Looking Ahead at 2018-2019

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, it's been a summer. There was a whole lot of nothing on television, aside from the Bates Family, the Duggar Family, the Roloff Family, and the newer addition to my reality followings - the Busby Family. Technically, there was also Trial & Error, but I'm behind in that because Spectrum is awful and we're on our third DVR box in two months. But, I spent some time last night going through the new shows for the broadcast networks and made some selections. because, you know, there's more to TV life than

ABC came in high, CW isn't even on the board, and FOX tanked. CBS and NBC are surprisingly equal, but we'll see how that pans out. I picked more shows this year than I did last year, but a few of them I really don't think will make it to Thanksgiving, so not much is lost in giving them a try.

What made the cut?
For ABC, I'm going with the soon-to-premiere Single Parents (a bit too much exposure, already, I think), A Million Little Things (it better be better than Friends with Better Lives), plus the farther out The Rookie (Nathan Fillion, anyone?), The Conners, Schooled, and The Kids are Alright (it seems that we're on an every-other-year-there's-a-Catholic-family-show module). As two of those are spin-offs, I'm not really feeling like my ABC selections are as high as they appear.

For FOX, the only thing I'm going to bother with is Rel, which starts tonight. It's about a guy who has to rebuild his life after a divorce, so it'll be a rough start, but Sinbad plays the protagonist's father, so that could be fun.

On NBC, the start dates are mostly soon. In September alone, I'll be checking out New Amsterdam (I'm a sucker for medical shows), I Feel Bad (I need more "mom shows"), and Manifest (it's going to be awful or amazing), plus later on there's Gilded Age (period show!), Abby's (this looks like a hot mess), and The Village (which, really, I'm only in to see Daren Kagasoff act again).

Rounding it out on CBS, there's the crazy (unscripted) Million Dollar Mile, the unlikely-to-work Happy Together, the reboot of Murphy Brown, the too-much-like-Living-Biblically-from-last-season God Friended Me, the is-this-Timeless-again? Blood & Treasure, and the Beth-Behrs-is-back The Neighborhood.

The bigger, scarier thing (if you can believe it) is that I have a TON of returning shows, which I don't think I realized back in Spring!
ABC: Fresh off the Boat, American Housewife, Speechless, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, The Good Doctor [only one new thing from last year remaining]
FOX: Bob's Burgers, The Resident, Last Man Standing (I don't think it'll be that good this time around, though...) [only one new thing from last year remaining]
NBC: This is Us, Superstore, A.P. Bio, Will & Grace, The Good Place (which I discovered online over the summer) [only one new thing from last year remaining]
CBS: Man with a Plan, How to Get Away with Murder, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon [only one new thing from last year remaining]
CW: Jane the Virgin, Dynasty [one old, one from last year]
Other Networks: South Park (Comedy Central), Grown-ish (Freeform), Good Trouble (the Freeform spin-off of The Fosters), plus the aforementioned follow-an-atypical-family shows I enjoy. 

And, at some point, I still do plan to check out The Mick and Good Girls. So... yeah, there's a lot of television entertainment to be enjoyed this year. 

RETURNING: Bob's Burger's: Student Shows

I’m not one for romantic movies. I was bored to tears during The Notebook, and generally skip even silver screen rom-coms unless the premise is truly unique. That said, I have a special place in my heart for A Walk to Remember. I adore the story and found the casting to be excellent. However, the one major nitpick I had with the plot was that the school play was written by one of the students. Similarly, High School Musical also has this peculiar dynamic, and Frasier references a young Frasier penning a musical as well. While I completely believe that there are teenagers out there capable of doing so, I have a really tough time buying that it’s commonplace. I went to an internationally renowned music demonstration school and I don’t know anyone who composed more than a couple of pages. I work in children’s theatre now and don’t know that anyone I’ve taught could bang out original music and lyrics on top of a book! So, to believe that there were multiple ten-year-olds doing so on Bob’s Burgers is a real stretch for me! That said, I totally loved the episode and look forward to a full season of merriment.

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Bob's Burgers "Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl" (S05E01): The school fall musical is to be an original production, and Gene wants to write a musical about Die Hard. [strange choice of subject matter in 2014, no?] Courtney desperately wants to star, but in her own musical, based on Working Girl. [this is an even more head-tilting choice!] That's the one that's chosen, so Louise wants to steal the attention by doing guerilla/protest theater in the basement of the school on the same night. [yep, sounds like Louise!] She and Gene work on making their production (even if it turns into a one-man show) great while Tina is in Working Girl. When performance night rolls around, Die Hard is standing-room only, as everyone sneaks out of Working Girl, forcing Louise and Gene into a late-night stint in the counselor’s office. Mr. Frond gets the whole story and decides to forbid both groups from finishing their musicals, but the kids talk him into letting them take 25 minutes to combine the stories so the audiences aren’t left hanging. [sometimes I want Louise as my friend.] The result is as random as you can imagine!

Season Finale: Bob's Burgers: Danger at the Pier

Bob's Burgers is a funny show, even though it's rather absurd at times and I can't always point my finger at why it's funny. The antics of the seaside town and its inhabitants continue to amuse me, even if they aren't amusing others. That's right... even though it has been renewed for another season, the numbers aren't great, and we'll be passing on continuing to recap and remark upon the series on a regular basis, though we do plan on doing special features on future holiday episodes. Plus, with FOX changing their scheduling strategy in the fall, I'm really curious as to how that will affect this program's viewership as well...

Bob's Burgers "Wharf Horse (or How Bob Saves/Destroys the Town - Part 1)" (S04E21): The kids are out flyering the wharf and run into Mr. Fischoeder, who is also trying to get more business. Then, they find out that the carousel is being torn down, sparking Tina to attempt to save her favorite horse... and Louise to bike-lock her sister to it. It doesn't last, as one might expect. [getting on the news was cool. as was Tina still caring about horses.]

