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"American Dad!" (2005)

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70 comments in total

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45 out of 55 people found the following comment useful :-
When a show has a joke about STAR WARS KID its obviously genius, 25 September 2005
Author: Johnny Darko (johnny@unfunrecords.com) from United States

For those who know little about this show, don't believe the ignorant bashers. The sad truth (i really mean sad) is that the jokes, and plot lines in American Dad are much more interesting, humorous, and intelligent than any new Family Guy episode. I loved Family Guy. I say loved because it seems to be the one that has fallen prey to recycled humor and an obvious detachment from its original creator. I don't know if lackluster Stanford grads were picked to write new Family Guy, or its just been watered down for mass consumption, but its return is so stale that MacFarlane needed another outlet source for his genius. It is American Dad. It has the same energy that pre-cancelled Family Guy episodes have. Along with that, it also has the same number of people disliking it for its dry sick humor, and overall intelligence. The fact that the show has generic characters is a joke itself for those who may not have noticed. Its recycled Family Guy lines aren't out of lack of creativity. They too are inside jokes for those who know all the Family Guy lines. If you are a true fan of what made Family Guy great, then American Dad should fill the void of what it now lacks. Another show ahead of its time for MacFarlane, which I hope gets cancelled and becomes rare since its current issues are far too developed for most people with Neilson Ratings boxes in their homes.

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42 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :-
More "Family" in American Dad than there is in Family Guy, 20 December 2005
Author: teck-nicklee from East Hanover, NJ

Ignore any naysayers who base their criticism on the fact that American Dad is too similar Family Guy. I find American Dad's jokes and gags to be far more refreshing and focused than those of the new Family Guy. And whereas Family Guy tends to satire pop culture, American Dad does the same with politics, society and family life (which Family Guy has drastically steered away from since the first season). Personally, I feel as if American Dad presents incisive and relevant humor whereas I have to mine ancient pop culture or celebrity news to appreciate new episodes of Family Guy.

Even without considering the fact that American Dad was meant to be Seth MacFarlane's main project in the wake of the Family Guy's premature cancellation, the show is a highly enjoyable, standalone evolution on a winning formula of non-sequiters, incisive satire and bawdy humor. On Sunday nights, you can expect me to be parked in front of my TV sitting through Family Guy to make sure I don't miss a second of American Dad.

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26 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
Wasn't expecting too much. I underestimated this show., 10 November 2005
Author: Stonedwithoutdope from New Zealand

I was expecting this to just be a family guy clone with different character, This is more than that, its hilarious. The characters and humor are on the same sort of level as family guy but Seth McFarlane managed to work his magic and create a whole new different level of humor and wit for this show which sets itself apart from family guy.

A secret service FBI agent, prone to overreacting must find a way to use his skills to help his family and their new illegal alien housemate with basic troubles in life. Problem is sometimes it proves too much with hilarious results.

Remember this isn't a kid's show and I guess thats what makes this and family guy so special. They can put in all the added toilet humor it needs and the writers seem to know how to do it perfectly. The characters are great but the main character Stan Smith stands out above all the rest (With their alien friend coming in a close second). Anyone who wants a laugh, drop everything and watch this.

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35 out of 46 people found the following comment useful :-
Is to Family Guy what Futurama is to the Simpsons, 9 May 2006

Author: ExpendableMan from United Kingdom

On first glance, American Dad looks like a carbon copy of Seth MacFarlane's "other" show Family Guy. The animation is near identical, the lead character Stan Smith's knuckle headed optimism and in-your-face presentation doesn't so much recall Peter Griffin as grab you by the throat and scream in your face and Roger the alien and Klaus the goldfish work in much the same way Stewie and Brian do in the previous show. So far so very familiar, as though MacFarlane dressed up his fourth FG series with different characters when it was initially cancelled so as to stay on the air but stick with it, and American Dad will eventually reveal itself as a superior cartoon to it's predecessor.

Sure, the humour is once again a mixture of insightful witticisms, biting satire and odd bursts into toilet humour but rather than the chaos of Family Guy where the plot seems to revolve round the jokes, here the opposite is true. The flashbacks are almost totally absent and instead each episode features a structure and character development that is normally missing from the first show. Okay some of the episodes fall a bit flat but nevertheless, there are considerably more hits than there are misses and when it's good, it's brilliant. "A Smith In The Hand" for example is in this writer's humble opinion, the funniest thing MacFarlane and his team have ever produced.

