There used to be a time when television audiences could look to on-screen pets for crucial plot turns -- like when Lassie saved Timmy from an abandoned mine, Santa's Little Helper enrolled in the Police Dog Academy or the army drafted Arnold Ziffel. Even as those meaty plot lines depleted, animals were still thrown an occasional bone for easy laughs ("Comet ate the rump roast!"). But as reality and workplace shows replace standard family-centered fare, the number of roles written for pets dwindles. Unfortunately for animal actors, pet wranglers are expensive, dogs have no business in hospitals and even sadder, pigs cannot improvise. With this sad trend in mind, Moveline looks back on 65 years of television's furry (and scaly) companions and their most memorable storylines. Enjoy and please contribute your own memories in the comments section below.
Brian, Family Guy (1999 - 2002, 2005 - Present)
Voiced By: Seth MacFarlane
Classification: Dog (Anthropomorphic)
Memorable Storyline: In a sixth season episode called "The Former Life of Brian," Brian discovers that he has an unruly teenaged son by a former girlfriend. After smoking up together, the two forge a bond and Brian eventually becomes an overprotective father, scaring the son back to his mother.
Happy, 7th Heaven (1996 - 2007)
Played By: Happy the Dog
Classification: Dog (Mixed breed)
Memorable Storyline: A year after adopting a dog, the Camdens realize that Happy is actually "Whitey" in a season two episode, when Happy's original owners see her on television and threaten legal action unless she is returned. Once the original owners take back "Whitey" though, they realize that she is miserable without the Camdens and return her.
Salem Saberhagen, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 - 2000)
Voiced By: Nick Bakay
Classification: Warlock-turned-talking-cat
Memorable Storyline: In a season two episode, Salem swallows a time device and unwittingly transports everyone back to the 1960s where Sabrina enjoys herself -- until she realizes how oppressed the women are.
Marcel, Friends (1994 - 2004)
Played By: Katie, Monkey
Classification: Monkey (White Throated Capuchin)
Memorable Storyline: In season one's "The One Where the Monkey Gets Away," Marcel slips out the door while Rachel babysits him. The dramatic goings-on eventually spur Ross to attempt to woo Rachel, but her ex-boyfriend Barry foils his plan by declaring his love for her. For further petcare insights, please see Matt LeBlanc's 1996 non-documentary Dunston Checks In.
Eddie, Frasier (1993 - 2004)
Played By: Moose, Enzo (Moose's son)
Classification: Dog (Jack Russell Terrier)
Memorable Storyline: In a season two episode called "The Unkindest Cut of All," Eddie mates with a neighbor's dog and Frasier must find homes for the entire litter before convincing his father to neuter Eddie once and for all.
Murray, Mad About You (1992 - 1999)
Played By: Maui
Classification: Dog (Border Collie mix)
Memorable Storyline: In a season three episode called "Just My Dog," Murray gets an audition for a television series after a successful walk-on appearance in one of Paul's commercials.
Snowballs II/V, The Simpsons (1989 - Present)
Played By: N/A
Classification: Dark gray female cat -- When the Simpsons adopted Snowball V, they promptly renamed her Snowball II so that they could reuse the latter's food dish.
Memorable Storyline: In an episode in the sixteenth season called "The Seven-Beer Snitch," Bart and Lisa discover that Snowball II has a second family after they notice that she's been gaining weight. Following her one day, they find that the new family feeds her, has given her a new name ("Smokey") and has taught her tricks. When Bart infiltrates the household to see why Snowball II likes her new family so much, they end up plying Bart with food and teaching him the same tricks as the cat.
Santa's Little Helper, The Simpsons (1989 - Present)
Voiced By: Frank Welker/Dan Castellaneta
Classification: Dog (Greyhound)
Memorable Storyline: The longest living of all the pets on the list, Santa's Little Helper has dealt with his fair share of hard knocks in Springfield, at one point even being abandoned for a well-bred collie. In an eighteenth season episode "Stop, or My Dog Will Shoot!," SLH rescues Homer from a cornfield maze, enrolls in the Police Dog Academy and fights crime with Lou.
Comet, Full House (1987 - 1995)
Played By: Buddy
Classification: Dog (Golden Retriever)
Memorable Storyline: In season eight's "Comet's Excellent Adventure," the titular Golden Retriever gets loose from Michelle and roams free in San Francisco. While Danny and the others search for Comet, he falls in love with a coy, but horny Collie. A mysterious crowd "awwws" on an audio track. At the last minute, Michelle creates a missing dog report that says she misses Comet and wants him to come back. Comet sees this and returns home.
