Family Dog

Released: February 16th, 1987. Rated PG. 21 min.

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Cast:

Jack Angel—(voice)
Brooke Ashley—Buffy Binford (voice)
Brad Bird—(voice)
Marshall Efron—Burglar (voice)
Stan Freberg—Skip Binford (voice)

Storyline:

Not so much of a movie as a short film, Family Dog introduces the viewer to the Binford Family on a regular weeknight. The family has a loveable grey Terrier-sized dog who only wants to be happy and peaceful. Yet, each one of the family members terrorizes him in one way or another. On this night, the family decides to go out, leaving the house vulnerable to burglars. Thankfully, the family dog is left to guard the house with extreme prejudice. Or does he?

What makes it special?

This short story was part of a greater body of work called Amazing Stories, which first aired on American TV from 1985-1987.Amazing Stories was created and developed by Steven Spielberg during his dominance of Hollywood in the 80's. Each hour-long show was split into two to three mini-stories, created by various directors. This premiere episode was written and directed by Brad Bird, with music composed by John Williams of Hollywood fame. This story was released at a time when hand-drawn animation was very expensive, and generally regulated to morning cartoons based on children's toy product lines. It was very unusual to see this high-quality level of animation broadcast during prime time, as no other show did so at the time. The art style was very unique, and the personalities of each family member were expertly captured through animation and voice. CBS ended up picking up the rights for a short-lived series that failed to match the quality and humor seen in this pilot episode.