Bob's Burgers

[Reply #80 on:]

I just want to drool over this show for a little bit. I really like it. The characters are refreshing: consistent in their behaviors but unique enough to be interesting in most situations they're put into. It's great how the show is centered on a single town and a single family, as most have a main cast and are introducing new characters frequently, but this show has a small community of characters who have fun cameos and, well, the whole thing just feels like a neighborhood, one that's well put together.
I have just finished-- well, not technically finished, as I have still a few episodes near the beginning-- season four, and it really is fantastically better than the others, or at least far better than seasons one and two. Mr. Fischoeder has always been one of my favorite characters, and the further development into his character and familial relationships has pushed him securely into my #1 Character slot.
There are enough details in the individual episodes to make rewatching them rewarding. The Wharfening is especially special in this respect: I was able to watch both parts twice (about almost exactly twenty-four hours apart) without any distractions. That's difficult for me. Very difficult.
But the commercials that play during this show are terrible. Maybe I'm just not used to TV advertising, since I had been watching ad-free TV on Netflix for a year or so before going to a different house for a little while and watching their cable TV. I still hate these commercials, though.

TOTPD

[Reply #81 on:]

But the commercials that play during this show are terrible.

You think THAT'S bad? Once, a bee got in the house while I was watching this show. FUCK BOB'S BURGERS!

[Reply #82 on:]

But the commercials that play during this show are terrible.

You think THAT'S bad? Once, a bee got in the house while I was watching this show. FUCK BOB'S BURGERS!

Speaking of bees ...

A few years back, bees started coming into my apartment from the vents. Not only was this on Sunday, when the main office was closed, but it was also Christmas Day.

FUCK CHRISTMAS!

[Reply #83 on:]

"Those two, piece of cake. That one, the whole cake."

[Reply #84 on:]

I just recently got caught up. This show is so great though like each character is so hilarious.

I've got to say my favorite episode is Mutiny on the Windbreaker.

[Reply #85 on:]

"No one's in this pot. Go away. I am the spaghetti."

[Reply #86 on:]

Decent episode, definite step back from the previous two Halloween ones. I'm also pretty disappointed with how few episodes we'll probably get this season

[Reply #87 on:]

Why the fuck did we have to wait 4 weeks for the second episode and now have to wait another 3 for the third??? Does FOX just hate humankind? Maybe that's a stupid question.

[Reply #88 on:]

Not all humankind, just the fans of quality television.

Also, the rest of humankind..

[Reply #89 on:]

Really happy that the show is getting the fair treatment again

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/11/fox-replacing-mulaney-with-bobs-burgers/

[Reply #90 on:]

It's really reassuring to know that some animated comedies still have the ability to stay consistently good.

[Reply #91 on:]

Today, I watched my first episode of "Bobs Burgers" ever (I worked out, and my mini-"gym" has of course a TV set for entertainment).
I have to admit the show made a good first impression (the episode was about a cow and the question wether to turn it into burgers or not). Will certainly keep an eye on that show. Which - admittedly - right now means "I will not turn off the TV set should I happen to sit in front of the TV when it airs". I am pretty sure that the producers aimed for more than "Some guy in Germany considers that show better than walking to the TV and switching channels*". But hey...it's still better than nothing, right ?


*Yep, the mini-"gyms" TV has no working remote control. It should have been replaced long by now, but I was sitting in front of that thing when I was a little kid of 5. By now, I just want to know how that TV set will live on...I am pretty sure it will survive me and at least 3 generations after me. Actually, I beginn to suspect that thing as some kind of self repair mechanism. Whenever the picture on the sceen showed certain flaws and disturbances (e.g. wrong colours around the edges), those vanished after a while. In fact - when the Borg will once conquer the universe - I am pretty sure it will turn out their whole adaption technology was based on my old TV set.
And - yes - I have some spare time right now, using my PC to bring some shenanigans online. After all, I am an internet user , and I therefore fall under the common obligation to share every little brain fart with the rest of the world, wether it wants it or not.

