American Dad! first premiered on Fox after the Super Bowl back in 2005 to mixed reviews. Many critics and Family Guy fans thought of it as ploy for Seth MacFarlane to get his beloved Griffins back on the air after being canceled by the network in 2003. Due to MacFarlane's controversial nature, plus the drama surrounding Family Guy and Fox, the comedic legitimacy of American Dad! has suffered, wrongly labeled as a cheap spin-off, similar to how people view MacFarlane's other sad endeavor, The Cleveland Show.
Although American Dad! is technically MacFarlane's project, creative directors Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman are the brains behind the operation and have created a gem of millennial television more brilliant than MacFarlane could have ever dreamed up. There's no reliance on cutaway gags, which have become a crutch for Family Guy writers, and in addition to structure, the series is strikingly different in tone, one that doesn't try as hard as its predecessor.
After being quietly canceled by FOX last summer, TBS picked up American Dad! for its twelfth season, beginning October 20th, and has promised an edgier episode line-up according to the latest promos. We have to see what the latest season has in store, but for now it's worth arguing that American Dad! would likely be a much bigger comedic hit if MacFarlane's name wasn't looming in the credits.
The series follows the dysfunctional Smiths: a white, upper-middle class family living in the suburbs of Langley, Virginia, where Stan (voiced by MacFarlane), the man of the house, works for the CIA. His trophy wife, Francine, is a stay-at-home mom of two: hippie Hayley and sensitive Steve. Their pet goldfish, Klaus, is actually a German Olympian trapped in a fish's body, and Roger, their live-in alien, was rescued by Stan at Area 51 after a mission went awry. The best part about the eccentricity of the characters is that they're all contradictory of themselves, especially Roger (also voiced by MacFarlane), but more on him later.
Stan is the cartoon embodiment of every Fox News anchor who has graced the airwaves, but is constantly going behind the CIA's back, especially when it comes to protecting Roger from being caught or captured. Francine comes across as a simpleton, but gets off on manipulating her husband. There's actually an entire episode, "The Missing Kink," dedicated to Francine tricking Stan into spanking her for Steve's bad behavior because he refuses to spice things up in the bedroom. Hayley prides herself on being a strong, independent-minded woman, but after marrying Jeff, she's still more than comfortable living under her parents' roof. Steve might act wimpy, but he surprises us time and again when he's forced to stand up to his dad. Klaus pretends to hate Stan, but secretly appreciates him for making him a part of a family, and Roger… Well, Roger might be among the most interesting characters on TV right now.
Roger's character is brilliantly crafted. Prior to the show's start, we learn that Roger was sent to Earth as "The Decider" of whether the human race should live or die. After Stan rescues him from Area 51, Roger chooses the former and shacks up in the attic, which he eventually turns into his own bar, "Roger's Place," to nurse his ongoing alcoholism. Roger is catty, cunning, and sensitive about his figure. He likes the ladies, but also enjoys dressing up like one. Roger creates various alter egos to go along with his disguises, making him more than an alien or a man, or a woman, for that matter. Roger's exact sexual orientation is unknown, as he dabbles in everyone and everything, but more importantly he's an advocate for putting yourself first over a lover, as he's prone to stress-induced jelly fits in which slime squirts form his orifices.
If Tina Belcher weren't so popular right now and Seth MacFarlane hadn't pissed off so many potential fans by staging a sexist sing-a-long to "WE SAW YOUR BOOBS!" when he hosted the Academy Awards, Roger would be deemed the best character on TV right now. His alter egos bridge race, religion, sexual orientation, and class. He's honest about his flaws and hates bullshit even though he likes to cause trouble. He's an outsider, but he's damn proud of the man he's becoming here on Earth. Roger's unabashed confidence, similar to Tina Belcher's, is cringe-worthy at times, yet oddly refreshing.
Yet, while MacFarlane's name continues to stain his own work, American Dad! may have never been green-lit if he hadn't been the one to pitch it. If you're one of the many who has sworn off giving the series a try because of the stigma associated with MacFarlane, I strongly suggest you put your assumptions aside and give it a shot. Even though it's been nominated for a couple of Emmys, not nearly enough people are watching, and American Dad! is a show that deserves to be talked about.
Watch American Dad! on Netflix.
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Photos: Tumblr/Everett Collection
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