What's more, American Dad is considerably more politically-orientated and everything you could conceive about the USA's current state of fear mongering and distrust is put beneath a microscope and parodied mercilessly. Stan Smith is a boorish depiction of all that paranoia rolled into one and some of his outbursts and overreactions are hilarious. Take the scene where he locks up his new Arab neighbours in his back garden for instance in a moment that scarily recalls the nightmarish conditions of Guantanamo bay yet still manages to be side splittingly funny or any of his numerous conceited one-liners ("only women have emotions son, they come from their ovaries").

Only time will tell if American Dad can outlive the shadow of it's far more successful big brother, but like the relationship between Futurama and the Simpsons beforehand, it's often a far funnier and considerably more focused show that deserves a wider audience. Highly recommended.

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19 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
Politically incorrect fun, 24 December 2005
Author: 4-Kane from Arlington, MA

Like Family Guy, American Dad is un-PC, but it was meant to be that way. American Dad is one of those shows that has grown on me. When it debuted, it occurred to me that it had the potential to become another successful prime-time cartoon series. So far, I am right.

When it comes to political stances, Stan Smith and his daughter Hayley are mutually exclusive. Stan is conservative, while Hayley is very liberal. It is fun to see such a conflict between the two characters. I guess it just goes to show that no matter how well parents and children get along with each other, arguments are inevitable.

If you are weary of any prime-time cartoons/comedies that you consider to be long in the tooth, American Dad is a welcome alternative.

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11 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Is To Family Guy What Futurama Is To The Simpsons, 25 July 2007

Author: kyle-hannah from Canada

Seth MacFarlane proves he's not a one trick pony with his innovative follow up to the smash hit Family Guy. American Dad! is unfortunately misunderstood as a rip off of it's own predecessor but it is by far not. American Dad! is completely different to Family Guy the only similarities are the art and the amount of characters.

While Family Guy focuses on random humour and pop culture references American Dad! takes satirical aim at politics and has many qualities that make me prefer it over Family Guy. Unlike Family Guy, American Dad! follows one plot line and one sub plot without random things popping in and out. That already makes it extremely different from Family Guy which has lately been following 3 or 4 sub plots per episode with the random pop-ins. This show is great because it throws every stereotype and every exaggeration of a Rebublican and a Democrat and forces them to live in the same house together.

Again for those comparing it to Family Guy I will elaborate on the character differences. Peter Griffin is a pop culture obsessed dim wit while Stan Smith is an overly republican jerk who is racist, homophobic, and overly patriotic. Lois Griffin is a caring wife whose party girl side is always coming out while Francine Smith doesn't enjoy the spotlight and does basically whatever Stan tells her. Chris Griffin is a slow, stupid, lummox while Steve Smith is a sex crazed, nerdy teenager who o thinks he's cool. Meg Griffin is a lonely, near suicidal loser, while Haylie Smith is a pot smoking, liberal, who will save a cat before her father. Stewie Griffin is a possibly homosexual baby bent on world domination while Roger is a fruity, television addicted, alien who doesn't shut up. Brian Griffin is an alcoholic, witty dog while Klaus is a sex crazed, loud, obnoxious, German fish.

American Dad! has been pretty successful for the two seasons it's been on and i look very forward to watching it's third one this fall however due to the return of King Of The Hill and the moronic time-slot for The Sarah Connor Chronicles American Dad! will air Sundays at 7:30 which is dead air time and may face unfair cancellation next year hmmm just like Futurama...weird.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
another MacFarlane success, 19 October 2005
Author: Tob147258 from Manchester

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

SPOILERS "Good Morning USA, I've got a feeling that it's going to be a wonderful day", and so we go on. Fresh off the relaunch of the wonderful "Family Guy" comes an all new cartoon from creator Seth MacFarlane. Witty, hilarious, and personally a hell of a lot fresher, "American Dad" is one of those series that manages to combine immature behaviour with political satire to create a surreal mixture.

