Sing your heart out to a Belcher family milestone

Creator and cast of ‘Bob’s Burgers’ mark animated series’ 300th episode

- By Tracy Brown

CHRISTINA HOUSE Los Angeles Times

"I STARTED my family when I started 'Bob's,' so it's very personal to me," says creator Loren Bouchard.

When the cast and crew of “Bob’s Burgers” gathered to celebrate the show's milestone 300th episode earlier this month, two key figures were missing.

Creator Loren Bouchard and actor H. Jon Benjamin — who voices the “Bob” of the title — were unexpectedly waylaid by illness and travel troubles, respectively. It was a scenario that could have been an episode of the long-running adult animated series, down to the celebration’s setting, which took place in a room resembling the inside of the show's titular hamburger joint.

The only thing missing was a musical interlude.

Centering a family that runs a restaurant, “Bob's Burgers” kicked off its 16th season Sunday on Fox with its 300th episode titled “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening.” The milestone episode takes things back to before the Belchers opened their family eatery.

“Bob's Burgers [the restaurant], it’s got his name in it, but we sense that he can’t do it without her,” Bouchard says. “[Bob] says that in the show, but what do we mean when we say that?”

The look to the past also shows Bob (Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) preparing to welcome their first child, Tina (Dan Mintz). The Belcher clan also includes Tina’s younger siblings Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal).

Bouchard admits he is usually not one for celebrating episode counts — “It starts to feel a little bit like bulk pricing,” he jokes — but he recognizes that the longevity of the series is something special. “Bob’s Burgers” premiered in 2011.

“What you get with a show that lasts this long and has this many episodes is a different relationship with the fans,” Bouchard says. “You get to have a 15-year relationship. That's like family. There are marriages that don't last that long.”