Bob's Burgers is about a family that runs a small, barely profitable burger restaurant on a seaside main street, with a funeral home on one side and a pizzeria rival across the road. Loren Bouchard created it with Jim Dauterive, and it premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2014 and again in 2017, and The Bob's Burgers Movie reached cinemas in 2022.
What sets the show apart from other animated family sitcoms is that the Belchers like each other. The kids are weird rather than precocious, the parents are tired but devoted, and nearly every episode ends with the family on the same side. The supporting cast of regulars, rivals, teachers and classmates is just as affectionately drawn.
- Creator
- Loren Bouchard
- Developed with
- Jim Dauterive
- Network
- Fox
- Premiere
- January 9, 2011
- Film
- The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)
The Belcher family
The five Belchers live in the apartment above the restaurant and work in it whether they want to or not.
Bob Belcher
Owner and cook
Bob is a mustachioed, perpetually stressed cook who takes burgers more seriously than anything except his family. His daily "Burger of the Day," chalked up as an elaborate pun, is a small act of art in a business that rarely pays. He grumbles constantly and talks to the food when he's alone. When it matters, he's a patient, quietly devoted father.
- Voice
- H. Jon Benjamin
Linda Belcher
Wife · Co-runner of the restaurant
Linda meets everything with a big "Alright!", a glass of wine and an improvised song. She's the family's cheerleader, endlessly enthusiastic about her children's odd passions and about any scheme that gets her out of the kitchen. Her optimism sometimes walks the family into trouble, and it's also the reason they always bounce back.
- Voice
- John Roberts
Tina Belcher
Eldest · Age 13
Tina is awkward, monotone and entirely sincere. She loves horses, zombies and boys' butts, and she writes "erotic friend fiction" in her journal. Her low groan when things go wrong is instantly recognisable. The show never mocks her for being herself; her confidence in her own weirdness is part of why she became an internet favourite. Her long crush on Jimmy Jr. runs through the whole series.
- Voice
- Dan Mintz
Gene Belcher
Middle child · Age 11
Gene is a loud, theatrical boy with a keyboard full of sound effects and a firm belief that he's a star. He clearly inherited Linda's flair for performance, and his musical ideas lead to some of the show's best episodes. He isn't embarrassed by anything, which is a kind of superpower in middle school.
- Voice
- Eugene Mirman
Louise Belcher
Youngest · Age 9
Louise is a scheming, ruthless nine-year-old in pink bunny ears who treats life as a heist. She's the sharpest of the kids and loves her family fiercely, though she'd rather die than say so. When the show does let her be vulnerable, which it does sparingly, it hits hard. Her prized possession is Kuchi Kopi, a nightlight toy.
- Voice
- Kristen Schaal
Regulars, rivals and the wharf
Teddy
Handyman · Most loyal customer
Teddy eats at the restaurant nearly every day and considers Bob his best friend, a feeling Bob returns in his own grudging way. He's divorced, lonely, and unfailingly sincere, and he'll fix anything for the Belchers for free. He's the show's warmest supporting character.
- Voice
- Larry Murphy
Mort
Funeral home owner next door
Mort is a small, gentle mortician who runs the funeral home beside the restaurant and is entirely at ease with death. He's one of the Belchers' friendliest neighbours, and the comic contrast of a mortuary next to a burger joint never quite gets old.
- Voice
- Andy Kindler
Jimmy Pesto
Pizzeria owner across the street
Jimmy is a smug, successful rival who runs Jimmy Pesto's Pizzeria and enjoys rubbing Bob's nose in it. The show never makes him a real villain: he's petty and vain, but he loves his kids. He has appeared less in recent seasons after his original voice actor, Jay Johnston, left the show.
Jimmy Jr.
Jimmy Pesto's son · Tina's crush
Jimmy Jr. is a self-absorbed boy obsessed with dancing and with his best friend Zeke. He likes Tina back, at least sometimes, but he's too wrapped up in himself to commit, which keeps their slow-burn relationship going for years.
- Voice
- H. Jon Benjamin
Andy and Ollie Pesto
Jimmy Pesto's twins
Two clingy, high-pitched twins who are always together and often hang out with the Belcher kids.
- Voice
- Laura Silverman, Sarah Silverman
Calvin Fischoeder
Landlord · Owner of Wonder Wharf
Mr. Fischoeder is the Belchers' wealthy, eccentric landlord, with an eye patch, a fondness for odd bets, and the power to raise their rent whenever he likes. He's whimsical, a little sinister and sometimes generous. He owns the Wonder Wharf amusement park.
- Voice
- Kevin Kline
Felix Fischoeder
Calvin's brother
A flamboyant younger brother who wants the family fortune and keeps scheming to get it.
- Voice
- Zach Galifianakis
Hugo Habercore
Health inspector · Linda's ex-fiancé
Hugo was once engaged to Linda and has never forgiven Bob for marrying her. He uses his job as health inspector to make Bob's life harder, usually with his mild-mannered assistant Ron in tow.
- Voice
- Sam Seder
Gayle
Linda's sister
A neurotic, needy artist with a crush on Bob that he would very much like her to drop.
- Voice
- Megan Mullally
Big Bob
Bob's father
A gruff diner owner whose hard-to-please parenting explains a lot about Bob.
- Voice
- Bill Hader
Wagstaff School
The Belcher kids attend Wagstaff School, where the staff are well-meaning and the classmates are as odd as they are.
