89 Fun Facts About American Dad

Besides the creator of Family Guy, which two writers co-created American Dad!?

Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman ran the show together for its first ten seasons, until Barker left in 2013 and Weitzman carried on as showrunner.

The American Dad! pilot premiered on Fox following which event in February 2005?

Super Bowl XXXIX: Fox used the game's audience to launch the pilot, straight after a Simpsons episode, then held the rest of the first season back until May.

American Dad! grew out of its creators' frustration after which US election?

The 2000 presidential election: two of the creators spent days complaining about the Bush administration it produced, then channelled the anger into a flag-waving conservative lead to satirise.

In which fictional Virginia suburb do the Smiths live?

Langley Falls blends two real Virginia places: Langley, home of CIA headquarters, and nearby Great Falls.

What is Stan Smith's job?

A CIA agent: Stan works at the agency's Langley headquarters under Deputy Director Avery Bullock and applies the same extreme measures at home that he uses at work.

Which cable network took over American Dad! from Fox in 2014?

TBS aired new episodes from October 2014 until March 2025, then declined to order more, and the show went back to Fox.

The CIA put Klaus's mind in a goldfish to stop him winning Olympic gold in which sport?

Ski jumping: Klaus was an East German Olympic ski-jumper until the brain swap, which the show dates to the 1986 Winter Olympics, a Games that never took place.

How did Roger come to live with the Smiths?

He saved Stan's life while escaping Area 51, so Stan, feeling he owed him a life debt, has hidden the alien at home ever since in defiance of his own employer.

Where in the house does Roger keep his hideout and bar?

The attic: Stan at first forbade him to leave the house, so Roger made the room his world, tending a pretend bar there in an endless run of disguises.

Roger's voice is modelled on which camp 1960s and 70s comedian?

Paul Lynde, Bewitched's Uncle Arthur and the centre square of Hollywood Squares, is the voice the alien borrows; ABC once cast him as a suburban family man in his own sitcom, and it was axed after one season.

Roger believed he was 'The Decider' of humanity's fate; what was he really?

A crash test dummy: a note in his old spaceship shows it was a test model with him aboard as the dummy, expected to die on landing, so his own species had abandoned him.

Which of Roger's personas is so hated that almost everyone he meets wants revenge on him?

Ricky Spanish: Roger calls him the worst persona he ever created, one who has wronged everybody in town, and Steve talks him into trying to make amends.

CeeLo Green guest-starred on American Dad! as the voice of a murderous what?

Hot tub: in the musical episode 'Hot Water', a Little Shop of Horrors parody, Stan buys a used tub to relieve stress and it starts killing his family and friends.

Which Star Trek captain voices Stan's boss at the CIA, Avery Bullock?

Patrick Stewart, Star Trek's Captain Picard, voices the depraved Avery Bullock, and took him into Family Guy's 'Lois Kills Stewie', where Bullock and Stan confront Stewie.

What is Hayley Smith's middle name?

Dreamsmasher: Stan picked the name because Hayley's arrival forced him to give up his hunt for Oliver North's hidden treasure, as 'Stanny Slickers II' reveals.

Which actor voices Steve Smith on American Dad!?

Scott Grimes replaced the voice used in an unaired early pilot, and Steve, drawn gawkier and scrawnier in that version, was redesigned for the series.

Which of Steve's friends answers everything in Japanese, though he understands English perfectly?

Toshi speaks subtitled Japanese that his friends cheerfully mistranslate, never noticing how hostile he is to them; his sister Akiko, who speaks English, sometimes interprets.

What is Snot's real first name?

Schmuley 'Snot' Lonstein is drawn to look like Booger, the Revenge of the Nerds character played by his own voice actor, Curtis Armstrong.

Who provides Barry's sinister 'evil' voice when he goes off his medication?

Craig Ferguson voices the off-his-pills Barry, a demonic mastermind who frames Steve for smashing Stan's commemorative plates in a bid to replace him in the family.

What are Greg and Terry, the couple across the street, by profession?

Local TV news anchors: the co-anchors bicker on air and off, and they are a political odd couple too, Greg a Log Cabin Republican and Terry a Democrat.

