Greater than 15 years after it first debuted on Fox in February, 2005, American Dad! Remains to be going robust. The brainchild of Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! chronicles the misadventures of super-patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (MacFarlane) and his unconventional household in Langley Falls, VA. With its 18th (!) season simply starting its run airing on TBS, the Emmy and Annie Award-nominated animated comedy stays as creative and outrageous as ever, which is not any imply accomplishment.
Along with MacFarlane, the stellar solid contains Wendy Schaal as Stan’s blissfully unaware spouse, Francine; Rachael MacFarlane as his left-wing activist daughter, Hayley; and Scott Grimes as his geeky, high-school-aged son, Steve. There are additionally the 2 much less typical members of the clan: Roger, a sarcastic house alien (MacFarlane), and Klaus, a goldfish with the mind of a German Olympic skier (Dee Bradley Baker). Particular company Pete Davidson, Anjelica Huston, Jason Alexander, Jaleel White, Chris Sullivan, Ann Dowd, Amy Sedaris, Alan Tudyk, Alyson Hannigan, and Simon Helberg additionally contribute to the brand new season’s subversive enjoyable.
For these questioning precisely what kind that subversive enjoyable takes, a dependable supply has revealed that the tales embody two nice seasonal episodes for Halloween and Christmas, episodes involving Klaus’s new girlfriend, an intrabody Incredible Voyage episode, and, after all, a multiverse episode. To seek out out extra particulars, we nearly sat down with the dependable supply, creator/author/government producer Weitzman, who talked in regards to the new season, his a number of artistic hats, and what he believes accounts for the present’s era-spanning success.
However first, take a look at our unique clip from the present’s upcoming April 17 episode, “The Pleasanting at Smith Home,” earlier than diving into the interview.
AWN: To begin off, congrats on 18 seasons. Based mostly on a fast IMDb search, you’ve got been concerned with 348 episodes, which, to make use of the technical time period, is simply nuts. That is wonderful longevity. What do you assume is the key of the present’s enduring success?
Matt Weitzman: I wish to quote P. T. Barnum and say, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the style of the American public.” However, severely, I’ll by no means have the ability to clarify the success of this present. Nonetheless, I feel that, whereas we at all times attempt to be just a bit bit weirder than the time earlier than, In the long run, it is as a result of loads of these characters, whereas loopy, do care about one another. And we, as writers, and even the artists, care about these characters. And for those who care in regards to the characters, individuals are naturally inclined to love them. And for those who like them, you wish to carry on trying out what they’re doing. Oftentimes, our tales begin in actual grounded locations, however find yourself in very weird locations the place individuals aren’t anticipating to go, however they wish to go on that experience, and I wish to take him on that experience.
AWN: How did all of it start for this present? The place did the thought come from and the way did it get its legs?
MW: The present initially got here from Seth [MacFarlane]. Household Man had simply been canceled for the second time, and Seth got here to Mike Barker and me and requested us, “Are you guys eager about doing this different present?” We had this concept of an up to date All within the Household, the place it was going to be a right-wing father and left-wing daughter, and there was loads of goings-on with the state of the world. So it was going to have that political slant, however we realized fairly early on that that was not going to be sustainable, although it was actually enjoyable and the dynamic between Stan and Hailey was nice. However we felt that doing plenty of jokes about Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not going to carry our viewers.
So we determined to simply make it a couple of household and their dynamics. Seth additionally had the thought of bringing in [the sociopathic alien character] Roger, which was clearly a stroke of genius. So we labored on it after which, proper after we bought picked up, Household Man bought picked up once more. And Seth was like, “It’s your present now… Have at it.” So we tried to determine what we have been going to do, as a result of we had by no means run a present earlier than. Additionally, at the moment, in 2004, the entire world thought that comedy was useless. The entire media panorama appeared prefer it was simply going to be dramas and actuality programming.
Fortuitously, we had loads of high-quality writers on workers to pick out from. We picked properly and these individuals purchased into what we have been doing and we have been fortunate. It took a bit time, however it allowed us to determine what we wished the present to be. We have been additionally lucky that we have been following the success of Household Man, and Fox stored on saying, “You guys are holding on to sufficient of that viewers. Simply carry on going.” So we discovered what we have been doing, and fortunately all people was having fun with it and having fun with the method, and right here we’re, 18 years later.
AWN: Once I speak to different creators and showrunners of a few of the longest-running exhibits, all of them say, ” what? Yearly we predict that is our final.” Is that correct in your case as properly?
MW: Yeah. That is consistently how I really feel. We have been fortunate for the final 10 years or so to get two-season pickups from TBS, so there’s a bit bit much less of that. However I’ve by no means counted on there being one other season. We have been consistently informed, “That is most likely your final season.” And so we have been saying, “Okay, if that is it, then that is it and we will exit doing one of the best we will.” You do not have actually any energy over that.
AWN: What highlights can we anticipate to see within the coming episodes, and what do you might have deliberate for Season 19? Something you may share with us?
MW: It at all times bizarre to speak about as a result of how we broadcast is totally different than how we’re producing when it comes to seasons. However, this coming 12 months, we’ve got two nice seasonal episodes. We have now a unbelievable Halloween episode, the place the household clothes up in Scooby-Doo outfits and finally ends up discovering that Stan is lacking. And so, because the Scooby-Doo gang, they attempt to discover him. Klaus is Scooby and Jeff is Shaggy and Steve is Velma. They give the impression of being so good and we did fantastic music that sounds a lot just like the Scooby-Doo rating. We recorded it in mono. It is actually going to be enjoyable for the viewers.
