DVD Review: ‘American Dad! – Vol. 9’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘American Dad! – Volume Nine’ on Blogcritics.

American Dad! is Seth MacFarlane’s funniest show, at least nowadays. Perhaps that’s because Dad, Stan (voiced by MacFarlane), has grown over the years, doesn’t always have to play the moron. Or it could be that the show’s CIA work setting allows the writers to stretch their political satire muscles. Maybe it’s the presence of the space alien, Roger (also MacFarlane), who gets to observe us humans from the (literal) beyond.  The list goes on, from sarcastic goldfish Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) to Patrick Stewart voicing Stan’s wild boss. Whatever the reason, American Dad! is pretty consistently funny. And now season nine is available on DVD from Fox Home Video as American Dad! Volume 9. Why it’s taken so long for the 2012-2013 season to be released, I’m not sure, but at least it’s here now!

The Episodes

The best of season nine can be found in the classic episodes like “Love, American Dad Style,” finds Roger crushing on Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), something quite unexpected. And in “American Stepdad,” Roger falls for, and marries, Stan’s mother, therefore becoming his landlord’s new daddy. Also in that installment, Steve (Scott Grimes) finds a Fast and the Furious sequel script that blows the lid off the film series.

“Blood Crieth Unto Heaven” is a parody of August: Osage County, and “For Black Eyes Only” is a James Bond knock off, an appropriate movie series for this show to tackle. “Naked to the Limit, One More Time” has Jeff (Jeff Fischer) blabbing about the alien living with the Smiths, forcing Roger to consider killing him, and actually kicks off an arc only recently completed (maybe?) in season ten.
“Lost in Space” is part of that arc, taking place entirely with Jeff on a space station. Unfortunately Jeff’s journey into space is a little disappointing because it means we see the character a lot less. But thankfully American Dad! keeps to continuity, and does check in on him from time to time, as it also deals with Hayley’s separation from her husband. Part of me wishes Jeff would come back and rejoin the ensemble, but a bigger part is just happy to see such a drawn-out story on what is ostensibly a simple cartoon series.

There are also some pretty familiar plots. In “Can I Be Frank With You,” Stan and Francine’s (Wendy Scaal) relationship is tested when he spends too much time hanging out with his work buddies. “Adventures in Hayleysitting” finds Hayley babysitting her brother, Steve, and of course she’s irresponsible and things go wrong. “Finger Lenting Good” has the family trying to give up their vices and gives Roger a Cinderella story. “Spelling Bee Baby” has Francine pushing Steve into a spelling bee. In “The Boring Identity,” Francine takes advantage of Stan’s lost memories. In “Da Flippity Flop,” Stan and Klaus switch bodies. But even these tired premises are still amusing episodes, as they maintain the style and tone that works so well on a weekly basis.

In my opinion, the weakest stuff is usually when Steve is hanging out with his friends. I just don’t like those characters, and while occasionally they may get into 80s movie-inspired stories, which is the best use of them, most of the time they are just gross and sad. Ditching them would improve the overall production greatly.

The Verdict

As with the other Fox releases I’ve covered this week, American Dad! – Volume 9 has no special features. This is frustrating and feels a bit like a rip off. But the choice is either deal with it or skip the set, and being a long-time fan of the show, the former is the slightly more appealing choice.

American Dad! – Volume 9 is available now.

American Dad! Volume 7 released on DVD

American Dad! Volume 7 is now on DVD. This three disc set contains all 19 episodes from season six, which aired during the 2010-2011 television season.  Among the episodes included in Volume 7 is the landmark 100th episode of the series.

For some time, Family Guy has been growing stale. Which makes American Dad!, Seth MacFarlane's second effort for the network, stand out even more. With sharp writing and unexpected plots, Volume 7 will prove to viewers that American Dad! should be the most celebrated part of Animation Domination, at least for now. This is truly a great batch of installments, and the show exhibits no sign of slowing. While some stories do put the parents in stereotypical sitcom situations, the gags and lengths to which things are taken set American Dad! apart from anything that has come before it. 

Volume 7 of American Dad! begins with an important change. "100 A.D." finds Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane) eloping with long-time, on-again off-again boyfriend Jeff (Jeff Fischer). For those who don't think cartoon characters can grow, as many similar series seem to treat the people in them as static for a show's entire run, this is a way for American Dad! to break the mold. By the time the dust settles, Hayley and Jeff are married, and Jeff moves into the Smith household, where he still remains, two seasons later.

