"Back to the Pilot" is the fifth episode of the tenth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 13, 2011. In "Back to the Pilot", two of the show's main characters, baby genius Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian, both voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane, use a time machine to travel back in time to the first episode of the series, "Death Has a Shadow". Trouble ensues however, when Brian tells his former self about the September 11 attacks, causing the present to be dramatically changed, and ultimately resulting in an apocalyptic second civil war. The two must then prevent themselves from going back to the past in the first place, but soon realize that it will be much more difficult than they had originally thought. The episode was written by Mark Hentemann and directed by Dominic Bianchi. It received high praise from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving some criticism for its portrayal of the September 11 attacks, an example of 9/11 humor despite being self-aware. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed by 6.01 million people in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Lacey Chabert, Chris Cox, Ralph Garman, Christine Lakin, Phil LaMarr and Fred Tatasciore, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. Plot In 2011, Brian asks Stewie to help him find a tennis ball he had buried on January 31, 1999 (the day of the series' premiere on Fox). Using Stewie's time machine to travel back to that date, the two come upon the Griffin family in 1999, but notice that their past looks more strange than they remembered it: the family continually pauses for cutaways, and Meg's voice sounds different. Stewie also points out that this may be his first memory, and that is the day Peter's eye overlapped with his nose (an animation error that actually occurred in the pilot). Warning Brian not to alter the past by getting the tennis ball and advising him to instead memorize its location, Stewie goes into his room to set up their return to the present, when 1999 Stewie suddenly enters. The two Stewies then meet, and 2011 Stewie tells 2011 Brian to come out from his hiding place after explaining himself to 1999 Stewie. However, hanging outside the window, 2011 Brian falls