What is unusual about Roger's excrement, as revealed in 'Homeland Insecurity'?

It is solid gold with jewels: the 'Golden Turd' running gag follows strangers who find the jewel-encrusted nugget, usually ending in someone's death.

Stan Smith was originally modelled on which classic sitcom patriarch?

Archie Bunker: the show borrows All in the Family's set-up, a bigoted conservative father at war with his liberal daughter and her layabout partner under his own roof.

Why is Hayley's paternity uncertain?

Francine cheated at a bachelorette party, a secret that surfaces when Hayley needs a kidney, and Stan and Francine travel back in time to track down the other man.

Which actress voices Debbie Hyman, Steve's goth girlfriend?

Lizzy Caplan, of Mean Girls, voices Debbie, whom Stan refuses to accept as Steve's girlfriend until she shows off her aim with her father's gun.

Who voices Steve's unhinged principal, Brian Lewis?

Kevin Michael Richardson voices Principal Lewis, who claims in 'The Worst Stan' that his own family inspired the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, with him as the real Arnold.

Who voices Stan's needy mother, Betty Smith?

Swoosie Kurtz voices Betty Smith, whose boyfriends kept vanishing because Stan was abducting them and dumping them on an island, afraid they would hurt her as his father had.

What does Roger do when a spaceship comes to take him home?

Stays behind and throws Jeff into it: with Jeff knowing his secret, Roger summons the ship and says his goodbyes, then tosses Jeff into its tractor beam during a farewell hug.

What new title does Stan earn at the CIA in the episode 'Bullocks to Stan'?

Deputy Deputy Director: Stan wins it by beating up his boss for insulting Hayley, after which Bullock claims he staged it all to see whether Stan would stand up for his daughter.

Why did American Dad!'s showrunners temporarily step away in May 2023?

The Writers Guild of America was on strike: the showrunners downed tools on 12 May 2023 until the union had a new contract, and came back that September once the strike ended.

American Dad! was the first series made specifically for which Fox programming block?

Animation Domination launched in May 2005 around Family Guy's return from cancellation, with American Dad! as its one new show beside The Simpsons and King of the Hill.

After Stan ruins his boss's party in a two-part story, to which country are the Smiths relocated?

Saudi Arabia: Bullock transfers the family there as punishment in 'Stan of Arabia', where Roger panics on learning that alcohol is banned and Stan decides he likes the place.

What job does Roger give Hayley at his bar in the episode 'Love, AD Style'?

Singer: the songs Hayley performs come from Hayley Sings, the album of standards that her voice actor released the same month, September 2012.

What is Klaus the goldfish's surname?

Heisler: in 'Da Flippity Flop' Klaus finally finds his old human body, then ends up swapping into Stan's instead.

What is the name of Stan's con-man father?

Jack Smith let his son believe he was a secret agent when he was really a jewel thief, and on his return in 'Con Heir' he tricks Stan into helping with a robbery at an art gallery.

Why did Francine's birth parents give her up?

To get upgraded to first class on a flight: children weren't allowed there, so the wealthy Dawsons simply abandoned baby Francine, and Stan later finds them as shallow as ever.

Who voices Francine Smith?

Wendy Schaal was an on-screen actor in Joe Dante films such as Innerspace and The 'Burbs until Francine came along in 2005; she has worked mainly as a voice actor ever since.

Steve Smith attends a high school named after which real entertainer?

Pearl Bailey, the Hello, Dolly! star the school honours, went back to college herself late in life and earned a Georgetown theology degree at 67.

What was the 2011 crossover event linking American Dad, Family Guy and The Cleveland Show called?

Night of the Hurricane sent one storm through all three shows' towns; Fox pulled it from May 2011 after tornadoes killed more than 300 people in the South, and aired it that October.

In "Lost in Space", Roger is shown cheating on which member of his own species?

A brief clip shows Roger in a relationship with Zing, then blatantly making out with a human male in front of him. Zebleer is the Collector who impersonated Jeff.

