FOX has renewed the Seth MacFarlane-produced animated comedy "American Dad."
The pick-up extends the "American Dad" term through the 2012-2013 season.
[Confusing note: FOX's press release says that the renewal is for a seventh season and through the 2012-2013 season. "American Dad" is currently in its sixth season, so either the seventh season will span two programming seasons -- distinctly possible, since football prevents FOX from regularly airing new programming in the 7 p.m. hour in the fall -- or else the renewal is actually for an eighth season. We've sought clarification from FOX.]
"American Dad," which celebrated its 100th episode earlier this season, features MacFarlane as the voice of CIA agent and family guy (though that would be a different series) Stan Smith. Other regular voices include Wendy Schaal, Rachael MacFarlane, Scott Grimes and Dee Bradley Baker.
Upcoming guest voices for the series include Anjelica Huston, Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Burt Reynolds and Cee-Lo Green.
FOX's "American Dad" release makes absolutely no mention of ratings for "American Dad," which struggled with its retention airing after "Family Guy" and has done low-to-middling numbers in its new 7:30 p.m. home. Obviously there's value to an animated show with 100+ episodes (particularly one produced by FOX Guardian Angel MacFarlane) that goes beyond ratings for a particular time period for first-run episodes.
Perhaps that's why rather than including quotes from MacFarlane, showrunners Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman or FOX executives, the network's press release includes a quote from Roger the Alien.
"This is fantastic news. But you do realize I’m not real, right?" Roger states, proving once again how much humor comes from actually hearing something, rather than just reading it.