This development is bad news at first for Steve (Scott Grimes), as in the second part of the two-part season opener, entitled "Son of Stan," Stan (Seth MacFarlane) clones Steve so that he and Francine (Wendy Schaal) can see which one of their parenting styles is better. With the responsibility of raising Hayley off of them, all of their efforts turn to the younger child. Luckily for Steve, Hayley and Jeff's eventual return to the nest does deflect some of this new found focus.

Other highlights of Volume 7 include "White Rice," where Francine recovers repressed memories and becomes a stand-up comedian; "The People Vs. Martin Sugar," in which Stan serves on a jury trial involving Roger (also MacFarlane); and "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls," in which Santa Claus seeks revenge on the Smith family for killing him. "Fartbreak Hotel" finds Francine assuming a new identity, "School Lies" sees Roger sell a senator's daughter to a drug lord, and "Jenny Fromdablock" has Roger take Snot's (Curtis Armstrong) virginity. Finally, in "Flirting With Disaster," Francine takes a job at the CIA. Unlike Jeff and Hayley's marriage, this development does not last.

The bonus features are few, but fun. There are audio commentaries on many of the episodes and deleted scenes, too. A short portion of the American Dad! Comic Con 2010 panel is also included. Best of all is "I (Heart) Patrick Stewart," which involves a number of the cast and crew talking about cool it is to work with Patrick Stewart, who voices Stan's boss, Bullock. It is quite possible that many AD! fans are also Stewart fans, so they should delight in this.

In summary, American Dad! Volume 7 is a great collection, full of fantastic episodes and some wonderful extras. Definitely pick up a copy.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here to read all of my reviews of American Dad! Please click here to purchase DVDs and streaming episodes of American Dad! Article first published as DVD Review: American Dad! Volume 7 on Blogcritics.

"Virtual In-Stanity" reigns on American Dad!

     FOX's American Dad! presents "Virtual In-Stanity." Stan (Seth MacFarlane) realizes he misses most of Steve's (Scott Grimes) major life events, and wants to make up for it, but Steve won't give him the time of day. Understanding that, at Steve's age, his son just wants to talk to girls, Stan inhabits a blond, busty avatar named Phyllis (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ringer). Unfortunately for Stan, Steve's interest in Phyllis lulls when she refuses Steve any physical affection, and Steve starts to go for a redhead (Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother) instead.

     "Virtual In-Stanity" reunites two of the stars of the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In that series, Gellar plays a tough, hot blond, while Hannigan is a geeky redhead. Sound familiar? While the two are rivals, rather than friends, in American Dad!, that doesn't lessen the casting coup's enjoyment. Because of the dork-appeal of both the goofy vampire drama, that could be quite serious at times, and this animated sitcom, it is likely that more than a few fans are immensely gratified by the show using both women in the same episode.

     A lot of American Dad!'s plots revolve around Stan trying to be a good father. It seems that, as he ages and settles into family life more agreeably, Stan wants to be there for his children more than previously. Unlike other animated series, the characters in American Dad! do age and go through life changes, albeit much more slowly than in reality. For instance, Stan's daughter gets married, and it sticks in future episodes. So it seems American Dad! will chronicle much of Stan's growth as a father over a couple of years, giving a slightly deeper meaning to a show that mostly banks on humor.

     Given that American Dad! is created by Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane, it does often venture into gross and offensive territory. "Virtual In-Stanity" crosses a lot of lines when Stan-as-Phyllis decides to have sex with Steve so that they can bond and keep spending time together. Set aside the severe, permanent emotional damage Steve will undergo when he finds out this ruse, which, if they had gone through with the intercourse, he eventually would have had to, the fact that Stan is willing to do this is highly disturbing. No parent should ever agree to such acts with a child, no matter the circumstances. Yes, it is a female body, but Stan would experience everything that "Phyllis" does.

     Luckily, Francine (Wendy Schaal) has the wisdom to realize all of this, and is as repulsed by the idea as viewers surely are. Valiantly, she takes up an armored suit and fights Phyllis, a la Avatar, before "she" can sleep with Steve. Thus, disaster and a yawning chasm between son and father is avoided. As long as Steve never finds out the truth, and he probably won't at this point, given how things end.

     It may be a silly conceit that would not hold up in real life, but Stan playing with CIA technology is always fun. The fact that his boss (Patrick Stewart) can be just as giddy about it is wonderful. Stan is a very relatable character when he takes out the government toys and uses them for his personal goals. Despite the weird stuff in "Virtual In-Stanity," no one can blame him for this aspect of himself.