Mr. Fischoeder's brother, Felix, offers Bob an upscale bistro location as long as he keeps Calvin occupied for a while, so Bob claims it's "Take-Your-Landlord-to-Lunch Day" and they head to the island, but Linda lets the plan slip before they even reach the ferry. [Mr. Fischoeder fell for that??] Fortunately, they continue with the plans as Felix tries to get investors to agree to build condos over the amusement park. Gene, Louise, Bob, and Mr. Fishoeder ride the rollercoaster at the wharf, forcing Fischoeder to realize that he never wants to sell the place.

Bob's Burgers "World Wharf II: The Wharfening (or How Bob Saves/Destroys the Town - Part 2)" (S04E22): Felix ties Bob and Fischoeder to a pole under the pier so that they'll die when the tide comes in. [really?]

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They call Linda for help, but she can't hear them and thinks it's a pocket-dial. He manages to text that he's "tired yo," thanks to auto-correct. [Linda is so funny!] Louise figures out the real message, but the next text, which reveals the location, they can't decipher. They head out into town and run into Felix at the wharf, and tell him that they fear for his brother's safety. But, then they see him heading under the pier, so they take off on paddle boats to chase him. Things get even worse when but Fannie, Felix's girlfriend, threatens to kill everyone, so it's up to Linda to save them all. [Calvin covering for Felix though??] 

Bob's Burgers: Tina Dates Jimmy; Gene Cheerleads

This episode focused mainly on Tina and Gene, but it is the youngest Belcher that really stole the show. Louise is such a firecracker! She has a great knack for sensing when people are vulnerable (hello, Tammy's bat mitzvah!), and works quickly to plug holes that could possibly benefit her in some way. She manages to do this time after time, and though it begins to lose plausibility at some point, her clever ways are still disarming to audiences. It is a little strange, however, that Bob and Linda seem to have largely written off the young girl as being too hard to handle, even if they are able to reel her in (and get her teeth fixed) from time to time. Regardless, I definitely continue to look forward to the little break-out character's next round of shenanigans!  

Bob's Burgers "Gene It On" (S04E20): Tina goes out for cheerleading, but it's Gene who makes the squad when he enthusiastically cheers for his sister. He soon wins his way into most of the team's hearts, but the other male cheerleader calls for a cheer-battle, and Gene is bullied into almost quitting. When it comes to a competition, however, Gene tries to save the day with a ridiculous formation Linda tried to show him after the routine is scooped by another group.

BOB'S BURGERS ™ and © 2014 TCFFC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Meanwhile, because Tina bit her tongue badly during the try-out, Louise talked her way into being her sister's interpreter while Tina can't speak normally. Louise mis-translates over and over to suit her own desires, and turns Tina's date with Jimmy into her own fancy night out. Fortunately, when Tina tells Jimmy what she really wanted in a date, he understands her and agrees. [I forgot Jimmy has a lisp.]

Bob's Burgers: A Psychic, a Pony, an Entrepreneur, and a Trickster

I recently pointed out how Bob's Burgers sometimes takes on overdone storylines while also trying out unique takes on situations. Well, in this next batch of episodes, the writers continue to play with ideas that have been seen before (hello, hit-to-the-head = psychic!) with pop culture-y, timely jokes (Equestranauts was perfect for this series! not a stretch until the tattoo part!). Plus, they bring the viewers back to life in a seaside town (where else would you find ambergris?), and simultaneously freak them out by remembering just how kooky the family can be (Gayle's sleeping arrangements had me wide-eyed and questioning why the kids even know where she lives...). There are a few episodes left this season, and I look forward to seeing what else they can cook up!

Bob's Burgers "I Get Psychic out of You" (S4E16): Linda starts predicting things correctly, and everyone except Bob believes she's psychic. [been there, seen that storyline!] The kids decide to use their mother's "abilities" to bet on a horse, using Tina's $80. They get Teddy to place the bet, and wind up losing it all. [eh. it's a lesson.] Meanwhile, Linda gets recruited to help solve a serious of crimes, but Bob ends up figuring out who the thief is, causing Linda to realize that she's not psychic. [oh, Bob!]

Bob's Burgers "The Equestranauts" (S4E17): The kids watch a My Little Pony-esque show called The Equestranauts, and the family heads to a toy pony convention. But, they soon learn that it's geared for adult men who call themselves "Equestricles." [and I had to pause and explain Bronies to my husband at this point.] Tina starts hanging out with a group anyway, and they talk Pony theories. [seriously, guys. if you've never been to a fan convention before, it is such a fulfilling and enlightening time, talking nitpicks about things you love!] But, soon, they trade Tina for her original horse and give her a new one. Louise hears the guy talking about swindling Tina, so the family plots to get the rare pony back, learning that it had a production defect. Bob dresses up and Tina teaches him about the ponies so he can infiltrate the group. But ,Tina realizes that Bob studied some fanfiction, too, and panics, just as Bob starts mentioning the zombie pony in Tina's writing and winds up being forced to get a tattoo. [how random!] The family shows up and Tina gets her horse back. [yay, status quo! I also loved how Tina started to decide that she had matured but all of the hassle made Bob encourage her to keep playing with the horses!]

Bob's Burgers "Ambergris" (S4E18): The kids find something that smells both great and terrible, and Tina finds out that it's an ambergris from whales. [gross already!]

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Because perfume is made out of it, the kids think they'll get rich from selling it on the black market. Louise convinces a criminal to help them out, but she then thinks she can cut him out, only to wind up being sabotaged by Tina, who replaces the ambergris with a cantaloupe covered in dirty socks. [ewww!]

Meanwhile, Bob and Linda are supposed to keep the landlord's brother busy, so they stick the annoying guy with the task of upgrading the restaurant's restroom, which suffers from brown hot water, among other problems. [yuck!] The end product is a very black and modern bathroom that doesn't fit the look of the rest of the restaurant. [it was very "Smash Club" from Full House, I thought.]