[Reply #92 on:]

Pretty happy that this is getting renewed for a sixth season
 http://www.thewrap.com/bobs-burgers-renewed-by-fox-for-season-6/

[Reply #93 on:]

The Bob's Burger Experiment is a blog that makes burgers based on the Burger of the Day, and is now working with Loren Bouchard and Bento Box Entertainment to publish an official Bob's Burgers cookbook.

[Reply #94 on:]

Cool, hopefully they release a soundtrack one if these days.

[Reply #95 on:]

Cool, hopefully they release a soundtrack one if these days.

They actually announced one over a year ago but nothing appears to have come to fruition yet.

[Reply #96 on:]

Maybe they'll get one with a proper DVD set near the end of the series

[Reply #97 on:]

Funny enough, they mentioned both the soundtrack and the cookbook when I saw Bob's Burgers Live two months ago.

[Reply #98 on:]

Funny enough, they mentioned both the soundtrack and the cookbook when I saw Bob's Burgers Live two months ago.

You lucky son of a bitch. By the time I heard about that, the only tickets left were VIP, and girl, you do need a backstage pass. I didn't have one. What was it like?

Mm, I'd love to hear some extended versions of the ending songs, Tina's Thundergirl song especially.

[Reply #99 on:]

It was a lot of fun. They started off with each of the cast members doing individual standup bits. Dan Mintz's is comprised mostly of one-liner jokes that are surprisingly great, Kristen Schall is weird and adorable and awesome, and Eugene Mirman is one of my favorite standup acts, so getting to see them all was worth the price of admission alone to me. John Roberts had a couple funny bits but overall didn't do a whole lot for me. Jon Benjamin is a really funny guy but he doesn't actually have any standup bits, he kind of just comes on stage and improvises, joking around with the crowd, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't so much.

After that they did a cast reading of the first two acts of an episode that hadn't aired yet. It has by now (Housetrap, third to last episode this season) and even after seeing the completed product I think it's not one of their stronger episodes so that was slightly disappointing, but it was still great fun getting to see the cast interact in character and reacting to each other's goofy line readings.

They did a couple short musical selections that were fun to see (Schall in particular seemed to enjoy singing them), most memorably the main song from the Topsy musical, with the musicians who actually compose the music for the show on stage to accompany them. They also answered a bunch of questions that had been pre-written down for them by audience members. One of them had the rest of the cast time Dan Mintz to see how long he could sustain a Tina groan for.

[Reply #100 on:]

I also saw Bob's Burgers Live and managed to score VIP tickets with my younger sister. We got to meet the cast and chat with them a little, plus we got a tote bag of merchandise (autographed poster, t-shirt, and a water bottle) which I didn't feel was worth the extra cost. Meeting the cast was a great once-in-a-lifetime experience, and that was definitely worth it, even if it was only for a couple of minutes.

The show followed pretty much the same format JoshTheater mentioned, except ours had different musical numbers and a more disorganized Q&A. The questions weren't pre-written; everyone lined up to ask theirs and things got a little chaotic, especially when some people had a fair amount to drink. Some guy even proposed to his girlfriend during that part. (I happened to be in line behind them and Jon Benjamin shouted, "PROPOSE TO THE GUY BEHIND YOU! PROPOSE TO HIM RIGHT NOW!" before I could even ask my question. That was awesome. The guy behind me seemed to be on board with it, too.)

[Reply #101 on:]

*BUMP! of the Week*

So I have spent the past month or so watching through the entire series to date on Hulu, and it was just as good as advertised. I daresay that, in terms of consistency, it rivals the Golden Age of The Simpsons: there are some individual episodes that don't do much for me, but each season as a whole is exceptionally well-done.