     The big regret here is that Hannigan's character likely won't show up again. She could make a great, recurring love interest for Steve! True, Hannigan already stars in a sitcom on TV, but surely she could make time to voice a handful of episodes a year. It's unfortunate that this seems a very remote possibility.

     Also, Roger (MacFarlane, too) goes on a killing spree to get even with some frat guys who don't pay for his limo service. Watching a limosuine stalk a jerk into the bathroom is freaking hilarious. The subplot even manages to get creepy at times, despite its absurd nature. A+!

     American Dad! airs Sundays on FOX as part of Animation Domination, usually at 9:30 p.m. ET, but check listings, as the shows within the block sometimes shift.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here to read all of my reviews of American Dad!

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Article first published as TV Review: American Dad! - "Virtual In-Stanity" on Blogcritics.

American Dad! gets into "Hot Water"

     On the season premiere of FOX's American Dad, "Hot Water," Stan (Seth MacFarlane) gets super stressed out because of his very tight schedule. Principal Lewis (Kevin Michael Richardson) suggest that Stan get a hot tub, and while Stan is reluctant at first, he sees one he really likes. Unfortunately, he chooses an evil hot tub (voiced by Cee Lo Green), and begins partying all the time. Francine (Wendy Schaal) goes along with it for awhile, but ends up leaving Stan over the warm water. But the hot tub will not stop until Lewis, Francine, and Peter are dead.

     It is not unusual for Seth MacFarlane to parody something. It's a trope he uses quite often in his various animated series. "Hot Water" is no different, tackling Little Shop of Horrors. The shop Stan buys the hot tub from is "Little Shop of Hot Tubs." The hot tub mimicks Stan's voice to lure Francine to her doom. It also eats Lewis, and ends up killing Stan. The music is a completely different style, but the parallels are so close that, when a customer walks into the hot tub store, I expect him to say "I couldn't help noticing that strange and unusual hot tub in the window." That never happened, but it easily could have been a deleted scene, so much does the episode relate to the musical.

     Interestingly, two main characters die in this episode of American Dad! Both Francine and Stan bite the dust before the end credits roll. "Hot Water" is not the first time that this happens in an episode, but it is a bit unusual because, by next week, they will be fine again. That is not to say that American Dad! does not allow character growth. It married Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane) off and that stuck. But occasionally, in event episodes such as this one, the continuity of the series is abandoned.

     It's a pretty trippy episode. Besides a 1970's era hot tub, which somehow has more advanced electronics, a fact that does not go unnoticed by the characters, but there is plenty of singing and hallucinations. Most of the main cast gets to participate in at least one song. There is no B story, so there is plenty of time to squeeze in several numbers. Over all, it's a pretty cool experiment.

     Cee Lo provides not only the singing voice for the hot tub, but also appears live, unanimated, in several narration shots during "Hot Water." He is not the only one famous to make an appearance, though. One of the party girls that Stan hangs out with is voiced by Gabourey Sidibe, who starred in Precious and is now on Showtime's The Big C.

     American Dad! airs Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Family Guy comes down with "Lottery Fever"

     To start the tenth season of FOX's Family Guy, the series presents "Lottery Fever." Peter (Seth MacFarlane) decides it's worth spending all of the family's savings on a LOT of lottery tickets. He wins, quits his job, and begins treating his friends like slaves. Naturally, they no longer want to hang out with Peter, so he is left alone. Which is fine, because he's having fun with a bunch of ridiculous purchases. Until the family runs out of money. Then he goes to his friends for help.

     Does this premise sound stale to you? Because it really is. There isn't much in the main story of "Lottery Fever" that hasn't been done on television in a dozen other sitcoms over the years. Perhaps that is why Family Guy goes after the story, as the show has always been fond of parody, especially 1980's comedies. In that regard, "Lottery Fever" might be construed as a homage to those forefathers, rather than recycling old material.

      Now, just because the idea is old, doesn't mean the episode isn't funny. For instance, Peter has the family spend days checking 200,000 lottery tickets to see if they are winners, only to reveal that they are all fake, and he's "testing" them. Testing them for what, who knows? But then Brian (also MacFarlane) figures out the next batch are fakes right off the bat, and Peter finally hands over the real 200,000 tickets that he bought. Of course, Brian identifies the winning ticket immediately, saving them a whole host of trouble.

     Also amusing is the singing montage as the family checks the tickets. The lyrics are needlessly explaining what is happening on screen, and that's the joke. The fact that the exact same bit is used in the episode of American Dad, a series by the same creator, immediately after "Lottery Fever" only deepens the impact for fans watching both shows.

