“Bob’s Burgers” centers on one of TV’s favorite families, the Belchers, and their patriarch is a big reason why. Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin) brings warmth, wit, and a healthy dose of awkwardness to every episode. But if you’ve been watching “Bob’s Burgers” for a long time, you might have noticed a change in Bob over the years.
The cast and crew behind the Fox animated favorite say that Bob was more “caustic” in the show’s earliest episodes. They shared the story with BuzzFeed, and it’s hard to argue with Benjamin when he’s been the voice behind that grill since 2011. According to the series star, Bob’s sass was eventually toned down. “I’ll say for myself, Bob has definitely changed. I think in the early episodes Bob was a little more caustic, and that may have been my fault,” Benjamin admitted. “To Loren [Bouchard]’s credit, maybe it was a more caustic show in development before it actually got on the air. It was a little sharper in tone, right?”
At the time, Fox’s animated lineup leaned more into overtly biting satire, with long-running staples setting audience expectations for what an animated sitcom should sound like. As the new kid on the block, “Bob’s Burgers” initially leaned into that sharper tone before gradually carving out a voice of its own. Looking back to those early episodes really stretches the memory muscles for longtime fans. But the Bob we met at the beginning isn’t quite the same guy we watch every week now.
Bob Belcher was more edgy in early Bob’s Burgers episodes
So what prompted the creative team to soften up Bob’s edges over time? Series creator Loren Bouchard told BuzzFeed that the team felt a bit of pressure to live up to the rest of Fox’s animated lineup. After all, plenty of “Family Guy” episodes, along with certain eras of “The Simpsons” have a substantial bite to them. Satire can be very overt or more subtle, and “Bob’s Burgers” opted for a more gentle approach over time. “We thought we had to have an ‘edge’ in order to be on that lineup,” Bouchard shared. “They told us you’re going to come on after ‘The Simpsons,’ but the thing I always heard is, you’re going to come on before ‘Family Guy.’ I was worried about that, but the network never told us to put in more ‘bite’ or more ‘edge.’ They always met us where we were at.”
As the series progressed, the team realized that dialing back Bob’s abrasive tendencies allowed the ensemble to shine more clearly. Let’s be clear: while Bob might be the master of the deadpan reply, every member of The Belchers can dish out their share of sassy comebacks. Rather than competing with other animated comedies on sharpness alone, “Bob’s Burgers” found its strength in character-driven humor and emotional warmth. When the family needs him, Bob is always willing to try his best to help out.
It takes real confidence to evolve a character in such a crowded animation landscape. But Bob Belcher ultimately became the emotional anchor the rest of the family could bounce off, and Benjamin’s performance evolved to emphasize that warmth while deepening the show’s appeal.