Bob's Burgers "The Kids Run Away" (S4E19): The kids have dental check-ups, and Louise has a bad cavity. The dentist is afraid of the little girl, and she puts up a big fight before going out the window and running away. [I loved that she had a "go bag" in the woods, LoL.] After failing at checking into a hotel, she takes a bus to visit her Aunt Gayle. Linda finds out and decides to trick Louise, so she lets Tina and Gene "run away," too. Then, Linda says that if Louise can make it the whole weekend without Gayle driving her crazy, she doesn't have to get the filling. Bob is skeptical, but Linda plans to cheat with their "inside man," Tina. [I couldn't stop laughing when Linda told Bob that she planned to cheat!]

The eldest Belcher daughter asks to hear Gayle's poetry, change out the claw covers on the cats, and play a long board game that makes no sense. [I've never seen these claw-cover things before!] Bob, Linda, and Teddy stake out the apartment, but fall asleep. [ha, Cliff of Huxtable.] In the morning, Louise has ice cream for breakfast (courtesy of Linda's tricky parenting once again), making her double-over in pain. [I've always found it weird when people don't have any pains until a doctor/dentist points them out, and then it's constantly coming to light.] Louise is still afraid, so Gayle uses her weirdness and gets the dentist to play along with a spy role-playing game. [cool ending!] 

Bob's Burgers: Going Outside the Box a Bit

Bob's Burgers isn't the most innovative show, but at least they manage to do some storylines that are out of the ordinary and interesting. Having three mini-stories with a common theme isn't new, and in this case, it isn't even great, but at least it was different. Tina going from begging to get an invitation to a party to posing as its star was equally amusing and ridiculous. I think that they could have done more with Tina being a rebel and hanging out with boys while her parents are out of town, though. Why not stray slightly from every other plotline that has ever depicted this situation before? However, going too far doesn't work, either, as I had a tough time buying most of what happened while the kids were on the wine train!

Bob's Burgers "The Frond Files" (S4E12): Bob and Linda go to school night where they can't find Tina's, Louise's, and Gene's projects. Turns out, their essays were so creative that they were offensive, so they're hidden.

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Louise wrote about the principal having a Terminator-esque double who is after Louise. Gene wrote "Fart School for the Gifted," where he is constantly encouraging his classmates to pass gas. [the song had way more ways to say "fart" than I'd ever imagined!] Tina's is a horror piece, where she's a hall monitor and the basketball team has turned into zombies. Tina tossing her hair entrances them, and soon she's dating all 15 of them. [haha, very Tina!] In all, Mr. Frond is the villain, which upsets him. [well, yeah. mean teachers and principals are obvious choices for villains!]

Bob's Burgers "Mazel Tina" (S4E13): Tina wants to go to Tammy's bat mitzvah, but when she isn't invited, she asks Bob to cater it so she can attend, but he requires the whole family's help. At the event, Tammy is a bit crazed, and Louise takes advantage of the stressed party planner and convinces her to quit during the party. [how unprofessional!]  Tammy recruits Tina, while Louise decides to put guacamole into a giant Tammy head to look like boogers. But, she and Tammy get trapped inside and hoisted up, watching as Tina keeps the party going sans Tammy. [I'm a little impressed that Tina wasn't more obsessed with locating Tammy.] Hours go by, and Louise lets Tina have time to enjoy the party before using the headset to ask for help. But, Tina goes ahead with the ladies' choice dance instead of rescuing them, earning Tammy's wrath. [totally something a teenage girl would do - love how real it is!] Meanwhile, Bob and Linda sample the other caterer's foods and wind up crashing a wedding in another hall, leaving Gene alone to serve raw meat on buns. [at least he didn't try to grill the burgers!]

Bob's Burgers "Uncle Teddy" (S4E14): Linda and Bob go out of town for a conference and leave the kids in Teddy's care, due to lack of other options. [I'll say! though I thought this would be going the Uncle Buck route, LoL.] He doesn't do well entertaining them until he unclogs the kitchen sink and lets the kids play with the gunk. [gross!] Meanwhile, at the burger event, everyone hates Bob for netiquette. [there's a word that I thought had died out!] He and Linda decide to try making it a romantic getaway weekend, but there winds up being a fight over the jacuzzi. Before you know it, they're asked to leave. [aww.]

Back at home, Tina is crushing on Jonas, who delivers sandwiches for a local deli. She lets him know that her parents are out of town, and he suggests they throw a "gathering" in the restaurant. [you know, typical.] Tina even makes cheeseburgers by herself for Jonas and his friends. But, when she's caught and grounded, she decides to sneak out and go to the cove to meet the guys, where she winds up getting caught breaking into the lighthouse. [SO stereotypical!] Teddy tries to rescue her, but they all get caught when Bob and Linda come home from the trip early. [yep, that is exactly how you'd predict it would end!]

Bob's Burgers "Kids Rob a Train" (S4E15): The family takes a wine train, but the kids get locked in a small nearly-empty car with Rudy. [kinda sad that he's there all the time while his father dates.] The kids hatch a plan to get chocolate from the kitchen, which includes lying to the wait staff about Linda's birthday. In the process, they all wind up falling off the train, though they miraculously manage to get back on. They wind up getting caught, but the adult Belchers aren't exemplifying model behavior, either, as Bob winds up in a wine-off with a wine enthusiast! [haha, the spit bucket wine!]

Bob's Burgers: The Super Bowl

FOX is definitely hosting the SuperBowl this year! It is evident in their commercials, of course, but also in this week's episodes of The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, and a shot in American Dad. The biggest play, however, was definitely for the seaside town restauranteur, who decides to capitalize upon the huge audience of the event and drum up some business. It made for some funny burgers ("The Longest Chard" and "The Kale Mary") and a cute song, but it wasn't very substantial. Because it is a peculiar "holiday" to depict, it will probably get a lot of replay action, but I'm looking forward to something different for the Belchers.

