I loved “American Dad!.” So when the animated comedy was dropped from FOX last year after its 11th season, and then picked up by TBS, I was concerned but cautiously optimistic.
In the beginning, the show’s doubters shared one common complaint—that it’s nothing but a cheap knockoff of “Family Guy.” The Smiths were nothing but the Griffins with a twist.
But “American Dad!” proved to be much more than that.
When “American Dad!” debuted in 2005, it was riding off the waves of post 9/11 jingoism. “Family Guy” creator Seth McFarlane finally had an outlet for his commentary on the typical overtly macho, conservative Republican male—Stan Smith, the “American Dad!”
The plausibility of Stan Smith’s character, in contrast to the quixotic Peter Griffin, gave McFarlane a bridge to blend topical social commentary with farce. The show’s realistic setting, Langley Falls, Va.—based on Langley, Va.—is a far cry from Family Guy’s Quahog, RI, which exists in a universe that is seemingly unbound by the laws of nature and physics.
“American Dad!” would not have lasted a decade on FOX if it hadn’t been for Roger, the saucy, amoral alien who pretends to be anyone he wants by assuming countless personas. Roger is still part of the show, but he is no longer being used to his full comedic potential.
It is like MacFarlane decided to put the show on autopilot once it moved to TBS, and the humor is declining rapidly. The show is on a collision course to cancellation.
TBS claims that “American Dad!” is now “edgier”—presumably because it is no longer bound by the short leash that comes with network television.
I have yet to see anything edgier on the new “American Dad!.” The only difference is that the jokes are less clever and more distasteful. The humor is now either too low brow to be funny or so dry that it barely induces a contrived chuckle. A show that was once filled with intermittent hilarity is now delivering consistent mediocrity.
“American Dad!” is now averaging about 1.2 million viewers per episode, a mere one-third of its viewership during its tenure with FOX. However, TBS has less demanding ratings requirements than FOX, which gives “American Dad!” some wiggle room to experiment with new styles of plot lines and jokes, while remaining relatively safe from the hard hand of cancellation.
“American Dad!” has a chance to exceed its former comic greatness now that it is free from confines of FOX’s sensibilities. The creators of “American Dad!” are underutilizing this newfound opportunity of creative leniency and slightly looser obscenity standards. The standard of humor should not be whether a show could get away with a joke on network television—vulgarity is not a catch-all tool to increase humor. What makes a joke funny is creativity, delivery and intrinsic comic value.
Here’s hoping that “American Dad!” gets through this awkward, mid-life crisis and finds its new voice—on cable TV.
