American Dad! (TV Series 2005– ) Poster

(2005– )

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8/10
So Funny!
Supermanfan-1327 January 2023
American Dad! Is one of the best animated shows of all-time. It's created by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted, The Orville) so you know it's hilarious. Everything MacFarlane touches turns to gold. He just hits home run after home run. What makes this show stick out more than others is that every character on the show is equally funny. They all have their moments that'll make you laugh out loud. I'd have to say that American Dad! Is easily one of the most under appreciated animated shows ever. It's prob on my Top 5. It's been on since 2005 so it's changed with the times and still been just as funny as the early seasons.
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8/10
Still Hilarious!
Rob133115 October 2022
American Dad is another classic created by Seth McFarlane. It has remained the same hilarious show for 17 seasons now and is just as funny now as when it first started. While it's not as good as McFarlane's other classic animated show Family Guy, it's still one of the better animated shows aimed at adults that I've ever seen. It's amazing to me that it has been able to stay as funny as it has over that many seasons and doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. It went on hiatus for a while and then TBS made the incredibly smart decision to bring it back because it's now one of their best shows.
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8/10
Funny
gianmarcoronconi27 November 2021
Cute and funny animated series about an ideologically divided family with different species that deal with unusual problems in a funny and weird way, really cute.
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9/10
One of the most consistently smart and funny comedies of the last 20 years
grubbytom9 March 2020
They are currently in season 14 and this show somehow still makes me laugh out loud more than almost any other show on TV.

I took a break from the show a couple of years ago, as around season 11 it seemed to be showing signs of wear, but wow did they course-correct.

Seasons 13 and 14 are among some of the best ever, and the writing is outstanding. They are still packing every episode with an insane amount of jokes, even on the level of <10 Simpsons. Also, this show somehow manages to tackle very common and complex human behavior in the most outlandish ways.

The fact that this show has been hilarious for 14 straight years is a feat I don't think any other show outside of South Park has achieved.

I really hope time helps more people find this absolute gem of a show.
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9/10
I find it much better than "Family Guy"
ericstevenson5 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
People joke about how similar this is to Seth MacFarlane's other show in terms of characters, but it really is quite different. The biggest difference is that there are no cutaway gags. I mean, just watching this I really get a sense of much more of a story and an effort to make jokes relevant to a story. I think it's great how Seth Macfarlane has managed to make something unique, but still loyal to his own style. I also love how this show has a ton more ongoing story lines, especially with Jeff being stuck in space. I can only say that Sinbad has never been funnier. I feel more for these characters because it's a show that knows it should take itself more seriously.

It's another animated sitcom from Seth MacFarlane about a dysfunctional family, only with a talking goldfish and alien. The character Steve especially comes off as fairly realistic as he's more intelligent and has interesting friends. Yeah, half of them are mostly the same joke over, but it's still nice. Hayley is a pretty smart and free spirited girl who has nice arcs devoted to her. Roger (the alien) is one of the most insane characters I've come across and is mostly entertaining in his insanity even though it does make you wonder why the Smith family never punishes him. The show actually goes through changes as Hayley gains a husband. The jokes just seem better timed and the best part is how these characters really don't exist as mouthpieces for Seth Macfarlane's political views.

