[7.3/10] You can tell how much of this they ended up repurposing for the first episode of the series. And it’s still funny! The rhythms of the show still work, the dynamics still work, and the humor still works. There’s a lot that needed to be polished, but a lot of what made the show funny, quirk, and endearing was right there from the jump.
The art style is pretty rough though. It’s a demo, so I don’t want to judge it too harshly. But if you grew up watching Science Court and the like, you'll recognize the style. It’s much more angular and exaggerated than even the stylized designs the show would settle into.
They also toned down the edgy stuff from this demo a bit, which is funny because I think of the earlier seasons as typically going for an edgier, more Adult Swim vibe than the more wholesome wavelength the show would eventually settle into.
Of course, the biggest difference in the demo is that Tina is a boy named Daniel. Frankly, it doesn’t change much given that Daniel’s a pretty minor part of the episode. But it’s still a little jarring in hindsight.
Otherwise, I appreciate the polish that this same basic story got in the real first episode, but you can also see what the studio execs saw in this demo that made them greenlight the show for more. The laughs are there. The off-beat but lovable family dynamic is there. And the patter and one-liners are there. Most pilots are rough, and this one is no exception, but it also points the way to the show Bob’s Burgers would become.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2023-02-25T06:10:19Z
[7.3/10] You can tell how much of this they ended up repurposing for the first episode of the series. And it’s still funny! The rhythms of the show still work, the dynamics still work, and the humor still works. There’s a lot that needed to be polished, but a lot of what made the show funny, quirk, and endearing was right there from the jump.
The art style is pretty rough though. It’s a demo, so I don’t want to judge it too harshly. But if you grew up watching Science Court and the like, you'll recognize the style. It’s much more angular and exaggerated than even the stylized designs the show would settle into.
They also toned down the edgy stuff from this demo a bit, which is funny because I think of the earlier seasons as typically going for an edgier, more Adult Swim vibe than the more wholesome wavelength the show would eventually settle into.
Of course, the biggest difference in the demo is that Tina is a boy named Daniel. Frankly, it doesn’t change much given that Daniel’s a pretty minor part of the episode. But it’s still a little jarring in hindsight.
Otherwise, I appreciate the polish that this same basic story got in the real first episode, but you can also see what the studio execs saw in this demo that made them greenlight the show for more. The laughs are there. The off-beat but lovable family dynamic is there. And the patter and one-liners are there. Most pilots are rough, and this one is no exception, but it also points the way to the show Bob’s Burgers would become.