Bob's Burgers

Bob's Burgers is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Belcher family – parents Bob and Linda and their children Tina, Gene and Louise – who run a hamburger restaurant. The show was conceived by Bouchard after he developed Home Movies. Bob's Burgers is a production by Bento Box Entertainment and 20th Television.

While reviews for the first season were mixed, feedback for subsequent seasons has been much more positive. The series premiere, "Human Flesh", drew in 9.39 million viewers, making it the highest-rated series premiere of the season and finishing ninth in the ratings for the week it aired.[3][4] Reruns began airing on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim in 2013 and its sister channel TBS in 2016[5] and began airing in syndication on local stations in September 2015.

A comic book series based on the show, published by Dynamite Entertainment, began in September 2014[6] and a soundtrack album was released on May 12, 2017.[7]

In 2013, TV Guide ranked Bob's Burgers as one of the top 60 Greatest TV Cartoons of All Time.[8] The series has been nominated for several awards, including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program seven consecutive times, winning in 2014 and 2017.

An eleventh season has been confirmed and a feature film of the animated television series is in the works, scheduled for release on April 9, 2021.[9]

Plot[edit]
The show centers on the Belcher family — which consists of Bob, his wife Linda, and their children Tina, Gene, and Louise. The family runs a burger restaurant on Ocean Avenue in an unnamed seaside community (informally known as "Seymour's Bay" among the show's writing staff).[10] Series creator Loren Bouchard said early on that the show's location was an indeterminate Northeastern United States shore town (calling the setting a "semi-Springfield)", saying that he drew inspiration from several areas (including San Francisco, whose Victorian architecture is mimicked on some of the buildings) for the town's physical appearance.[11] As the show has proceeded, viewers and critics alike have come to a conclusion that the unnamed town is actually in southern New Jersey. The first such episode where the connection is at least attempted is the season three episode "It Snakes a Village",[12] and as the years have gone on, the show writers themselves have even dropped references to the setting being New Jersey. For example, character Tammy Larsen has a phone number with the area code 201, which belongs to the state (although not to the Jersey Shore area). An episode of Archer that featured a crossover between the two series has also furthered the narrative; in the episode "Fugue and Riffs", Sterling Archer is discovered to have been "flipping burgers at the Shore" for several weeks due to a case of amnesia where he believes he is Bob Belcher.

Bob's Burgers is located in a green two-story building which features an apartment on the second floor where the Belcher family lives. The restaurant is sandwiched between two other commercial buildings, one of which houses "It's Your Funeral Home and Crematorium". As a running gag, the other building is shown in the opening credits to be a new business each week, often with names which are elaborate puns.

Bob's Burgers has a few regulars — most frequently Mort from the neighbouring crematorium and handyman Teddy. The restaurant has to compete with several other local eateries for business. His biggest rival is Jimmy Pesto, who owns an Italian restaurant called "Jimmy Pesto's Pizzeria", which is located directly across the street and is generally more successful, creating tension between the two owners.

As well as assisting in the restaurant, the Belcher children all attend Wagstaff School. Several episode plot lines involve the children's escapades in and out of school. 13-year-old Tina, at the beginning of adolescence, struggles with her attraction to boys. The most common target for her affections is Pesto's eldest son, Jimmy Junior. Gene strives to be a musician, very often carrying a keyboard and noodling with it. Louise is the scheming troublemaker, seeking revenge, riches, or adventure, often dragging her siblings along; she puts on a face of fearlessness, but is still afraid of some things, like the dentist.

Episodes will sometimes involve a single storyline involving all of the Belchers, or will have two simultaneous stories for different groups of the family. The family members interact with many recurring characters who are also residents of the town.

Bob's Burgers makes occasional use of musical numbers. The closing sequence uses different soundtracks each episode, and, from season two, a different animation played alongside the credits.

Production
Creator Loren Bouchard said Bob's Burgers came about because Fox's animation brand centers mostly on family, but he also wanted to dabble in workplace comedy.[13] In his original concept, the family were cannibals, but Fox executives convinced him to drop that aspect of the show.[14] The show has generally been viewed as a spiritual successor to King of the Hill, which carried less emphasis on shock comedy and focused more on character-driven humor; Bob's Burgers executive producer Jim Dauterive worked on King of the Hill for nearly its entire run.[15]

Proof of concept
Before the show was aired, the team created a proof of concept so Fox Broadcasting Company knew what to expect if they bought the show. Bouchard, who was living in the Mission District of San Francisco at the time, hired some local artists to work on the pilot. These included Jay Howell, the character designer, and Sirron Norris, the background designer.[16][17] The test animation featured Bob forgetting about his and Linda's wedding anniversary. This proof of concept eventually turned into the pilot episode. It had the same synopsis as the official pilot (aired in 2011) but had both cosmetic and substantial differences.

