I feel that I have always had a complicated relationship with adult animation. It simultaneously has some of the most creative and boundary-pushing work in the medium and also consists of the most lazy and formulaic things. At this point, you can tell that studios still just reuse stale sitcom-centric formulas established decades ago rather than tapping into the vast potential of animation for an older audience. With that said, I still feel that sitcom-based animation can still work. Bob’s Burgers has always been funny and charming and The Simpsons has recently gotten more interesting. However, as for my personal favorite, that would have to go to the sibling of Family Guy, American Dad.

I feel that everyone is somewhat familiar with this show. Its intro became an internet meme for a while and some jokes and elements are fondly remembered. However, from a general audience perception, this show is massively underappreciated compared to its contemporaries. That’s a shame since American Dad has perfected what it wants to do in terms of memorability and humor and it is a very dynamic and interesting show in general.

The show focuses on the Smith family with the father Stan, a conservative CIA operative, his wife Francine, his hippie daughter Hayley, his geek son Steve, and Hayley’s stoner husband Jeff. Also living with them is Klaus, a German skier whose brain was put into a fish during the Cold War, an alien named Roger who Stan took in after saving his life, and Roger’s son/homunculus Rogu. So, reading out the main characters, you can tell that the show is taking the elements of the typical sitcom and running wild. The basic family is complemented by odd characters that both tie into the show’s initial CIA angle and embrace a more bizarre tone compared to more family-centric animated sitcoms.

The show was initially conceived as a Bush-era satire of American politics and a replacement for Family Guy since it was canceled at the time. However, once Family Guy came back due to success on Adult Swim, there were concerns about American Dad being seen as a clone of it. With this in mind, the show was left to its own devices to evolve on its distinct path. As a result, it has become a show that does whatever it wants to. Take Roger for example. He was originally just confined to the house and only there as a simple gimmick. However, the idea of Roger having multiple personas through disguises was established quickly to allow him to be more active. As a result, he became a more outlandish character who could use his personas to fit in any sort of situation. In general, the show, while still adhering to elements of its initial archetypes, evolved into a more chaotic version of itself that is more adaptable and funnier.

I feel that the main reason that American Dad works so well is that it has focused on developing its dynamics and humor as opposed to honing in on gimmicks or fan-favorite elements. Shows like Family Guy and Rick and Morty either double down on stuff that fans liked or only focused on one type of humor. Rick and Morty fixated on the notion of it being a “smart” show and sort of lost its initial charm as a result. Family Guy has relied on cutaway gags and has focused more on making their character dynamics unpleasant for the sake of shock. American Dad, on the other hand, has focused intently on the comedy and where it comes from. It does this well because it presents the Smith family as a unit. Each character has a dynamic with another and consistently interacts with one another. As a result, they feel more fleshed out as characters and as a family which benefits the comedy. What could be seen as too unpleasant or flat of a joke in Family Guy works here because of the authenticity of the character relationships. Not to mention that the show tries any sort of story and doesn’t tend to repeat anything without a fun twist. There’s an embracement of in-universe absurdity and letting the audience know that certain scenarios are being played up for a joke naturally rather than forced in by a gimmick or overused element of the show.

There is also how the show has freed itself of its limitations. Being politically focused could be exhausting and played out to a certain point. As a result, the show focuses more on using the initial premise as a backdrop to take the show to any sort of location or situation. The benefit of fleshing out and establishing the character dynamics strongly as well as furthering their characteristics and absurdity beyond their initial traits is that they feel like they can naturally fit in any situation. As mentioned before, Roger’s multiple disguises mean that he can serve as a character guide or another actor to connect another character to a new scenario. Francine evolved from the typical housewife and straight man to Stan’s antics, to being probably more unhinged than him with a focus on how their unlikely relationships complement each other. Elements of other characters like Hayley’s activism and Steve’s geekiness remain crucial to them, but they have been complemented by more varied situations and different traits as the show continues. Stan’s CIA job can be used for sci-fi gimmicks or for contriving new scenarios to place the character in rather than just having him work there. An episode about Stan killing 100 people as a CIA operative turns into him having a conflict with his conscious when it sleepwalks and doing good deeds to counteract his violent tendencies. Taking simple elements and going to the most extreme possibilities with them is what the show is about.

