The FOX network recently introduced another TV show to their Sunday night “Animation Domination” line-up, Bob’s Burgers. How will this stack up against the other animated sitcoms? Will it be quickly renewed or end up being cancelled?
Bob’s Burgers revolves around Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin), a third generation restaurateur who operates Bob’s Burgers with the help of his wife and their three kids. He has big ideas about the food he serves but knows little about customer service and business management. The restaurant is constantly struggling and there are times when it doesn’t seem like his family is on his team. His wife, Linda (John Roberts), supports his dream through thick and thin but is tiring of it. Eldest daughter Tina (Dan Mintz) is a 13-year-old hopeless romantic with minimal social skills. Son Gene (Eugene Mirman) is an aspiring musician and prankster and youngest child Louise (Kristen Schaal) has an off-balance sense of humor but loves her dad’s business.
The new show debuted on January 9th and, thanks in part to the afternoon’s NFL Wildcard Playoff game, had a great premiere. The first episode of Bob’s Burgers scored a 4.5 in the 18-49 demographic and 9.38 million total viewers. Those numbers were good enough to make it the best performing network premiere of the season to date.
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Unfortunately that success was short-lived. Only about half as many of those viewers came back to watch in week two. The second episode dropped to a 2.5 rating in the demo and 5.07 million viewers. The most recent episode attracted a 2.2 rating, a further decline of 12% in the demo, and 4.81 million total viewers.
Thanks to the fantastic premiere numbers, Bob’s Burgers still averages a 3.1 rating and 6.42 million viewers. If the ratings keep declining or even if they just stay the same, that average will sink lower. Sandwiched between The Simpsons and Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers doesn’t come close to matching their ratings. That seems to indicate that some FOX viewers are making a conscious effort to skip the newbie series. FOX execs are likely wondering if other shows might make better use of the timeslot. They already have a couple new animated series in the works.
Back in October, FOX ordered six additional scripts for the series. Because it can take months to produce new episodes, the order would allow the series to remain in continuous production. The network has yet to order additional episodes be actually produced however. The network is likely waiting to see if the ratings even off or get better before committing to its future.
What do you think? Do you like Bob’s Burgers? Does the humor go too far? Cancel or keep it?
Image courtesy FOX.
I love Bob’s Burgers! I hope it will be back for a second season. We look forward to it every week. I can’t remember the last show that made me laugh this hard. Especially the Art Crawl episode. Two words, FOX- Bigger and MORE! More Bob’s Burgers!
I’ve watched all episodes of Bob’s Burger. I have given it a chance to be entertaining. It is just awful. It needs to be canceled. There is nothing intellectual about it. It is for trashy people who enjoy fart jokes.
I honestly don’t really like the show I’ve seen about 4 episodes and it’s not that great i’m not saying it’s bad but personally I don’t like it.
My daughter and I pray every Sunday that it is cancelled!
Although it may not be as clever and witty as the more veteran animated comedies as “South Park” and “Family Guy”, I have to say that “Bob’s Burgers” manages to draw just as much laughter with its own sense of attraction, particularly its dysfunctional and charismatic characters (my favorite is Louise). FOX, I know that you may be first disheartened over the ratings, but remember that when Family Guy was first cancelled, the re-runs were so popular they gave it another go, and today this popular nihilistic satire has achieved over a hundred episodes! In simple words: PLEASE GIVE IT… Read more »
Bob’s Burgers is one of the greatest and most wholesome shows I’ve ever seen. Canceling it should absolutely not be an option. If anything, cancel The Cleveland show, it sucks!
I agree with Kent’s comment. I laughed my face off when I first saw this show. I think it is pretty original and I hope they keep it.
I never leave opinions, but I haven’t laughed this hard in three years. The Art Crawl episode, enough said. Also the song from episode six, “Pulling down the pants of the night”, classic.
I can’t explain in words how much I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! Everyone I share it with is skeptical that it wont be awesome-but they realize how inventive and HIGHlarious it is.
Bob’s makes me laugh. I have no fancy review to offer. I just enjoy it. And, I’m paying 99 cents an episode on iTunes! Fox should remember that they cancelled Family Guy twice, and look how well that show does in ratings and DVD/BluRay sales. Renew, please!
I love it! No need to bash other shows as I state this because I look forward to the sunday lineup. But bobs burgers is one of my most anticipated!
I LOVE this show. It’s brilliant. Every episode is a work of subtle genius. Every episode makes me laugh out loud. It has easily become one of my favorites. I look forward to it every week.
I absolutely HATE the people that didn’t give this show a chance. Sure, it’s first episode was not great, but it was a start. I decided to stay and watch the show, and it easily became one of my favorites since it was made by the same genius behind “Dr. Katz” and “Home Movies”, Loren Bouchard. The show has witty dialog, clever humor, and some neat character development. In the second episode, it’s clear that Bob is crazy, but he has a reason too, as his mother-in-law states that he is crazy because he’s got three kids to take good… Read more »
This show was not made for the brain dead idiots who get their cartoons from FOX. It is suited for audiences who like well rounded animated sitcoms with offbeat character driven humor & dialogue. Bob’s burgers has satisfied a hunger for something that FOX has lacked since they cut King Of The Hill. Too bad they’ll never find it, as they seem to use Family Guy as their only standard…and a poor one i must add
I really like this show. It’s grown on me. But FOX will probably be true to form and cancel it. You’d think they’d learned their lesson with Family Guy and Futurama, both canceled and brought back both great shows. If FOX does cancel it I hope Comedy Central will pick it up.
Now I’ve loved the Simpsons since day one but it has completely lost it’s edge and hasn’t been up to Simpsons standards for YEARS. Perhaps FOX may want to take a good look at it. Hate to say it but there it is.