What A Cartoon! - Amazing Stories "Family Dog" (Patreon)

In the mid-80s, when no acclaimed film director would deign to enter the world of broadcast television, Steven Spielberg used his immense clout to create Amazing Stories. This big-budget anthology show mostly underwhelmed viewers during its two seasons, but its one animated experiment remains the series' greatest achievement. The brainchild of Brad Bird, "Family Dog" brought theatrical-level animation to the small screen in a particularly dire era for the medium, and presaged creations like The Simpsons—which Bird would later work on. This month on What A Cartoon, join us as we examine this highly influential piece of late '80s animation and desperately try to forget the one-season disaster it spawned many years later.