Although the animated sitcom *Bob’s Burgers* premiered in 2011 to mixed reviews, it is now entering its 16th season more beloved than ever.
Unlike its long-running network peers *The Simpsons* and *Family Guy*, *Bob’s Burgers* is a rare animated sitcom that doesn’t have a clear golden age it has fallen from. There are no “bad” seasons fans can unanimously point to, nor are there any “jump the shark” moments like Principal Skinner being revealed as an imposter on *The Simpsons* or Brian Griffin being killed off on *Family Guy*.
The secret, according to the show’s creator Loren Bouchard, is that the characters of *Bob’s Burgers* have a goal they’re working towards. As he told *Variety* in September 2025:
> “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 if they’ll fail, but we feel their drive and their fundamental optimism, and that’s probably valuable to some folks. 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.”
Bouchard also praised the characters themselves, noting, “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.”
When people discuss the differences between *Bob’s Burgers* and shows like *Family Guy* and *The Simpsons*, they often point to the series’ animation styles or differing senses of humor. However, the family business aspect is a crucial factor that is often overlooked.
*The Simpsons* and the Griffins are families without long-term goals beyond going to school or work. Sometimes, one of the characters will start a business, but that adventure is typically wrapped up within 22 minutes. There is an aimlessness to these characters’ lives that quietly haunts the shows, made all the more unsettling by how they never age. These characters aren’t striving for anything, and neither, it seems, are their series.
Admittedly, *Bob’s Burgers* has the advantage of not being as old as these shows. Even as it approaches its 40th anniversary, *The Simpsons* still manages to deliver some “bangers” now and then. One could even argue it enjoyed a mini golden age — perhaps a silver age — from seasons 17 to 21.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear if *Bob’s Burgers* will last as long while maintaining its current high quality. Still, the show is determined to try. As Bouchard explained in that *Variety* interview:
> “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.”
https://www.slashfilm.com/1999342/bobs-burger-creator-loren-bouchard-why-show-popular/
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