--- title: "Back to the Pilot (S10E05) | familyguy.co.uk" canonical: "https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e05-back-to-the-pilot/" updatedDate: 2026-09-06 author: Alex Moss description: "Back to the Pilot: Family Guy season 10 episode 5 (S10E05), first aired 13 November 2011. Writer and director credits." --- # Back to the Pilot Episode 5 of Family Guy season 10 (S10E05), the 170th Family Guy episode overall. Written by Mark Hentemann and directed by Dominic Bianchi. First broadcast on 13 November 2011. ## Story Brian asks Stewie to help him recover a tennis ball he buried on 31 January 1999, the day the series first aired, so the pair travel back and find the family drawn in the pilot's animation style. Brian also warns his 1999 self about the September 11 attacks. Back in 2011 they learn that George W. Bush lost the 2004 election and has revived the Confederate States of America, and a trip to 2016 shows a ruined country after nuclear strikes. They undo the warning, only for Brian to claim credit for the Harry Potter novels instead. Further attempts summon dozens of Brians and Stewies, who vote against preventing the attacks. The original pair march their past selves home and the altered timeline collapses. ## Production and reception - Seth MacFarlane announced the episode at San Diego Comic-Con on 23 July 2011 and said on the DVD featurette that the idea came from "Trials and Tribble-ations", an outing of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ([Wikipedia: Back to the Pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Pilot)) - Showrunner Mark Hentemann wrote the script and Dominic Bianchi directed. It was first planned as the seventh Road to instalment before that framing was dropped. ([Wikipedia: Back to the Pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Pilot)) - Archive recordings of Lacey Chabert, Phil LaMarr and Fred Tatasciore from "Death Has a Shadow" were used and credited. Chabert voiced Meg for the first season before Mila Kunis took the part. ([Wikipedia: Back to the Pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Pilot)) - Nielsen put the first airing at 6.01 million viewers with a 3.1/7 share in the 18 to 49 group, nearly 200,000 up on "Stewie Goes for a Drive". ([Wikipedia: Back to the Pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Pilot)) - Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club graded it A minus and Kate Moon of TV Fanatic gave 4.2 out of five. Tom Eames of Digital Spy ranked it second in his list of the best episodes. ([Wikipedia: Back to the Pilot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Pilot)) ## Facts | Fact | Detail | | --- | --- | | Season | 10 | | Episode | 5 of 23 | | Overall | No. 170 | | Code | S10E05 | | First aired | 13 November 2011 | | Directed by | Dominic Bianchi | | Written by | Mark Hentemann | | Production code | 9ACX08 | | Source | Wikipedia: Family Guy season 10 | | Wikidata | Q4034786 | | IMDb | tt2040802 | | Verification | Checked against Wikidata and IMDb: title, date, numbering and credits agree | | US viewers | 6.01 million | ## Voices | Voice | Characters | | --- | --- | | Seth MacFarlane | Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, Stewie Griffin | | Alex Borstein | Lois Griffin | | Seth Green | Chris Griffin | | Mila Kunis | Meg Griffin, Meg Griffin | | Mike Henry | Cleveland Brown | | Lacey Chabert | 1999 Meg Griffin | | Chris Cox | George W. Bush | | Ralph Garman | Dog in the Window | | Christine Lakin | Joyce Kinney | | Phil LaMarr | Judge | 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 - Lacey Chabert as Meg in pilot, Meg Griffin - Chris Cox as George W. Bush - Ralph Garman as Dog in the Window - Christine Lakin as Joyce Kinney - Phil LaMarr as Judge in pilot, Judge - Fred Tatasciore as John Madden in pilot - Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson ## Links - Season: [10](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-10/) - Source: [Wikipedia: Family Guy season 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_10) - Wikidata: [Q4034786](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4034786) - IMDb: [tt2040802](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2040802/) - US viewers: [6.01 million](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Pilot) ## Navigation - Previous: [S10E04 Stewie Goes for a Drive](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e04-stewie-goes-for-a-drive/) - Next: [S10E06 Thanksgiving](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e06-thanksgiving/) - Season hub: [Season 10](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-10/) - All episodes: [Family Guy episode guide](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/) ## Season 10: episode 5 of 23 - S10E01 [Lottery Fever](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e01-lottery-fever/) - S10E02 [Seahorse Seashell Party](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e02-seahorse-seashell-party/) - S10E03 [Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e03-screams-of-silence-the-story-of-brenda-q/) - S10E04 [Stewie Goes for a Drive](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e04-stewie-goes-for-a-drive/) - S10E05 Back to the Pilot (this entry) - S10E06 [Thanksgiving](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e06-thanksgiving/) - S10E07 [Amish Guy](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e07-amish-guy/) - S10E08 [Cool Hand Peter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e08-cool-hand-peter/) - S10E09 [Grumpy Old Man](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e09-grumpy-old-man/) - S10E10 [Meg and Quagmire](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e10-meg-and-quagmire/) - S10E11 [The Blind Side](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e11-the-blind-side/) - S10E12 [Livin' on a Prayer](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e12-livin-on-a-prayer/) - S10E13 [Tom Tucker: The Man and His Dream](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e13-tom-tucker-the-man-and-his-dream/) - S10E14 [Be Careful What You Fish For](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e14-be-careful-what-you-fish-for/) - S10E15 [Burning Down the Bayit](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e15-burning-down-the-bayit/) - S10E16 [Killer Queen](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e16-killer-queen/) - S10E17 [Forget-Me-Not](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e17-forget-me-not/) - S10E18 [You Can't Do That on Television, Peter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e18-you-cant-do-that-on-television-peter/) - S10E19 [Mr. and Mrs. Stewie](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e19-mr-and-mrs-stewie/) - S10E20 [Leggo My Meg-O](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e20-leggo-my-meg-o/) - S10E21 [Tea Peter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e21-tea-peter/) - S10E22 [Family Guy Viewer Mail #2](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e22-family-guy-viewer-mail-2/) - S10E23 [Internal Affairs](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s10e23-internal-affairs/) --- Unofficial fan resource. 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