Fox's The Bob's Burgers Movie, the show has created a strong fan base for itself and cemented itself as an adult animation staple. However, only some know that the original version would have resulted in a very different show.
Initially, while writing the now family-oriented Bob's Burgers, the creators felt that they needed something different to make their show stand out. So, they came up with the idea of a cannibalistic family who own a burger restaurant. Originally, the plan was that the Belchers would make the burgers from the bodies in the crematorium next door, serving up human burgers for their customers, à la Sweeney Todd. This certainly would've resulted in a much darker, raunchier Bob's Burgers. Fortunately, the initial cannibalistic idea was scrapped, and Bob's Burgers became a regular burger restaurant at the center of the beloved, wholesome show it is today.
That doesn't mean the writers didn't include seeds of that first idea, though. In the first Bob's Burgers episode, "Human Flesh," the writers poke fun at their original idea. The Bob's Burgers pilot episode begins with the health inspector, Hugo, placing a sign in the Belcher's restaurant window that their meat may contain human flesh. It isn't true, but he does so because he still has feelings for Linda, to whom he was engaged in the past. The sign drives the family's customers away while they wait for Hugo to run tests on the meat. At the end of the episode, despite the tests coming back clean, the Belchers begin to drum up business again from adventurous eaters wanting to try their human flesh burgers and keep the results a secret until after they've eaten.
Why Bob's Burgers Didn't Make The Belchers Cannibals
While pitching their show to Fox, however, network execs asked the creators if the cannibalistic element was needed as they had a great show and a fantastic cast without it. The creators agreed that the show didn't need that element to give the show an edge. Ultimately, the Bob's Burgers cannibal idea was traded in exchange for the more family-friendly, but still hilarious version that is about to release its 13th season. Bob's Burgers creator, Loren Bouchard even itted that he had only put the cannibalistic element in to appease what he thought the network would want.
With the immense popularity surrounding Bob's Burger's today, it's probably a good thing that the original plan was thrown out. It is interesting to imagine the Belcher family as cannibals, thought, given the lovable nature of the Belchers today. Viewers can look forward to more non-cannibalistic Bob's Burgers next month,
Bob's Burgers season 13 premieres Sunday, September 25, 2022 on Fox.