The original pilot can be seen on the DVD release of the first season, released on April 17, 2012.[18]

Development[edit]
Bob's Burgers first appeared on the development slate at Fox on August 6, 2009.[19] On December 1, 2009, Fox ordered 13 episodes for the first season.[20] On May 17, 2010, Fox placed the series on the primetime slate for the 2010–11 television season.[21] A special preview aired on Thanksgiving on November 25, 2010.[22]

Executive producers[edit]
Creator Loren Bouchard serves as the executive producer, alongside developer Jim Dauterive. They have served as executive producers since the first season. Dan Fybel and Rich Rinaldi were promoted to executive producers during season 6.

Writing[edit]
The team of writers includes Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive, Scott Jacobson, Lizzie Molyneux, Wendy Molyneux, Holly Schlesinger, Nora Smith, Steven Davis, Kelvin Yu, Dan Fybel, Rich Rinaldi, Jon Schroeder, Greg Thompson, and Katie Crown. Past writers on the show include Kit Boss, Aron Abrams, and Mike Benner. H. Jon Benjamin, Rachel Hastings, Justin Hook, Dan Mintz, and Mike Olsen have also written or co-written episodes. After the writing has been completed, the voice actors read the script as written, but later are allowed to improvise lines. The editors and writer decide what improvised lines make the final cut.[citation needed]

Voice cast[edit]
Main article: List of Bob's Burgers characters

Bob's Burgers has six main cast members: H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher, John Roberts as Linda Belcher, Dan Mintz as Tina Belcher, Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher, Kristen Schaal as Louise Belcher, and Larry Murphy as Teddy.[23]

At the Bob's Burgers Comic-Con 2018 panel, show creator Loren Bouchard stated they were aware of the predominantly male gender imbalance amongst the voice actors, saying they would "strive to do better...to have balance". He stated one of the driving factors behind this was voice actor Kristen Schaal "reprimanding" them on the issue.[24][25]

Opening sequence
The ingredients of a hamburger fall into place on a white screen, and Bob's hands appear underneath to hold it. The other family members appear around him one at a time, beginning with Linda and ending with Louise. Linda puts her arm around Bob, Tina stands expressionless, Gene plays a sound effect on his keyboard, and Louise poses for the camera. The restaurant then materializes behind them and the neighboring businesses slide into place, with a funeral parlor at screen left, and the street slides into view in front. A "Grand Opening" banner is placed over the door, followed by a series of mishaps: a fire, an infestation of vermin, and a car knocking down a utility pole so that it smashes the front window of the restaurant. A new banner is hung up after each event: "Grand Re-Opening," "Grand Re-Re-Opening," and finally "Grand Re-Re-Re-Opening." The camera then zooms in on the cheese on the burger Bob is holding (or the restaurant sign during Seasons 1-2), and the view fades in to the start of the episode.

As with other Fox animated series such as The Simpsons, the show employs the "changing element" running gag in its opening credits. The gag present on Bob's Burgers involves the store located to the right of the restaurant, which has a new, humorously named client in every episode (such as "Betty's Machetes" in "Purple Rain-Union"). Additionally, beginning with Season 2, the pest control van in the sequence has the name of a different company on each episode; the van read "Rat's all Folks! Exterminators" on all episodes of Season 1. On certain episodes, an element is changed for a special night (a flash frame saying "HAPPY HALLOWEEN" was shown during the title sequence of "Fort Night").

In an article where the writers of the show rank the best 10 musical numbers of the first three seasons, show creator and theme composer Loren Bouchard explains that the ukulele track in the theme is an edited version of the first recording he did, as well as the first take in 2008. According to Bouchard, if the EQ filter is taken off the original track, there is noise audible from the nightclub below the apartment he was living in when he recorded the theme.[26]

Credits sequence
The credits sequence of Bob's Burgers often features the Belcher family at work. The scene is the kitchen of Bob's Burgers drawn with a black outline over a white background and the characters in full color, with the credits off to the right hand side. The sequence consists of Bob cooking a burger and Louise and Tina doing prep. Bob places the burger on the plate for Louise to give to Linda, who takes it from the window, and a few seconds later Gene walks through the kitchen wearing his burger costume.

