American Dad! is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later on TBS. American Dad! is the first television series to have its inception on the network's Animation Domination block. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the rest of the first season airing three months later beginning May 1, 2005. American Dad! is a joint production between Fuzzy Door Productions and 20th Television Animation and syndicated by 20th Television.
Creative direction of American Dad! has 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. 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, instead deriving its humor mostly from the quirky characters, the relationships between family members, and the relatively relatable plots. 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. The plots are often absurd, but grounded by family stories and real-world issues.
American Dad! has been nominated for numerous awards, most prominently 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 301 episodes (as of April 19, 2021). The total number of seasons and organization of episodes within these seasons are in dispute because of a discrepancy in how official sources report this information. One model suggests the first season of American Dad! comprises the first 7 episodes, while another model suggests the first season comprises 23 episodes.
Beginning on October 20, 2014, TBS picked up the series for the 12th season following the final 3 episodes airing on Fox as the 11th season. TBS and Cartoon Network (via their late-night block, Adult Swim), both owned by AT&T's WarnerMedia subsidiary, air reruns of the series.
On January 15, 2020, TBS renewed the series for both 18th and 19th seasons. The 18th season premiered on April 19, 2021.
Cast and characters[]
- Seth MacFarlane - Stan Smith, Roger Smith
- Wendy Schaal - Francine Smith
- Scott Grimes - Steve Smith
- Rachael MacFarlane - Hayley Smith
- Dee Bradley Baker - Klaus Heissler
- Jeff Fischer - Jeff Fischer
- Patrick Stewart - Avery Bullock
International broadcast[]
| Country | Network(s) | Local title |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Fox (seasons 1-9), Adult Swim, TBS (season 10-present), FXX, Freeform, Hulu | American Dad! |
| International | AFN Spectrum, AFN Xtra, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ | |
| Africa | Fox | |
| Asia | Fox | |
| Australia | Seven Network, Fox8, 7mate, The Comedy Channel | |
| Austria | Comedy Central | |
| Belgium Luxembourg |
BeTV | |
| Brazil | FX, Rede Globo, Star+ | |
| Canada | Global, Teletoon, Télétoon, Much, TVtropolis, Adult Swim (uncredited) | |
| Denmark | TV 2 Zulu | |
| Finland | Sub, Fox | |
| France | Canal+, Canal+ Décalé, NRJ 12, MCM | |
| Germany | MTV, VIVA, Comedy Central, RTL Nitro, WarnerTV Comedy | |
| India | Disney+ Hotstar | |
| Indonesia | Disney+ Hotstar | |
| Italy | Italia 1, Fox, Italia 2, Fox Animation | |
| Malaysia | Disney+ Hotstar | |
| Netherlands | Comedy Central | |
| New Zealand | Four | |
| Philippines | Jack TV | |
| Portugal | Fox Comedy, Fox | |
| South Africa | Fox | |
| Switzerland | SF zwei | |
| Thailand | Disney+ Hotstar | |
| Turkey | beIN Series Comedy | |
| United Kingdom | Sky One, FX, BBC Three, ITV2 | |
| Latin America | Star Channel, FX, Disney+, Star+ | Un Agente de Familia |
| Argentina | Telefe | |
| Chile | UCV, Chilevisión | |
| Mexico | Canal 5 | |
| Venezuela | Televen | |
| Bulgaria | Fox | Американски татко |
| Czech Republic | Prima Comedy Central | Americký táta |
| Hungary | Viasat 6, Humor+, TV2 Comedy | Amerikai fater |
| Israel | Xtra Hot, HOT3, HOT Plus, HOT HBO | אבא אמריקאי |
| Japan | Fox | アメリカン・ダッドי |
| Latvia | MTV | Amerikāņu tētuks |
| Lithuania | MTV | Amerikietiškas tėvelis |
| Poland | Canal+, AXN Spin | Amerykański tata |
| Russia | 2x2 | Американский Папаша! |
| Serbia | Ultra | Američki tata |
| Spain | Fox, Antena 3, FX, Neox | Padre Made in USA |
| Ukraine | EU Music, ICTV, QTV, NLO TV | Американський тато! |