--- title: "A Shot in the Dark (S14E09) | familyguy.co.uk" canonical: "https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e09-a-shot-in-the-dark/" updatedDate: 2026-09-06 author: Alex Moss description: "A Shot in the Dark: Family Guy season 14 episode 9 (S14E09), first aired 13 December 2015. Writer and director credits." --- # A Shot in the Dark Episode 9 of Family Guy season 14 (S14E09), the 258th Family Guy episode overall. Written by Mike Desilets and directed by Brian Iles. First broadcast on 13 December 2015. ## Story Peter puts the family couch out on the lawn so that he, Quagmire, Cleveland and Joe can drink on it. When it is carted off as rubbish, the four form a neighbourhood watch and Peter arms them. Spotting a figure at a window of the Brown house, he shoots and hits Cleveland Jr. The police call it an accident, but Cleveland goes on television to argue that it was a hate crime, the town turns on the Griffins and Peter is arrested to calm the mood. Carter provides a lawyer, who wins an acquittal by blackening Cleveland Jr's name, and Cleveland ends the friendship. Peter then faces the crowd outside the Brown house, admits the shooting and says he should answer for it, and Cleveland forgives him. ## Production and reception - The story took its starting point from the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. ([Wikipedia: A Shot in the Dark (Family Guy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_in_the_Dark_(Family_Guy))) - The episode was made under the working title "Stand Your Brown", punning on Cleveland's surname and on the self-defence law of a similar name. ([Wikipedia: A Shot in the Dark (Family Guy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_in_the_Dark_(Family_Guy))) - Two broadcasts were dropped before it aired: one set for 15 November 2015, pulled after the Paris attacks, and one set for 6 December, pulled after the San Bernardino shooting. ([Wikipedia: A Shot in the Dark (Family Guy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_in_the_Dark_(Family_Guy))) - The first broadcast drew 3.74 million viewers, placing it third among Fox's programmes that night. ([Wikipedia: A Shot in the Dark (Family Guy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_in_the_Dark_(Family_Guy))) - TV Fanatic's Lisa Basic rated the episode two stars out of five. ([Wikipedia: A Shot in the Dark (Family Guy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_in_the_Dark_(Family_Guy))) ## Facts | Fact | Detail | | --- | --- | | Season | 14 | | Episode | 9 of 20 | | Overall | No. 258 | | Code | S14E09 | | First aired | 13 December 2015 | | Directed by | Brian Iles | | Written by | Mike Desilets | | Production code | DACX05 | | Source | Wikipedia: Family Guy season 14 | | Wikidata | Q22814480 | | IMDb | tt4848910 | | Verification | Checked against Wikidata and IMDb: title, date, numbering and credits agree | | US viewers | 3.74 million | ## Voices | Voice | Characters | | --- | --- | | Seth MacFarlane | Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, Stewie Griffin | | Alex Borstein | Lois Griffin | | Seth Green | Chris Griffin | | Mila Kunis | Meg Griffin | | Mike Henry | Cleveland Brown | | John G. Brennan | Mort Goldman | | Gary Cole | NCIS Fan | | Cary Elwes | Cyrano de Bergerac | | Ralph Garman | The Man in the Yellow Hat | 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 - Cary Elwes - Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson ## Links - Season: [14](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-14/) - Source: [Wikipedia: Family Guy season 14](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_14) - Wikidata: [Q22814480](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22814480) - IMDb: [tt4848910](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4848910/) - US viewers: [3.74 million](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_in_the_Dark_(Family_Guy)) ## Navigation - Previous: [S14E08 Brokeback Swanson](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e08-brokeback-swanson/) - Next: [S14E10 Candy, Quahog Marshmallow](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e10-candy-quahog-marshmallow/) - Season hub: [Season 14](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-14/) - All episodes: [Family Guy episode guide](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/) ## Season 14: episode 9 of 20 - S14E01 [Pilling Them Softly](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e01-pilling-them-softly/) - S14E02 [Papa Has a Rollin' Son](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e02-papa-has-a-rollin-son/) - S14E03 [Guy, Robot](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e03-guy-robot/) - S14E04 [Peternormal Activity](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e04-peternormal-activity/) - S14E05 [Peter, Chris & Brian](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e05-peter-chris-and-brian/) - S14E06 [Peter's Sister](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e06-peters-sister/) - S14E07 [Hot Pocket-Dial](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e07-hot-pocket-dial/) - S14E08 [Brokeback Swanson](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e08-brokeback-swanson/) - S14E09 A Shot in the Dark (this entry) - S14E10 [Candy, Quahog Marshmallow](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e10-candy-quahog-marshmallow/) - S14E11 [The Peanut Butter Kid](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e11-the-peanut-butter-kid/) - S14E12 [Scammed Yankees](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e12-scammed-yankees/) - S14E13 [An App a Day](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e13-an-app-a-day/) - S14E14 [Underage Peter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e14-underage-peter/) - S14E15 [A Lot Going on Upstairs](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e15-a-lot-going-on-upstairs/) - S14E16 [The Heartbreak Dog](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e16-the-heartbreak-dog/) - S14E17 [Take a Letter](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e17-take-a-letter/) - S14E18 [The New Adventures of Old Tom](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e18-the-new-adventures-of-old-tom/) - S14E19 [Run, Chris, Run](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e19-run-chris-run/) - S14E20 [Road to India](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s14e20-road-to-india/) --- Unofficial fan resource. 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