The series focuses on an eccentric motley crew that is the Smith family and their three housemates: Father, husband, and breadwinner Stan Smith; his better half housewife, Francine Smith; their college-aged daughter, Hayley Smith; and their high-school-aged son, Steve Smith. Outside of the Smith family, there are three additional main characters, including Hayley's boyfriend turned husband, Jeff Fischer; the family's man-in-a-goldfish-body pet, Klaus; and most notably the family's zany alien, Roger, who is "full of masquerades, brazenness, and shocking antics."
The series focuses on an eccentric motley crew that is the Smith family and their three housemates: Father, husband, and breadwinner Stan Smith; his better half housewife, Francine Smith; their college-aged daughter, Hayley Smith; and their high-school-aged son, Steve Smith. Outside of the Smith family, there are three additional main characters, including Hayley's boyfriend turned husband, Jeff Fischer; the family's man-in-a-goldfish-body pet, Klaus; and most notably the family's zany alien, Roger, who is "full of masquerades, brazenness, and shocking antics."
American Dad! consistently satirizes both conservative and liberal viewpoints, often highlighting the absurdity and hypocrisy of ideological extremes from all sides, thus consciously balancing competing viewpoints rather than promoting a specific agenda.
The series includes visible diversity in its supporting cast, while the main family is traditionally depicted. Its narrative frequently employs satire to critique traditional identities and conservative viewpoints, often through the protagonist, and explores various societal norms and identities.
American Dad! incorporates LGBTQ+ characters and themes primarily through Roger's fluid identities and specific plotlines. These elements are generally used for comedic effect, presenting queer identities as incidental to the show's irreverent humor rather than offering explicit affirmation or degradation. The portrayals avoid strong positive or negative arcs, resulting in a neutral net impact.
The show frequently satirizes the hypocrisy, bigotry, and self-righteousness of characters who identify as Christian, particularly Stan Smith. While satirical, the narrative often links these negative traits to the adherents' (often superficial) faith, reinforcing a problematic portrayal.
American Dad! often critiques Islamophobia and xenophobia, particularly through Stan's initial prejudices which are frequently challenged and proven wrong by the narrative. The show positions the audience to sympathize with Muslim characters and condemn bigotry against them.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
American Dad! is an original animated series, not an adaptation or reboot of pre-existing material. All main characters were created for the show with their established genders. There are no instances of characters from a prior canon being portrayed with a different gender.
American Dad! is an original animated series, not an adaptation or a reboot of pre-existing material. Its characters were created for the show, meaning there is no prior canonical or historical race for them to deviate from. Therefore, no race swaps are present.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources