“Family Guy” has just done its boldest move since its launch in 1999. The American adult animated comedy has killed off one of its main and beloved characters, and viewers are not only left devastated, but also thoroughly confused. Executive producer Steve Callaghan explains why it was necessary to do it, though.

SPOILER WARNING: Do not read further if you have not watched the latest episode of the show yet.

In the sixth episode of the 12th season of the show titled “Life of Brian,” the Griffins’ family dog, Brian, met his death after being by a car. And Stewie, the youngest member of the family who was best friends with the anthropomorphic canine companion, couldn’t revive him because he has destroyed his time machine just before the unexpected happening.

“You’ve given me a wonderful life. I love you all,” were Brian’s last words to the whole family as he lay dying in the hospital.

Unlike other animated series such as “The Simpsons,” Seth MacFarlane’s Emmy-nominated black comedy cartoon did not just lay to rest a supporting character. Brian was a main character, and a beloved one at that. Some would even argue that he, along with Stewie, was the star of the show.

Killing him off might bring unwanted repercussions for the show’s producers, like the decline of its ratings.

So why do it?

While fans are still in shock over the beloved Quahog resident’s unforeseen demise, executive producer Steve Callaghan hopes to somehow appease them by explaining why they had to make the audacious move.

“This was an idea that got pitched in the writers room and it sort of caught fire, and we thought it could be a fun way to shake things up,” he told eonline.com exclusively. “As soon as this idea came up, we started talking about what the next couple episodes could be and we got very excited about the way this change will affect the family dynamics and the characters.”

http://www.eonline.com/news/484172/family-guy-s-shocking-death-boss-reveals-why-they-decided-to-kill-off-spoiler

But why Brian? Why not another character?

“It seemed more in the realm of reality that a dog would get hit by a car than if one of the kids died. As much as we love Brian, and as much as everyone loves their pets, we felt it would be more traumatic to lose one of the kids rather than the family pet.”

MacFarlane voiced Brian, and it’s unlikely he is leaving the show any time soon as he’s not only the creator, producer, and writer, he’s also the voice of most of the characters in the show, including Peter and Stewie Griffin, Glenn Quagmire, and Tom Tucker.

But how about the other voice actors, including Mila Kunis (who voices Meg Griffin) and Seth Green (who voices Chris Griffin)?

“I think they were glad it wasn’t them,” Callaghan quipped. “I think they were surprised, as anyone would be, and I think they were pretty stunned especially this far into the show. They were as shocked as anyone.”

As for the possible backlash from viewers, Callaghan said he’s not worried “because our fans are smart enough and have been loyal to our show for long enough, to know that they can trust us. We always make choices that always work to the greatest of the series.”

Brian was replaced by another canine companion in the show. The Griffins thought that the best way for them to recover from his death was to bring another dog to the family. Hence, Vinny, a smooth-talking dog voiced by “The Sopranos” actor Tony Sirico, was brought in, and Stewie wasn’t happy with the new addition... at first.

While Brian was the intellectual kind, Vinny is street smart and just “a lot more of a rough around the edges.” Brian and Stewie’s bond may be unbreakable, but Callaghan promised that Vinny will also be a good match for Stewie.

“Where Brian was sort of a match for Stewie intellectually, Vinny is a good match for Stewie because he doesn’t let Stewie get away with any crap. He’ll call out on his BS freely.”

“Life of Brian” was aired in the U.S. on Sunday.

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