Warning, this article contains big spoilers from Family Guy, so stop reading if you want to wait to see the episode! Family Guy creators have decided to kill off one of their lead characters, in a decision that has shocked fans of the show across the world. In an all-new episode of the hit animated series, the creators wrote off Brian Griffin, the canine companion of the family, who has appeared in all 11 seasons of the show. The famous pooch was hit by a car in the episode, and died as a result from his injuries – the episode was called “Life of Brian.” “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” said executive producer Steve Callaghan, speaking to E! Online. “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.” According to the producer, the rest of the cast were “as shocked as anyone.” Another dog has already been introduced to the series, Vinny, voiced by The Sopranos' Tony Sirico. “Brian was very smart and studios and intellectual, and Vinny is just a lot more of a rough around the edges” said Steve. “Vinny is a really 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 Stewie out on his B.S. freely” he continued. The producer said that he wasn’t worried about backlash from fans, “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 benefit of the series.”