On American Dad, Francine holds a lifelong grudge against which actor for stealing her only TV line?

George Clooney took her single line during her one television guest role, ending her acting career. She spends a whole year scheming to win his heart just so she can break it.

American Dad's 'Tearjerker', with Roger plotting the world's saddest film, parodies which movie franchise?

James Bond is the template, with Stan as a 007-type agent and Roger's villain plotting to make cinema audiences cry themselves to death. A sequel, 'For Black Eyes Only', followed in 2013.

Which festive character becomes a recurring American Dad villain after Steve accidentally shoots him?

Santa Claus is buried by the Smiths, who think him dead, then recovers and returns each Christmas to settle the score. A later special has him scheming to awaken an ancient giant at the North Pole.

Which U.S. president dines with the Smiths on American Dad after Stan wins an essay contest?

George W. Bush accepts the invitation, only for Hayley to grill him about the Iraq War. Steve and Roger try to pry state secrets out of him and end up getting him drunk instead.

Hayley's husband Jeff on American Dad shares his full name with which person behind the series?

His voice actor lent the laid-back stoner both his name and his voice. Jeff's own father on the show, Henry, grows marijuana in North Carolina and once turned his own son in for the reward.

In American Dad's 'The 42-Year-Old Virgin', Stan tells his poker friends he is a 'virgin' at what?

Killing someone is the one thing Stan has never managed, and the confession splits the family: Steve despises him for it, while Hayley suddenly adores him.

Stan Smith builds which famous movie car on American Dad despite never having seen its film?

A DeLorean is Stan's dream car, though he has never heard of Back to the Future. In 'Delorean Story-an' he and Steve race across the country for the last available set of doors.

In American Dad's 'Dope & Faith', Roger tricks Steve into believing which fictional school has accepted him?

Hogwarts is the bait, because Steve is obsessed with Harry Potter at the time. Roger's prank lands him in the middle of a gang of methamphetamine dealers.

Steve's friend Snot on American Dad is modelled on Booger from which 1980s comedy film?

Revenge of the Nerds gave the world Booger, played by Curtis Armstrong, who now voices Snot as an echo of that role. Snot's look was drawn from the character too.

On American Dad, Stan clones which assassinated president, who later becomes mayor of the Smiths' town?

James Garfield is cloned by Stan to teach Hayley the importance of history. The duplicate sticks around and is named mayor after a coup by Roger leaves the old one dead.

On American Dad, Stan travels back to 1970 sure he can save Christmas by eliminating which actress?

Jane Fonda becomes his target once the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back, meaning only to show him the holiday's true meaning. Stan had lost his festive spirit over a politically correct Christmas.

In American Dad's 'Office Spaceman', Francine panics over Steve's study partner because the girl is what?

Left-handed people are what Francine really fears, a prejudice drilled into her at the Catholic orphanage where she grew up. The nuns taught that they were the Devil's minions.

On American Dad, Francine first fell for Stan when he showed his compassion by shooting which injured animal?

A raccoon ran under Stan's wheels as he gave a hitchhiking Francine a lift home from a Duran Duran concert. He put it out of its misery, and she took the gunshot for tenderness.

Roger nearly marries a woman he cannot stand on American Dad purely to get which wedding gift?

A blender is all Roger wants, because Stan smashed his old one while panicking over a nuclear-attack drill. He dumps the bride on their wedding day the moment the gift arrives.

Before moving in with the Smiths on American Dad, Hayley's boyfriend Jeff lived in what outside their house?

His van was both home and birthplace: Jeff's mother gave birth to him in one before abandoning him. He moves indoors only after Stan has it flattened with a wrecking ball.

On American Dad, the secret society called the Illuminutty guards a conspiracy about who invented which food?

Peanut butter is the secret, and Steve stumbles on it while researching George Washington Carver for Black History Month. His own school principal turns out to be a member.

Which singer narrates 'Hot Water', the American Dad musical episode about Stan's murderous hot tub?

CeeLo Green signs off by announcing that Stan is dead. The staff feared the show would not be renewed, so they wrote the episode as a possible finale.

