What's as American as baseball, mom, and apple pie? TV shows with "American" in the title.
In recent seasons, the adjective has become more ubiquitous on TV than shows hosted by Chris Hardwick.
So just what makes a show American? It’s a question worth contemplating this Fourth of July, as we commemorate the band of colonists who rose up in revolt against those pesky, tea-taxing Brits.
Despite what the Declaration of Independence says, not all "Americans" are created equal. It's a word that, on TV, can mean a lot of things â€" or not much at all.
Sometimes, it's used to lend an instant dose of gravitas to a series that purports to say something about our national identity (and perhaps wants to win some Emmys). Other times, it suggests something more middle-of-the-road and generically relatable. Occasionally, it applies to an Americanized version of a foreign series. And it often means mega-producer Ryan Murphy was involved.
Here, we’ve listed some (but by no means allâ€" there are a lot) of TV’s various “Americans†and broken down what is â€" or isn’t â€" uniquely American about them.
"The Americans"
Synopsis: This acclaimed (and ironically titled) FX drama, set in the waning days of the Cold War, follows a pair of killer Soviet spies living undercover as a mild-mannered northern Virginia couple.
What's American about it: Patriotic zeal; suburban ennui; big hair.
Rating: 3 flags
"The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"
Synopsis: One of last year's big Emmy winners, this limited series from executive producer Ryan Murphy turned the tabloid spectacle of the O.J. Simpson murder trial into high art.
What's American about it: Racial strife, murder, celebrity, sexism, football, TV news run amok. Basically, all of it.
Rating: 4 flags
"American Gods"
Synopsis: Based on the fantasy novel by geek king Neil Gaiman, this trippy Starz drama, which recently concluded its first season, follows the battle between the Old Gods, brought to the U.S. by generations of immigrants, as they battle for supremacy with New Gods, like Media and Technology.
What's American about it: Religion; the immigrant experience; the fight for cultural supremacy in a homogeneous society; the open road.
Rating: 3 flags
"American Crime"
Synopsis: In each of its three seasons on ABC, John Ridley's ambitious (and recently canceled) anthology series told a complex tale of race, class, gender and the criminal justice system.
What's American about it: The problems of race, class, gender and the criminal justice system.
Rating: 4 flags
"American Housewife"
Synopsis: Originally titled "The Second Fattest Housewife in Westport" this ABC sitcom chronicles the struggles an average-bodied, middle-class mom with oddball kids living in an enclave of wealthy, stick-thin yoga enthusiasts.
What's American about it?: Class anxiety; the pressure to be perfect.
Rating: 2 flags
"American Dad!"
Synopsis: Launched on Fox and now airing on T BS, this long-running animated series, co-created by Seth MacFarlane, centers on Stan Smith, a lantern-jawed CIA agent living in the burbs with his wife, kids, a talking goldfish and an alien.
What's American about it?: Jokes about Area 51; the archetypal sitcom setup lurking beneath all the irreverent potty humor.
Rating: 2 flags
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