Another thing is that the show doesn’t come across as too unlikeable or cruel. An issue with a show like Family Guy is that so much focus is on how characters hate each other or how aggressive some are in general. It gets to the point where you question why some like Peter or Lois are still together since they barely spend any time focusing on their relationship and more on their negative tendencies. It doesn’t help that the jokes are basically “Isn’t it funny how mean everyone is” and without much subversion or substance around it which doesn’t work. The cast of American Dad aren’t saints either (I mean, Stan is a CIA agent), but the difference is that the jokes between them are driven less by aggression and more by how they play off of each other. Stan and Hayley can both be easy foils due to their diverging worldview, but we also see their connections and relationship consistently. Their never-ending conflicts feel natural and do escalate to extremes, but they both level each other out in terms of seeing their familial bond and how crazy they can equally escalate a situation. Compare that to how Family Guy only dumps on Meg or doesn’t do anything with Chris. Rather than a balanced character approach, Family Guy just focuses on a few and sidelines the rest of the family to repeated dynamics. With American Dad, there’s a deliberate focus on balancing the involvement of each character or making these dynamics more humorous. Many episodes have Stan trying to improve his family from what he sees as their faults or showcases some ignorance to a new idea. However, the situations usually go in a farcical direction and try to wring out as much humor as possible. Stan and Roger can be horrible people to their family and others, but the fact that their horrible behavior is more over-the-top absurdity means that it works even when it probably shouldn’t. It presents these characters as heavily flawed but doesn’t try to make their conflicts or aggressive elements their only traits of focus. It also helps that they work as a unit and aren’t isolated all the time. They feel like a family with genuine connections and it makes their conflicts and interactions more engaging as a result. They even work together in chaotic situations that would normally be propelled by only one character in other shows.

The show is also immensely funny. The characters and their dynamics result in both great dialogue and situational comedy. There’s a natural feeling to how the characters interact not just because of how strong they are both in terms of personality and their relationships, but simply the fact that they are given funny stuff to say or do. Roger alone is a goldmine for comedy both in his personality and how he bends it around within his personas. It helps that the pacing of the humor is also quick. Some shows think that dragging a joke out for as long as possible means it makes it funnier. However, this show reminds us that good pacing and quick editing can also help make a joke soar. Plus, the embrace of absurdity also results in great humor that is more nonsensical but doesn’t have to try as hard to make one laugh. As a result, there is a wider variety of humor less focused on referential or shock comedy, but more layered and genuine.

It’s hard to discuss why you like a comedy because humor can be subjective in terms of how one reacts to certain jokes or situations. American Dad is no different since the show is so reliant on absurdity and character interactions that you can only say that you find the execution of these elements funny. At the same time, I feel that the elements that make American Dad work are also the secret to its longevity. Because there is a focus on a strong foundation and letting any sort of situation or joke bounce off of it, the show can work off of anything and doesn’t feel fatigued in the slightest. For me at least, it might be one of the most consistent animated comedies since even episodes airing now are on the same level of quality as a decade ago. That is commendable for a show that’s reaching close to 20 years and having no sign of stopping. One could argue that it deserves more attention. But truthfully, I feel that the show should be more of a cult favorite. Shows like Rick and Morty lost their groove after becoming too mainstream or over-reliant on as a studio cash cow and I feel that the lack of focus on American Dad compared to other shows has allowed it the space to develop into what is without fan or studio interference. I honestly wished I had gotten attached to this show sooner, but I am still very glad that I did since I’ve found a new personal favorite. At this point, I hope we keep getting more antics from the Smith family because I don’t think I’ll get tired of them anytime soon.