Bob's Burgers "Easy Commercial, Easy Gommercial" (S04E11): When Jimmy Pesto is advertising to Superbowl watchers, Bob decides to do the same, starting a(nother) feud. Bob thinks that taking out a 15-second, $3,000 local commercial for the bi-county area will grow the business, and proceeds to empty his bank account to do it. [seems super cheap! though maybe the market is just that tiny there?] The family talks about commercial ideas, and decide on the slogan, "come meet our family, let us meet you," which gives Linda a chance to sing, and Louise a chance to write the script. [I kinda liked the saying at first, but it got old fast.] But, they only have four days, so Randy comes to direct and film the spot because he's cheap.

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When the final product turns out like garbage (the banner broke, Teddy didn't catch the burger, the singing isn't harmonized), Bob capitalizes on Teddy's former NFL acquaintance, Sandy Frye, to guest in the spot instead. [I wonder how Teddy knew him?] He removes most of the family to do it, but the bigger problem is that Jimmy does the same thing - with the same guy! [hahaha! and a third commercial ALSO features Frye!] Despite the fact that Bob was first, everyone thinks that Bob stole the idea from Jimmy, so Bob heads over there to yell at Jimmy during the big game. The family follows, and Gene winds up flooding the restroom when his "super bowel" wouldn't flush properly. [yeah, there was a hold-it-in storyline going on for four days as well... gross.]

Bob's Burgers: Louise Makes a Friend, Tina Tries Magic

Bob and Linda got married at City Hall as per a framed photo on their bedroom wall.They proceeded to have a little life together on the shore, with a (somehow) four-bedroom apartment above a burger joint. They filled those rooms with quirky, "lone wolf" offspring, the most individual of the three being young Louise, who isn't interested in having friends. Linda, being a sort-of social butterfly who wants the best for her kids in all areas, pushes Louise to make a BFF, and she actually does. An interesting story, and I hope we have more of Jessica in the future. The weird thing was, though, of the Belcher children, Louise probably interacts with other kids more than the other two combined, especially if you consider the neighborhood twins! Tina, on the other hand, really needs to find interests that aren't boys! Her obsession with Jimmy Junior passed "annoying" a long time ago, and it's only a matter of time before I start screaming at her on television to get a life! Gene is enough of an oddball that it works for me, though it wouldn't hurt him to have a pal or two.

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Bob's Burgers "Slumber Party" (S04E09): Linda tells Louise that she could have a slumber party to make a best friend, but the bunny-eared girl has no interest. So, Linda throws one anyway, despite the fact that Louise doesn't think any of the girls who attend are interesting. [she's such a cynic!] Linda leads activities like tie-dyeing and cupcake-decorating, but one kid goes to bed early (and pees her pj pants) and another freaks out about germs and wants to go home. While Bob takes the girl home, Louise works on getting the rest of the kids to leave, too. [I laughed pretty hard at that!] A story about Gene having a rough twin living in the basement sends one packing, and another leaves after Louise won't let her braid her hair. [what a strange reason to leave!] When it comes to giving the boot to the girl who went to bed early, though, it gets complicated.

Earlier, Linda accidentally picked up the peed pants with the other tie-dyed clothing bags, and the pee-er, Jessica, wakes up and goes looking for it, checking everywhere in the house. [I'd feel so awkward searching someone else's house for something!] Louise recruits Tina and Gene to help find her, as they can only hear her via walkie-talkie. It takes them a while, and Louise starts a pillow fight with Jessica, but that only lasts until a raccoon goes after her peed pants in a bag in the tub. [yeah, while all of this has been going on, Linda tries to rescue a raccoon from an alley fight, harbors it in the house, then gets Bob and Teddy to help get rid of the "bad" raccoon in the alley. A burger lured him out, and then a broom shoves out the raccoon seeking asylum.] Louise finds out the truth, and when she doesn't make fun of Jessica, the girls have a good time. [how mature of Louise!]

Bob's Burgers "Presto-Tina-O" (S04E10): There's a young magicians competition in town, and Jimmy Jr. is preparing. Louise doesn't like magic, but Tina tries to become Jimmy Jr.'s assistant. ["Is this your chard?" took me a second, but then I laughed.] Tina takes it seriously, going to a magic shop to rent a costume and picking up another trick for Jimmy Jr. But, he doesn't want her help and fires her, so she decides to become a competitor herself, aiming to succeed in a straight jacket trick. [why even start there? surely there must have been some impressive "level one" tricks, LoL?] When she learns that Tammy is now assisting Jimmy Jr., Tina decides to fight dirty and changes Jimmy Jr.'s music. [you know, because that's the #1 way kids sabotage one another in these sorts of things!] However, she decides to help him during the show, and they win for on-stage chemistry. [an awkward category for a young magicians' competition, no?]

Meanwhile, Bob offends the magicians when he tries to get them to order more than just fries at the restaurant. But, weird things start happening, and Bob tries to get even, only to fail when the magician predicted the actions perfectly. [bay leaf on a burger??]

Bob's Burgers: Teaching and Christmas

Only the Belchers would find themselves hiding in the woods on Christmas Eve from a trucker!

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and yet... I don't really find this show to be absurd. Sure, it's not realistic, but it's funny enough that I don't really care. Bob haphazardly taking over a class at the elementary school was also strange, but questioning it only removes the joy from the episode. Louise is confirmed to be nine years old, which is the age when I figured out that Santa wasn't real, so I completely believe that Bob is questioning how much his children still hold dearly. At the same time, however, Louise is easily the most street-smart of the Belcher children, and I'd bet on Gene being the one to follow his sisters' leads on ideas like Santa. It all makes me look forward to the next holiday on Bob's Burgers, though!  

