Dysfunctional families are a dime a dozen in the sitcom genre, but “American Dad!” has always offered a uniquely all-American version for an increasingly dysfunctional nation. The mature animated sitcom had its 20th anniversary and its 22nd season last year, and it’s still going strong. TBS took over the show in 2014, but its 23rd season is coming courtesy of its original network, FOX. This company recently released a poster promoting the return of the series in a little over a month’s time.
The Smiths Are Back
This poster, which appeared on Bleeding Cool on January 16, shows “American Dad!”‘s Smith family sliding down what is apparently a slick slope, though it’s really just a gray-blue background with the huge red letters “ANIMATION DOMINATION” artfully adorning it. Everybody is smiling, despite the rather perilous-looking setup. Francine has a champagne glass full of wine; Stan holds a cup of coffee in his right hand and, true to his usual aggressive jingoism, an American flag in his right. Roger is cosplaying as Carmen Miranda, the three youths (Steve, Hayley, and Jeff Fischer) bring up the rear, and Klaus is at the forefront, waving from his bowl.
The poster also explains via small black text that this season of “American Dad!” will air on FOX on February 22, and then on Hulu the following day. This is part of a 2024 deal between the two companies to share content for mutual benefit and growth.
A Cagey Trailer from a Few Weeks Back
This poster will come as no surprise to anyone who saw an advertisement that premiered on YouTube this past December 22, courtesy of AniDom (the official YouTube channel for Animation Domination, which is the programming block for “American Dad!” This roughly one-minute video, titled “American Dad is Back… And HOTTER Than Ever!”, reveals nothing about the content of the upcoming season.
The trailer’s early section basically consists of Stan Smith announcing in his authoritative baritone that he’ll be returning, interspersed with clips of characters from other shows, such as “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons,” uttering such appropriate lines as “We could be together again” (Marge Simpson) or just “Oh, yeah, that’s right. ‘American Dad’ was back!” (Stewie Griffin from “Family Guy,” which shares a universe with “American Dad!”) The latter portion of the trailer emphasizes the hotness promised in the title, with Stan flexing his buttocks for a TV camera while the Griffins and the Simpsons (among other animated-sitcom families) watch their televisions with pleased and disbelieving (respectively) expressions.
A Spoiler for Episode 400
In its first 21 seasons, “American Dad!” has aired a total of 388 episodes. With No. 400 very near on the horizon, the series’s panel at 2025’s San Diego Comic Con in July of last year spilled some beans in regard to this episode. They said that its premise will entail Stan discovering that the CIA has given his job to a clone of himself. Cloning and the concept of Stan’s having a CIA double are both elements that have appeared on the show before, but the combination of these two premises is something original.
We’ll Have to Wait for More
At this time, no other details have been disclosed about “American Dad’s” upcoming 22nd season, so it’s anyone’s guess what else it has in store for viewers. The 21st season featured such out-there plotlines as earthworms transforming into graboids, rogue AI attempting to inflict nuclear annihilation upon humanity, and the CIA rebranding as a cake company for PR purposes. What other wild premises will “American Dad!” cook up in the season to come? Given the show’s track record (the family pet is a goldfish with the brain of a human athlete, after all!), it won’t be surprising if there’s something that tops No. 400’s Stan Smith 2.0.
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