Family Dog is a 1987 episode of Amazing Stories, created by Brad Bird and an animated television series that aired from June 23 to July 28, 1993, on CBS. It was about an average suburban family, the Binsfords, as told through the eyes of their dog named Jonah.The series was the first collaboration between executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton.
Delayed for years and panned by critics, the latter show has been called "one of the biggest fiascos in television animation history, on both a creative and commercial level, in spite (but, in many ways, because of) the high-powered talent behind the project." One critic observed that the main problem with the show was that "the Binsford family was so repulsively selfish that audience interest in their adventures was nil."
Cast and characters[]
1987 short[]
- Stan Freberg as Skip Binsford, the father
- Annie Potts as Bev Binsford, the mother
- Brad Bird as Jonah, a Bull Terrier and the family dog
- Scott Menville as Billy Binsford, the son
- Brooke Ashley as Buffy Binsford, the daughter
- Mercedes McCambridge as Miss Lestrange
- Marshall Efron as Burglar
- Stanley Ralph Ross as Burglar
- Jack Angel as Security Guard
Episodes[]
| # | Image | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Show Dog | Chris Buck, Clive A. Smith |
| The Binsfords enter Jonah in a rodeo showcase of the stars, believing him to be specially talented. Meanwhile, all Jonah wants is a drink of water. | |||
| 2 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Hot Dog at the Zoo | Clive A. Smith |
| When the Binsfords take a trip to the zoo, their pooch tags along and causes plenty of trouble. | |||
| 3 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Doggone Girl Is Mine | Clive A. Smith |
| Jonah falls hard for a recently-divorced neighbor's pet. Meanwhile, Skip fears Bev might leave him. | |||
| 4 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Enemy Dog | Clive A. Smith |
| When the pretentious Mahoneys pick up a vicious police dog from an auction, the Binsfords force their pooch to interact with it. | |||
| 5 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Eye on the Sparrow | Chris Buck, Clive A. Smith |
| Jonah cares for a sparrow who is unable to fly. | |||
| 6 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Call of the Mild | Chris Buck, Clive A. Smith |
| Jonah the family dog dreams of cavorting with the neighborhood strays, but he soon discovers that he does not have what it takes to run with the pack. | |||
| 7 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Dog Days of Summer | Chris Buck, Clive A. Smith |
| When the Binsfords head to the beach, they are forced to contend with a trashy group of teens and their vicious bulldog, Scud. | |||
| 8 | [[[File:|thumb|220px]] | Party Animal | Chris Buck, Clive A. Smith |
| After hosting the neighborhood block party, the Binsfords' house catches on fire. | |||
| 9 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Family Dog Goes Homeless | Klay Hall |
| Jonah the family dog befriends a homeless woman. | |||
| 10 | [[File:|thumb|220px]] | Family Dog Gets Good and Sick | Becky Bristow |
| Jonah the family dog becomes ill after being bitten by a mosquito that was feasting on toxic waste. Meanwhile, a neighborhood dog is killed by a car. | |||
Production[]
Background[]
Development[]
Home media[]
Reception[]
The original short has been praised by critics alongside the likes of veteran animators Bill Melendez and Bob Kurtz.[1]
When the show debuted, it was roundly panned for its crude scripts and cheap production values, both of drastically lesser quality than the episode which had spawned the series. It became a cult disaster.[2]