Seth McFarlane has masterminded two of the best animated shows of the past 20 years, Family Guy and American Dad!. Family Guy came first, giving us the escapades of working class moron Peter Griffin and his quirky family. Returning from a four year cancellation in 2005, Family Guy has since become a beloved show, known for its cut-away gags, shock humor, and lewd dialogue. But in 2005, McFarlane gave us American Dad!, the story of gun-toting, God-fearing, Republican CIA Agent Stan Smith and his own quirky family…and their alien. As both series have gone on, it’s become increasingly clear that American Dad! has surpassed Family Guy in nearly every way. The characters are better, the comedic mechanisms are better, the storylines are better; the whole show is just better. It’s an argument that isn’t often brought up, but let’s bring it up here. Here are the 12 reason why American Dad! is better than Family Guy.
12. Doesn’t Rely On Celebrities to Advance Plots
Family Guy is known far and wide for its use of celebrity guest voices to spice up episodes. Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Ryan Reynolds, and Cheryl Tiegs have all been prominent guest voices on the show starring as themselves. Rather than use current peripheral characters or introduce new characters, the writers of Family Guy have resorted to using celebrities to drum up viewer interest on dozens of occasions. By contrast, American Dad! rarely uses celebrities to advance its plots.
Yes, the show has had celebrity guest voices and did have an entire episode revolve around George Clooney, but it hasn’t become a hackneyed recurring ploy to get viewers to tune in. The occasional celebrity appearance can spice up an episode and be a great comedic mechanism when used in moderation, but Family Guy should be focusing more on its recurring characters than celebrity guests.
20th Century Fox