I wouldn't call it a brilliant show, necessarily, but it is a show that knows very clearly what it's about and stays true to that vision. Like, it's a slice-of-life, low-stakes domestic sitcom where the characters behave toward each other in realistic, humorous ways underpinned by genuine love and affection; with a few exceptions (the Fischoeders come to mind), the characters are nuanced, and written with humanity and dignity. I really admire that. Besides the strong writing and acting, I think the animation (particularly the color palette, and particularly in episodes that are set in winter or fall) is pretty distinct and striking.

Speaking of episodes set in winter and fall: I like how the show has gone out of its way to do annual Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas episodes. They are among the strongest episodes of the series, I think, probably because they tend to involve the family members bouncing off each other in typical fashion, with the added tension of the holiday itself providing even bigger laughs (and, in some cases, "awww"s). Especially worth mentioning are "Full Bars," "Turkey in a Can," "Christmas in the Car" "Father of the Bob," "The Hauntening," "Gayle Makin' Bob Sled," and "The Quirkducers." Those would probably all land on a list of my favorite episodes, period.

A few other episodes I loved:

1. "Crawl Space" (I know it's only the second episode, but there's just a lot of fun family-bouncing-off-each-other business that helps to establish some of the character dynamics early on in the series)

2. "Burger Boss" (which seems widely considered to be the show's first truly classic episode, and for good reason)

3. "Lindapendent Woman" (in no small part because I am a recovering grocery store employee, myself)

4. "Slumber Party" (one of the first episodes to really humanize Louise, I think, and the subplot with Linda and the raccoons is hilarious)

5. "The Kids Rob a Train" (this episode does a great job balancing a crazy kid story with a fun Bob/Linda story; it's a common plot structure on the show, and I think it's largely effective)

6. "Best Burger" (this may in fact be my very favorite episode: I like the ticking-clock aspect--it reminds me a bit of the Simpsons episode "Trilogy of Error"--and there is genuine emotion underpinning it all with Gene feeling like he's failed Bob)

7. "Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise" (first off, I really like the musical number; second off, it's among the sweeter Bob/Louise stories, and I do so enjoy the Logan/Louise rivalry)

8. "Adventures in Chinchilla-Sitting" (another great moment of humanity for Louise, and probably my favorite episode of the neighborhood-kids-band-together-on-a-crazy-mission genre)

9. "The Oeder Games" (like "Best Burger," it does a good job with that ticking clock and raising the stakes--and I am quite charmed by the concept of an enormous water balloon fight)

10. "Sliding Bobs" (I enjoy all the trilogy episodes, but this one is definitely my favorite of the type: in particular, Gene's RoboCop ripoff is hilarious)

11. "Glued, Where's My Bob?" (another fantastic musical number, and a fine showcase of that balance between absurdity and sincerity that this show manages so, so well)

12. "Bob Actually" (in a show chock-full of poop and fart jokes, Tina's diarrhea-related woes here are perhaps my favorite; I also dig the Louise/Regular-Sized Rudy story)

13. "Thelma and Louise Except Thelma is Linda" (probably the best Linda/Louise story, and another episode that allows for some character growth for Louise)

Add those 13 onto the holiday-themed episodes I mentioned above, and I'm pretty satisfied with that as a(n un-ranked) Top 20 list, if I do say so m'self. So, yeah, really good show--I'm glad I finally got around to watching the whole thing.

[Reply #102 on:]

I;m not very smart, because if a show doesn't really hit me by the time I'm halfway through the first random episode, it goes into the Don't Bother mental silo. And it really is stupid of me, I know. I watched, like, 1.5 episodes of Star Trek Voyager back in the day, thought "meh", and didn't see another episode for fifteen or twenty years. THEN, after 4-5 eps on the BBC, I fell in love, got the entire series (72 discs?), and binged it in about a month. And I even shadow-follow a few of the actors on Twitter.

