Top 10 American Dad Movie and TV Parodies
#10: “Blade Runner” (1982)
“Steve and Snot's Test-Tubular Adventure” The Smith family shenanigans are always a bit crazy, but this one was really out there. As prom approaches, Steve and Snot believe it’s time for them to find dates. After failing to find people, what do they do? They create fast-aging clones named Honey and Glitter who will grow up in time for the dance. As weird as the plot is, it bears a striking resemblance to the plot of “Weird Science”. But what’s even cooler is when the episode takes a cyberpunk twist. “American Dad” goes full “Blade Runner” when Stan decides these clones must be eliminated. The outfits, scenes, and music are all loving and hilarious homages to the Ridley Scott classic. It all concludes with Glitter imitating Roy Batty’s famous monologue.
#9: “Twilight Zone” (1959-64)
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“I Can't Stan You” When Stan realizes that all of his neighbors talk smack about him behind his back, he gets insecure and uses his CIA privileges to remove them from their homes. It all comes to a head when he chokes on a nut and has no one to help him! In a 1961 episode of the “Twilight Zone”, a young boy uses his special abilities to send people he doesn’t like into a cornfield to never return. The fact that this “American Dad” episode is loosely based on this idea is all but confirmed by the inclusion of a “Cornfield Motel” in the episode! It’s a fantastic call back to one of tv’s greatest supernatural shows.
#8: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991)
“May the Best Stan Win” During “May the Best Stan Win”, Francine complains that Stan doesn’t really give their relationship the attention it deserves. Just as Francine has had enough, a cyborg Stan appears who’s come back to save the future. The premise of the plot is taken from “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”. In that sci-film a machine known as a terminator comes back in time to protect the future savior who will rise during the machine apocalypse. The only difference is that cyborg Stan wants to have the present Francine to himself because he’ll lose her in the future. The ending of this silly sci-fi episode actually brings the couple closer together. As a bonus, we get a fun take on a James Cameron classic.
#7: “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)
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“Hot Water” When Stan throws out his back, Principal Lewis convinces him to get a hot tub. The one he buys, however, is sentient. It starts luring the Smith patriarch into spending all his time in the bubbly water. While the “talking objects” might be different, this episode takes heavy inspiration from “Little Shop of Horrors”. The long musical numbers and dark ending bear a striking resemblance to the musical black comedy as well. Even the shop that Stan buys the hot tub from is “The Little Shop of Hot Tubs”. Featuring great vocal performances and a fun story, this nod to “Little Shop” led to one of the best musical episodes in “American Dad” history,
#6: “Aliens” (1979) & “Avatar” (2009)
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“Virtual In-Stanity” In the wake of Stan realizing he hasn’t really been there for Steve’s childhood, he resolves to help his kid out in a bizarre way. The CIA agent decides to send a remote-controlled avatar to spend time with his son. At the start of the episode, the characters waste no time to mention how similar the concept is to 2009’s “Avatar”. The story continues to pay homage to James Cameron by making reference to his legendary sci-fi movie “Aliens”. Just like Ripley fought an extraterrestrial queen with a cargo loader, Francine uses a mech suit to fight the avatar. She even does a take on Sigourney Weaver’s iconic line: (sb: get away from him, you bitch). The entire episode serves as a great love letter to Cameron’s works.
#5: “Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
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“Faking Bad” Shortly after Hayley convinces Steve to start making fake IDs as a side business, things turn bad when Steve teams up with Roger. “Breaking Bad” to be exact! Steve assigns himself the name “Guttenberg”, which sounds a lot like “Heisenberg” while doing his illegal activities. The kid even dons the classic Walter White hat later in the episode! And the parody couldn’t complete without a family member who is hot on his trail of the character who broke bad. While Hank filled this role on the live-action show, Stan easily slips into that position in the cartoon. While Steve isn’t going as far as Walter White did, he got close enough for us to get the joke.
#4: "The Office" (2005-2013)
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“Flirting With Disaster” It turns out that the CIA office is home to a lot of flirtatious behavior that Stan himself eagerly participates in. But when Francine joins as the receptionist, Stan becomes insecure not just about his own behavior, but also about how others are towards her. This romantic tension and the way the episode was shot are both ripped from “The Office”. The cartoon’s opening is even a near shot for shot remake of the opening. Between a shaky camera, flirting amongst co-workers, and pranks galore, the parody is incredibly self-aware. The voice behind the animated Dick Reynolds is also David Koechner, who guest-starred as Todd Packer on the NBC comedy. “American Dad!” really went the extra mile to feel like we were in Scranton.
#3: “Mad Max” (1979) & Many Others
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“Rapture’s Delight” After the Rapture, Francine starts dating Jesus while Stan is left to fend for himself on Earth, which becomes an apocalyptic hell-hole. When Francine gets kidnapped, Stan teams up with the biblical figure to save her. The general aesthetic of the ruined Earth is very reminiscent of Mad Max’s world. At the same time, music and setting are reminiscent of John Carpenter’s films following the gruff anti-hero Snake Plissken! There are also costuming references to both “Batman” and “Star Wars”. And on top of that, Jesus’ “Holy-Hand Grenades” are a funny reference to “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”. It’s amazing how much the writers packed into one apocalyptic episode!
#2: “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
This amazing twist on a children’s classic gave audiences a golden ticket to a good episode. When Deputy Director Bullock looks to get his hands on the Everlasting Edible, Stan convinces his son-in-law Jeff to have him as his ride-along for a factory tour. From there, the plot and many of the characters are shamelessly taken from Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Snoop Dogg as a...greener version of Willy Wonka is fantastically funny, and it might make you hungry to visit a real life version of either factory. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Scrubs” (2001-10)
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“Entourage” (2004-11), “APiñata named Desire”
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“Bewitched” (1964-72), “Jenny Fromdabloc”
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#1: James Bond
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“Tearjerker” Given that Stan is an agent for the CIA, this homage was bound to happen eventually. Stan learns of an evil plot to create a movie so sad that millions will cry themselves to death. So, it’s up to him to save the world from fatal cinema! The funny and exciting parody plays out like a classic James Bond film. From the secret gadgets, to a cliché companion and even an over-the-top villain played by Roger, this episode is a pitch perfect recreation of the spy series. And along the way, “American Dad” takes shots at every aspect of the secret agent franchise it sees! It’s a fantastic episode that both Bond fans and those who have never seen a spy film can enjoy.
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