Elvis, Miami Vice (1986 - 1987)
Played By: N/A
Classification: Alligator
Memorable Storyline: After Sonny adopts Elvis, the retired mascot of the University of Florida Gators, and brings him aboard his houseboat, the alligator destroys Sonny's Buddy Holly record collection. In return, Sonny threatens to throw Elvis's prized possession -- a fuzzy pink blanket -- overboard.
Side Note: As Movieline's resident Nickelodeon expert Louis Virtel pointed out, Clarissa's pet baby Caiman alligator on Clarissa Explains It All was also named Elvis.
Fred, Sweetheart, Baretta (1975 - 1978)
Played By: Lalah, Weird Harold (Stunt Bird for flying sequences)
Classification: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,
Memorable Storyline: Tony Baretta's roommate Fred has many talents, including being able to drink liquor from the bottle, answer the telephone with a perky "Hello" and squawking "Freeze" whenever Baretta enters his apartment. Despite being an undercover police detective, Baretta strolls around the streets with Fred on his shoulder.
Tiger, The Brady Bunch (1969 - 1974)
Played By: Tiger
Classification: Dog (Mixed-breed)
Memorable Storyline: Although the Brady family hosted a menagerie of animals in their original five-year run, the boys' dog Tiger was the most memorable. In the first season episode "Katchoo," Jan's sneezing is traced back to Tiger to the family's dismay. Just as the family is about to take Tiger away to their grandparents though, the Bradys conveniently discover that Jan is just allergic to Tiger's flea powder.
Ben, Gentle Ben (1967 - 1969)
Classification: Bear (American Black)
Played By/Voiced By: Bruno the Bear/Candy Candido
Memorable Storyline: Ben and his best friend, an 8-year-old boy played by Clint Howard, miraculously outsmart jewel thieves in one episode.
Arnold Ziffel, Green Acres (1965 -1971)
Played By: Arnold the Pig (When Arnold's trainer, Frank Inn, died in 2002, Arnold's ashes were placed inside Inn's coffin and buried with him, per the trainer's request.)
Classification: Pig (American Yorkshire)
Memorable Storylines: Raised as the son of Fred and Doris Ziffel, Arnold goes to school, plays the piano, paints and plays practical jokes on his classmates. In one episode, Arnold inherits a fortune because he is able to predict the weather with his tail.
Thing, The Addams Family
Played By: Ted Cassidy (who also played Lurch)
Classification: Human Hand
Memorable Storyline: Although Thing usually performs household duties like lighting Gomez's cigars and fetching the mail, he leaves the house on special occasions. In one particular episode, Thing sneaks into Gomez's briefcase, rides to court with him and then jumps out during a trial.
Dino, The Flintstones (1960 - 1966)
Voiced By: Jerry Mann (in one episode)
Classification: Dinosaur (Generic sauropod/prosauropod type)
Memorable Storyline: In "The X-Ray Story," Dino's X-rays get mistaken for Fred's. No word yet about how personally Fred took it. Based on the error, Wilma believes Fred has the illness Dino has, and becomes as woeful as her wan frame allows.
Astro, The Jetsons (1962 - 1963)
Voiced By: Don Messick
Classification: Talking Dog (Breed unknown)
Memorable Storyline: In an episode called "Millionaire Astro", the Jetsons discover that their dog was previously owned by zillionaire J.P. Gottrockets and return him to his rightful owner. After Gottrockets realizes that Astro is unhappy without his new family, he returns him.
Lassie, Lassie (1954 - 1973)
Played By: Pal and five of his descendants: Lassie Junior, Spook, Baby, Mire and Hey Hey
Classification: Dog (Collie)
Memorable Storylines: Jeff and Lassie got into their fair share of trouble during the show's 19 year run, including meeting convicts in the woods, fighting bigotry when a Japanese exchange student attracted insults from neighbors who never got over World War II and in one ambitious episode, printing newspapers for pocket change.
Rin Tin Tin, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954 - 1959)
Played By: Rin Tin Tin IV (fourth in the bloodline of the actual Rin Tin Tin), J.R, Hey You
Classification: Dog (German Shepherd)
Memorable Storyline: After an Indian raid left Rin Tin Tin and his owner Rust orphaned, they were adopted by Fort Apache AZ troops and regularly helped maintain order in Mesa Grande.