Bob's Burgers "Bob and Deliver" (S04E07): The kids are with Bob at the restaurant supply store, but when they run into the guidance counselor, Bob winds up becoming a substitute Home Ec teacher. [do subs still make like $100/day?] Tina thinks she'll be Teacher's Pet, but she's not. [okra on a burger?] Bob soon learns that the kids in Home Ec aren't really learning to cook, they're kept busy with videos, so he gets them interested by making popcorn on the stove. [that was a good idea.] Before long, the kids are involved, and they even create a Home Ec-staurant. Tina gets frustrated that she isn't chosen for important jobs, so she transfers into metal shop. The rest of the school has the opposite reaction, and the eatery and class become so popular that Bob is asked to shut down. Conflicting with the cafeteria isn't enough, though, and he is soon forced to leave. [I'm surprised that Linda didn't do more to try and smooth things over! though, I guess she was busy teaching Teddy to dance...?] But, the kids miss him and make an A/V cart into a mobile food unit. [awww!] They grab Tina from the metal shop and get burgers going. [I guess a cute end to save the day?]

Bob's Burgers "Christmas in the Car" (S04E08): Linda got a Christmas tree on November 1st, so it dies by Thanksgiving. She gets another one, only for it to die on Christmas Eve, so she insists that the family drive an hour to find another one at the last minute. [Why couldn't Bob have stayed home to look after the ham if he was so concerned?] It doesn't take long to choose a tree from the puny remainders, but the car then gets stuck in the snow. [interesting conversation where Bob is trying to get Tina to expose how much she and her siblings still believe about Santa Claus.] They block and annoy a truck, whom they later wind up racing on the road. The Belchers stop for a bathroom break after spinning out of control in Bob's fury, but they wind up waiting a bit on a Dutchy baby that Linda orders from a diner. [I totally want to try one of those now!] The delays force Bob to ask Teddy to come over and turn off the oven, but he winds up falling for the kids' Santa traps, getting stuck in the kitchen for hours. [haha, a preemie like Jesus!] Meanwhile, as the family heads for home, they run into the trucker again, and have to drive like a maniac to hide in the snow, getting the car stuck again. [cute Nativity diorama.] It's after midnight when the trucker finally finds them, and he wants to beat up Bob. But, giving them the tree and the Dutch Baby alleviates his issues, and Christmas is saved. the dutch baby.

Bob's Burgers: Reuniting and Teaching

High school reunion episodes are my favorite, guys. Back when I was planning my own a few years ago, I struggled to understand how anyone wouldn't want to go. It took quite a few conversations with a dozen or so classmates before I understood. And, in all fairness, I would probably never attend a college reunion if enormous universities had those. I was involved in a dozen things, sure, but not very much in my actual departments, and don't keep in touch with very many of my classmates at all (even in the day and age of Facebook!). So, I was intrigued by Linda's hesitation to return to it all again, and her experience in choosing to give it a try. In fact, I was so wrapped up in the reunion part that the kids versus their babysitter downright annoyed me, as it took away from the plot I wanted, LoL!

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Bob's Burgers "Purple Rain-Union" (S04E06): 25 years ago, Linda's band performed at the high school talent show, and because they weren't that great, she doesn't want to re-live the experience at her high school reunion. [my high school didn't have talent shows. though, in all fairness, as a "music demonstration" school, probably two-third of the students played a musical instrument anyway, so the sign-up list probably would have been very long!] However, it doesn't take a lot to change her mind, and the kids assist in recruiting the other band members. While the kids beg to come to the reunion itself, Bob tries to get out of going, embarrassed by a pimple on his nose. Still, Bob gets dragged along while the kids are watched by Jen, much to Tina's dismay. [haha, I remember the distinction between being a long-term babysitter for my siblings and a short-term one!]

Louise bugs Jen to bring them to the reunion, where the winners of the talent show are surprisingly performing again. [seriously??] The kids tickle Jen to get her to agree, but Tina gets a black eye in the process. The kids all give one another black eyes so nothing is suspicious, then head off to meet Linda. [laughing so hard over here!] But, Linda has run away from the reunion because of the good band, and it is Jen who talks her into returning. [Gail singing about her long-lost crush was a smidgen awkward, though.]

Bob's Burgers "Bob and Deliver" (S04E07): When the kids are with Bob at the restaurant supply store, they run into the guidance counselor, who explains that Home Ec is no more. Bob winds up becoming the substitute teacher for the course, causing Tina to think she'll be Teacher's Pet. [okra on a burger?] Bob soon learns that the kids in Home Ec aren't really learning to cook, they're kept busy with videos. So, Bob makes popcorn on the stove to go along with the movie, interesting the students. Before long, the kids are legitimately cooking and their dishes in the Home Ec-sturaunt rival the cafeteria's. When Bob won't close the "restaurant," he's forced to leave, though the kids miss him and get him to return. [I'm hard-pressed to believe that the kids wouldn't be in bigger trouble for the popcorn incident, though!] He turns an A/V cart into a mobile food unit, and reunites with Tina, who had transferred to metal shop when she wasn't being chosen for important cooking jobs.

Meanwhile, Linda teaches Teddy to dance.

Bob's Burgers: Cats and Turkeys

I was pretty much Linda in this episode... I totally felt like barfing at what was happening! I couldn't understand how the turkey in the toilet was repeatedly happening, though the answer at the end of the episode was pretty cute, if not still partially disturbing.

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I did find it interesting that both Eve and Tina made cases to sit at the adults' Thanksgiving Dinner table this season, as that is a story that I don't remember seeing in the past. Everyone defaulting to Louise was also amusing, as was short-lived gag that Linda can't keep a secret. Oh! And I also hadn't realized (or maybe I had completely forgotten?) that Gail was Linda's SISTER... I always just thought they were BFFs. This made the song-and-dance number at the end much more exciting.

