Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane spoke out about the show's big controversy surrounding the death of Brian, the family dog.

MacFarlane told critics at the Television Critics Association press tour Monday that the angered reaction they received after killing Brian off was not anticipated.

"It surprised all of us," he admitted. "We were all very surprised, in a good way, that people still cared enough about that character to be that angry. We thought it would create a little bit of a stir, but the rage wasn't something we counted on."

In the November episode Life of Brian, the beloved family dog was killed after being run over by a car. The incident caused an uproar, with loyal and casual fans alike taking to Facebook and Twitter to voice their outrage. Brian was resurrected a mere two episodes later in the Christmas episode.

MacFarlane admitted that the stunt worked, both for the writers creatively and in the ratings - viewership has been higher since the headline-making incident.

"It did what it was designed to do - it reminded people this is still a show where anything that can happen despite the fact it's been on for awhile," MacFarlane explained.

Fans can rest assured that Brian will stay alive through the remainder of the series, as the writer-creator said, "Would I do it again? No. We already did it."

Family Guy airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Watch a trailer for season 12 of Family Guy here.

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