Mr. Frond
Guidance counsellor
Mr. Frond is an insecure counsellor who communicates through elaborate puppets, crafts and lesson plans that nobody asked for. He wants the students to respect him and they never do, which makes him more sympathetic the longer the show runs.
- Voice
- David Herman
Zeke
Jimmy Jr.'s best friend
Zeke is a loud, wild, unexpectedly kind boy who's always up for anything. He's grown into one of the show's most likeable side characters.
- Voice
- Bobby Tisdale
Regular-Sized Rudy
Louise's friend
Rudy is an asthmatic boy who got his nickname because there's another, bigger Rudy at school. He's one of Louise's few true friends, and his parents' divorce gives him gentle, recurring storylines.
- Voice
- Brian Huskey
Tammy Larsen
Tina's frenemy
A shallow, attention-hungry classmate who turns up wherever there's drama to start.
- Voice
- Jenny Slate
Courtney Wheeler
Classmate
A clingy girl who once had a crush on Gene. Her father writes advertising jingles.
- Voice
- David Wain
Darryl
Classmate
A nervous, rule-bound boy who is regularly swept up in the Belcher kids' plans.
- Voice
- Brian Huskey
Bob's Burgers voice cast
Many of the voice actors came from alternative stand-up comedy, and they're known for improvising, which gives the family's overlapping chatter its loose, natural feel.
| Character | Voice actor |
|---|---|
| Bob Belcher, Jimmy Jr. | H. Jon Benjamin |
| Linda Belcher | John Roberts |
| Tina Belcher | Dan Mintz |
| Gene Belcher | Eugene Mirman |
| Louise Belcher | Kristen Schaal |
| Teddy | Larry Murphy |
| Mort | Andy Kindler |
| Mr. Frond | David Herman |
| Calvin Fischoeder | Kevin Kline |
| Felix Fischoeder | Zach Galifianakis |
| Hugo | Sam Seder |
| Gayle | Megan Mullally |
| Zeke | Bobby Tisdale |
H. Jon Benjamin is also the voice of Archer, and Kristen Schaal is known for Flight of the Conchords and for voicing Mabel in Gravity Falls. For more on the craft, see our voice acting guide.
Why the Belchers work
Most animated sitcom families are built on dysfunction: Homer strangling Bart, Peter ignoring Meg. Bob's Burgers turns that around. The family argues, the restaurant struggles and the kids misbehave, but nobody is cruel, and the parents respect who their children are. Tina's obsessions, Gene's noise and Louise's schemes aren't problems to be fixed. They're just who these kids are.
That warmth makes it a gentle alternative to The Simpsons and Family Guy, and it's built on the same idea as the found family, except here the family is the one you were born into. Teddy, Mort and even Mr. Fischoeder are, in their way, adopted members.
Where to start
- Season 1 is rougher but introduces everyone. Season 2 is where the show finds its rhythm.
- Holiday episodes, especially the Thanksgiving ones, are fan favourites and stand alone well.
- The musical numbers appear in most episodes and are worth sticking around for. Many are sung over the end credits.
- The 2022 movie is a self-contained story and a fine first taste if you'd rather not start at the beginning.
Looking for more? Our cartoon characters hub covers every animated series on the site.
All Bob's Burgers character names A–Z
A–C
- Andy Pesto — Pesto twin
- Big Bob — Bob's father
- Bob Belcher — Belchers
- Calvin Fischoeder — Landlord
- Courtney Wheeler — Wagstaff
D–G
- Darryl — Wagstaff
- Felix Fischoeder — Calvin's brother
- Gayle — Linda's sister
- Gene Belcher — Belchers
H–J
- Hugo Habercore — Health inspector
- Jimmy Jr. — Wagstaff
- Jimmy Pesto — Rival
K–M
- Kuchi Kopi — Louise's nightlight
- Linda Belcher — Belchers
- Louise Belcher — Belchers
- Mort — Funeral home
- Mr. Frond — Counsellor
O–R
- Ollie Pesto — Pesto twin
- Regular-Sized Rudy — Wagstaff
- Ron — Hugo's assistant
T–Z
- Tammy Larsen — Wagstaff
- Teddy — Regular
- Tina Belcher — Belchers
- Zeke — Wagstaff
Frequently asked questions
Who are the main characters in Bob's Burgers?
The five Belchers: Bob, who runs the restaurant; his wife Linda; and their kids Tina (13), Gene (11) and Louise (9). Teddy, the restaurant's most loyal customer, appears in almost every episode.
Why is Linda Belcher voiced by a man?
Linda is voiced by comedian John Roberts, who was known for online videos impersonating his own mother. Loren Bouchard built Linda around that voice.
Who voices Tina Belcher?
Dan Mintz voices Tina. Her flat, monotone delivery is Mintz's natural comic style. The character was originally conceived as a son named Daniel before being rewritten as the eldest daughter.
What are Louise's bunny ears?
Louise's pink bunny-ear hat is her trademark and she almost never takes it off. The 2022 film explores where it came from and why it matters so much to her.
Who is the landlord in Bob's Burgers?
Calvin Fischoeder, an eccentric, eye-patched rich man who owns the Belchers' building and the Wonder Wharf amusement park. Kevin Kline voices him. His younger brother Felix, voiced by Zach Galifianakis, often schemes against him.