Bob's Burgers "Turkey in a Can" (S04E05): Gail is staying with the Belchers for Thanksgiving week, with her cats. The whole family is preparing for the holiday, with Tina wanting to wear lipstick, high heels, and sit at the adult's table, and Gene trying to write a holiday song. Meanwhile, Bob starts a three-day salt rub for the Thanksgiving turkey, but in the middle of the night, he finds the turkey in the commode. [gross!] Everyone thinks Louise did it, though she denies it. Bob starts over on a new turkey the next day, but the same thing happens in the night. [seriously??] So, back to the supermarket, where Bob buys two turkeys, a real one and a decoy. [LOVE it. he shouldn't have told anyone, even Linda, though.] But, both are destroyed. [again, seriously?!?!] Bob only told Linda about the decoy, but she can't keep things to herself and told everyone anyway. [haha!] Bob is pissed, and gets ANOTHER turkey. [haha that the guy at the deli thought Bob was interested in him!] During Thanksgiving Dinner, Bob falls asleep when Linda and Gail start singing a song, and he soon sleepwalks the turkey into the bathroom. [I'd probably drop it.] He acts as if it were preschool Tina, learning to toilet train. [whoa. didn't see that coming!] His actions were caused by the allergy pills he was taking to be around Gail's cats, and signified his unwillingness to let go of his little girl. [awwww!] 

Fun Friday: What the Rich People Watch

Yesterday, AVClub posted an article looking at the socioeconomic demographics of the Nielsen ratings - the top 20 shows watched by the highest-earning households, and the top 20 watched by the lowest-earning households, on average. I was thoroughly amused by which shows were on each list. Let's take a gander, first at what the high-earners watch:

Now, out of the 20 above, I regularly watch 5 of them (The Goldbergs, How I Met Your Mother, The Michael J. Fox Show, Trophy Wife, and The Middle), and occasionally tune in for one more (Shark Tank). Of the others on the list, there are several that I can't stand (Modern Family, Glee, Super Fun Night, and Nashville), and a bunch I've seen but don't care for (Castle, Parks and Rec, New Girl).

Now, at what the low-earners watch:

From this list, I only cover one series for this site: Bob's Burgers, the show with the lowest earners of them all. I watch The Simpsons occasionally, and tried both The Neighbors and Dads, though they weren't my cup of tea. I've seen American Dad and Family Guy in the past, and enjoyed America's Funniest Home Videos back in the early 1990s. The rest? I couldn't care less about.

Now, I don't really trust the Nielsen ratings anyway, so I take all of the information in the above charts with a grain of salt, but I still found it interesting enough to glance through and think about.

What about you - do you tend to watch the shows of the princes or the paupers?

Bob's Burgers: Bob and the Fraternity

I tend to enjoy more than half of the episodes of Bob's Burgers, but this one really bored me. Bob cooking for a fraternity was a great premise, and the fact that it's a geeky, rundown house just makes it better fodder. I even liked Bob being "rewarded" for his great meals with beer and "fellowship," and later for his driving with a drink out of a stuffed lizard.

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I'm also glad that Linda sent the kids with Bob, as her "party mode" was a bit disturbing. That said, as soon as the Belcher children show up, it's pretty much game over at the frat house. Things quickly slide downhill (mainly because it is also the entrance for Dr. Yap, the episode's antagonist), though not without some funny one-liners like Tina going spelunking in the giant man cave.

Bob's Burgers "My Big Fat Greek Bob" (S04E04): Bob is a substitute cook at a geeky fraternity house, and when the guys enjoy his burgers, they reward him with beer. [makes sense - that is generally the college currency.] Then, the kids ask Bob to drive them over to a rival frat house so they can put a fish in an air conditioning unit. As a reward for getting away with it, Bob gets to drink a beer from an old iguana, the organization's mascot. [um, ewww!] He has a good time and is soon singing karaoke. [that is some historian the group has!] Meanwhile, Linda hosts a "ladies' goods" party, and lies about her sex life to help make sales. [Linda is so go-with-the-flow, LoL!]

The next day, Linda has Bob bring the kids with him, and it turns out that their dentist is also there, as he stays in touch with the group. But, Dr. Yap is upset that the boys also look up to Bob now, so he pretends that the stuffed iguana has been stolen. A prank war is initiated while the Belcher children try to get into a "Room of Secrets," where they actually find Beta and learn the dentist staged the whole thing. [because television always has kids smarter than adults, LoL.] The pranks continue, even though Bob tries to put a stop to it, and a keg of spit explodes. [gross!] That's the end of the problems, though! Oh, and Linda winds up going to a second party and helping make sales there, too. [weird.]

Bob's Burgers: QuickieKissIt

Linda wants a more exciting life, something that has come up from time to time on this show, especially when her husband, Bob, has repeatedly shown no interest in anything more than his ordinary day-to-day life. Fortunately for him, their kids are always ready for an adventure, and plant more into his head than might be there, leading the entire family to face danger and excitement. I generally prefer episodes that center around the restaurant, or at least around the kids, but this wasn't bad. Plus, it's probably the last one focused on Bob and Linda's romantic life for a while...

Bob's Burgers "Seaplane!" (S04E03): Bob and Linda come back from a date night, and Linda is frustrated that they always go to the same place. [that's Bob for ya!] The next day, Linda signs them up for a flying lesson, but Bob is reluctant. Linda goes anyway and has a good time with her instructor, Kurt, though Bob imagines her hating the experience. [I'd love to see more about how they got together, LoL.] Mr. Fischoeder comes over and tells Bob about Kurt's "moves," so Bob and the kids head down to the docks and hop on a ferry to show Linda how much he cares. Meanwhile, Kurt has pretended that he had engine trouble, and is trying unsuccessfully to woo Linda with a champagne picnic and lute music.

When the Belchers get off the ferry, they're not at the right island, so they ask the mailman to take them to Quippiquisset... but as there are no residents there and he can only take them to a nearby island. They go for it, as Linda turns down Kurt's advances and they realize that the plane floated away. [haha. I don't know much about seaplanes, but I do know several people who have had similar mishaps with board, so that made me laugh.] On Chipchaw Island, the family steals a dinghy to get to Linda. [this is a weird version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.] Mr. Fischoeder shows up, towing the plane, and brings everyone back to safety. Except, Kurt and Fischoeder speed along and the plane goes aloft with the Belchers inside, and Bob has to cut them loose while Linda flies the plane and safely lands them. [I sincerely doubt it would have gone that smoothly.]