     So, once again, Family Guy has taken a dead horse and beat it until it is funny again. It's a concept that Seth MacFarlane gets as almost no one else does. While not every episode of Family Guy is the comedy gold it once was, the series continues to deliver entertainment week after week because of its willingness to poke fun at itself and its industry. For that, we can all be grateful to Seth MacFarlane.

      Family Guy airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Family Guy presents "Episode VI: It's a Trap"

     FOX's Family Guy parodies Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, so it is inevitable that a version of Return of the Jedi follows. Last night's ninth season finale brings "Episode VI: It's a Trap," the awaited Jedi knockoff, which is actually already out on DVD, and has been since December. If you've seen the original movie, the plot is familiar, if condensed to around forty-four minutes. Luke / Chris (Seth Green) rescues Leia / Lois (Alex Borstein) and Han / Peter (Seth MacFarlane) from Jabba the Hut / Joe (Patrick Warburton). From there, they travel to a planet near the still-under-construction new Death Star. Luke visits his father, Darth Vader / Stewie (MacFarlane), on the thing, and together they defeat the Emperor / Carter (MacFarlane). On the planet below, Han, Leia, Chewbacca / Brian (MacFarlane), and the other rebels take out a shield, so that Lando / Mort (John G. Brennan) can destroy the Death Star. The rebels party with the Ewoks.
 
     While the basic plot does follow the George Lucas movie, what makes Family Guy's version different, besides casting familiar characters in the roles, is all of the jokes sandwiched in. For instance, The Emperor and Darth Vader bait Luke by commenting how Seth Green is a terrible actor. For viewers in on the joke that Green voices Chris, it is highly amusing to watch the tension build in Luke / Chris until he erupts. To be fair, after the Jedi parody is complete, the Griffins do have a debate as to whether Seth Green or Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is a bigger douche. For fans of meta humor, this conversation may be the funniest thing in the entire hour.

     Another memorable joke in this episode is a live action sock puppet standing in for the additional creatures added to Jabba's palace in the special edition of the movie. The Rancor that Luke fights in Jabba's pit is replaced with conservative talk radio pundit Rush Limbaugh. Meg (Mila Kunis), who is often teased as the most ugly, disliked character on the show, is the Sarlacc monster. Above the Sarlacc pit, there is an extended sequence of characters glancing at each other. On Endor, the stormtroopers use actual bicycles, which upsets Pee Wee Herman when his is stolen.

     Apparently Family Guy, despite its extensive cast, has run out of characters to stand in for the Star Wars people, as MacFarlane draws upon his other TV shows in this special. Both Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) and Roger (MacFarlane) from American Dad! are cast as Admiral Akbar and a Death Star officer, respectively, while Tim the Bear (MacFarlane) from The Cleveland Show is, appropriately, an Ewok, and Rallo (Mike Henry) is Wedge Antilles. It is lucky for MacFarlane that he has other TV shows to draw from, since the Star Wars franchise has so many characters.

     At the very end of this episode, the characters avow that they will not be doing the prequel Star Wars films, and Peter says that he thinks The Cleveland Show will be handling them. Is this a joke, or true? Three major characters from The Cleveland Show already appear in the Family Guy Star Wars parodies, but might they be recast for another trilogy of special episodes? It is hard to imagine how the spinoff cast would be appropriate for such a series, but MacFarlane may be daring enough to give it a try. Or it could just be an offhand comment, a slight insult to a sister series.

     "Episode VI: It's a Trap" lives up to the previous two installments. Whether MacFarlane does any more Star Wars parodies or not, he has finished a great feat with humor and excitement. Fans of both Family Guy and Star Wars should be left satisfied.

     Family Guy has been picked up for a tenth season, and will return to FOX next fall.

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Article first published as TV Review: Family Guy - "Episode VI: It's a Trap" on Blogcritics.

American Dad! finds "Gorillas in the Mist"

     FOX's American Dad! finished its seventh season with "Gorillas in the Mist." In the episode, Stan (Seth MacFarlane) discovers it's much more fun to be a friend to his son, Steve (Scott Grimes), than a father. But after Steve gets into a gorilla pen at the zoo, it is the gorilla's dad that teaches Stan what it truly means to be a father.

     At the same time, Roger (MacFarlane) thinks it is easy to write a country song. After failing miserably in his first attempt, Roger marries a woman living in a trailer park with a lot of kids. He finds this lifestyle not to his liking at all, but his new family keeps him home at gunpoint. Roger  fakes spousal abuse, and shows no remorse as the children are carted off to be split up into foster homes. Then Roger sees a very ugly woman, and he has his hit song.

