WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.919 Welcome to the Deep Dive, the place where we 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:03.439 cut through the noise and get straight to the 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.019 essential knowledge. Lay there. Today, we are 00:00:06.019 --> 00:00:09.140 doing a deep exploration into the creative and 00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:12.339 career journey of someone really unique in animation, 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.580 an American animator, writer, producer, composer. 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:17.739 We're talking Lauren L. Bouchard. You probably 00:00:17.739 --> 00:00:21.199 know his work. If you follow modern adult animation 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:23.519 at all, I mean, he's the force behind stuff like 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.199 Dr. Katz, professional therapist. Right, that 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:28.519 foundational improv humor. And then home movies. 00:00:29.100 --> 00:00:31.980 Total cult classic. Definitely. And, of course, 00:00:32.020 --> 00:00:35.240 the massive one, Bob's Burgers. Multi -Emmy winning. 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:38.679 Just a cultural touchstone now. Absolutely. So 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:40.759 our mission today is pretty specific. We want 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:43.500 to trace the full path of his career, which you'll 00:00:43.500 --> 00:00:46.600 see is often really unexpected. We need to unpack 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:50.280 who influenced him, understand how a particular 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.259 technical style really defined his early approach. 00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.840 That's key. And look at how his very distinct 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:58.240 character -driven comedy evolved, especially 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:00.560 leading up to something as huge as Bob's Burgers. 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:03.640 And we have to start with what might be the most 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:06.000 surprising thing for you listening. Unlike a 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.819 lot of animation giants, you know, who go the 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:12.000 film school route. Bouchard, high school dropout. 00:01:12.359 --> 00:01:14.819 It's incredible, right? His path wasn't about 00:01:14.819 --> 00:01:17.819 academic credentials at all. Not in the slightest. 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:21.780 It was more about serendipity and finding the 00:01:21.780 --> 00:01:23.659 right collaborators at just the right moment. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.340 That really frames this whole story differently, 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.519 doesn't it? It's such a non -traditional success 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:31.200 narrative. Just for context, Bouchard was born 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:34.920 around 1969, maybe 1970, in New York City. Grew 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:36.920 up mostly in Medford, Massachusetts. So he's 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:41.519 about 54, 55 now? Yeah. and an interesting little 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:44.819 background detail, born to a Jewish mother and 00:01:44.819 --> 00:01:47.859 a Catholic father. You wonder if that mix maybe 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:50.980 subtly influenced his interest later in these 00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:53.260 diverse kind of struggling families? Could be, 00:01:53.319 --> 00:01:55.819 yeah. Interesting mix. Okay, so the fact he dropped 00:01:55.819 --> 00:01:58.640 out makes that big turning point in 1993 feel 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:00.640 almost like something out of a movie. It really 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:02.799 does. Because this wasn't some calculated career 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.280 move. It was pure chance. He was literally working 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:07.560 behind a bar. That's right. Just bartending. 00:02:08.110 --> 00:02:11.689 Imagine pouring drinks and in walks his old grade 00:02:11.689 --> 00:02:14.889 school teacher, Tom Snyder. Yep. Tom Snyder. 00:02:14.889 --> 00:02:16.870 And that one single conversation just changed 00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:18.930 the whole trajectory. Wow. Snyder was setting 00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:20.909 up his animation company at the time, Soup Toonuts. 00:02:21.009 --> 00:02:22.870 You might remember them. Oh, yeah. And he just 00:02:22.870 --> 00:02:24.729 asked Bouchard basically, hey, are you still 00:02:24.729 --> 00:02:26.870 drawing? Just like that. An offhand question. 00:02:27.030 --> 00:02:29.990 Pretty much. And when Bouchard said yes, Snyder 00:02:29.990 --> 00:02:32.169 offered him work on some animated shorts they 00:02:32.169 --> 00:02:35.629 were doing. That connection. It's the whole foundation. 00:02:35.870 --> 00:02:38.479 Without that moment. Nothing else happens. It 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:40.780 really shows how important those mentor figures 00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:43.680 can be, especially trying to break into creative 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:46.340 field. Yeah. It's not always about the resume. 00:02:46.419 --> 00:02:49.120 And those initial shorts, they didn't stay shorts 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.740 for long, did they? No, they evolved pretty quickly 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:55.020 into Bouchard's first actual series, Dr. Katz, 00:02:55.020 --> 00:02:56.699 Professional Therapist. Which became a Comedy 00:02:56.699 --> 00:02:59.780 Central staple, ran for six seasons. Yeah, 1995 00:02:59.780 --> 00:03:03.759 to 2000. A good long run. Now. This is where 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:05.740 we need to talk about that technical style you 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:09.120 mentioned. The look of that show was unique. 