--- title: "Breaking Out Is Hard to Do (S04E09) | familyguy.co.uk" canonical: "https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e09-breaking-out-is-hard-to-do/" updatedDate: 2026-09-06 author: Alex Moss description: "Breaking Out Is Hard to Do: Family Guy season 4 episode 9 (S04E09), first aired 17 July 2005. Writer and director credits." --- # Breaking Out Is Hard to Do Episode 9 of Family Guy season 4 (S04E09), the 59th Family Guy episode overall. Written by Tom Devanney and directed by Kurt Dumas. First broadcast on 17 July 2005. ## Story Short of money at the supermarket, Lois steals a ham. She gets hooked, and her thefts grow to include a Matisse painting, which makes Brian suspicious. Brian catches her at a car parts shop and talks her round, but Joe arrests her as she returns the goods. In court she is sentenced to three years after trying to steal the judge's gavel. Without her the household falls apart, so Peter smuggles her out of prison in his mouth. The family flee to Quahog's Asiantown and rent a shabby flat. Chris pulls a rickshaw, Stewie sews shoes and Peter becomes a sumo wrestler, which is how Joe spots him on television. Joe chases them into the sewers, where Lois decides to surrender. When Joe slips near a ledge, Lois hauls him up to safety. In gratitude he arranges for her sentence to be cancelled. ## Production and reception - It was Tom Devanney's first script for the series, and Dat Phan and Brian Tochi guest starred. ([Wikipedia: Breaking Out Is Hard to Do](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Out_Is_Hard_to_Do)) - The producers had full rights to a-ha's Take On Me video, but the animators redrew it to ease production. ([Wikipedia: Breaking Out Is Hard to Do](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Out_Is_Hard_to_Do)) - The Matisse painting in the Griffins' dining room was only drawn to resemble a real Matisse because of legal issues over the paintings. ([Wikipedia: Breaking Out Is Hard to Do](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Out_Is_Hard_to_Do)) - Broadcast standards repeatedly fought a scene of Peter trying to fellate himself and falling down the stairs, but eventually allowed it; the CBS Asiantown logo was barred from the broadcast version. ([Wikipedia: Breaking Out Is Hard to Do](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Out_Is_Hard_to_Do)) - The episode was Fox's most-watched programme of the night among adults 18 to 49, with 5.75 million viewers; Francis Rizzo III of DVD Talk singled out the Take On Me sequence. ([Wikipedia: Breaking Out Is Hard to Do](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Out_Is_Hard_to_Do)) ## Facts | Fact | Detail | | --- | --- | | Season | 4 | | Episode | 9 of 30 | | Overall | No. 59 | | Code | S04E09 | | First aired | 17 July 2005 | | Directed by | Kurt Dumas | | Written by | Tom Devanney | | Production code | 4ACX12 | | Source | Wikipedia: Family Guy season 4 | | Wikidata | Q4035399 | | IMDb | tt0576916 | | Verification | Checked against Wikidata and IMDb: title, date, numbering and credits agree | | US viewers | 5.75 million | ## Voices | Voice | Characters | | --- | --- | | Seth MacFarlane | Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, Stewie Griffin | | Alex Borstein | Lois Griffin, Winona Ryder, Fisty | | Seth Green | Chris Griffin, Neil Goldman, Corey Haim | | Mila Kunis | Meg Griffin | | Lori Alan | Diane Simmons | | Mo Collins | Mom in Supermarket, Woman #1 in Book Club | | Paul Ganus | Falkor | | Hunter Gomez | Terminally Ill Child, Asian Kid | | Mark Hentemann | Man in Nebraska #1 | | Phil LaMarr | Judge Dignified Q. Blackman | Principal voice credits as recorded by IMDb, which lists up to ten credits per episode, so recurring characters can be missing here. Guest voices below come from Wikipedia and TVmaze. ### Guest voices - Dat Phan - Brian Tochi as Helicopter Pilot - Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson - Adam West as Mayor Adam West - Jennifer Tilly as Bonnie Swanson - Lori Alan as Diane Simmons - Phil LaMarr as Judge - Mo Collins as Book Club Lady 1 - Mark Hentemann as Trucker - Rob Narita as Sumo Announcer - Hunter Gomez as Chunk ## Links - Season: [4](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-4/) - Source: [Wikipedia: Family Guy season 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_4) - Wikidata: [Q4035399](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4035399) - IMDb: [tt0576916](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0576916/) - US viewers: [5.75 million](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Out_Is_Hard_to_Do) ## Navigation - Previous: [S04E08 8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e08-8-simple-rules-for-buying-my-teenage-daughter/) - Next: [S04E10 Model Misbehavior](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e10-model-misbehavior/) - Season hub: [Season 4](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-4/) - All episodes: [Family Guy episode guide](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/) ## Season 4: episode 9 of 30 - S04E01 [North by North Quahog](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e01-north-by-north-quahog/) - S04E02 [Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e02-fast-times-at-buddy-cianci-jr-high/) - S04E03 [Blind Ambition](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e03-blind-ambition/) - S04E04 [Don't Make Me Over](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e04-dont-make-me-over/) - S04E05 [The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e05-the-cleveland-loretta-quagmire/) - S04E06 [Petarded](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e06-petarded/) - S04E07 [Brian the Bachelor](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e07-brian-the-bachelor/) - S04E08 [8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e08-8-simple-rules-for-buying-my-teenage-daughter/) - S04E09 Breaking Out Is Hard to Do (this entry) - S04E10 [Model Misbehavior](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e10-model-misbehavior/) - S04E11 [Peter's Got Woods](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e11-peters-got-woods/) - S04E12 [Perfect Castaway](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e12-perfect-castaway/) - S04E13 [Jungle Love](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e13-jungle-love/) - S04E14 [PTV](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e14-ptv/) - S04E15 [Brian Goes Back to College](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e15-brian-goes-back-to-college/) - S04E16 [The Courtship of Stewie's Father](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e16-the-courtship-of-stewies-father/) - S04E17 [The Fat Guy Strangler](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e17-the-fat-guy-strangler/) - S04E18 [The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e18-the-father-the-son-and-the-holy-fonz/) - S04E19 [Brian Sings and Swings](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e19-brian-sings-and-swings/) - S04E20 [Patriot Games](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e20-patriot-games/) - S04E21 [I Take Thee Quagmire](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e21-i-take-thee-quagmire/) - S04E22 [Sibling Rivalry](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e22-sibling-rivalry/) - S04E23 [Deep Throats](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e23-deep-throats/) - S04E24 [Peterotica](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e24-peterotica/) - S04E25 [You May Now Kiss the... Uh... Guy Who Receives](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e25-you-may-now-kiss-the-uh-guy-who-receives/) - S04E26 [Petergeist](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e26-petergeist/) - S04E27 [The Griffin Family History](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e27-the-griffin-family-history/) - S04E28 [Stewie B. Goode](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e28-stewie-b-goode/) - S04E29 [Bango Was His Name, Oh!](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e29-bango-was-his-name-oh/) - S04E30 [Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s04e30-stu-and-stewies-excellent-adventure/) --- Unofficial fan resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FOX, Disney, or Fuzzy Door Productions.