[deleted] OP t1_iqurkjj wrote on October 3, 2022 at 6:31 AM

American Dad is better than Family Guy, because MacFarlane doesn't write for it.

[deleted] OP t1_iqurxuk wrote on October 3, 2022 at 6:36 AM

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[deleted] OP t1_iqusu0n wrote on October 3, 2022 at 6:48 AM

>So... I guess he created a lot of the characters, and helped launch it, but then other writers took it from there?

MacFarlane was the co-creator along with two others, but even in the first season he wasn't a showrunner or writer. Family Guy was renewed pretty much immediately after American Dad aired, and he said publicly that he was devoting most of his time to the original show. Whatever input he had in the stories or dialogue has certainly reduced as he's only become more in-demand and busy.

I won't lie, I think MacFarlane is a massive douche. But clearly he's a talented producer and voice actor, and a lot of people like his style of comedy. I like American Dad for its completely unhinged sci-fi storylines, which seem to be happening in spite of MacFarlane, not because of him.

American Dad changes after the first couple of seasons. Stan becomes less of a caricature of a stereotypical Republican, and more of...well, just a dumb TV dad, like Homer Simpson or Randy Marsh. But it remains consistently funny, and a lot of the ancillary characters get fleshed out in very interesting ways.

[deleted] OP t1_iquuc5a wrote on October 3, 2022 at 7:09 AM

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[deleted] OP t1_iquv4vg wrote on October 3, 2022 at 7:21 AM

It depends on how you think about it. If you're only interested in MacFarlane's directly-written work, it's hard to pin down where a lot of it starts and ends for the shows he produces. The first few seasons of Family Guy, certainly, those weird TV specials where he sings a lot, and movies like Ted and A Million Ways to Die in the West.

But if you take the broader view of the things he's INFLUENCED, with his quick-cut comedy, lack of continuity, and intentionally offensive subject matter, I'd say that all of his shows broadly match his sense of humor.

It's kind of like being a fan of Star Wars. Sure, we're now getting almost nothing directly from George Lucas. But we can all admit that some of the stuff he had the most control over was the worst in the series, and that he still gets at least some credit for inspiring the best parts.