Line #35 WesternAnimation/FamilyDog


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/familydog.jpg]]
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3	In 1987, the anthology series ''Series/AmazingStories'' premiered an episode entitled ''Family Dog''. Created by Creator/BradBird, it told the story of a dog owned by the Binsfords, a ''very'' dysfunctional family consisting of Skip and Bev, the frustrated, careless parents; Billy, the destruction-loving son; and Buffy, the young daughter.
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5	Fast forward six years later, when a primetime series based on the episode premiered to capitalize on the success of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' alongside ''WesternAnimation/FishPolice'', and ''WesternAnimation/CapitolCritters''. The series was produced by Creator/{{Nelvana}}, Amblin Television, Creator/{{Universal}}, and Creator/WarnerBros, and aired on CBS.
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7	13 episodes were planned; however, only 10 were aired, and after that the show got cancelled.
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9	Not to be confused with ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. Or Brian Griffin, for that matter.
10	----
11	!!The ''Amazing Stories'' episode and the series provide examples of:
12	* ADogNamedDog: The titular canine is never referred to by anything other than "The Dog". Even his Christmas stocking just says "Dog" on it! Though [[WordofGod Word of God]] has stated that the dog's name is Jonah, the Binsfords don't call him Jonah likely out of apathy.
13	* TheAce: The Binsfords' neighbors, the Mahoneys are a far more perfect family than the Binsfords could ever be. Martin and Trish are in more [[HappilyMarried happily married]] than Skip and Bev, Martin has a better job than Skip, Trish is a better cook than Bev, the Mahoney twins are more well behaved than Billy and Buffy, even their new dog, K-10, a former police dog, is more impressive than the Binsfords' own dog. Which is why the Binsfords resent the Mahoneys.
14	* AngryGuardDog: The last act of the ''Amazing Stories'' episode has the dog being trained to become one. [[GoneHorriblyRight It works too well]], as it follows the burglars to their lair and becomes their AttackAnimal.
15	* BigBudgetBeefUp: Inverted. The quality of the show's animation and scripts dropped compared to the ''Amazing Stories'' episode it came from.
16	* BlackComedyAnimalCruelty: Downplayed example, as the abuse isn't ''that'' bad, but some of the show's humor was derived from the Binsfords failing to care for their dog properly. Heck, the first episode alone was more or less built around this trope, as its premise was that the dog was thirsty, but constantly failed to get even a single drop of water.
17	* BrandX: Averted. The brands mentioned in the series are real-life brands.
18	** However, there is a sequence near the end of "Party Animal" where the Binsfords visit "Insurance World", "World Bank", "Architect World", "E-Z Chair World", and "World 'O Carpets".
19	* BrattyHalfPint: Buffy. As seen in the original episode, all it takes is a single growl from the Dog to get her to start screaming her head off.
20	* BumblingDad: Skip, when he's not being a {{Jerkass}}.
21	* ButtMonkey: The dog is constantly neglected by his owners, terrorized by the kids, and generally put through a world of hurt.
22	* CatchPhrase: "Stupid dog!" Skip usually says this, but the other Binsfords have said it as well.
23	* CatsAreMean: The dog gets attacked by a cat in one episode.
24	* CordonBleughChef: In the original Amazing Stories episode, Bev serves the family a mixture of "tater puffs and cheese whip." After Buffy gives the concoction to the dog, Skip and Billy get the same idea.
25	* DisneyDeath: A bird that Billy kills turns out to be fine... [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope only to die again]], followed by it [[DoubleSubverted turning out to be alive again]]]].
26	* DysfunctionalFamily: The Binsfords. Ye ''gods''. Skip is both pessimistic ''and'' [[BumblingDad incompetent]], Bev is a whiny nag, Billy is a [[KidsAreCruel possible lunatic]], and Buffy is a mindless toddler. And all of them treat the dog with [[SarcasmMode respect and love.]]
27	* EvilLaughter: Billy does this whenever he's about to cause trouble.
28	* GilliganCut: Skip says he is not going to take the dog to the beach. Cue immediate cut to the Binsfords on the beach with their dog.
29	* GirlishPigtails: Buffy has large pigtails.
30	* HartmanHips: Bev has quite prominent hips. This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in "Eye on the Sparrow" when Billy refers to his mother as "Thunder Thighs".