     American Dad! does a number of big, special episodes, including a handful this year, but this is not one of them. Perhaps feeling they have already met their quota for memorable gems this season, the writers instead deliver a standard installment, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as American Dad! is a fairly consistent show with good humor. Almost every week is a treat to watch, and it is probably the most consistently good of Seth MacFarlane's shows currently running. It is with laughter, not disappointment, then, that this episode can be viewed.

     Stan is always struggling to grow as a person. Steve has been shown to need boundaries. The two elements collide in this surprisingly heartwarming story. What starts out as a goofy, drunken adventure winds up teaching father and son a lesson about love and relationships. The fact that a gorilla serves as the educator is only slightly ridiculous. It might not be a stand-out story, but it is one worth telling.

     Roger's plot is a lot more shocking. Even for Roger, his callousness at destroying a family seems overly cruel. Roger's new wife and kids have more than their share of problems before he even arrives, and rather than be inconvenienced, he allows them all to be locked up so he can escape. While they do pull firearms on him, and so Roger is sort of a captive, he does make a commitment, and they have every right to expect him to honor it.

     Frequent viewers know Roger is not the dedicated type, but that doesn't mean he can be forgiven for so utterly destroying so many lives. With luck, this may come back to haunt him some day. Probably not, but one can hope.

     American Dad! will return for a seventh season next fall on FOX.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     Please click here to purchase DVDs and streaming episodes of American Dad!

Article first published as TV Review: American Dad! - "Gorillas in the Mist" on Blogcritics.

American Dad! Volume 6 out on DVD

     FOX has just released Volume 6 of their popular animated series American Dad! on DVD. Included in this three disc set are all eighteen episodes from season six, which aired from September 2009 until May 2010. One of the longest seasons to date, season six is also the one where American Dad! replaced Family Guy as Seth MacFarlane's most consistently funny series on television. While not every episode is fantastic, American Dad! is having a resurgence creatively, and is funnier now than it was in early years. If you have not been watching the show, Volume 6 is a good place to jump in and become a fan.

     Among the episodes on this DVD release are "In Country... Club," in which Stan (MacFarlane) takes son Steve (Scott Grimes) along on a Vietnam War reenactment that turns deadly real, and "Moon Over Isla Island," where Roger (MacFarlane) becomes dictator of a Caribbean island as a favor to Stan. In "Shallow Vows," Francine (Wendy Schaal) goes ugly, and somehow it's sweet when her husband has his eyes removed so that he can stand to stay married to her. "Rapture's Delight" finds Stan and Francine, devoted Christians, left behind after Jesus raptures his followers. In the season finale, "The Great Space Roaster," Roger tries to kill the family.

     Steve, the CIA agent patriarch, and Roger, the alien that lives with the Smiths, are usually the focus of the episodes, and provide the most antics. This is the season where Stan pulls pranks like a teenager, follows a rock band on tour, opens a stripper dry cleaning business, buys a racehorse, becomes a crack addict, builds a cyborg of himself, bullies Steve to toughen him up, and turns to President Obama for help after humiliating himself in front of the neighbors. Roger, meanwhile, temporarily moves out, remakes an 80's movie, kisses Francine, reveals himself to be a steroid-using Olympic athlete, becomes a corrupt cop, and studies crime scene photography. If that sounds like a lot to cover in only eighteen half-hour episodes, wait until you watch! There's even more!

     Season six is the last season in which Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane) is single. While all of MacFarlane's series do show some degree of character development over the years, in living situation, if not personality, it is rare that a main character would get hitched, making their spouse an important part of the show from then on. Hayley spends much of volume six interested in a koala bear named Reginald (Erik Durbin), but her stoner ex, Jeff (Jeff Fischer), does eventually return to win her back, sowing the seeds for their marriage early in season seven.

     Interestingly, season six is also when the show went from digital to high definition. This DVD set gives you the ability to compare directly, as the first half of the season is still full frame and low quality, while the second set of nine episodes goes widescreen and enhances clarity. Also, episodes are uncensored, so bleeps and black boxes are removed. Viewers have been warned.

     Like most MacFarlane releases, there are tons of extras on the discs. A number of episodes have commentary, though MacFarlane himself does not participate. Luckily, Matt Weitzman, Mike Barker, Matt Fusfeld, Jordan Blum, Wendy Schall, and lots of others are more than knowledgeable enough to take his place. Two commentaries feature The Interdisciplinary Collective for American Dad Studies, which rather than spoil what that is, I'll let you find the treat on your own. Most episodes have deleted scenes, even if they are brief.

