What Bob's Burgers Fans Noticed About The First Few Seasons

Any TV show that goes on for longer than a few seasons will experience some changes. It's only natural. Creative heads will swap places; new writers will be brought on board. One can only hope that they can keep the general essence of the show consistent throughout its run. 

The longer a show goes on, the harder this becomes. "The Simpsons" has famously gone through various stages since its golden years, and there's another animated sitcom on Fox that knows what it feels like to have some identity issues. "Bob's Burgers" has stayed the same at its core. It's fundamentally about the Belcher family who get into various shenanigans, whether they involve Bob trying to make enough money to keep his business afloat or the kids getting in trouble at school. 

It doesn't seem like one could deviate from that formula too significantly, but fans have taken to Reddit to point out one major difference between "Bob's Burgers" Season 1 and now. 

In a lot of instances, shows tend to get away with more the longer they've been on the air. Once they have a reputation under their belts, they have more leeway to get away with riskier jokes. Old "South Park" almost seems quaint compared to what the show gets away with now. 

However, according to some fans, "Bob's Burgers" went in the opposite direction. In one Reddit thread, viewers detail various jokes told within the first few episodes that are way raunchier than what the show typically deals with these days. Some of the jokes you'll find in the thread include several from the pilot episode, which involves the Belchers being accused of being cannibals. Tina's first line of that episode is even, "My crotch itches," which is something you probably wouldn't hear come out of her mouth anymore. Redditor u/Animated_Astronaut sums up many people's feelings with, "I kinda miss the earlier seasons edge. They go a bit ultra wholesome lately, and it's not bad I just like a mix."

There's no definitive answer for why this is the case. One possible explanation is that the show's creator, Loren Bouchard, wanted to make a show more suitable for all audiences. He has two children of his own with wife, Holly Kretschmar (via The New York Times), so it's possible he wanted the show to reflect his changing values. That's only speculation, though, and seeing how the show's been on the air for 12 seasons, it's clearly doing something right.