American Dad Volume One DVD Collection

Watching American Dad is like dating the sister of the hot chick you're trying to hook up with. (The hot chick being Family Guy.) Stan Smith is an agent of the CIA. Liberals and bleeding hearts beware: No one is safe from this blue collar hero. The show can be sludge-like at times, but others times it waves proudly like Ol' Glory with its quick-witted jabs and punches. Great extras all around.

What do you do when Fox axes a show loved by millions and won't let you bring it back? Why, make another animated show, of course! That's exactly what cartoon humorist Seth MacFarlane did.

American Dad is about Stan Smith, CIA agent. He's joined by his loving houswife Francine, who struggles to know her role in life. His family is rounded out by daughter Hayley, a tree-hugging hippie, and Steve, a nerdy teen with a penchant for Star Trek, who just isn't smooth when it comes to the ladies. Along for the ride are Roger, an Area 51 alien who can't get enough Pecan Sandies, and Klaus, a diabolical goldfish in a bowl with the brain of a verrukt German.

Most of the best lines are funny because of Roger's deadpan delivery. I still find myself laughing and don't even realize it.

Standout episodes include "Stan Knows Best," when Hayley begins stripping (much to Stan's dismay) in an attempt to find her independence. The two part episode "Stan of Arabia" chronicles the Smiths' forray into Saudi Arabia and its male-centric culture, which is a dream come true for Stan.

The extras include commentary on almost all episodes from the writers and directors, which really gives insight into the creative process of the team. The true gems are the deleted scenes. How many jokes were intended that didn't make it but should have? They're there in all their pre-cutting-room splendor.