American Dad!

American Dad!
GenreAnimated sitcom[1]
Created by
Voices of
Theme music composerWalter Murphy
Opening theme"Good Morning, USA"
by Seth MacFarlane
Ending theme"Good Morning, USA"
(instrumental)
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons21
No. of episodes368 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
EditorRob DeSales
Running time21–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseFebruary 6, 2005 (2005-02-06) –
September 21, 2014 (2014-09-21)
NetworkTBS
ReleaseOctober 20, 2014 (2014-10-20) –
present (present)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

American Dad! is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series moved to TBS for its twelfth season in 2014 and continues to air new episodes to this day.[2][3] American Dad! is the first television series made to premiere on Fox's Animation Domination block.[4] The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the rest of the first season airing from May 1, 2005.[5][6]

Creative direction of American Dad! had largely been guided by Barker (prior to his departure from the show in season 10) and Weitzman as opposed to MacFarlane, resulting in a series that is different from its counterparts.[7] Unlike MacFarlane's other shows, Family Guy and, to a lesser extent, The Cleveland Show, American Dad! does not lean as heavily on the use of cutaway gags, and is less concerned with conventional "setup-punchline" jokes,[3] instead deriving its humor mostly from the quirky characters, the relationships between family members, and the relatively relatable plots.[2] While the core issues and resolutions are relatable in most episodes, the show nonetheless weaves in fantastical elements, pitching the tone of the show somewhere between observational comedy and farce.[3] The plots are often absurd, but grounded by family stories and real-world issues.[3]

American Dad! has been nominated for numerous awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Annie Awards. In June 2013, it was awarded as top television series by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Since its debut, American Dad! has broadcast 367 episodes (as of October 28, 2024). The total number of seasons and organization of episodes within those seasons are in dispute due to discrepancies in how official sources report this information. One model suggests the first season of American Dad! comprises the first seven episodes, while another model suggests the first season comprises 23 episodes.[8]

Beginning on October 20, 2014, TBS picked up the series for the 12th season following the final three episodes airing on Fox as the 11th season. TBS, TruTV, and Adult Swim, (all owned by Warner Bros. Discovery), air reruns of the series.

On January 15, 2020, TBS renewed the series for both 18th and 19th seasons.[9] The 19th season premiered on January 24, 2022.[10] On December 16, 2021, the series was renewed for seasons 20 and 21. The 20th season premiered on March 27, 2023.[11] The 21st season premiered on October 28, 2024.[12][13]

On May 12, 2023, it was announced that the showrunners of American Dad, including Seth MacFarlane and his other show Family Guy, would temporarily leave the show as a result of the 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike. They returned to the show on September 27, 2023, once the strike was declared to be over.[14]

  1. ^ "American Dad". Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Interview: The Creators of American Dad". IGN. April 24, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d Emily VanDerWerff (September 28, 2012). "Comedy Showrunners Week: American Dad's co-creators on the show's weird evolution". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  4. ^ "New "King of the Hill," "The Simpsons," "Family Guy" and "American Dad" Episodes". Animatedtv.about.com. January 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  5. ^ AWN (February 4, 2005). "'American Dad' Touchdown". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  6. ^ "American Dad: Series Overview". MSN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
  7. ^ Sean Doorly. "Seth MacFarlane Interview". Doorly.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  8. ^ "Seth MacFarlane's TV History". IGN. September 13, 2013. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  9. ^ Otterson, Joe (January 15, 2020). "'American Dad' Renewed for Two More Seasons at TBS". Variety. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 3, 2021). "TBS Renews 'Miracle Workers' & Picks Up 'Kill The Orange-Faced Bear', TruTV Renews 'Tacoma FD' As Brett Weitz Talks TNets' Scripted Strategy & More". Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  11. ^ "TBS' "American Dad!" Returns Monday, March 27 at 10:00pm PT/ET". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  12. ^ "American Dad Shares First Look at 2024 Return: Watch".
  13. ^ "TBS' "American Dad!" Returns Monday, October 28 at 10PM ET/PT".
  14. ^ Patten, Dominic (May 12, 2023). "Seth MacFarlane & Showrunners Exit 'Family Guy' & 'American Dad' Until Striking WGA Gets New Contract". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.