Claim: Chris McKenna has co-written an episode of an adult animated comedy show.

American Dad ! is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane , Mike Barker , and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company . American Dad ! is the first television series to have its inception on Animation Domination . The series premiere aired on February 6 , 2005 , following Super Bowl XXXIX , three months before the rest of the first season aired as part of the Animation Domination block , commencing on May 1 , 2005 .   Creative direction of American Dad ! has largely been guided by Barker -LRB- prior to his exit from the show in season 10 -RRB- and Weitzman as opposed to MacFarlane , resulting in a series that is different from its counterparts . Unlike its sister shows , Family Guy and The Cleveland Show , American Dad ! does not lean as heavily on the use of cutaway gags , and is less concerned with conventional `` setup-punchline '' jokes , instead deriving its humor mostly from the quirky characters , the relationships between family members , and the relatively relatable plots . The show is not as heavy on pop cultural allusions as MacFarlane 's Family Guy , and is more concerned with telling stories while maintaining the integrity and realism of the family members . While the core issues and resolutions are relatable in most episodes , the show nonetheless weaves in fantastical elements , pitching the tone of the show somewhere between observational comedy and farce . The plots are often absurd , but they are grounded by family stories and real-world issues .   American Dad ! has been nominated for numerous awards , most prominently two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Annie Awards . In June 2013 , it was awarded as top television series by the American Society of Composers , Authors and Publishers . Since its debut , American Dad ! has broadcast 223 episodes -LRB- May 2017 -RRB- . The total number of seasons and organization of episodes within these seasons are in dispute because of a discrepancy in how official sources report this information . One model suggests the first season of American Dad ! comprises the first 7 episodes , while another model suggests the first season comprises 23 episodes .   TBS picked up the series for the 12th season following the final 3 episodes airing on Fox as the 11th season . American Dad ! '' 's TBS run began on October 20 , 2014 . TBS has also renewed the series for a 22-episode as 13th season , which premiered on January 25 , 2016 . On August 27 , 2015 , TBS announced it had picked up American Dad ! '' for a 14th and 15th season of 22 episodes each . The 14th season premiered on November 7 , 2016 .