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It's a show that, really, should never have been. After it's father program Family Guy
was given the boot by Fox in the early years of the new millennium due
to poor ratings, all seemed lost for creator and voice actor Seth
McFarlen. But what's that sound? Off in the distance? Yes...Yes...I believe that's the sound of DVD sales cash rolling in the door! That's right, in an almost unprecedented decision, Fox brought back Family Guy after almost two years due to it's cult success - plus green lit a spin off series! The spin off, came to be American Dad! There are two camps when it comes to opinions of American Dad! You either think it's much better than Family Guy, or much much worse. And for some reason, I still haven't quite decided.
The
show follows the adventures of Stan Smith, a CIA agent who holds the
love of his glorious county above all else. He lives an All-American
family life too, with a good white wife and his two children.
Unfortunately for him his son isn't the jock he wants him to be, while
his daughter is ridiculously left wing. Add to the mix a gay alien
rescued from Area 51 and a goldfish with the brain of a German
scientist and you have yourself one odd cast.
While Series 2 of American Dad! seems to have upped the joke levels, you can't help but get the feeling that it's simply a watered down version of Family Guy.
It's much like a weak lime flavoured cordial: You know what it should
taste like, and occasionally your tounge will get the sensation your
after - but ultimately it leaves you feeling thirsty and unsatisfied. While
Stan is fantastic, the supporting cast is where the show really let's
itself down. The best comedy shows survive on the ensemble (just look
at Scrubs, Family Guy, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and the 'joke runners' (like Clous the Fish and the mother) just don't deliver with the precision they are expected to. That
said, there are some great one liners through out Series 2, and one can
only imagine that the weakness of the Series comes from the lack of
wacky cut-away jokes that makes Family Guy
such a strong comedy. But the show does settle within it's own style
and does deliver relatively consistently and with a tad more
intelligence than it's blue collar comedy counterpart. A great
addition to your comedy DVD collection - even if it doesn't have
the strength to survive for to much longer. But who knows - it may just
be resurrected! EXTRAS
Seth
McFarlen delivers pretty well with his extras packages. There are some
cool little featurettes here, in particular one which takes a look
inside the writers room. It's a rare and welcome insight into the world
of TV comedy. Conclusion:
Movie 68% Extras: 60%
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