BOB'S BURGERS Creator Says Optimism Is the Key To Success After 300 Episodes
Hitting 300 episodes in today’s TV landscape is almost unheard of, but Bob’s Burgers just pulled it off. The long-running animated series kicked off its sixteenth season with the milestone episode “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening” and creator Loren Bouchard admits the achievement still feels surreal.
“I mean, a boy can dream, right? We didn’t dare ‘think’ it would last this long, but had hope for sure,” Bouchard said of the Fox sitcom, which premiered back in 2011. “I know the network and the studio did too. That was the gig, right? See if you can make a show to come on after The Simpsons.”
Produced by 20th Television Animation, the series has built a loyal audience with its heartwarming mix of humor, grounded characters, and sharp storytelling.
The Belcher family, which includes Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), Linda (John Roberts), Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) continue to run their small burger joint while navigating everyday chaos.
Bouchard credits the show’s staying power to the characters themselves. “In the end, if you’re making character-driven comedy, then you have to give credit to the characters for any success you might achieve. People have to want to spend time with them.
The 300th episode leans into that connection with a nostalgic look back at the restaurant’s early days while Bob stresses over raising prices and Linda prepares to give birth. It’s a classic Bob’s story that is heartfelt, funny, and rooted in optimism.
“It’s a hopeful show about a working-class family with this irrational, creative, barely profitable dream at the heart of it — the restaurant. And because they never age, we’ll never know if they’ll succeed or they’ll fail, but we feel their drive and their fundamental optimism and that’s probably valuable to some folks,” Bouchard explained.
“Optimism is an underrated and complicated thing. Cynics can dismiss it, but that’s because when it’s done poorly in entertainment, it plays like schmaltz. Bob’s is about a grittier, deeper hope and how it works for you even in hard times.”
That balance of humor and sincerity is what keeps the show fresh even after so many years. Bouchard says he still sees himself in the characters, depending on the day. “[It] changes every day, and just when I think I’m relating to one, I’ll notice I’m actually acting like another.”
And as far as an ending goes? Don’t expect one anytime soon. “We’ll keep making the show as long as people want to see it and as long as we have stories to tell. In some ways we’re just getting started.”
After 300 episodes, Bob’s Burgers continues to serve up a perfect mix of comedy, heart, and hope, and it looks like the Belchers still have plenty of stories left to tell.
Source: Variety