A CIA operative, Stan Smith (MacFarlane) would do anything for his country. Forever on alert, and constantly screwing up, he lives with closet part animal wife Francine (Wendy Schaal), geek son Steve (Scott Grimes), hippy liberal daughter Hayley (MacFarlane's sister Rachael), talking Goldfish Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) and socialite, lazy alien Roger (MacFarlane again). Each day Stan spends his time setting out to protect his wonderfully weird family from the world's terrorists, and each day he manages to cause new problems.

Magnificantly well written, there's a brilliant freshness about the way MacFarlane spoofs the current American paranoia about safety. With Stan running around forever making accusations, setting up detention centres in his back yard, and condemning those who appear to disagree with him, MacFarlane has a great character to work with. Add into the equation Stan's forever preaching liberal daughter, and you have a combination which works perfectly.

As well as the brilliant contrast between liberal and conservative, "American Dad" works well because of the positively obscure Roger. A difficult character to like at the start, as the series has evolved, as has Roger. He's become a character to enjoy, and just like Brian in "Family Guy", an essential part of the show.

It's difficult to know how long "American Dad" will last. Like so many other series, it does have large potential, but it's still too early to know whether MacFarlane will exploit that potential. Still, at present, it's a wonderful piece of entertainment and always fun to watch. Brilliant.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
American Dad lays out Family Guy? You bet., 28 September 2006

Author: Gary Diamond from United Kingdom

I always liked Family Guy. What it lacked in plot it made up for in outrageous non-sequitur humour and Peter Griffin's ubiquitous laugh. The juxtaposition of random jokes and standard plots made for some hilarious moments. But after season four it got old. It was a great one-dimensional concept while it lasted, but the appeal of a show with wafer-thin plots just to produce set-pieces can't last forever. Enter American Dad and his huge chin.

It started off pretty good. The thirteen episodes on the first DVD (technically not the whole first season if the production numbers are anything to go by) get stronger and more likable as they go by. 'A Smith In The Hand' which satirises the supposed taboo of masturbation and 'All About Steve' which demystifies geek culture are personal favourites.

Then it got better - MUCH better. Around the time of the episode 'It's Good To Be The Queen' things really started to come together. Seth knows how to draw his characters in ways that suit the initial ideas he had when he started the show and leaves plenty of opportunity for comedy as he fleshes them out. He's really got a feel for how to pace his episodes and how to write great stories, still retaining his trademark for outlandish humour. Certainly there are a few episodes in the whole run so far that are weak, but they are more than made up for by the best ones. Family Guy has more consistency but it doesn't have the sheer brilliance of American Dad when it's at it's best.

What we have here is an animated show that is nearly as strong as my personal favourite, Futurama. In other words, Seth MacFarlene's best work to date.

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9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Ahead of its time..., 27 October 2005
Author: chirsa from United States

I love this show. It's such a relief to see a show like "American Dad," especially on Fox. It can't be helped that some people are too unconscious to understand the desperately needed, hilarious criticism that it offers. It's "Sullivan's Travels" meets "Dr. Strangelove," rolled up into an animated series. Yeah, it's probably too smart for the masses, but we have to start somewhere. If it's marketed like "The Family Guy," during DVD release, then hopefully it will later be recognized for its absolute brilliance. Speaking of brilliance, airing the first episode immediately after the Super Bowl was unquestionably the most impeccably timed programming in the history of television. Did I mention that I love this show? That I need this show for sustenance?

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27 out of 50 people found the following comment useful :-
Not the best, not the worst, 22 May 2005
Author: heyhayles from California

I watched the first three episodes of this new series. I thought that they had some pretty good jokes, while others fell flat (or worse). And yes, this show has some similarities to Family Guy, but if you go in expecting it to be the same or just as funny, you will be let down. Instead, accept that the characters may not be original, but give the show a chance to be good in its own way. I have and I think it's a pretty fun show. As I said above, not the best, but not the worst.

I also want to address the idea that this show is "Anti-American" or "unpatriotic." First of all, political satire is not unpatriotic. It is important for an informed citizen to question his/her government. Television shows that use political satire are doing this, just in a different way. If this is not your particular brand of patriotism or you cannot appreciate that there are ways that our government falls short, then this show may not be appropriate for you.

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