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Bob's Burgers: Halloween in a Box

My Halloween costumes were all homemade until I was 14 and wanted to buy something specific, except for one used only for a party when I was six. [that was when I was Rhinokey from The Wuzzles, by the way!] So, I thought that Bob and Linda slaving away on the dragon for their kids was adorable. The fact that the kids disappear for hours and Bob and Linda don't seem to be particularly worried is a problem, though. Regardless, it was a different and amusing Halloween episode, and definitely encapsulated the Belcher family's distinct personalities. Bob caring so much about the sequins warmed my heart, and the dragon's three tails really made me laugh. Though the "Chinese" aspect of the costume seemed to be completely lost, I still give the kids credit for wanting to be so close to one another all night! 

Bob's Burgers "Fort Night" (S04E02): The Belcher children aren't in costume on Halloween, because their Chinese Dragon costume isn't finished yet. They plan on working together to get extra candy, but Louise is being followed around by a girl named Millie, who wants Louise to dress as the "dust" to her "bunny." [cute that the girl idolizes her, though.] As the kids head home from school, Tina decides that this will be her final year trick-or-treating, as she's getting too old for that part of the holiday. [nah. with younger siblings, you can totally get away with it until you finish high school!] The kids stop by their fort on the way home to get the dragon's eyes, which Gene spray-painted. There, they look at Darryl's map of the neighborhood designed to maximize candy opportunities. [LoL, we didn't have one of those, but we did draw out the neighborhood and figure out the most efficient way to hit the most houses!] The kids are in the fort when a truck blocks it in, causing some panic with the kids and their friends. Millie comes to talk to Louise, but the youngest Belcher is at the end of her rope and yells at Millie, ruining their chances of getting out.

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Millie even makes it worse by putting fake spiders in the fort and then closing the adjacent dumpster so the kids can't get out through it. [the dumpster has a hole in it large enough to crawl through??] Darryl strikes a deal with Millie by passing notes through a slit, but he doesn't get out, either. [ha!] Linda and Bob finally finish the dragon costume, and head to the fort to look for the kids. But, Millie intercepts them and leads them away. [this shocked me! what a terrible kid!] Meanwhile, the kids are getting squished by a ramp on the truck, which they tried to life but pushed "down" instead of "up." The kids prop it open with some garbage, and it winds up creating a hole they crawl out of, just in time. By now, though, the houses on the streets have all stopped giving out candy, and the kids are forced to act like they died and use their ghosts to convince Millie into giving up her candy. [haha.]

NEW SHOW: Bob's Burgers: Camping Antics

This one is not a new series, but TheTalkingBox did not cover it during its first three seasons. Thanks to the internet, I'm all caught up on knowing what the Belcher family is all about, and have seen all of their antics to date. The characters are written very well, and this fourth season opener demonstrates that. Louise, albeit the youngest, rules the children, while Linda and Bob realize they have different strengths when it comes to running the family. In this instance, they're all out camping for Tina, but when the plan goes awry, the family members go through different stages of panic and acceptance in order to come together again. I wouldn't say this was the series' best episode or anything, but it does illustrate the dynamics well.

Bob's Burgers "A River Runs Through Bob" (S04E01): While camping, Bob is convinced that everything they need will be available in nature, but the rest of the family is skeptical. [meshuga = crazy in Yiddish, by the way.] Linda asks the neighboring campers (survivalists) for help, and they totally mooch off them. Later that night, after the kids are asleep, Linda and Bob try out a "warm spring," only they wind up being swept away by the river. [I don't understand why Linda didn't just let Bob go to relieve himself!] When they get back on the bank, Bob covers himself in leaves while Linda wears Bob's vest as a short dress, and they begin trekking back to the campsite. [ha! good thing Bob had that vest on!]

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In the morning, when they're not back, the kids steal tubes from the survivalists and head down the river to look for their parents. When they can't find them, they read their stolen survival guide to figure out what they should do - create a shelter and build a fire. The reason they didn't run across the rest of the family is because Bob and Linda realize they followed the wrong river for hours, and try to cross the hypotenuse back to camp. Meanwhile, Louise convinces Tina that an organized group like ThunderGirls are bad, and when they come across another troop, they tease them, and Tina renounces her membership. [that did seem a little out of character, but, of course, Tina isn't set in that opinion anyway...]

The next morning, Linda and Bob argue about which way camp is, so they split up. But, when Bob is in trouble, Linda goes back for him. [awww.] When they finally get back, the survivalists are upset that the Belcher kids stole their things, and try to get Linda and Bob to join their lifestyle. [that didn't really make sense... if you know the family CLEARLY isn't cut out to live on their own, why try to win them over??] Linda tries to get out the bathroom window, and when the kids see her, Tina drops a bee hive into the RV's vent to force the survivalists to let Linda and Bob go. [crazy ending, but I especially enjoyed Gene keeping Tina's ThunderGirls sash because it was satin!]

Where We Left Off...

As we did just before the 2012 fall season began, I thought it would be a good idea to refresh myself and our readers with what was going on at the end of last season with each of the regular-season series we cover. Now, many of the programs we tried last year wound up canceled (like Guys with Kids or The New Normal), and others we've given up on (like Elementary and Revolution), but several are sticking around, so let's get right to it... after all, they're coming back soon, starting Last Man Standing tonight!

Last Man Standing (ABC) Kristin gets a better waitressing job from an old friend (guest star Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and decides to get in apartment in LoDo with Ryan and Boyd. Mandy decides to go to University of Colorado-Denver, as a fashion major, with plans to later transfer to Long Beach University. Returns Friday, September 20th.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Marshall and Marvin head to Minnesota for a week before moving to Italy for Lily's job. Marshall is offered a position as a judge in New York. Ted has decided to sell his house and move to Chicago right after Barney and Robin's wedding, a mere 56 hours away. Special Note: the entire upcoming season of HIMYM will take place over a three-day period. Returns Monday, September 23rd.

2 Broke Girls (CBS) After discovering an extra room as part of the diner's property, Han hires Caroline to clean it. She and Max discover that there's a nice window, which they might be able to use to sell cupcakes once again. Plus, Sophie thinks that Oleg is getting too clingy. The current savings total is $1540.00. Returns Monday, September 23rd.

