Although every episode ofBob’s Burgersis different, revisiting the show’s pilot made me realize just how much the show has fundamentally changed in its 14 years on the air. Theseason 16 renewal ofBob’s Burgersis great news for fans of the family sitcom. Much likeFamily GuyandThe Simpsons, the show seems eternally safe from cancellation.
TheBob’s Burgersreplacement series,The Great North,might not be so lucky, as the Alaska-set animated family comedy has not yet been renewed for a sixth season. However, it seems the adventures of Tina, Gene, Louise, Linda, and Bob will continue to entertain viewers for the foreseeable future.
This is particularly great news considering the unique space thatBob’s Burgersoccupies in the landscape of animated TV sitcoms.The Simpsonshas been around for longer, but it is a zanier, more outlandish series in terms of tone.Family GuyandSouth Parkare more famous, but both are also far raunchier, more explicit, and edgier.
Thus, save for theKing of the Hillreboot, Bob’s Burgersis almost alone in offering a relatively grounded, often fairly sweet portrait of family life in the genre. As such, readers can imagine my surprise when I revisited the show’s pilot episode and realized that, despite its reputation as an unmatched comfort watch,Bob’s Burgerswas once a much darker show.
Bob’s Burgers Was Originally A Lot Darker In Its Pilot
The Episode Centers On Accusations of Cannibalism
It might seem hard to believe that the pilot ofBob’s Burgersbarely fits the tone of the current series, considering the show wouldn’t even exist without the pilot’s positive reception. However, from its odd title onward, season 1, episode 1, “Human Flesh,” stands out like a sore thumb when compared to contemporary episodes ofBob’s Burgers.
One recentBob’s Burgersseason 15 episode saw Bob’s father returna kite that he bought him after Bob’s mother died in the hopes of flying it with his adult son to make up for his absence during Bob’s childhood. In contrast,“Human Flesh” sees the Belchers accused of putting human meat in their burgers.
It is a plot that would simply never happen in the show’s newer seasons, where gross-out humor is still occasionally present, but the edginess and darker story elements have been toned down massively. Compared to the show’s usual tone, “Human Flesh” is vaguely creepy, as are a couple of early episodes. The very next outing, “Crawl Space,” is the same.
Savvy viewers can still see the seeds of the show’s eventual upbeat outlook sown in these outings.
In both of these episodes, the Belcher children are true nightmares who make life miserable for Bob, and the consequences of their misdeeds are quite detrimental to Bob and the restaurant. However, savvy viewers can still see the seeds of the show’s eventual upbeat outlook sown in these outings.
“Human Flesh” ends with Bob charging $50 for burgers he heavily implies are made of people, while the health inspectors are forced to admit his business only uses safe, legal ingredients. Bob even has enough money to bring Linda on a modest date for their anniversary, setting up the show’s best recurring thematic preoccupation.
Bob’s Burgers Pilot Promises A Very Different Sort of Series
The Show’s First Outing Is Vaguely Creepy
Bob’s Burgershas consistently rooted its action in the working-class struggle of its central family, resulting in a show that feels more grounded in reality than most animated sitcoms. Of course, the series is still surreal and larger than life, as befits any cartoon. However, it is much less absurd than the likes ofThe SimpsonsorAmerican Dad.
AlthoughBob’s Burgersrefuses to copyThe Simpsons, the show’s pilot promised a series that was much closer in tone toFamily GuyorAmerican Dad. This version of the Belcher family is much more cutthroat and much less caring, much likeFamily Guy’s cynical Griffin clan, and the world they inhabit is much stranger and more mean-spirited.
The world ofBob’s Burgersis still occupied by all manner of bizarre characters in season 15, but there is a sweetness to the show that is missing from many of its darker contemporaries. This is absent in “Human Flesh,” where the kids and Bob have a more antagonistic relationship, and the show’s tone is more grim.
Kevin Cline
Calvin Fischoeder
Even the mostheartbreaking stories fromBob’s Burgersseason 15 featurean upbeat ending or a hopeful note to end on, whereas, while “Human Flesh” does technically boast a happy ending, it remains a strange anomaly in the show’s canon. Tonally,Bob’s Burgersis one of the most unambiguously optimistic adult animated comedies.
“Human Flesh” doesn’t betray this at all, with the show feeling more like an Adult Swim series than a family sitcom on network TV. Of course, this could be what made the show stand out and gain its audience in the first place, and the Adult Swim comparison might also explain how the show changed over the years and why.
Why Bob’s Burgers Became Sweeter And Less Cynical As The Show Continued
Relative Innocence Helps Bob’s Burgers Stand Out Among Animated Comedies
The other biggest shows in the industry, includingRick and Morty,South Park,American Dad,Family Guy, Big Mouth,BoJack Horseman, andArcher, are all darker, edgier, and more cynical than even the pilot ofBob’s Burgers.As such,going for a more grounded, family-friendly, and hopeful tone madeBob’s Burgerstostand out.
WhileBob’s Burgersplays with TV tropesall the time, the show isn’t praised primarily for its experimental approach to narrative or its technical innovations.Bob’s Burgersarrived at a time when, in 2011, self-aware, meta sitcoms like30 RockandCommunitywere huge critical hits. As such, the show needed an edge to stand out.
The persistent popularity ofSouth ParkandFamily Guy, which was then at its peak, made a little edge a necessity for any adult animated sitcom. However, asBob’s Burgerscontinued, the show proved that its plentiful, unexpected heart was what really made the series stand out.