It's weird, because I think that was the whole intention of this show's creation. It actually ended up becoming distinctive in its own right. I really do praise the show for that. The laughs are more subtle and Francine is pretty hot, lol. Whatever your political allegiance, I recommend this. ***1/2
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Ahead of its time...
chirsa27 October 2005
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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7/10
Better than Family Guy
borowiczlucky7 July 2021
Short and sweet I love the show and def better than Family Guy in my opinion. Sometimes hit or miss but the addition of new characters are great!! Rogu!!
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10/10
Why does Family Guy have a higher IMDb rating? We need to change that!
joshkroitor19 September 2018
I love American Dad, because it has a healthy mixture of pop culture, and pure comedy so that if you are a lot younger and you aren't as familiar with pop culture, you'd enjoy it. This is unlike Family Guy where Seth Macfarlane mainly focuses on pop culture for laughs.
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7/10
funny
moivieFan4 December 2019
American dad always makes me laugh when I watch it. I think Roger Smith is the funniest character so he is my favorite. I think the artwork is good. I think a lot of the plots for the show are creative. I would have never thought of written them I know that. American dad is one of the funniest animated shows I have seen. No Its the funniest animated television series I have seen. I enjoy watching American Dad because it makes me laugh. What a terrific show
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10/10
OBSESSED
tylercullen30 January 2020
I've never done a review, but I think I should just drop one in here for my favorite show ever. I've watched endless amount of shows, movies, and most people's all time favorites. NOTHING beats American Dad. Also, Family Guy is great, but American Dad is a different world! It has everything you can imagine and enjoy and the amount of happiness I get from it is just unexplainable. You could describe it in a million ways and it's still not enough. Always being surprised by what comes next and what Roger is up to. Can't wait for season 15!
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6/10
Used to be great - now it's just random
Reineke8624 February 2019
Are they trying to ruin this shwo on purpose? It started out clever, funny and so different from other shows. Now you can almost feel the writers coming up with the most random stories and jokes possible. It's not clever anymore, it tries to be obnoxious. American Dad used to have original storylines, that were funny and memorable. The latest episodes however are just...well...stupid. It's like the characters are yelling: "Are you laughing yet? No? Okay, we'll turn it up a notch". Here's an American Dad episode I just made up from scratch: Stan realizes that Francine's grandmother was hot, so he clones her and keeps saying how hot she is. Francine becomes so mad, that she fights her own grandmother in a pool of goo, where the clones are artificially grown. In the B-Story Roger and Steve go to candy factory, like in the Willy Wonka movie, where chimpanzees are held as slaves. When they try to free them, the monkeys kill all the workers and their favorite chimp tragigly sacrifises itself. The episodes ends with Francine winning and kicking Stan in the balls as he lies there in pain for like 2 minutes. See? That's how much thought is in the newer episodes. This show was a 8 or 9 out of ten for me. Not it's barely about average
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9/10
Is to Family Guy what Futurama is to the Simpsons
ExpendableMan9 May 2006
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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7/10
More coherent
briancham199420 August 2020
This cartoon series is more coherent than Family Guy which is both good and bad. The good thing is that there is more consistency and we can take time to invest in these characters and scenarios. The bad thing is that it doesn't have as much dynamic randomness which is what fuelled Family Guy's humour.
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1/10
I'm sick of trying to convince myself I like this show
litefantastic31 August 2005
I missed the pilot episode after the Superbowl, so my first encounter with this show was in a five minute promo that aired before Fever Pitch in theaters a few months ago. And the thing was, I thought it was great. Everything was hilarious, and it ended on just the right note.

And then I started to watch the show.

My heading says that I'm sick of trying to convince myself I like this. I emphasize that, because it wasn't an instant dislike. It took a while to realize that American Dad! isn't as funny as Family Guy.

Or King of the Hill.

Or Price is Right reruns from the 1970s.

Or public access.

I've heard a lot about how Family Guy, Seth McFarlane's cult TV favorite may or may not be a ripoff of The Simpsons, and I never felt it was. But I can't shake the feeling that American Dad! was an attempted modification of the Family Guy theme - not a ripoff, just a modification - and it just doesn't work for me.

The characters in this show each have one gimmick (attractive mom/CIA right-wing nut case/German fish/alien/nerd/hippie) , which is why I found them so endearing in the five minute promo. Five minutes was about how long their gimmicks were funny. And I'm sick of trying to convince myself I like this show.