The Simpsons mocked American Dad by listing Stan in an Italian police book under a name meaning what?

Plagiarism of Plagiarism was the jab, in mock Italian, with Family Guy's Peter Griffin in the same book as plain Plagiarism. The gag comes in the Simpsons episode 'The Italian Bob'.

In American Dad's 'Rapture's Delight', Francine dumps Stan after the Rapture and starts dating whom?

Jesus meets Francine in a diner, and seven years later he is fighting the Antichrist in a ruined Denver. A one-eyed Stan helps rescue her on condition that he finally gets into heaven.

On American Dad, Francine reignites which youthful passion of Stan's by becoming his partner in the sport?

Figure skating was the young Stan's obsession, and Francine revives it by taking to the ice beside him. The tale is told from the distant future by a Klaus who is human again.

In American Dad's 'American Dream Factory', Stan turns entrepreneur by opening a factory that makes what?

Teddy bears are Stan's product, and making themed stuffed toys is one of his many hobbies. Chasing a quick profit, he ends up staffing the plant with undocumented workers.

American Dad's 'Meter Made', with Stan as a crooked meter maid, borrows its plot from which mob film?

Goodfellas is the film it keeps echoing, as Stan skims the coin boxes to live the good life. Forest Whitaker and Molly Shannon are the guest voices.

Which model and actress voiced head cheerleader Lisa Silver in the pilot episode of American Dad?

Carmen Electra played Steve's dream girl only once; Elizabeth Banks voiced Lisa in later appearances. A later episode features an actress character named Carmen Selectra.

Which former president did the staunchly conservative Stan Smith idolize in the early seasons of American Dad?

Ronald Reagan was Stan's hero, to the point that in the pilot he picks out a 19-year-old dog for Steve because it had been alive during his administration.

Which American Pie actor voices Barry, Steve's heavyset friend on American Dad?

Eddie Kaye Thomas, who played Finch in American Pie, has voiced Barry since the show began in 2005. Barry's sweet nature depends on his pills; without them he turns into a scheming menace.

In American Dad's 'Bullocks to Stan', Steve makes prank calls after finding which politician's BlackBerry?

Dick Cheney's lost phone gives Steve the private numbers of Washington's political figures. Stan, meanwhile, is too busy chasing a promotion to object that his boss is dating Hayley.

On American Dad, Stan names neighbours Greg and Terry's baby daughter after which American symbol?

The Liberty Bell inspired the name Liberty Belle, which the couple kept even though Stan had kidnapped the newborn. Francine carried the baby as their surrogate.

Before Roger's disguises took over the gag, what changed weekly in American Dad's original opening credits?

A newspaper headline carried a fresh joke each time Stan picked up the morning paper. From the 2008 season premiere, Roger pops up from under the dashboard in a new disguise instead.

In American Dad's 'Chimdale', Stan confides which embarrassing secret to Steve, who is stuck in a back brace?

He wears a wig, having been bald since college, and shares the secret to comfort a son mocked for his scoliosis brace. Steve feels lied to and tries to expose him to the whole family.

Which collectibles from the Franklin Mint are described as chief among Stan Smith's hobbies on American Dad?

Plates are Stan's pride, so when Barry schemes to replace Steve in the family he frames him for destroying the beloved collection.

On American Dad, Stan Smith has an unexplained fear of which birds, first mentioned by Francine?

Seagulls terrify Stan for reasons the show never gives. He finally gets over it in 'Choosy Wives Choose Smith', the episode that leaves him adrift at sea for three months.

On American Dad, Steve takes up which instrument to impress cheerleader Lindsay Coolidge?

Cello is his choice, and it works, until he brushes Lindsay off after a recital to tend to an injured cat. Steve also sings and plays guitar in a band.

In American Dad's recurring buddy-cop spoof, Steve plays the detective 'Wheels' alongside Roger as whom?

The Legman is the able-bodied half of the duo, while Steve's Wheels solves cases from a wheelchair he does not need. One case has them hunting for a secretary's missing pet bird.

American Dad's 'The Worst Stan' reveals that Principal Lewis's family inspired which sitcom, with Lewis as its Arnold?

