Day four of writing while in AZ, and I'm fairly confidant that the sun has fried my brain. I'm feeling stupid and burnt. In retaliation I will write about something both simple minded and charmingly intelligent despite it's basic appearance. Something I have been really enjoying since it's debut, whose smiling disposition and jaunty soundtrack are a breath of fresh air in a television landscape that is too often grim, dour and unnecessarily dramatic.
Bob's Burgers! How have you not been watching this show? Starring Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal, the series was created by Loren Bouchard. Bouchard is the genius behind such animated treasures as Dr. Katz and Home Movies. The show has the fairly standard premise of a man and his family trying to get by while running their burger joint - pretty standard stuff. Where the show shines, though, is it's witty writing, pacing and sense of humor. Many great shows use a pedestrian backdrop as a means to tell a bizarre story, the concept just being a launchpad of sorts.
Jon Benjamin is an awesome casting job to serve as the well meaning, long suffering father. His wife Linda, voiced by John Roberts, is a rare animated sitcom wife in that she is both enthusiastic and semi intelligent, not a nag or wet blanket or empty sex pot. Secret best characters, though? The kids - Gene, Tina and Louise. Tina is oldest and creepiest. When it comes to light the family has all been reading her diary behind her back, bob asks why and hears in response: "she comes across a lot better on the page" Gene is the adolescent, proxy version of real life Eugene Mirman, his cartoon self being only younger and more idealistic. I love Mirman's absurdist standup act and this character is like a jovial teenage version of that. The ensemble dark horse by far, though, is Louise, the rabbit-ear hat sporting youngest daughter. Voiced by the hysterical Kristen Schaal, she's a sneaky, snarky little girl who both loves her father and loves to mess with him. There was recently a great episode about how she dealt with the jealousy of her brother and father bonding over terrible westerns. It was really poignant and touching in the resolution to a bizarre tale of betrayal and school yard bullies named Choo Choo.
The series is a standout this year among Fox's Sunday night lineup, easily filling the spot King of the Hill left behind. There's something so real and natural about the dialogue that just makes the show. The voice acting is phenomenal and super funny. I really can't say enough about this charming, outrageously funny show. If you can't catch it on Fox find it on Hulu, I guarantee you'll find something to strike you the right way. This is the best thing about Sunday nights by far
Bob's Burgers! How have you not been watching this show? Starring Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal, the series was created by Loren Bouchard. Bouchard is the genius behind such animated treasures as Dr. Katz and Home Movies. The show has the fairly standard premise of a man and his family trying to get by while running their burger joint - pretty standard stuff. Where the show shines, though, is it's witty writing, pacing and sense of humor. Many great shows use a pedestrian backdrop as a means to tell a bizarre story, the concept just being a launchpad of sorts.
The series is a standout this year among Fox's Sunday night lineup, easily filling the spot King of the Hill left behind. There's something so real and natural about the dialogue that just makes the show. The voice acting is phenomenal and super funny. I really can't say enough about this charming, outrageously funny show. If you can't catch it on Fox find it on Hulu, I guarantee you'll find something to strike you the right way. This is the best thing about Sunday nights by far
