American Dad! (2005)

Watchseries; This show Hilarious I always crack up and roger is the funniest his jokes and puns are good and his burns make me go ooohhhh

This show Hilarious I always crack up and roger is the funniest his jokes and puns are good and his burns make me go ooohhhh

American Dad! watchseries. 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.

Like Family Guy this show found it's own identity when it first started. My favorite characters are Roger because of his multiple personalities and over the top craziness, Francine with her history of being raised by a Chinese family and also harboring a secret life of stealing valuable items for 20 years, and Steve's awesome singing voice and energetic attitude of bringing new stuff to the table when his family are bored. Stan, Hayley, and Klaus are interesting characters as well. Who doesn't want a gungho CIA agent, a hardcore liberal activist and a German guy trapped in a fish body? I do because I love this show to death after family Guy. I love both shows for different reasons but I love them for their common interests to make me laugh out loud and enjoy these awesome shows.

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.

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.

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.