Will ‘American Dad’ Get Canceled Amid TBS Turmoil?

The recent trend of TV cancellations under the WarnerMedia umbrella has fans deeply concerned for their favorite shows – especially after the bizarre cancellation of Chad. The TBS original series was canceled hours ahead of its planned Season 2 premiere this week, in spite of the fact that it had a 2-season order. That has fans concerned even for shows that seem to be safe, such as American Dad.

TBS is a subsidiary of WarnerMedia, the parent company of Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, HBO and others. Fans have blamed some of the recent odd cancellations and changes on the company’s merger with Discovery, which threatens to upend the streaming ecosystem. When a TBS spokesperson explained the decision to cancel Chad to reporters from Deadline on Monday, fans really became concerned for other shows on the slate.

“As we continue to assess content and implement a new [unscripted] strategy for our network, we can now share that Season 2 of Chad will not air on TBS,” they said. “We are proactively exploring various options to find the right home for it. We celebrate and thank Nasim Pedrad, the passionate creator, executive producer and star of the series, for sharing a bold, unexpected coming-of-age story with heart and humor. We also thank executive producer Oly Obst, co-showrunner Max Searle, and the entire cast and crew of Chad for their ongoing partnership and wish everyone continued success.”

Pedrad himself issued a statement saying that the show was “caught in the crosshairs of a corporate restructuring and merger.” Heartbreaking cancellations are nothing new in this day and age, but the fact that Chad had already been greenlit and scheduled was shocking to many viewers.

Warner Bros Discovery are planning to cut the Scripted Programming Development for both TBS and TNT, as they look to make moves to cut about 3 billion in budget

American Dad, Animal Kingdom, Chad, The Last OG, Snowpiercer, and Miracle workers are considered "Scripted". AEW isn't pic.twitter.com/6y1u6Zt81d

— TRAFON(s Backup Account) (@RiseFallNickBck) April 26, 2022

It’s a natural leap for fans to be worried about American Dad – one of the longest-running and most popular TBS original series. The animated sitcom was co-created by Seth MacFarlane and was once a sister series to Family Guy before Fox canceled it and TBS rescued it. Many fans will tell you that the show has only gotten better since then, and it is a staple of the streaming catalog for binge-watcher and re-watchers as well.

Back in December, Deadline reported that American Dad had been renewed for two more seasons in addition to the one that was in the middle of airing at the time. Depending on which numbering system you follow, this would mean that Season 19 is on its midseason hiatus now and that Season 20 and Season 21 have already been ordered. That’s an amazingly long run for any series, but it makes some fans nervous that the show will be brought to a close simply because it has had such a long run.

Hello @wbd/@TBSNetwork/@tntdrama – Please don't stop making American Dad, Chad or Miracle Workers. https://t.co/GODO6AzCP1

— B to the G (@BTTG161) April 27, 2022

At the time of this writing, there’s no official report or even reliable rumor to suggest that American Dad is in danger. The merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery is still being worked out, and could include more upheavals in all the associated networks. American Dad is streaming on Hulu.