American Dad! will furl up its flag on March 24th as it will be leaving TBS following its season 19 finale. The Seth MacFarlane-created animated comedy will return to its original birthright, Fox, for season 20. This means that Stan Smith and his family will be joining Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and The Simpsons as part of the Animation Domination block.
The news comes from Deadline on March 21st, reporting that TBS will no longer air new episodes after March 24th, as the Warner Bros.-owned network will cease original scripted programming. American Dad! reruns will remain on TBS and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block until 2030. All 19 seasons can be streamed on Hulu, where fans speculated that American Dad would go there first, before Fox.
It makes perfect sense, though, as American Dad! is a Disney property, as it's under 20th Century Animation, an asset that Disney owns.
Over the years, we got plenty of Roger Smith's well-dressed and thought-our personas and Stan's need to protect America as a CIA agent, along with his equally eccentric family living in Virginia. American Dad! premiered on Fox in 2005, designed as a political farce, then smoothed into more family-focused (with a sharp edge) storylines. And like its counterpart, Family Guy, musical numbers are injected in, including the opener, where Stan sings "Good Morning USA!"
It's unclear whether American Dad!'s material will be altered due to the shift, and I hope not because, like its animated "rivals," it has its own unique humor and panache. Changing it would take away its charm and character. If any change were to happen, it would be the rollback of profanity since Fox is a broadcast network and TBS is basic cable.
The 20th season has yet to have a premiere date, but if I were to guess, Fall 2025 or mid-season 2026. However, it's up to Fox to decide on a date.
The American Dad season 19 finale will be TBS's last
American Dad's season 19 finale, "What Great Advancements" will drop on March 24th at 10 PM EST/9 PM CST and will also serve as the network's very last episode. The show thrived on TBS since 2014, and during its combined run on that network and Fox, has produced over 300 episodes.
In 2021, American Dad! was renewed for seasons 18 and 19, respectively. Several more are to come, per a contract Fox is currently negotiating.
The show's cast roster comprise of Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schall, Scott Grimes, Rachel MacFarlane, Jeff Fischer, Bradley Dee Baker, and Patrick Stewart as Avery Bullock.
It's going to be a wonderful day when American Dad! returns to Fox.