I'm not bitter or anything. I'm just not going to watch this anymore. I'll stick to My Kind of Town, the ABC game show that airs in the same time slot and is destined for cancellation at the end of the season, I just know it. I'm not sure how much longer American Dad! will run... but I hope that an extended time frame improves quality.
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9/10
I Love America Dad!!!!
kkawuonda12 March 2018
Hilarious...Certainly funnier than family guy!!The humour is authentic and pure...as though it came to the writers naturally.
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8/10
A highly enjoyable comedy series
connorsimmo-788591 August 2015
At first glance this show may look like a dodgy Family Guy copy but with different characters but it is far from that. American Dad focuses more on political humor and jokes that never fall flat. In a way it is Seth McFarlanes' Futurama. By this I mean its a show made by him that looks like his other show but has a completely different vibe. Fans of Family Guy constantly hate on this show because it has a different style of humour and tone. It still has curses, crude humor, violence and sexual references like Family Guy but focuses on making fun of political situations and current events. I say definitely check out American Dad if you want a nice satisfying half an hour of comedy. It is well worth watching.
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Wasn't expecting too much. I underestimated this show.
Stonedwithoutdope10 November 2005
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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7/10
Better than family guy
cherylkyrandia15 March 2019
At least here there is some attempt at a narrative. I found this show funny with an actual story to look forward to. The characters are cute and grow on you. Definitely worth a binge.
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10/10
One of my favorite all-time cartoons...
taylorkingston18 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I really love American Dad. I never know whether to add the ! at the end. Is is really American Dad! Funny. Anyway, I love this show. It is so funny. I remember the first time I watched it. I was about nine and although I didn't understand every joke, as they were a bit mature for me, I instantly knew I'd keep watching it until it got cancelled. Even now, when FOX has cancelled it, they can't keep it from coming back, as TBS has now picked it up instead. My favorite character has to be Roger. Who doesn't love an alien who always dresses as different characters and has different personas? I know I can't resist. My second favorite character is Klaus. I love that he's a fish. Who can talk. Who was a human, at one point. I get a bit bored when the episode centers around either Steve or Haley. But you have to do that sometimes. I do love a good Klaus or Roger centered episode. Obviously I do. Because they're my favorites. Overall this show hasn't had many boring episodes. I know that when I have a marathon there is only one episode I skip, out of the entire series. A very good show, anyone with a sense of humor with love it, overall I give it a 10 out of 10. And I'm not being generous. That's what it deserves.
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7/10
Great cartoon but same formula
prophethannigan5 March 2019
Sorry but it's been done before. It's still a funny watch but no innovation happening here when you compare it to family guy
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8/10
Better than family guy
rowejs-2754219 May 2021
HIGHLY underrated show. Top 3 funniest animated shows out there, if not, #1 for comedy in an animated series.
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7/10
Funny!
divineguy7 October 2018
Definitely not original in amongst other comedy cartoons but it's hilarious! I'm so glad this series has continued to run into this year.
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9/10
Excellent
vikashjogia124 September 2019
The reason this is better than the family guy is it isn't an MA rip off of The Simpsons (scary when you see The Simpson/ Family Guy crossover - how much ch they really stole). Seth MacFarlane is a funny guy - a million ways to die in the west, the first Ted, head of the Friars club, ..., This is a piece of grade A TV that demonstrates how funny AND original
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7/10
A LOT better than I initially thought it was
calum-14-7905911 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Now, out of the two shows, I still find "Family Guy" to be the superior one. However, I find that after 9 or 10 seasons, it has become somewhat stale. There are still some funny moments, but there's a lot more crap to go through.

"American Dad!" at first I thought lacked that edge, that dark humour that "Family Guy" had. Now? It still lacks it... But at the time, I didn't realise that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I do now. "American Dad!" has a lot more creativity with their humour, though, I have found, in comparison with later seasons of "Family Guy", and in some cases, some episodes of the old "Family Guy." It still has the occasional shock humour, but not doesn't take it as far. It's humour could be compared to something like "Futurama", only not as funny, but a bit more out there... sometimes. But unlike the later "Family Guy" seasons it's not relying just on violence, gross-out humour and cutaway gags that barely go anywhere.

Because the main character is a secret agent, and in the attic they house an Alien, a lot of the plots are more ludicrous than "Family Guy." There's also a talking fish, too. And a talking koala.

The main characters themselves are generally quite funny. The three standouts are Stan Smith, Roger the alien and Klaus the fish. The other members in the family do have their funny moments, too. And the supporting cast, especially Patrick Stewart as CIA boss Avery Bullock, Jeff Fischer (Played by Jeff Fischer. No really!), and a talking Koala, have great moments. Even characters you'll only see for one episode have some very memorable gags, too. Sometimes they're funnier than the main characters themselves.

There are some emotional aspects, too, though I think "Family Guy" handles them better. Like for example, Brian and the elderly woman he looks after as part of community service, or, once again, when Brian is hit by a car and dies, and is written out of the show for three episodes or so. Even though he wasn't gone for good, that moment is heart-breaking. But when "American Dad!" does them, they are actually pretty good moments.

All in all, "American Dad!" isn't as ground-breaking as it's sister show, but the quality of it doesn't seem to have been getting worse. In fact, it seems to get better as it goes on.
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1/10
For some reason I hate this show
jonm_8916 June 2006
I have no idea why, I can't stand this show, its vibe or something. I try and watch one show and I either find my self bored or wonder why I bothered to watch it. I mean, I watched the first episode and it blew chunks. Now every time I watch it I only manage 5 or 6 minutes, that first episode left a huge imprint on me overall, I hate all the characters, especially the alien and the kid, and a lot of them have really annoying voices. I don't know if I have to watch a lot of episodes to get use to this nonsense or just stay away from it completely. For those of you who like this show good job. But I sure don't.
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