American Dad! just began its 17th season in January of 2022, running full steam ahead despite the drop in ratings that occurred after TBS acquired the rights from FOX in 2014. There's nostalgic magic to the earlier seasons that has begun to fade in recent years, and although the new season is expected to be full of all the debauchery and black humor of a Seth MacFarlane production, hopes are low for a revamp of its original success.
However, American Dad! fans still have plenty of content to fill the Roger-sized holes in their heart as they await all of season 17. IMDb users have faithfully broken down their top picks to help guide the re-watchers out there, with a major preference for the early FOX era seasons, and all of these selections are available to stream on Hulu.
Season 14 – 7.2 Episode Average
The fan-favorite “Rabbit Ears” helps to make this season memorable, as it remains the second most top-rated American Dad! episode on IMDb. By the end, Stan realizes he is still in a sitcom—the American Dad! sitcom—and the episode becomes very meta and distinct in its own right. However, as a more recent release, season 14 arrived toward the tail of American Dad! critical acclaim and much of its storylines are an attempt to re-invigorate the series. There are unique pairings like Francine and Jeff in "Wild Woman Do," and this theme of experimentation continues throughout the season. The specific focus on humorous circumstances over characterization is done to utilize the well-fleshed-out cast, given that the longevity of the series was so great by this point, and it makes for a few gems among a rather average collection of episodes.
Season 11 – 7.4 Episode Average
Season 11 marks the end of the American Dad! FOX era. An emphasis on permanence and identity coincides with this network change, as Francine contemplates widowship in "Widows Pique," Stan questions his religious beliefs in "Daresong Heavy Industries," and the two both come to terms with their own mortality in "Stan-Dan Deliver" as they discuss retirement plans. It's especially interesting that these topics came to the forefront while American Dad! shifted networks, as if the writers of season 11 wanted to evoke the upcoming changes to the series through these atypical character arcs.
Season 8 – 7.4 Episode Average
A lot of season 8 experiments with character dynamics. In "American Stepdad," Roger marries Stan's mother and the power in their relationship suddenly flips, and in "Can I Be Frank with You," Francine infiltrates Stan's boy's club as "Frank," giving the audience a fresh dimension to their relationship after many years of sole husband-and-wife content. "Naked to the Limit, One More Time" is another interesting shakeup, as Roger finally reveals himself to Jeff, and their burgeoning relationship opens the other characters to new interactions because of how group dynamics can shift butterfly-effect style. Season 8 is afforded this opportunity from the character development of previous seasons, and it's a nice example of how formula-based shows like American Dad! can still mix it up a little.
Season 4 – 7.4 Episode Average
Season 4 falls in the middle of the American Dad! golden era and it showcases the winning medley that would come to define the show, such as the awkward father-son-bonding seen in “Delorean Story-An” and the ever-reliable body double plot highlighted in “Pulling Double Booty.” And with the switch from traditional to flash animation, there's a feeling of change in the air, as though the show has become something established and resolute. No longer the new kid, American Dad! finds itself in full swing, and season 4 represents the long road of success awaiting the series.
Season 9 – 7.4 Episode Average
The charm of season 9 comes from its wealth of physical comedy bits, such as the face swap between Roger and Steve in “Introducing the Naughty Stewardesses,” or the clones in “Steve and Snot’s Test-Tubular Adventure.” Much of the plot continues to revolve around Roger’s personas, such as “A Boy Named Michael,” when Roger takes the place of an adopted child, and “News Glances with Genevieve Vavance,” starring his feisty news anchor role, and it reflects the writer’s growing reliance on Roger for changes of pace and character dynamics.
Roger's potential as an infinite source of the "guest" role is realized in this season, and there is an acceptance and representation of his increased gender fluidity that was, at the time, rare to see in an animated sitcom.
Season 7 – 7.5 Episode Average
Season 7 is a classic with all the typical shenanigans. There’s the Roger overreacting episode of “Virtual In-Sanity,” when he enacts revenge on a cheap-skate fraternity, as well as the usual Stan instant karma after he’s hexed for disrespecting the elderly in “Old Stan in the Mountain.” The other large standout from this season is “Hurricane!” As the first American Dad! collaboration with Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, the episode arrived as a pleasant surprise to a fanbase who had been waiting years for an MCU-style crossover. With this form of content, season 7 broke out as a more dramatic rendition of American Dad!, the writers once again tinkering with the best way to keep the series evolving and in the spotlight.
Season 1 – 7.5 Episode Average
As season 1 is the premiere of American Dad! and the first introduction of each Smith family member, the majority of character development has yet to begin, and many of their interactions feel stiff and strange compared to the dynamics seen in later seasons. However, the retro animation style and original novelty keep season 1 relevant, and many staples of the series are introduced. These include Roger’s personas, shown in “Rodger Codger,” along with Stan’s conservative and controversial opinions, established in the memorable “Stan of Arabia” and “Homeland Insecurity,” among many others. It certainly has its flaws, but season 1 is still an important introduction to the series, and a lot of the clumsiness stems from the difficulties of breaking away from Family Guy to stand as a singular creation.
Season 2 – 7.6 Episode Average
Season 2 expands upon the premises initiated in the first season, continuing to flesh out the characters and the narrative voice of the show. It firmly establishes Roger as an identity-shifter with episodes like “Camp Refoogee” and “An Apocalypse to Remember,” and it also contains the episode “Of Ice and Men,” where Francine learns that Stan is secretly a figure skater and the audience is given their first sense of Stan as a more dimensional character. Instead of just hard-headed and conservative, Stan is shown with a softer side, and it reflects the direction that the series takes to be more well-rounded. There's an emphasis on likability and humor that makes season 2 relatable to a wider audience, and it's a welcome respite to the overwhelming machismo of season 1 Stan.
Season 5 – 7.7 Episode Average
Season 5 is chock full of iconic episodes— “In Country…Club,” when Steve gets PTSD from a Vietnam War Reenactment, “Cops & Roger,” when Roger becomes a corrupt cop, and of course, “Great Space Roaster,” the peak of Roger-takes-things-too-far episodes. It’s American Dad! in full stride, a comedically realized series with all the wit, voice, and characters now expected in the show’s fifth year of running.
Season 5 soars on the build-up it took to get there, and many of its episodes are given icon status because they stand as the peak of American Dad! The series is the right amount of old to have a solid character foundation but still young enough to have originality, and it creates a perfect storm for some especially memorable episodes.
Season 3 – 7.7 Episode Average
Season 3 takes the top spot with consistently high ratings across the board. Episodes include the beloved and satirized “Tearjerker,” a James Bond spoof, and to no one’s surprise, “The Vacation Goo,” another classic American Dad! With the meat of the series now established, season 3 takes the ball and runs with it. Unafraid, it tackles the issues of Stan’s religious compulsions with “Dope and Faith” and his homophobia in “Surro-gate,” hot button issues that were not widely accepted back when the episodes premiered. There was no pressure to support repressed groups like atheists or LGTBQ+ community members like there is today, and it's why the season ultimately ends as one of the largest anchors of the American Dad! series. It's unapologetic, cutting, and innovative, and it deserves all of the praise that IMDb users have heaped upon it.