Although the COVID-19 production shutdowns have cut an ugly swathe through many of the TV productions of 2020, the world of animation has been a notable exception. Already operating in quasi-total isolation, TV animation has managed to truck along pretty comfortably with what appear to have only been minor disruptions. Hence, then, the not wholly surprising news that Fox has just renewed two of its long-running cartoon mainstays for not just one, but two seasons, with both Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers being renewed for a pair of seasons apiece. That’ll bring Family Guy up to season 20, while Bob’s Burgers will now extend into its 13th run.
Interestingly, Bob’s—which, like most of Fox’s home-produced scripted content, is now produced by Disney-owned 20th Television—is one of the rare animated shows that likely will have to adjust the way it does things in the COVID era. Uncommon for an animated series, the show’s cast (including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, and John Roberts) usually record their lines together, helping to give the series its rapid-fire verbal pace. We haven’t heard anything directly about the show changing that format, but given the ongoing need for social distancing, it’s not hard to imagine the show having to change its long-celebrated policy.
Both Family Guy and Bob’s return to Fox this Sunday, as part of the network’s Animation Domination block; Family Guy will kick off this, its 18th season, with its 350th episode to date.
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Peter drinking himself stupid over hearing he has two more seasons. Bob staring into the abyss over the prospect of two more years of this. 2020 is a hell of a year.
Well… Peter’s really just more drinking because he likes to do that.(Note I haven’t been a fan of Family Guy for… I don’t even know how long. Look. Seth MacFarlane may be an equal-opportunity asshole, but an equal-opportunity asshole is still a fucking asshole. That and I’m not sure I can respect anyone who respects Rush Limbaugh.)
I guess we still don’t have any kind of date on when the Bob’s Burgers movie that was supposed to come out over the summer will hit theaters?
They’re skipping it and going straight to the sequel, 2 Bobs 2 Burgerious.
Bob’s Burgers 2: The New Batch (of Burgers)
Tagline: This summer, you WILL hold the pickle…
…FOR SANDWICHES!
Bob’s Burger: Electric Burgaloo.
Bob’s Burger: Burger Harder
‘Bobs Burgers 2: The Legend of Curly Fries’ Gold’.
April 19, 2021 is the current scheduled date. If it will be met is another question.
From the virtual comicon gettogether it sounded like production was well underway.
I’m more concerned about the coronavirus continuing to make cinemas undesirable by that time.
Oh sorry, I live in civilised society where cinemas are already opened and safe.
The Simpsons is also a thing.
The Simpsons will continue to be a thing until an apocalypse hits us. Then, Fox executives will scramble to renew it for another year before they perish from fiery hellstorms.
Woo Hoo! I mean, D’oh!
Excellent!
I have this morbid curiosity about what happens first: the end of the show or the first main cast member’s death.
Yeah. Those are the kind of thoughts that pop into my head when I try to sleep. So, I hear you.
At this point, I halfway expect them to continue on after a main cast member’s death by recycling old lines into an AI program
I don’t think I could handle something happening to Dan Castellaneta
Somewhere in this country, in a family where teenage pregnancy is a tradition, passed on from generation to generation, there is a 30-year old grandmother who has never known a world without The Simpsons.
And that grandmother went on to save Spring Break…
Is it?
Super thrilled about the Bob’s Burgers renewal. But if they have to compromise their style in order to record during COVID, I’d rather they take a break.
They could still record together virtually. They have had to do so multiple times in the past when one or more cast members couldn’t be physically present for some reason.
They have already done so for the previous season without any dip in quality and the clips they’ve previewed are as funny as ever.
So many shows are back filming I’m really confused by the suggestion it will cause problems with Bob’s Burgers, I mean surely you can get the cast in one room and maintain the one or two meter rule (I’m not sure what it is in America right now) without any issues.
Bob’s Burgers is one of the biggest surprise delights I’ve ever encountered. I thought it was going to be very dumb and didn’t watch if the first five episodes and only did it once I was bored. And, boy, was I glad I did. I laughed so hard.
Something sorta similar happened to me several years ago. By the time I got through the episode about Tina’s birthday (early in the first season) I knew I was watching a winner.
I was fortunate/lazy enough to not change the channel when the first episode aired. This image sealed it as a permanent favorite:They had me at hello.
They had me at Hugo’s “Hello, the media?!” phone call.
I do love me some Hugo Habercore.“Hey Hugo, do you ever imagine what things would be like if we hadn’t met?”“Not this AGAIN, Ron!”
I could totally see Hugo shouting about fake news.
How bout giving Family Guy 0 more seasons and Bob’s Burgers 4 more instead
How about -15 more seasons for Family Guy?
-17 really… maybe -16
Family Guy ran out of ideas like 10 years ago which is weird because American Dad is still good considering they threw out most of its main premise.
Family Guy had a good idea ten years ago? Huh, must have missed that episode.
I never said good ideas, just ideas
And hypocrites will go on pretending that this Fox network is “the good Fox” because adults will happily suck Murdoch dick for their little cartoons. Why don’t you write out a check to the Republican party while you’re at it.
You seem like a neat dude.
You do know that Murdoch sold the Fox network to Disney last year, right?
He did not sell the network to Disney, just the studios (there’s this whole owing two of the top four networks thing the FCC would object to, even now).
Family Guy has been basically unwatchable for, I don’t know, the past ten years? Maybe more?
To be honest I just assumed they were cancelled about …five years ago?
I stopped watching Family Guy in 2005. It amazes me that FOX shuffled American Dad off to TBS (where I think it’s actually gotten better) and they somehow still have the decent sense to renew Bob’s. Network TV makes no sense whatsoever. The Simpsons will still be on the air when I’m being lowered into the ground or preferably, cremated, in hopefully another 40 years.
Ito funny how that works. [Main project] stays around the [extension project] moves or gets canceled despite being funnier. A la-Simpsons and Futurama-mode. I know that isn’t correct use of a la mode, but I was committed to writing it.
Yup. And for some reason now they show episodes on FXX in timeslots that The Simpsons used to have. But they apparently don’t have the rights to any of the old/good episodes (still on Adult Swim), so it seems to be the same 5-10 episodes in rotation every 5-10 days.
I adore me some Belchers, but the writing this past season really felt like they were scraping the bottom of the ol’ fresh ideas barrel. And now they’re signed on for another forty-four eps? I dunno, man.
I really liked the episode from this past season where they ride in the limo with the bins full of snakes but even just writing that out kind of proves your point
Ok, pet peeve time. I hate how the Belchers always make some big obvious speech explaining their character arc at the end of every episode. This show is great but it really bothers me. Like the one where Linda takes the kids to the firehouse and they’re not into it because they’ve grown up. She goes on and on explaining…basically that. Like we can’t figure that out? AUGH.
I love Bob’s Burgers but I don’t get how that show stays profitable on network television. At this point it barely gets a million viewers per episode.
So us av club going to start reviewing bobs burgers again or is that done now?