is ultimately convinced by Lois to release them back into the wilderness once they attempt to fly out of their bedroom window.
Production
As her first and only episode for the series, the show was written by future ChuckChuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
writer Allison Adler
Allison Adler
Allison Beth Adler is an American producer and writer for television. She is from California.-Career:Adler has worked on television series including Still Standing and Family Guy. She worked on the TV series Chuck, but she left in May 2010 to work on the ABC series No Ordinary Family...
, and directed by series regular Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
before the conclusion of the third production 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"...
.
Initially, the "tearjerker" ending was not planned, and 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,...
had intended to close the episode with a series of gags, similar to many other episodes. Voice actress and staff writer Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein
Alexandrea "Alex" Borstein is an American actress, singer, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.A native of Highland Park, Illinois,...
, along with Allison Adler, convinced MacFarlane that the episode would be far more effective if it were to end on a down note, eventually calling it the only episode to have "real human emotion".
Following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, 20th Century Fox decided to edit the musical number "You've Got a Lot to See" by digitally removing the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers, as well as replacing the likeness of former President 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....
with a beer bong on a tarot card with a tarot card featuring trash talk-show host Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
during the animation sequence between Pearl and Brian.
In addition to the regular cast, gossip columnist and television host A. J. Benza
A. J. Benza
Alfred Joseph “A.J.” Benza is a gossip columnist and television host. He was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, though he moved with his family to West Islip, New York on Long Island shortly after his birth. He has two sisters, Rosalie and Lorraine.He is married to his second wife,...
, actor Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
, opera singer Adria Firestone, actress Melora Hardin
Melora Hardin
Melora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...
, writer and animator Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, executive producer, animation director, storyboard artist, voice actor, occasional singer, producer, and creator of the animated series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.-Childhood:Hartman was born in Highland Park,...
, voice actor 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...
, actress Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
, actress Nicole Sullivan
Nicole Sullivan
Nicole Julianne Sullivan is an American actress, comedian and voice artist. Sullivan is best known for her six seasons on the sketch comedy series MADtv and five seasons on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens.She has played a recurring character on Scrubs and voices the villainous Shego in...
and voice actor Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
Lori Alan
Lori Alan , sometimes credited as Lori Allen, is an American voice actress who provides the voice of news anchor Diane Simmons on Family Guy, various voices on Hey Arnold!, and SpongeBob SquarePants as Pearl....
and writer Mike Barker also made minor appearances.