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Is American Dad better than Family Guy?
- Thread starter Carlos E
- Start date
All Seeing Eye
New member
Actually, never anymore. In the first season there was a couple, but nowadays if they ever (and they rarely do) do them anymore, they tie directly into the plot.
IMO, if you ever hear anyone say, "American Dad is just like Family Guy, except not funny.", they obviously haven't tuned in since 2005. The show is so witty and well-done now that it's sometimes almost hard to believe that FG and it share some of the same writers. Family Guy has become a cheap laugh, and the revival was only good enough for 13 episodes (including the "movie", which despite it's shortcomings, was actually really funny), after the summer episodes, the show just turned into utter dreck, as if the writers came back, did all they needed to, and then come to the horrific realization, "They want MORE?!".
I just have to love the ironic roller coaster of the whole AD/FG affair. First American Dad is announced to replace Family Guy, and fans are pleased. Then Family Guy is actually renewed, and fans are ecstatic, but they are surprised when Seth announces that AD is still set to go. So American Dad premieres during Super Bowl (a la the first Family Guy), and everyone hates it, not only for the fact that it wasn't that great, but mostly for the fact that this type of show isn't needed: Family Guy is coming back! So, in May, FG premieres with a kick-ass episode and everyone is assured that American Dad (which gives us another craptacular episode) will be cancelled. While FG's streak continues, AD winds its way down into an eventual hiatus. Yet, to the shock of many, it reappears in September, and something's wrong, because it's not that bad. And on the other end, FG is getting to be pretty tiresome.
Today, many true fans appreciate American Dad more, and Family Guy's wound up as a lifeless bag of jokes (though I do have to say the upcoming Star Wars episode seems like it could be good). I mean, how does a show go from being a replacement, to being a knock-off, to being superior to the show it not only replaced, but was considered a knock-off of?! It's insane, but that's American Dad for ya...[FONT="][/FONT]
IMO, if you ever hear anyone say, "American Dad is just like Family Guy, except not funny.", they obviously haven't tuned in since 2005. The show is so witty and well-done now that it's sometimes almost hard to believe that FG and it share some of the same writers. Family Guy has become a cheap laugh, and the revival was only good enough for 13 episodes (including the "movie", which despite it's shortcomings, was actually really funny), after the summer episodes, the show just turned into utter dreck, as if the writers came back, did all they needed to, and then come to the horrific realization, "They want MORE?!".
I just have to love the ironic roller coaster of the whole AD/FG affair. First American Dad is announced to replace Family Guy, and fans are pleased. Then Family Guy is actually renewed, and fans are ecstatic, but they are surprised when Seth announces that AD is still set to go. So American Dad premieres during Super Bowl (a la the first Family Guy), and everyone hates it, not only for the fact that it wasn't that great, but mostly for the fact that this type of show isn't needed: Family Guy is coming back! So, in May, FG premieres with a kick-ass episode and everyone is assured that American Dad (which gives us another craptacular episode) will be cancelled. While FG's streak continues, AD winds its way down into an eventual hiatus. Yet, to the shock of many, it reappears in September, and something's wrong, because it's not that bad. And on the other end, FG is getting to be pretty tiresome.
Today, many true fans appreciate American Dad more, and Family Guy's wound up as a lifeless bag of jokes (though I do have to say the upcoming Star Wars episode seems like it could be good). I mean, how does a show go from being a replacement, to being a knock-off, to being superior to the show it not only replaced, but was considered a knock-off of?! It's insane, but that's American Dad for ya...[FONT="][/FONT]
I prefer American Dad over Family Guy. AD is very funny, and has great episodes. Family Guy is entertaining, but now it relies WAY too much on sledgehammering viewers with 80's jokes and cutaways that, for the most part, stretches the joke way past breaking point. [If I was the editor of FG, I would have some of them cut.] The season finale was nearly classic FG, so I hope season 6 will get better. Maybe Seth should let some AD scribes write some episodes.
American Dad isn't even close to as funny as the current Family Guys. The main dad is fine, but the supporting cast are all very blah compared to the Griffins, and the alien and the fish seem to have taken aspects of Stewie and run them into the ground (I just cannot get past that stupid flamboyant voice he has). It may have better stories, but it doesn't have nearly the comic timing or punchlines of its predecessor. It would've been fine as a FG substitue, but now that the original's on the air, it seems unneccessary.
I enjoy the fact that Hayley was originally written as her family's voice of reason but has since been shown to be just a different kind of terrible person.
Steve is the one who really holds the show together, and the only character "safe" to relate to. He's neither stupid nor mean-spirited, just a regular kid who doesn't quite realize he was raised under a rock by a dangerously insane family.
Steve is the one who really holds the show together, and the only character "safe" to relate to. He's neither stupid nor mean-spirited, just a regular kid who doesn't quite realize he was raised under a rock by a dangerously insane family.
All Seeing Eye
New member
While I love the first three seasons of Family Guy, I'd say American Dad is currently a better show. The plots are tighter and more engaging, and the jokes are a bit more diverse (Family Guy's become a bit one note lately).
That's true. How often do Chris and Meg even get subplots? Hayley and Steve are given plenty of screentime, the cast is better balanced on American Dad.
That's true. How often do Chris and Meg even get subplots? Hayley and Steve are given plenty of screentime, the cast is better balanced on American Dad.
Why does everyone talk about the first 3 seasons of Family Guy with such reverence? It's not any different today than it was in 1999, except that today fans are aware of how formulaic it is, thanks in much part to South Park blowing the lid, and are finally getting bored with the formula. But it's the exact same formula that was there in season 1. The characters were slightly more "normal" in the 1st season, but otherwise have not changed at all. And the show has never had the ability to carry a cohesive plot throughout an entire episode. Again, just one difference: 1999 - new and fresh, 2007 - old and stale.