Either the CIA is just not that cool and relevant anymore, or Seth Macfarlane and associates are still mining the mother lode of 1970s humour as they develop episodes of "American Dad!" for Sunday nights on Fox. Television historians claim animated series have replaced sit-coms as television's principal source of informed social commentary; and "The Simpsons" have replaced "All in the Family" as the nation's premier satire, the weekly litmus test of American values and expectations. "American Dad!" shows little sign of aspiring to that lofty standing. Most episodes set the standard simply at "amusing." CIA agent and uber-patriot Stan Smith, the "American Dad!" anchors a predictably diverse, dysfunctional just-beyond-the-beltway family. Francine, his wife, appears to atone for her wild youth by remaining vacant, mostly boring in contemporary life. Hayley, Stan's college-aged radical daughter, naturally acts-out all the standard forms of late adolescent rebellion and family insurgency. And Steve, not surprisingly, enters puberty eager to live-up to Dad's expectations but congenitally incapable of coming even close. Holding its own in Fox's Sunday night animated line-up, "American Dad!" has improved in its several seasons on the air. Translation: "American Dad!" has evolved from "mediocre" to "not bad" as it has outgrown its abject dependence on cliches and stereotypes, freshened its subject matter and treatment, and drawn sharper edges on its characters. Still, the premises for "American Dad!" showed promise in 1973; in the new millennium, they seem a little tired.

Solar Opposites is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan for Hulu. The show follows a family of aliens who escape their doomed home world and crash land on Earth, where they must navigate life in suburban America while also dealing with their own personal issues and conflicts. Each episode features various subplots and wacky adventures as the aliens try to adapt to their new surroundings and accomplish their mission of repairing their spaceship.

Ben 10 is a popular American animated television series created by Man of Action Studios. The show revolves around a 10-year-old boy named Ben Tennyson, who discovers a mysterious device called the Omnitrix. The Omnitrix allows Ben to transform into various alien creatures with different powers, which he uses to fight evil and save the world.

If there were ever somebody who just seems to attract those "awkward moments" into their life it is Tim! He is like a fish out of water, and living in New York City means that makes for some amusing events in his life. Steve Dildarian does the voice for Tim who also has a girl friend named Amy (voiced by Mary Jane Otto) and a rather unusual next door neighbor in his apartment building, Debbie the prostitute (voice of Bob Morrow), who is always sympathetic towards her favorite neighbor, Tim. Crisp writing and a fun cast make The Life & Times of Tim work and as the show is animated they tend to get away with more than usual, especially by HBO standards. Look for plenty of confrontations between Tim and his boss, aptly called simply "The Boss" and some of the others at his office, Rodney and Stu. Poor Tim is constantly getting himself into situations that cause embarrassment for himself yet always in a funny way.

If you like television that deals with fads from the movies, television, toys, and especially pop culture you might love Robot Chicken. It is full of comedy sketches and parodies that include using animated toys, claymation, and pose-able action figures. It blatantly steals from such film icons as Star Wars. Parodies TV stars like Bob Saget and his America's Funniest Home Videos, and even Public Service Announcements for prostate cancer provided by Optimus Prime, a Transformer character. How do you not laugh at all this madness and mayhem? Voice roles on Robot Chicken are obviously in high demand because there is a long list of celebrity guests who have provided their voiceovers for various characters on the show over the years of its run. Listen for Wayne Brady, Dean Cain, Dr. Drew, Phyllis Diller, Nick & Gene Simmons, Conan O'Brien, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Robert Culp, Billy Dee Williams, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Burt Reynolds among many others who have become part of the weirdness of this extremely popular television show. Robot Chicken is a mad romp filled with funny skits and top quality comedy writing!

Velma is an upcoming American adult animated television series that is set to premiere on HBO Max. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and follows the character Velma Dinkley, from the Scooby-Doo franchise, as the main protagonist. The show will be a reimagining of the iconic character, taking a more adult-oriented approach.