     "Rapture's Delight" gets special treatment, with a "Making Of" special and the broadcast script. This is a favorite episode of the staff, as well as viewers, and not just because religious people may consider it blasphemous. Rounding out the extras is a tribute short honoring all of the various animals that have met their end on the series. It's darkly hilarious, so if you're not easily offended, check it out.

     American Dad Volume 6 is already in stores, so please go pick up a copy at your earlier convenience.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

Article first published as DVD Review: American Dad! Volume 6 on Blogcritics.

American Dad Bursts the "Piñata"

     I think that American Dad has figured out that episodes featuring Stan (Seth MacFarlane) and Roger (also MacFarlane) competing with each other, especially when the stakes are mere pride, work very well. As such, that was one of the two major stories going on in last night's episode, "A Piñata Named Desire". Stan claimed he could act, as he said he did it for a living working for the CIA. Roger, an alien with the voice of Paul Lynde who is a master of disguise and characters, challenged Stan's boast. What was unusual was that Stan appeared to give up very quickly, going to Roger for acting lessons early on in the episode.

     Then things took a twist. Stan learned so well from Roger that he beat his friend out for the male lead part in what I presume to be a local community theater production. Not wanting to be outdone, Roger took out the female lead and assumed her role. What resulted was a hilarious make out session (and more) between the two, as somehow convincing gay sex became the epitome of acting.

     It is well known that MacFarlane goes for shockingly offensive humor, and there was plenty of that. I'm not saying gay sex is necessarily offensive in of itself, but any sex between any two genders, whether they be a same-sex of opposite-sex couple would have grossed anyone out the way it was depicted here. I was grateful that the height of Stan and Roger's love making was not explicitly shown. But the egos of these two characters play so well off of each other, it's like a very strange, yet welcome, remake of The Odd Couple.

     I would like to know why American Dad only acknowledged the conceit that Roger is always showing up as someone else in such a half-hearted way. Sure, Stan called him out on it when he was heading to the acting classes, asking if the teacher Roger recommended was just going to be Roger in another costume. Roger admitted it was likely. Yet, later in the show when Roger dressed as a women to win the female lead, Stan was still the only one at the theater that recognized him. Let's be honest: Roger is an alien with a huge gray head. He's not exactly subtle. With television, especially animation, we often suspend disbelief. But since the series poked fun at its own tool anyway, why not go whole hog? I want an episode where EVERYONE recognizes Roger, no matter how many times he changes wigs and clothing.

     The B plot involved Steve (Scott Grimes) planning the 'best sleep over ever' as his final overnight gathering with his pals. OK, I see why bullies poked fun at the geeky gang for calling their hang out a sleep over, but plenty of cool kids spend the night at their friends' houses through high school, and even college and beyond. Why couldn't the characters just realize they should change what they call it, rather than throwing away the whole convention? At least in the end? I did like their 'long lost black friend', though. Very funny stuff.

     American Dad currently airs news episodes just outside of prime time, Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. on FOX. Make sure you remember the odd timeslot, because the show is worth it.

Article first published as TV Review: American Dad Bursts the "Piñata" on Blogcritics.

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American Dad celebrates 100th episode in season premiere

     Seth MacFarlane teased us.  When last night's season premiere of American Dad began on FOX, Roger (voiced by MacFarlane) stepped in front of a curtain and told the viewers that since it was the 100th episode, 100 beloved characters would die in the episode.  Now, for a twenty-plus-minute animated show, that seemed unrealistic, so I didn't really buy into the whole premise.  Especially when I made it through the first half with no deaths.  But the fact that there was not one single recognizable character that died (96 of the 100 perished in a three-second-long fiery traffic accident) was a bit disappointing.

     That being said, it was a good, solid episode in the American Dad story.  Daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane, Seth's sister) decided to run away with her ex-boyfriend, Jeff (Jeff Fischer), and get married.  Hayley's father, Stan (MacFarlane), and mother, Francine (Wendy Schaal) are furious.  Stan offers, on television, a $50,000 reward to anyone that can stop the marriage, the $50K being what he had saved up for Hayley's wedding.  In homage to at least one old movie, as many of MacFarlane's episodes of all of his television shows are, Jeff and Hayley concoct a plan wherein Jeff offers to dump her in return for the money, and then the couple escape much richer to begin their future together.  Next week will be a sort of part two, as Roger goes to Thailand to track down the couple.