We have now a Christmas episode that offers with Santa and his being the enemy of the Smiths, and we play with that. We go into the metaverse and we’ve got this 3D second with the household – it’s extremely totally different from what we have achieved earlier than. We even have quite a few episodes that contain Klaus getting a brand new girlfriend, and we do a Incredible Voyage episode, the place Francine goes into Stan to avoid wasting a fellow CIA agent.
What else are we doing? There’s a multiverse episode the place we see a number of variations of the story. It is a Steve and Hayley episode, by which Steve runs into the multiverse and Hayley goes looking for him. It’s a wild story that was a lot enjoyable to make – I can not wait to learn the way individuals react to it. We have now a narrative about Steve and Snot happening a quest collectively to discover a 4 Loko beer to get into a celebration.
The great factor is that we’re exploring totally different character mixtures. All of us love Stan and Roger, however all of us additionally wish to see totally different facets of various characters and what comes of that. After so a few years, you wish to see what occurs when Steve and Principal Lewis get collectively, or when Hayley and Klaus get collectively. The extra that we will play with issues, the extra I feel that the viewers can be into it. We nonetheless must shock ourselves, which can shock the viewers.
AWN: So far as your private involvement within the present, do you oversee the writing? Are you supervising the animation manufacturing? Are you concerned within the voice recording?
MW: The reply to all these questions is sure. The writers will come to me and I am going to possibly recommend areas of curiosity, however largely they pitch me tales. And I am going to say, “Sure, I really like this.” Or, “Can we angle it? Can we zero in on this aspect?” Or, “Let’s watch out of this aspect as a result of it feels like one other story that we did.” I am going to give notes after which, when the scripts are available in, I am going to give extra notes. In the meantime, I am directing actors, I am modifying every part from animatics to the colours. I am concerned in nearly each file that occurs. I do remaining audio, music.
It is enjoyable for me. I am fortunate to have the ability to do it, and I care about it, and folks appear to love it. I do my greatest to guarantee that individuals are nonetheless having fun with the present. I do not need individuals to get bored. So I spend loads of time doing it, generally an excessive amount of so, however I really feel like ultimately it is price it. The artists and actors and writers and all people on our crew is unbelievable and I like them. So there is not any purpose for me to not be in as many components as I can, and do my greatest to encourage and encourage, and do what I can to make it a enjoyable course of and enjoyable for the viewers to observe.
AWN: Talking of actors, what’s it been like directing Seth MacFarlane?
MW: Seth is the one one who I do not actually direct. I give notes. His schedule is so loopy, it grew to become easier for me to simply give him notes with the scripts. He has an uncanny capacity to have the ability to simply have a look at the fabric, say it one time, and nail the intent. It’s a supernatural capacity of his and I am blessed to have the ability to use that. And the two% that he doesn’t nail, both we get it in one other file, or I seize one thing from a earlier file and put it within the present episode.
AWN: How a lot has the manufacturing course of modified over time? Has new know-how made the method any simpler or sooner?
MW: I want I may say that my hours are much less, however they are not. However there have been loads of adjustments, particularly within the final three years with the pandemic. I by no means ever thought that you would make a TV present from dwelling, however we have been doing it. At first, all of the artists have been drawing on paper, and that developed to them drawing on their computer systems. And I used to must undergo these storyboards, the place every act is 300–500 pages, and add little Submit-it Notes. Now I am going via them utilizing my iPad and I write immediately onto the storyboard after which ship it out. So it is simpler on my again that I haven’t got to hold this stuff round. So far as recording actors on-line, I do not adore it as a lot – there’s one thing about having the ability to see them and work with them. We have been in a position to make it work, however I miss being with these actors and enjoying with them. However it’s what it’s, and also you roll with it.
So far as the writing course of, now our writers are in pods. I’ve 15–17 writers, relying on the 12 months, and so they’re grouped into a number of pods, whose jobs change – breaking a narrative, rewriting an episode, doing a joke room for one more episode. Their jobs are at all times altering. It was that you just walked in originally of the day, and also you discovered the place you have been going. Now it is a bit bit extra set and structured, and it is a bit little bit of a revolving door. We’re slowly shifting again to the place the writers are generally within the workplace, however individuals have tailored to working at dwelling and having the ability to go and choose up their youngsters from faculty or no matter, so it is turn out to be a hybrid.
AWN: What do you continue to hope to realize? Are there tales, or methods of telling tales, that you just hope to get to? The place do you wish to go that you have not gone?
MW: I feel there’s stuff from the previous that’s nonetheless fascinating that we’ve not mined but. I at all times marvel what occurred to that child alien that Steve and Roger had in our first season. My objective is simply to consistently be shocked, and I hope my writers can maintain shocking me with new tales. I have been beginning to get pitches for subsequent season, and there is one about Trish and Suze because the Morning Mimosa Workforce. They host this morning speak present the place they get drunk on a regular basis and we uncover issues about their previous. Once I was pitched that story, I used to be like, “I really like this. It is new. It is our characters, however you are discovering stuff and it is achieved in a extremely enjoyable manner.” I simply need individuals to be shocked and I wish to be shocked, and after I’m provided that, it simply offers me a thrill.
Jon Hofferman is a contract author and editor primarily based in Los Angeles. He’s additionally the creator of the Classical Composers Poster, an academic and ornamental music timeline chart that makes a beautiful reward.