Back to BB, though -- your "...it's a slice-of-life, low-stakes domestic sitcom where the characters behave toward each other in realistic, humorous ways underpinned by genuine love and affection..." captures the show perfectly.

So, I watched most of one episode and felt all of the above elements, except one: the humor. It simply wasn't funny to me. Not in the slightest. What should I be trying to get out of this show? Is it something ineffable that I simply have to discover for myself after watching it for a while? Do people watch it because it provides them a respite from shows with edgier or in-your-face humor? What's the main deal?

Oh, I saw this near SEATAC airport one day, returning from a Peeler visit.

[Reply #103 on:]

So, I watched most of one episode and felt all of the above elements, except one: the humor. It simply wasn't funny to me. Not in the slightest. What should I be trying to get out of this show? Is it something ineffable that I simply have to discover for myself after watching it for a while? Do people watch it because it provides them a respite from shows with edgier or in-your-face humor? What's the main deal?

Oh, I definitely would not consider this a laugh-out-loud funny show, or even a particularly quotable one. I can probably count on two hands the number of times I laughed out loud at something during my recent watch-through...and, to be honest, it was usually the crudest jokes that did it (for example, the reveal of what has Linda so angry at her kids in "The Gayle Tales," i.e. a prank they pull in the grocery store that causes her to fall backwards into a display of maxi-pads and repeatedly fart, which is just so patently silly that I can't help but love it).

For me, what makes the show worth watching is not its sense of humor, as it were, but its overall sensibility. Because a lot of the dialogue is improvised, watching the show has the feel of eavesdropping on the conversations of a group of smart, funny people who genuinely like each other. There's such an emphasis on gritty, hard-hitting realism in modern "prestige" TV--but what most captivates me, as a viewer, is plain ol' unremarkable reality: characters with strong, existing relationships hanging out with each other on a daily basis, getting into hijinks that range from zany to almost boring.

I know that's an odd compliment to pay, "I like this show because it's dull," but there is some truth to it: I really dig the verisimilitude of the series' approach to its characters and their relationships. As a counterpoint, though, I actually think a lot of the premises themselves are delightfully specific, idiosyncratic, and weird--but they never feel gimmicky. The world of the show allows for stories where a character can get super-glued to a toilet seat or trapped in a defunct outdoor supply store--abjectly cartoonish plot-points--and follow it through to its logical conclusion (in the first case, the cartoonish solution--numbing the character's butt and attempting to yank him really, really hard off the seat--doesn't work at all; in the second case, the character climbs a rock wall and breaks through a skylight to escape, which would easily fly in a live-action show (and, it follows, in real life)). It just adds to the overall world of the show, and it is a world I thoroughly enjoy spending time in.

I don't think I'm explaining this well at all, but that's what sells me on the show. I will say that I attempted to get into Bob's Burgers several years ago and actually made it no further than, like, the first few episodes of season one. I really do think that, while it's not a serialized show by any means (though there is an admirable amount of episode-to-episode continuity and a large cast of recurring characters and stories), it is a show that works its magic on you through mere persistence. If you have the time to sit down and watch four or five episodes in a go, as opposed to random episodes in isolation, that might just do the trick.

Alternately, it's just not the show for you, and there's nothing wrong with that. Different strokes and all.

[Reply #104 on:]

Gorky, I get what you're saying -- precisely so. If I see a block of BB on Adult Swim some night, I'll make a point of watching the episodes straight through. At the moment, I'm starting on season 2 of Archer. And I am a terrible person, but I laughed out loud harder and more frequently than I have with any other show I've seen. Including the original Get Smart.


And most coincidentally, when I closed this thread and switched to my Twitter window, what did I see at the top of my feed? A suggestion to follow you. So I did

[Reply #105 on:]

Gah, the algorithm has betrayed you! But thanks for the follow; I have now followed you back.