The Middle (ABC) Axl graduated from high school and received a car, Sue passed her driving test, and Brick finished elementary school. Returns Wednesday, September 25th.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Raj is now able to talk to women without drinking, but Lucy dumps him after he introduces her to Amy, a step in meeting his friends. Leonard will be working with Stephen Hawking in the North Sea for four months. Returns Thursday, September 26th.

...and, a new one! We're now going to be covering Bob's Burgers, which I caught up on during the past year thanks to Netflix, and really enjoy the non-MacFarlane FOX Animation Domination mainstay. Because the series doesn't really have an ongoing dialogue, there is no real "where we left off," however the last season did end with Tina becoming an espresso addict and Louise realizing she is starting to fall for boys. Returns Sunday, September 29th.

The sad news? This means that, of the 15 network pilots we tried out last year, 0 are on this list. Of course, of those, the only ones even returning are The Neighbors, Revolution, and Elementary, so that's not actually too bad. At the same time, however, it reminds us all of just how precarious it is for the new programs.

Fun Friday: My Potential Fall 2013 Watching Schedule

Now that we've looked at all of the upcoming pilots on the broadcast networks, it's time to see just how hard my DVR will be working! I was initially afraid that I wouldn't be able to get all of my hopefuls to fit with my in-progress series, but it seems that the networks are playing nice and not over-burdening me on any specific nights, though my Thursday is filling up fast! For a chart view of the schedule, check out TVbytheNumbers.

The broadcast networks ordered 49 series for next season, plus some miniseries and specials. After going through all of them, 16 interest me, which makes for a busy watching schedule, especially when you factor in the five returning broadcast network shows and the dozen or so cable shows we cover. Last year I picked out 15 new series (though Mistresses has yet to air and Crossbones is being counted again this year), so it's not as crazy a number as you might think.

Mondays I'm blocking 8-9:30 on CBS (How I Met Your Mother, We Are Men, 2 Broke Girls), and that's it. This is nice because it's the same block I started with last season (when Partners was in the 8:30pm slot), and because a lot of the cable shows I enjoy air on Mondays.

Tuesdays are all ABC with one CBS slot, the 8pm Dads. I'll be on ABC the entire three hours of primetime (S.H.I.E.L.D., The Goldbergs, and Lucky 7), except for 9:30's Trophy Wife.

Wednesdays have The Middle returning at 8pm on ABC, but are otherwise empty, unless I want to waste some time hate-watching Revolution on NBC at 8pm. I'm surprised that Wednesdays will be so bare!

Thursdays are busier than expected - I've got some CBS (The Big Bang Theory, The Crazy Ones, and Two and a Half just for fun), but I also have 8:30pm-10pm over on NBC, where they'll show Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves the World, and The Michael J. Fox Show.

Fridays has The Last Man Standing, plus The Neighbors if I want some guilty pleasure viewing.

Saturday has nothing for me, though I will be picking up Bob's Burgers on Sundays as it enters its fourth season. 

Why doesn't this sound so rough? Well, partly because a bunch of my selections are being held as midseason replacements or late starters, including Friends with Better Lives, Intelligence, Star-Crossed, About a Boy, The Family Guide, Undateable, and Crossbones. Let us know below how tough your own schedule will be!

Fun Friday: Bob's Many Burgers

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I love it when someone on the internet has started cataloging something that I'm interested in studying, especially if I stumble upon it by accident. Last week I was informed that there is a tumblr out there that collects the "Burger of the Day" jokes from Bob's Burgers. You know, the little specials that Bob writes on the chalkboard like this:

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I caught up on most of the FOX series (part of Sunday night's Animation Domination) in the past six months, thanks to Netflix (the first 13 episodes are on streaming or disc) and the show's late start to the season (beginning Sept. 30th). I'm still missing the nine episodes of season two, and though it's not my favorite show, I like it. I think the family dynamic is amusing, the kids genuinely funny (especially Gene and Louise), and the series is a bit different. I'm excited to have a site to check for all of the latest screen-captures, as I sometimes wonder if I missed a pun or something. In giving the tumblr a quick glance, I realized I never saw the sign in the window on the recent Christmas episode, marketing the "Home for the Challah-Days Burger." Hilarious!

Thinking back, I think my favorite was the "Hit Me With Your Best Shallot Burger" from S01E10 "Burger Wars." What about you?

What Happened to Animation Domination?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

FOX was supposed to run all new episodes tonight for The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show. But, because the NLCS required a Game #6 this year, all of those planned episodes have gotten pushed back so that the Giants can play the Cardinals at 7pm ET/4pm PT on FOX. Don't get excited about next week, either, as the upcoming World Series and a two-hour X-Factor special means most of Animation Domination will not air new episodes until November 11th, though The Cleveland Show will air November 4th.

What You're Missing Because the Giants Made a Comeback:

"Menace II Secret Society" is the second episode of the 4th season of The Cleveland Show. Cleveland decides to confront Kenny West about not sharing credit over a song that made him famous, "Be-Cleve in Yourself."

"Adventures in Baby-Getting" is the third episode in the 24th episode of The Simpsons. You may have seen previews for this highly-promoted episode, in which Marge wants to consider adding a fourth child to the family.

"The Old Man and the Big 'C'" is the third episode in the 11th season of Family Guy. Stewie and Brian discover that Lois's dad's company can cure cancer but has been keeping that classified in order to profit.

"Bob Fires the Kids" is the third episode of the 3rd season of Bob's Burgers. Bob feels bad that he's taking up all of the kids' vacation time, so he fires them... but they're so bored that they become "weed pickers" for a local farm.

"Can I Be Frank With You?" is the third episode of the 8th season of American Dad. Francine worries that she and Stan are growing apart while Steve and friends do a "boy band" music video.

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Also, most shows are not airing new episodes tomorrow night, either, because of the Presidential Debate at 9pm ET.