     This is a bit of a make-or-break moment for American Dad.  While MacFarlane's first show, Family Guy, occasionally advances a serial plot, most animated shows do not.  So far Dad hasn't brought about any big, lasting changes.  Hayley, a member of the central family, getting married would certainly do that.  It would also end a season-long competition between Jeff and koala bear Reginald (Erik Durbin) for Hayley's affections.  Dad has been consistently funnier than Family Guy the last couple of years, and so I am hoping that the show allows a bit of growth and change.  It would really push the series up a couple of notches, and may earn it some deserved recognition.

      The second possible serial moment would involve Principal Lewis (Kevin Michael Richardson), who, in pursuit of the reward money, spectacularly quit his job and stole a police car.  Surely, Lewis cannot return to the school and his old occupation.  Even in a cartoon, that would push the believability boundry way too far.  I hope that Dad chooses a new principal the next time we see the school.  Principal Lewis has appeared in fifteen episodes, so he's sort of important, though this episode was probably the most focus he's gotten to date.
 
     To find out if American Dad will allow the changes to stick, tune in Sunday nights at 9:30pm on FOX.

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Salute American Dad

    Thank goodness only one of Fox's Animation Domination shows ended as last night, as I have too many other finales to cover from last night.  But American Dad went out on a wacky high with "Great Space Roaster".  Roger the alien (voiced by Seth McFarlane, the show's creator) wanted a roast for his birthday, but he took the family's comments too much to heart, vowing revenge.  After several attempts on their life failed, they fled to space, but Roger followed them up there, too, where he tied them up and made them roast each other, only to realize that he actually was part of the family, and he was loved no matter what they said.

     For awhile last year, American Dad surpassed Family Guy in consistent humor, and while the latter has been doing much better, the former has stayed relevant.  What started out as a cheap copy of a popular animated sitcom has found it's own legs in the last couple of years.  The characters have become better defined, and their antics have gotten more side-splitting.

     Total lack of care about others seems to be the hallmark of comedy today.  From shows like Seinfeld and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, American Dad simply continues a formula that seems to work.  For example, as Roger attacked Francine (Wendy Schaal) and Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), Stan (also S. McFarlane) got to the escape pod, believing his family a necessary sacrifice to save himself.  This isn't an uncommon scenario on the show, and while the big guy certainly loves his family, they come second to himself.

     Hayley in particular has become a more interesting character, though there weren't any great examples of that last night.  She began the series as a liberal counterpoint to Stan's conservatism, but though out they have learned to get along and care about each other, as much as Stan can care about someone.  He did say she was elected 'gun shield' for the family in last night's episode.  But we have gotten to see that Hayley is an open, warm person, as evidenced by her latest relationship with unexpectedly funny koala-spy Reginald (Erik Durbin).

     American Dad has already been picked up for aanother season, and will return to Fox in the fall.

Television Interrupted

     One of my biggest pet peeves is when television stations do not allow us to watch an episode of a show, or the air time moves in some unpredictable, last minute way, and the DVR of your choice records the correct time, but the wrong show.  For us fans who carefully record each and every installment, missing an episode of a television show, especially a serial one, where each plot hinges on last week's action, it is a huge disappointment, and often a major source of frustration.  Here are the biggest offenders and what can be done:

     Power Outages - this is the most forgivable event, of course, as it is something not really under human control.  However, my beef is how certain networks take these instances into account.  ABC and NBC usually have their episodes online, for free by the next day, and keep them up for a good, long while.  Fox, on the other hand, can make you wait up to eight days to catch up on House, after the next week's episode has aired!  CBS is the worst offender, as practically none of their shows are online.  And if you miss a cable program, without resorting to illegal downloading, you are often out of luck.  Solution: Every network should take a page from ABC and NBC and post their stuff.  Or allow you to get it on demand, free of charge from your cable company or TiVo if it is missed.

     Other Weather Related Events - The most extreme was during one bad storm, an hour of weather coverage replaced Ghost Whisperer, and due to copyright laws, it was not allowed to be rerun, even though thousands of people didn't have it available in their area.  Ridiculous!  The most common problem, though, is the damn school and business closing, or even weather alert scrolls.  They have gotten bigger and bigger.  Here in Lexington, there is much blank space beneath the words as the words take up on some HD channels, plus it stretches the picture to a weird aspect ratio.  Most people have internet these days, so they're not as necessary.  Solution: Run scrolls small and see through at the VERY BOTTOM of the screen please!  And for goodness sakes, do not run them the entire prime time!  Twice or thrice an hour should be enough.  And if you are one of the few without a web connection, well... First of all, join us in 2010 and GET ONE! Or turn on your radio.