As for Archer (which is at least tangentially related to Bob's Burgers--watch out for the crossover at the start of season four), that show is a nonstop laugh riot and thoroughly delightful. It's sort of the polar opposite of BB in terms of its approach to characters and their relationships--it seems, at points, deliberately designed to alienate us from all of these terrible (but hilarious!) people--but there are still occasional moments of pathos and even straight-up sentiment that provide a pleasant counterpoint to the darker stuff. If you're in season two, that means you'll soon come across "Pipeline Fever," which is definitely one of my favorite episodes of the series...but that's a conversation for another thread

[Reply #106 on:]

They aren't really terrible.  I find them delightful and friendly.

[Reply #107 on:]

I can probably count on two hands the number of times I laughed out loud at something during my recent watch-through

Geez, are you really that stone faced or is this an exaggeration? Maybe it doesn’t have me rolling on the floor in a fit all the time, but I’d say every single episode of this show (with the exception of the occasional dud) has given me at least two or three good chuckles, so that’s hundreds of verified laughs compared to your...ten or less for the whole series? I definitely don’t agree with the sentiment that it’s an unfunny show with a dull sense of humor. As far as I’m concerned it’s got a silly comedic nature that borders on hysterical at points. It might not tickle everyone, but it definitely gets me.

[Reply #108 on:]

I can probably count on two hands the number of times I laughed out loud at something during my recent watch-through

Geez, are you really that stone faced or is this an exaggeration?

A little of both? I mean, I am not by nature a person who laughs out loud at TV shows or movies--even ones that I think are incredibly funny and which I hold dear to my heart--all that frequently. Sure, I chuckle and chortle on occasion, but my default response to a thing that is amusing is oftentimes just an inner acknowledgment that, yes, that is funny and yes, I appreciate it.

That sounds oddly robotic, but what I mean is that I can quite genuinely be entertained by a thing without necessarily rolling on the floor in paroxysms of laughter. I am not an easy lay laugh, let's say.

I definitely don’t agree with the sentiment that it’s an unfunny show with a dull sense of humor.

That's not quite what I said--or, at least, it's not what I meant. I think the show is very clearly a comedy and very clearly contains jokes; moreover, I quite enjoy the humor that's there. But the thing that keeps me watching the show--and I don't think this is always the case with comedies, though it happens to be the case with the ones I love most--is not what the next gag will be, but what the next interesting character (or story) beat will be.

In short, if I were to try selling Bob's Burgers to someone who's never seen it before, my opening would not be, "It's so, so funny" (though, yes, it is a funny show)--it'd be, "The characters are so endearing and the approach is so novel." It's more a matter of my personal priorities as a viewer than of the show's perceived priorities (or the writers' artistic intentions), if that makes sense. In short, I think you and I agree on this point far more than we differ.

[Reply #109 on:]

I just took you too literally I guess. To me, even a slight chuckle or guffaw still technically counts as an out-loud laugh by definition. I get that “laughing out loud” can have a connotation of being in a rapturous fit of laughter, but in the context of your sentence I didn’t know which way to take it. I also often experience that inner acknowledgment “laugh” that doesn’t manifest physically, but I would say that when it does manifest physically, it can do so subtly enough that I might not even notice that it happened. So though I might not fully take note of it and it might not be a big audible laugh, I’d still count it as technically laughing at a joke, and I have to imagine that with shows I find funny, it happens countless times.

So when you say you can count the number of times you laughed out loud throughout the entire series on both hands, I didn’t know whether to take that as meaning you were keeled over ten or less times, it barely even brought you to a smile ten or less times, somewhere in between, or if it was just a total exaggeration. Either way I think it sold the show a bit short before you gave it the context of your last post.

[Reply #110 on:]

The bunny hooded child would be a good friend.

[Reply #111 on:]

Well, I still haven't managed to catch a block of BB, but I did watch the last half of an episode tonight. And as I was watching it, something about Bob's demeanor struck me, then it clicked and I checked imdb to verify. I had no idea that he was voiced by H. Jon Benjamin