Although the kitchen scene is still the main closing sequence the show uses, beginning in season two the producers began to use different elements from the show in the credits. Other times, the scene will play out as usual, but with something from the episode going on in the background.

Daily special
Every episode features one or more "Today's Special" burgers on a chalk board on the wall behind the counter. The name of the special is usually a play on words that indicates what comes on the burger (ex.: "It's Fun to Eat at the rYe M C A Burger": Comes with Rye, Mustard, Cheese, and Avocado). Other "Special" burgers are also mentioned by the family without being written on their chalkboard. The joke is often that the play on words is overly complex or obscure, or simply a bad pun.

Reception
Bob's Burgers initially received mixed reviews for season 1, with a Metacritic score of 54 out of 100.[38] However, by season 2, the ratings had reached a score of 78 out of 100, proving a rise in popularity with praises about its "daffy comedic momentum" and how it is "new and fresh."[39] Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 62% score based on 29 reviews with an average rating of 5.99/10. The site's critical consensus states "A modestly immature workplace cartoon, not without potential, that needs to work on finding its rhythm".[40] The Washington Post described the show as "pointlessly vulgar and derivatively dull", while Reuters stated that "It's unwise – and unnecessary – to launch an animated sitcom on Fox that appears intent to ape the vulgarity quotient of Family Guy."[1][41] USA Today stated that "Bob's Burgers isn't very tasty", describing the comedy as just "lop[ing] along, stumbling from one tasteless moment to the next".[42] The New York Times described the show as having "a lackadaisical vibe; its humor, no matter how anarchic, slides by in a deadpan monotone."[43]

However, as the first season progressed and concluded and the second began, critics began giving the series praise. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club has recalled, "...the show was amusing, yes, and there was certainly potential, but it took half a dozen episodes before it really began to meet that potential."[44] Season 2 has a Metacritic score of 78 out 100,[45] and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100% based on 5 reviews.[46]

Season 3 has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80% based on 5 reviews, Season 4 has a score of 100% based on 6 reviews, season 5 has a score of 100% based on 7 reviews, and season 6 has 100% based on 7 reviews.[47]

Entertainment Weekly gave the show an A- grade in its review, remarking that "a comedy this well done is very rare indeed".[48] Ain't It Cool News called Bob's Burgers "perhaps the funniest half-hour currently airing on broadcast TV" in 2011.[49] In its review, CNN called the show "wickedly funny" and said there are "too many highlights to list here".[50] Speaking about the show during its second season, The A.V. Club reviewer Rowan Kaiser said: "After an uneven start, Bob's Burgers is becoming one of television's best comedies!"[51] Since the debut of season two of the series, the show's positive reception has increased.[52]

The A.V. Club voted Bob's Burgers as the 10th best TV show of 2012,[53] the 3rd best show of 2013,[54] the 20th best show of 2014,[55] and the 35th best show of 2015.[56]

Syndication
Adult Swim acquired the cable syndication rights to air Bob's Burgers in 2013. Episodes air six nights a week, with a 10:00 pm airing on Saturday and 10:00 pm airings Monday through Thursday. An additional episode airs every Monday through Friday at 10:30 pm. Adult Swim currently has rights to the first eight seasons of Bob's Burgers and recently began airing the season eight episodes on Sundays.[129]

20th Television began distributing Bob's Burgers to local stations in 2015. The local stations have rights to the first eight seasons and will have rights to the ninth when the tenth season debuts on Fox. The series also premiered on September 26, 2016 on TBS and airs Mondays afternoons (along with Family Guy and American Dad!) and on Friday nights. As both are sister channels, TBS has the same rights as Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, and is airing the first eight seasons.[130]

The series joined the FXX line-up on September 24, 2019, starting with the ninth season. In 2021, it will become the exclusive cable network for reruns, which means it will leave the Adult Swim and TBS lineups. This will not affect local syndication stations rights to rerun the series.[131]

Other appearances
On January 6, 2011, some Fatburger locations were re-branded as Bob's Burgers for the day as a promotion.[132] It also offered limited-time offers, such as a free burger giveaway, and a special, "The Thanks a Brunch Burger", on the menu until February 2011.[132] There were also "Bob's Burgers" coupons offered for a free medium Fatburger special.[132][133] Across the US, four locations were re-branded as Bob's Burgers: in California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Illinois.[132][133] Two restaurants location in California continued to use the Bob's Burgers appellation into 2016 which are located in La Puente, and Westminster, California.