     Sports Games - I am not talking about a huge event like the Superbowl.  A normal Sunday NFL game can cause my American Dad or Brothers & Sisters to be pushed back and missed.  Because the TiVo only updates programming about once a day, it's not current enough to catch the mistake.  In the city that I live, Lexington, Kentucky, this week and last, The New Adventures of Old Christine is airing at 1:37am so that some stupid basketball game can be shown!  Two weeks ago, Saturday Night Live was pushed back 30 minutes, and it's supposed to go LIVE at 11:30pm!  Solution: Quit airing sports games over our shows!  Either cut off the broadcast at a given time, or schedule more time and just fill it in with post-game coverage if it ends early.  If it happened once or twice, it would be ok, but this happens WAY too often to be excusable.  Or get the DVR technology more up to date and adaptable.  For now, I just set my season passes of the aforementioned shows to run an extra hour.  An annoyance, but one that has come in handy.

     Bottom line, the weather and sports are not nearly as important to me, and many, many other television watchers as our shows.  If a tornado is heading for us, let us know.  Other than that, stay out of our broadcasts!

Animation Domination certainly decks something

     Sunday marked the end of 2009 episodes of Animation Domination (or, Seth McFarlane & The Simpsons Night) on Fox.  Let's look at the results.

     The Simpsons, the only holdout against giving the entire night to McFarlane's series of practically the same shows, absconded the Christmas theme for an episode about Bart wanting a baby brother.  Homer (Dan Castellaneta), of course, would have none of it, and all of Bart's (Nancy Cartwright) attempts to trick his parents into it failed horribly.  So he went and adopted an orphan.  The episode had some of the best gags in a long time, from the boys dressed as the South Park kids, to the montage of famous brothers (many voiced by the actual celebrities portrayed).  For those who argue that the show has passed its prime and it so longer as good as it once was, I think this episode joins the ranks of recent ones proving them wrong.  Besides, without Simpsons, could we really take another McFarlane clone?

     All kidding aside, McFarlane's latest creation, The Cleveland Show, is actually fairly funny, just like his other shows, although some of the novelty of the original has long worn off.  This episode went all out for the holidays, even adding a new theme song, with a few fun throwbacks to the show it spun off from.  Cleveland does get to deal with reality of a broken family, though, and for the Christmas drama, Cleveland (Mike Henry) had to find his new stepkids' father and get him to come home to restore the yuletide spirit.  This show tries to be edgy, with Cleveland's boss proclaiming "Hide the silverware!" when his dark skinned employee arrived, but ends up being a bit too silly to be offensive.  My only real complaint about this episode was letting neighbor, Arianna (Arianna Huffington), an uber-religious bear, drop character to enjoy letting the reindeer watch her have sex with her husband, Tim (McFarlane).  Continuity, people!

     Family Guy really kind of skipped the holiday, too, but was ok for it.  Peter's (McFarlane) father-in-law, Mr. Pewterschmidt (also McFarlane),  lapses into a coma, Peter gets to take over his multi-billion dollar company.  Like most episode, the main plot isn't what makes the show.  This one was full of great gags.  For instance, while the town's bar is called the Thirst Clam, apparently it's strip club is the Fuzzy Clam.  When Mr. Pewterschmidt collapsed, he said he was having a "heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack, you oughta know by now", reference to legendary Mr. Billy Joel.  The doctor at the hospital, as well as a surprise pop up at the end, was none other than Hugh Laurie playing his popular fox character House, from the television show of the same name.  Jim Parsons also made a guest appearance as his character, Sheldon, from The Big Bang Theory.  Plus, there were some great Scooby-Doo moments.  And let's be honest, moments are what Family Guy is all about.

     The best of the night was probably American Dad.  It felt like a bizarre series finale for Stan (guess who?  McFarlane), though the rest of the cast didn't get the same payoff, and the series isn't ending.  This episode apparently takes place outside of the show continuity.  Stan and Francine (Wendy Schaal) had sex in a church on Christmas, and so are left behind as the rest of the congregation, including their children, are raptured into heaven.  Stan blames Francine for seducing him, and she leaves him and ends up as Jesus Christ's girlfriend.  Seven years later, as the end times come to an end, Jesus asks Stan to help him rescue Francine from the anti-Christ, and we see what is really in Stan's heart.  It was incredibly trippy, weird, and wonderful.  One of the best episodes of the series thus far, which is saying something, as Dad is probably consistently the best of the Sunday night lineup at present.