Family Guy fans 'make internet history' as they dig up 'lost' pilot episode missing from screens for 27 years - raving 'this is an insane find!'
- Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com
The lost pilot episode of Family Guy has finally been discovered 26 years after its TV debut.
After the episode was 'lost' to the archives, fans of the animated show only ever saw seven minutes of the total 16-minute episode.
The previously seen moments were only available to the public through a bonus feature on the Family Guy Volume 2 DVD in 2003.
Now, the full-length clip has been found on the website of the famed animator, Robert Paulsen.
Robert is famed for his iconic and beloved creations such as Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, Yakko Warner and Dr. Scratchansniff from Animaniacs, Raphael and Donatello (2012) from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
As Robert worked on the long-running show about the misadventures of the Griffin family, he had a version of the first episode all along.
The lost pilot episode of Family Guy has finally been discovered 26 years after its TV debut. Previously fans of the show only ever saw seven minutes of the total 16-minute episode
The previously seen moments were only shown to the public through a bonus feature on the Family Guy Volume 2 DVD in 2003
The discovery sent fans of the show into a frenzy on YouTube as one said it was an 'insane find', while another penned: 'This is internet history.'
'Seeing Proto Quagmire is like looking at one of those English bulldogs after hundreds of years of inbreeding.'
'Lois being blonde makes a lot more sense. Especially since Chris is blond.'
'Gives good insight to how FG developed the characters and what changes they made for the better. Probably a good idea changing the voice for Chris.'
Family Guy is an animated sitcom that's been on air for over 25 years, since its premiere in 1999.
It centers around the dysfunctional Griffin family living in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island.
In 2002, Family Guy was cancelled and taken off air, but sky-rocketing DVD sales from reruns nudged Fox to revive the show, and it returned in 2005.
Since then, Family Guy has been on air regularly, producing 23 seasons and more than 400 episodes.
Now, the full-length clip has been found on the website of the famed animator, Robert Paulsen, who worked on the long-running show about the misadventures of the Griffin family
The discovery sent fans of the show into a frenzy on YouTube as one said it was an 'insane find', while another penned: 'This is internet history'
Family Guy is an animated sitcom that's been on air for nearly three decades, since its premiere in 1999
In 2002, Family Guy was cancelled and taken off air, but sky-rocketing DVD sales from reruns nudged Fox to revive the show, and it returned in 2005
The discovery comes after Cathay Pacific has been forced to apologise for airing an episode of Family Guy which references the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The airline rushed to remove the episode from its inflight entertainment after a customer lodged a complaint, according to reports.
The episode featured a seven-second scene where the main character, Peter Griffin, said he had lied about '(standing) up to that tank in Tiananmen Square'.
The throwaway gag was a reference to the Chinese military's brutal suppression of pro-democracy student demonstrators on June 4, 1989.
The animation mirrors the iconic 'Tank Man' image, which depicts an unknown man stood in front of a column of tanks.
The real image, which became an enduring symbol of protests around the world, is censored in China, as is discussion of the massacre.