The season 4 premiere episode of Archer features a crossover where the Belcher family is shown, but Bob is revealed to be Sterling Archer (also voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) in a fugue state. Archer has taken the place of Bob Belcher, with Bob inexplicably missing. The menu board touts the "Thomas Elphinstone Hambledurger, with Manning Coleslaw", a play on amnesiac secret agent Tommy Hambledon, a character in a series of novels by Manning Coles.

"Homerland", the season 25 premiere episode of The Simpsons, features a couch gag in which the Belcher family (skinned yellow according to the standard character coloring of the series) attend a 25th anniversary party in the Simpson family living room with the main characters of their fellow Animation Domination series. Bob made another cameo in the episode "The Girl Code", where a picture of him is shown, and explaining that the restaurant was boycotted by short people due to an offensive Burger of the Day. The show has also been referenced in season 30 of The Simpsons in a couch gag in the episode "My Way or the Highway to Heaven". Homer is stuck in the restaurant and the Belcher family doesn't understand what he wants. The original five cast members guest starred for the couch gag.

In the Family Guy episode "Space Cadet", the principal shows Peter and Lois a picture of Bob Belcher as a sign that Chris is doing poorly in his Advanced Art class. Peter mutters "I'm so ashamed", and the principal replies "Yeah, well, someone should be." In "Boopa-dee Bappa-dee", Louise is one of many characters Stewie is turned into by Peter using a remote control. Bob's Burgers is also mentioned on "He's Bla-ack!", as one of the reasons why The Cleveland Show did not succeed. Bob makes a cameo appearance in the hour-long The Simpsons-Family Guy crossover "The Simpsons Guy".[134] He appears on the same airplane as Homer and Peter in a cutaway about them being a greater team than the Air Force. Peter remarks to Homer that they have to carry Bob, and then Peter points to Cleveland's plane and says "We let that other guy try and look what happened." Cleveland, repeatedly saying "no", crashes in flames. This is a reference to the poor ratings of Bob's Burgers and the cancellation of The Cleveland Show.[135] Bob's Burgers has been referenced two times in season 17 of Family Guy. In "Trump Guy", when Peter and Lois find out that Donald Trump (a caricature) is about to sexually harass Meg, Chris says that Bob's Burgers is on the TV. In "Trans-Fat", the Belcher family makes a cameo appearance in the Griffin family home, but only Bob has lines. In this cameo, H. Jon Benjamin voiced Bob, as he works on Family Guy.

In Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a character previously known as Dr. Eugene Mirman (obviously played by himself) was renamed "Dr. Gene Belcher" in the episode "Hospice". The character's name was revealed on Aqua Teen Hunger Force 's creator Dave Willis' Twitter account two hours before the episode. The character had been introduced in 2006, which was five years before Bob's Burgers aired.[136]

Seattle rock band Sleater-Kinney collaborated with Bob's Burgers and its crew for their 2015 single "A New Wave", from the album No Cities to Love. The resultant music video featured the band, animated in the cartoon's style, performing for the Belcher children in Tina's bedroom.[137][138][139]

In 2016, The Bob's Burgers Burger Book, edited by series creator Bouchard, was released. There are 75 burger recipes pulled from the fan-based blog "The Bob's Burger Experiment" based on the Specials of the Day that appear on the chalkboard menu in the show.[140]

Film
Main article: Bob's Burgers: The Movie

On October 4, 2017, Fox announced that a Bob's Burgers Movie is in the works to be released on July 17, 2020.[9] Creator Bouchard has said the movie will "scratch every itch the fans of the show have ever had", while being appealing to new audiences.[141]

On July 18, 2018, Loren Bouchard said that the script has been submitted and accepted by the studio. The movie will be a musical comedy and will involve Louise and her night light Kuchi Kopi inside her fantasy world as a minor subplot.[142]

On November 17, 2019, the movie was briefly pulled from Fox's release schedule,[143] but the following day it was back up on the schedule.[144]

On April 3, 2020, Disney announced that the film would be delayed to April 9, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[145][146]

Comic book
A comic book series based on the show, published by Dynamite Entertainment, began its run in September 2014.[6]

Pinball
A virtual pinball adaptation of the series was developed and released by Zen Studios in 2015, available as an add-on for the games Zen Pinball 2, Pinball FX 2 and Pinball FX 3, as well as a standalone, paid app on iOS and Android.[147] This table is one of four tables featured in the "Balls of Glory" pinball pack produced as a result of Zen's partnership with Fox Digital Entertainment, and features 3D animated figures of the Belcher family.