Fox Sitcom 'Dads' Under Fire Over Claims It's Sexist and Has 'Heavily Racist Overtones

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (TheBlaze/AP) -- It doesn't debut until next month, but the Fox sitcom "Dads" is already taking heat in early reviews for being crass, sexist and exploiting racial stereotypes. Already, more than a month before its release, the cast and producers are speaking out in an effort to defend the program.

The Hollywood Reporter calls the show's pilot "terrible" and claims that "it has heavily racist overtones for Asians." TheBlaze has not yet viewed the program, but it seems that the angst surrounding it is enough to push its creators to take a second look at its contents.

Facing reporters Thursday, its stars and producers framed the show as focusing on human frailties for the sake of laughs and enlightenment. They vowed to refine it, as needed, as the season unfolds, and asked its audience not to rush to judgment.

"In the pilot (episode) we all noticed some things we'd like to change or tweak moving forward," co-creator Alec Sulkin said at the session of the Television Critics Association. He acknowledged they may have "missed the mark a few times" in the pilot.

Watch the "Dads" trailer:

"The first six episodes, you're improving your pilot," said Mike Scully, another executive producer whose credits include the once-excoriated "The Simpsons."

"I think you're going to notice a change in the tone and balance," Scully said.

Yet another executive producer of the series is Seth MacFarlane, who wasn't present at the session. His animated comedies, including "Family Guy," have won him popularity as well as criticism for their rawness. "Family Guy" is -- and this is putting it lightly -- edgy at moments.

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"Historically, television has been a provocative medium. It's a medium we look at to observe ourselves," said Green, before noting that the show has "some disparaging portraits of white men."

"Dads" centers on two friends, played by Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi, whose politically incorrect fathers re-enter their lives and disrupt them. The raucous, loose-lipped dads are played by Martin Mull and Peter Riegert. A description of the show on Fox's official website reads:

DADS explores the often treacherous terrain of the father-son landscape. This new multi-camera comedy series follows two successful guys -- and childhood best friends -- now in their mid-30s whose relatively stable lives get turned upside down when their pain-in-the-neck patriarchs move in.

Stay tuned, as "Dads" premieres Sept. 17.

Written by the Associated Press and posted by TheBlaze's Billy Hallowell.