Almost 15 years have gone by since Bob’s Burgers premiered on Fox with its pilot episode “Human Flesh.” Since that time, the charmingly chaotic animated series has grown into 16 seasons, celebrating its 300th episode this year. For creator Loren Bouchard, the show’s continuous success, which includes the spinoff The Bob’s Burgers Movie, has been both a delight and a duty.
In a virtual conversation with Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, a long-time fan of the series, Bouchard participated in Say More to talk about the show’s journey and the devoted fanbase that has supported it. In this segment, he looks back on the show’s early stage, when ratings were modest, but the affection from fans was unmistakable.
“What Bob’s was…perhaps a niche show,” Bouchard remarked. “It wasn’t a calamity, but it certainly wasn’t a blockbuster. I appreciated those times. And I’ll explain why. I don’t like it from the perspective of just the sheer anxiety, you know, there are countless choices you make daily when producing a show like this. And you want to avoid the dread that a wrong decision could lead to everyone losing their employment. That’s an uncomfortable level of stakes, I would say. But it does refine your instincts. I think it infuses a bit of adrenaline.”
He elaborated, describing how every little aspect feels vital in that state of mind: “It’s that urgent care atmosphere, where it could be the silliest matter — we’re in the AVID editing room, adjusting a fart two frames left or right. But you know what, at that instant, the placement of that fart feels both perilous and crucial.”
In the complete interview available on YouTube, Bouchard also talked about what drives him now that the worry of cancellation has faded. It’s the fans, particularly those who backed the show since the beginning. He aims not to let them down.
In the featured clip, he mentioned, “I want to point out something about you early fans: It was incredible for us to feel that even as we were just getting started, we could still fill the room at Comic Con. It was significant for us. It mattered to the network and the studio as well. They witnessed, not necessarily phenomenal ratings, but tremendous affection.”
He continued, “When it became evident that we had dedicated fans, even though we weren’t a ratings sensation, I noticed the network and studio essentially say something like, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll make an effort to keep you on the air. We want this. This is what we desire when the fans respond like this.'”
“So thank you,” Bouchard expressed to the fans, “Thank you to you, early fans. You played a crucial role in making it possible for us to be here now.”
For further insights on Bob’s Burgers, including Bouchard’s perspectives on Bob as a bicon and the creation of the beloved character Marshmallow, be sure to watch the full interview on YouTube.
Bob’s Burgers is currently available for streaming on Hulu.