American Dad and Family Guy are two popular animated sitcoms that share common similarities. Both animated sitcoms were created by Seth MacFarlane in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.
The first episode of Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad aired on February 6, 2005, while the first of Family aired on January 31, 1999. MacFarlane also voiced three main characters in Family and he is also the voice actor for Stan Smith and Roger Smith in American Dad.
There is a debate on which animated sitcom is funnier between American Dad vs Family Guy. Family Guy and American are adult animations that entertain fans of the show with edgy humour.
Seth Macfarlane’s animated sitcoms are popular shows, with millions of views from the very first episode. The opinion of the fans on which animated sitcom will be divided but let’s find out which show portrays more humour.
American Dad!
American Dad! is an adult animated show developed by Seth MacFarlane, Matt Weitzman, and Mike Barker. The animated sitcom’s first episode aired on February 6, 2005, for the Fox Broadcasting Company.
In 2014, the adult animated series was moved to TBS, and new episodes of the animated series also air on Adult Swim.
According to Wikipedia, the series is the first made to premiere on Fox’s Animation Domination block. American Dad! premiered on February 6, 2005, but the remaining episode of the first season aired on television three months later.
The first season the animated series had seven episodes in total. The number of episodes increased to 16 in the second season of the series, which first aired on September 11, 2005.
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A third season followed with 19 episodes, airing on September 11, 2006. From the 13th season of the animated series, each season had 22 episodes. The 20th season of American Dad! premiered on March 27, 2023, and the last episode of the season aired on December 18, 2023.
Family Guy
Family Guy is another animated sitcom MacFarlane developed for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy premiered on January 31, 1999.
Just like American Dad!, the first season of Family Guy only had 7 episodes and the number of episodes of the coming season of the series would increase to 21.
Family Guy is an adult animation series that is centred on the life of the Griffins- a dysfunctional American family. The Griffins Peter and Lois as the parents, Chris, Meg, and Stewie are the children in the family, with their pet dog Brain.
Family Guy is set in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island. The Griffins was an idea created by Seth MacFarlane after he developed The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve.
The characters from Larry & Steve were redesigned By MacFarlane. Larry and his dog Steve became Peter and Brian in the animated sitcom, Family Guy.
MacFarlane’s Family Guy was cancelled after the third season of the animated series aired in 2002. The 20th season of Family Guy aired on September 25, 2022.
American Dad vs Family Guy: Key Differences between American Dad! and Family Guy
American Dad! and Family Guy are animated sitcoms developed by MacFarlane.
American Dad! is an adult animated show developed by Seth MacFarlane, Matt Weitzman, and Mike Barker. The animated sitcom’s first episode aired on February 6, 2005, for the Fox Broadcasting Company.
The series centres around Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) who is a conservative CIA agent.
Family Guy is another animated sitcom MacFarlane developed for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy premiered on January 31, 1999.
The animated series revolves around the Griffins, which consist of Peter and Lois (the parents), Chris, Meg, and Stewie are the children in the family, with their pet dog Brain.
Family Guy is an adult animated series known for cutaway gags and non-sequitur edgy humour.
American Dad! and Family Guy are animated series with a distinct comedic style. The former leans towards structured storytelling, while the latter embraces randomness.
American Dad! portrays the themes of American patriotism and government critique through Stan Smith’s job and family life. The other series often delves into broader societal parodies and character-driven plots.
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American Dad vs Family Guy: Humour
MacFarlane’s American Dad! centres on long-term character development. The humour in American Dad! is great but not everyone gets to appreciate it at first. It may require more time for viewers to understand the humour and become familiar with the series.
American Dad! has an element of political satire and the basic concept of the series is to merge bizarre situations with characters highlighting their family story as the backbone.
Family Guy is one animated series with memorable characters. Family is more accessible for mainstream viewers as the show’s humour is not rooted in a long story arc.
Family Guy is a show that leans more towards pop culture jabs. The series highlights and utilizes traditional comedy devices like one-liners and cutaway gags.
American Day vs Family Guy: Which MacFarlane’s Animated Series is More Popular?
American Dad! and Family Guy are the creative works of Seth MacFarlane. These animated sitcoms are centred on different storylines and character representations.
Family Guy mainly relies on pop culture references and cutaways, whereas American Dad! has an element of political satire and it’s more character-driven.
Family Guy may maintain a huge audience in terms of viewership, American Dad! remains an animated series with a dedicated fan base- one which is reflected in the show’s positive audience scores.
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American Dad vs Family Guy: Females Are Funny
The female characters in American Dad! are utilized and bring humour to the series. It brings raw humour to fans who enjoy laughing during special episodes.
In contrast, Family Guy’s female characters are not all funny. Take Lois for example who is more of an annoying housewife than a funny character. Lois could be too busy being frustrated at something than trying to make simple jokes.
American Dad vs Family Guy: Family Guy Paved the Way for American Dad!
Most fans of both animated series would agree that Family Guy played an important role in creating American Dad!. Without Family, fans may not have seen American Dad on TV.
American Dad! became a popular show on TV all thanks to those taboo-type dirty jokes said on TV.
MacFarlane Family Guy made American Dad! more acceptable to millions of viewers. Although American Dad! became a popular animated series, Family Guy was dominating the series in ratings.
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American Dad vs Family Guy: Comparison Chart
| American Dad! | Family Guy | |
| Comedic style | Political and social satire | Absurdist and pop culture references |
| Main character profession | CIA agent (Stan Smith) | Toy factory worker (Peter Griffin) |
| Developed by | Seth MacFarlane, Matt Weitzman, and Mike Barker | Seth MacFarlane |
| Narrative structure | More linear and coherent | Non-linear with cutaways |
| Cultural commentary | Focus on American politics and family dynamics | Broader societal parodies and family dysfunction |
| Supporting character | Alien (Roger) and talking fish (Klaus) | Anthropomorphic dog (Brian) and genius baby (Stewie) |
Conclusion
American Dad! and Family Guy are animated series that centre on different storytelling. American Dad! leans towards structured storytelling, while Family Guy embraces randomness.
American Dad! portrays the themes of American patriotism and government critique through Stan Smith’s job and family life. Family Guy often delves into broader societal parodies and character-driven plots.
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References
- Wikipedia: Family Guy
- ScreenRant: Family Guy vs American Dad!: Which Show Is Funnier?
- CBR: American Dad vs Family Guy: Which Seth MacFarlane Series Is More Popular?
