Guess who's back, back again? Brian's back, tell a friend!

Eight and a half years after Family Guy was revived at the end of a three-year-long cancellation, one of its beloved characters is back from a short stint in his grave. But why kill him off in the first place? The Family Guy team initially claimed that the idea was born in the writers room as "a fun way to shake things up" that "caught fire." But the show's creator Seth MacFarlane has been upbeat about his show's emotional rollercoaster: "And thus endeth our warm, fuzzy holiday lesson: Never take those you love for granted, for they can be gone in a flash," he tweeted. The animator and actor addressed the death and resurrection of Brian directly, adding "I mean, you didn't really think we'd kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we'd have to be [expletive deleted] high." "Oh and hey... thanks for caring so much about the canine Griffin. He is overcome with gratitude," the comedian tweeted. Brian's replacement Vinny was OK, but we should just be glad to have Brian back. He's just what the show needed all along.