Diff'rent Strokes is the show, a typically odd scrap of backstory for a headmaster who also lets slip over the school PA system that he used to run cocaine.

On American Dad, Stan's half-brother Rusty grows rich when his 'worthless' inherited land proves full of what?

Copper lay under the Arizona land Rusty took while Stan grabbed the $20,000 in cash, which he then lost on a bus. Rusty ends up in a desert mansion modelled on a Roman emperor's.

Stan and Francine team up on American Dad to save which real soda from being discontinued?

Mr. Pibb is the couple's favourite, and a tour guide's warning that it is about to vanish sends them into action. In the same episode Roger befriends a lonely boy who turns out to be violent.

Stan's play about Abraham Lincoln on American Dad earns him a speaking invitation from which real political group?

Log Cabin Republicans choose Stan after his play about Lincoln and a close male friend, and he ends up urging the party to welcome them. The episode earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination.

Stan is reassigned to Saudi Arabia on American Dad after bombing as a stand-in for which host at a roast?

Jay Leno was meant to host the anniversary roast of Stan's boss, and Stan's terrible turn in his place gets him posted abroad. He soon finds that the male-dominated society suits him rather well.

American Dad's '1600 Candles' earned a 2009 Emmy nomination but lost to an episode of which animated series?

South Park won with its episode 'Margaritaville'. The nominated American Dad premiere sets Steve's first signs of puberty against the party the family is planning for Roger's 1,600th birthday.

Which comedian plays himself as a slave who helps Jeff escape in American Dad's 'Lost in Space'?

Sinbad dies holding off the guards so that Jeff can reach an escape pod, then returns during the credits as a ghost who joins the journey home.

After Hayley's student film mocks her life as a housewife on American Dad, Francine secretly becomes what?

A surgeon, of the back-alley kind: Francine ends up operating for a crime syndicate made up of handicapped people, all to win her daughter's respect.

Which man who bullied Stan Smith as a boy is later hired by Roger to bully Steve on American Dad?

Stelio Kontos first appears in 'Bully for Steve' and arrives with his own theme song. Roger hires him on the theory that Steve's school bully will not want another bully's leftovers.

Which comic actor, Colonel Mustard in the film Clue, voiced the Smiths' bored priest Father Donovan on American Dad?

Martin Mull played Father Donovan as a priest who resents his job, would sooner go fishing on a Sunday and hints that he does not believe at all.

American Dad's 'Stan's Food Restaurant' reveals that Stan Smith originally comes from which U.S. city?

Philadelphia is Stan's hometown, though as an adult he cheers for Washington's sports teams, since the show is set only a few miles from the capital.

Which character from Springfield's best-known cartoon family makes a cameo in American Dad's 'Faking Bad'?

Bart Simpson pops up briefly, one of several nods between the two shows. The Smiths have also appeared among a crowd of cartoon families in the end credits of a Simpsons season premiere.

Hayley Smith on American Dad is voiced by which relative of the show's creator?

His sister Rachael, the younger of the two, also voices Barb the realtor, whose prosthetic hook dates from the time Stan had her sent to Guantanamo Bay.

In American Dad's 'Irregarding Steve', Roger and Steve run away to which city to make their fortunes?

New York swallows their savings when Roger puts the lot into the stock exchange there, having mistaken it for a Hollywood one. Back home, the family assumes the pair are just in the treehouse.

Hayley Smith follows which dietary choice on American Dad, one she sometimes abandons?

Vegetarian principles desert Hayley at a refugee camp in Africa, where she slips off to the comfortable U.N. aid base and eats steak.

Which comedian voices both the Antichrist and a cartoon raptor in American Dad's 'Rapture's Delight'?

Andy Samberg plays the villain as a self-proclaimed supervillain, and doubles as the cheerful dinosaur host of a children's church video.

In American Dad's 'Stan of Arabia', Stan gives his new Saudi wife which nickname, unable to pronounce her name?

Thundercat is the best Stan can manage, and he marries her mainly to have a servant. Francine ends up fighting her for his affection.