31	* HilarityInZoos: The entirety of the episode "Hot Dog at the Zoo".
32	* IncompetentGuardAnimal: In the ''Amazing Stories'' episode, the dog fails to stop burglars twice; the first time because he had eaten too much, the second because he overslept. His owner takes him to be trained to be a more vicious guard dog, and the third time he succeeds in chasing away the burglars. In fact, it works ''too'' well, as the dog has followed them to their hideout, and when it attacks a cop who came to arrest them, they decide to use him as an accomplice in their crimes. Eventually, the dog turns on the burglars and he returns home... where it attacks his master after he gets locked out of the house and has to sneak in through a window.
33	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The Binsford family as a whole. Despite their constant bickering and their mistreatment of their pet, deep down, they really do care about him and each other.
34	* {{Jerkass}}: Billy Binsford is clearly the worst of the family. He loves violence and destruction, is mean to his sister Buffy, disrespects his parents, and would go out of his way to do mean things to the dog.
35	* LethalChef: As a running gag, Bev has particularly bad cooking skills, much to the dismay of her take-out enjoying family.
36	* LoveAtFirstSight: The dog immediately falls in love with a female dog in the episode "Doggone Girl is Mine".
37	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
38	** In the original Amazing Stories episode, the dog growls at Buffy after he gets fed up with her [[PetDressUp dressing him up]]. It does not go well.
39	** On the front page of a [[SpinningPaper newspaper]], Skip is shown to feel this way after the dog gets lost chasing after some robbers.
40	** Billy kills a bird in one episode and feels bad about it.
41	* OhCrap: Done by the dog constantly. It's practically his default facial expression!
42	* PekingDuckChristmas: As the Binsfords watch a home movie of last Christmas, Skip recalls that they had to go out for pizza for Christmas dinner because the dog ate the ham.
43	* PrecisionFStrike: A TV-friendly version. In the ''Amazing Stories'' episode, Skip blames his wife for buying "cheap damn dog food" which gives the dog gas.
44	* SickEpisode: The dog gets ill in "Family Dog Gets Good and Sick" due to a mosquito sucking on poison and injecting it on him. He gets better after he has a dream about seeing his crush, which does happen in the end.
45	* SkewedPriorities: In "Party Animal", Skip and Bev are more concerned about saving their chair and carpet, respectively, than escaping the burning house.
46	* StatusQuoIsGod: In "Party Animal", Billy's newfound obsession with playing with fire [[spoiler: results in a house fire immediately following the Binsfords' block party. The whole family escapes in time (the dog very narrowly), but the house burns and collapses to the ground.]] This is immediately followed by a montage [[spoiler: where the Binsfords pick up and cash an insurance check, have the house rebuilt and furnished exactly as before, and have a family portrait taken that looks just like one that perished in the blaze.]] The reboot works just a little too well, as [[spoiler: the episode ends with a housewarming party at which not only is Bev wearing the exact same outfit as at the first party, but Billy is shown [[AesopAmnesia not to have learned his lesson at all]], being caught by his mother and the dog playing with matches again]]![[note]]An alternative interpretation of what happened in this episode is on the WMG page.[[/note]]
47	* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: Ms. Lestrange promises to turn the dog into "a quivering, snarling, white-hot ball of canine terror." Later, when the dog attacks burglars, one exclaims, "He's turned into a quivering, snarling, white-hot ball of canine terror!"
48	* ShortRunner: The series ran for only 10 episodes.
49	* UngratefulBastard: In "Hot Dog at the Zoo", Skip loses his ring and goes looking for it, unbeknownst to him that it was accidentally eaten by the dog after it was flung into his food bowl. When the dog locates it in the backyard (how it wound up there should be no mystery) and brings it to his owner, Skip is delighted at first only for him and Bev to suddenly and angrily accuse the dog of taking it, finger-pointing and all, even though the dog helped his owner in his eyes by finding what he was looking for and as a result became shocked and saddened by the accusation.
50	* UsedToBeASweetKid: Billy, if the flashback in "Dog Days of Summer" is any indication.
51	* VileVillainSaccharineShow: It was mostly a lighthearted series about a dog and the dysfunctional family he lived with, but the episode "Dog Days of Summer" introduced a trio of [[TeensAreMonsters callous teens]] and their vicious dog that nearly killed the titular family dog.

Context WesternAnimation / FamilyDog