00:03:09.460 --> 00:03:11.740 Ah, Squiggle Vision. Yes. Yeah. That was the 00:03:11.740 --> 00:03:13.560 soup to nuts signature. For anyone listening 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:17.360 who doesn't know, it's this proprietary limited 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:21.620 animation style where the lines of the characters 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:24.439 are constantly sort of shimmering, wiggling. 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:27.800 Right. It looks almost unstable. Why that specific 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:30.379 kind of low budget look? Was there a creative 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:34.110 reason? Honestly. It was mostly financial. Cable 00:03:34.110 --> 00:03:36.289 animation in the 90s didn't have huge budgets. 00:03:36.689 --> 00:03:39.370 Traditional animation, fluid stuff is super expensive, 00:03:39.509 --> 00:03:42.169 takes forever. Squiggle Vision let them cut corners 00:03:42.169 --> 00:03:44.210 on the visual. Focus somewhere else. Exactly. 00:03:44.210 --> 00:03:47.449 On the sound, the dialogue. Because the animation 00:03:47.449 --> 00:03:49.750 was so basic, they could record the voice actors 00:03:49.750 --> 00:03:52.169 first, often doing semi -improvised sessions, 00:03:52.349 --> 00:03:54.849 and then animate the visuals around that dialogue 00:03:54.849 --> 00:03:57.229 track relatively quickly. Ah, okay. That makes 00:03:57.229 --> 00:03:59.310 total sense. So it was a workaround that actually 00:03:59.310 --> 00:04:01.650 shaped his whole approach. Absolutely. That became 00:04:01.650 --> 00:04:04.169 his training ground. His early experience on 00:04:04.169 --> 00:04:06.629 Dr. Katz, producer, writer, editor for, what, 00:04:06.669 --> 00:04:09.650 47 episodes? It wasn't just about writing jokes. 00:04:09.949 --> 00:04:12.710 It was about learning how to build a show around 00:04:12.710 --> 00:04:15.590 brilliant... spontaneous voice actors. Like H. 00:04:15.669 --> 00:04:18.550 John Benjamin, Jonathan Katz. Right. Managing 00:04:18.550 --> 00:04:21.670 them in that improv environment. He always credits 00:04:21.670 --> 00:04:24.509 Katz, Benjamin, and Snyder as huge influences. 00:04:24.829 --> 00:04:28.089 And the key takeaway is they influenced his method, 00:04:28.269 --> 00:04:31.350 prioritized the authentic performance, the voice, 00:04:31.490 --> 00:04:34.810 over slick animation. And that thread runs straight 00:04:34.810 --> 00:04:37.670 through to Bob's Burgers, obviously. Correctly. 00:04:38.350 --> 00:04:40.509 And the industry noticed pretty quick. The recognition 00:04:40.509 --> 00:04:43.389 came fast. Yeah, he got his first major award 00:04:43.389 --> 00:04:46.550 almost immediately, a Cable Ace Award in 1995 00:04:46.550 --> 00:04:50.129 for Dr. Katz. Wow. Think about that. He goes 00:04:50.129 --> 00:04:52.410 from bartending to winning an industry award 00:04:52.410 --> 00:04:54.649 in less than two years. It proved that formula 00:04:54.649 --> 00:04:56.870 of the squiggle vision aesthetic plus top tier 00:04:56.870 --> 00:04:59.350 improv comedy worked. And while Dr. Katz was 00:04:59.350 --> 00:05:01.589 taking off, he was also involved in another Soup 00:05:01.589 --> 00:05:03.750 to Nuts project around that time. Something different. 00:05:03.930 --> 00:05:06.750 Yeah, in 97, they did Science Court. showed the 00:05:06.750 --> 00:05:08.790 range of what Soup to Nuts was doing. Jim Anscourt, 00:05:08.889 --> 00:05:11.389 I vaguely remember that. Educational. Exactly. 00:05:11.670 --> 00:05:14.310 An animated educational series, but still using 00:05:14.310 --> 00:05:16.509 that Squiggle Vision style. Bouchard was producer 00:05:16.509 --> 00:05:18.629 and director for 12 episodes. And did that get 00:05:18.629 --> 00:05:21.230 any attention? It did, actually. Got a TCA Award 00:05:21.230 --> 00:05:24.649 nomination in 98. Outstanding achievement in 00:05:24.649 --> 00:05:27.029 children's programming. Interesting. So even 00:05:27.029 --> 00:05:29.970 early on, he wasn't just the adult comedy guy. 00:05:30.149 --> 00:05:32.230 Right. He was proving he could handle different 00:05:32.230 --> 00:05:34.649 formats, different audiences, even under those 00:05:34.649 --> 00:05:37.389 technical constraints of limited animation. He 00:05:37.389 --> 00:05:39.829 was a capable producer and director, period. 00:05:40.129 --> 00:05:42.990 Okay, so as Dr. Katz was winding down, Bouchard 00:05:42.990 --> 00:05:45.550 didn't really miss a beat. He transitioned straight 00:05:45.550 --> 00:05:47.610 into his next big thing, the one that really 00:05:47.610 --> 00:05:50.629 cemented that early cult following, home movies. 00:05:50.829 --> 00:05:54.370 Ah, home movies, yes. And crucially, co -created 00:05:54.370 --> 00:05:56.889 with Brendan Small. That partnership seems really 00:05:56.889 --> 00:05:59.430 important. It was critical. Brendan Small, who 00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:01.949 also voiced the main character, Brendan, he helped 00:06:01.949 --> 00:06:05.430 lock in that uniquely awkward, sort of mumbled, 00:06:05.430 --> 00:06:07.529 character -driven rhythm Bouchard was developing. 00:06:07.610 --> 00:06:09.389 And Bouchard's involvement was total, right? 00:06:09.470 --> 00:06:12.930 Oh, yeah. All in. Across 52 episodes, writer, 00:06:13.129 --> 00:06:15.529 executive producer, director, and co -composer 00:06:15.529 --> 00:06:17.910 for the theme music, he even voiced a character, 00:06:18.069 --> 00:06:20.980 Josie Small. There's that holistic approach again, 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:23.879 wanting control over all the elements. But the 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:27.620 story of Home Movie's launch, it's kind of a 00:06:27.620 --> 00:06:30.779 classic case of network TV just not getting it. 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:33.459 Oh, it's a huge lesson in development hell. Or 00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:34.980 maybe development heaven, depending on how you 00:06:34.980 --> 00:06:38.180 look at it. Yeah. UPN, a major network, actually 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:39.959 picked it up initially. Which must have felt 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:43.180 like a big win. Huge. But UPN had absolutely 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:45.439 zero patience. They aired, what, five episodes? 00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:48.079 Only five. And then dropped it. Low ratings. 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:51.360 Maybe they just didn't understand that slow observational 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.660 humor. It wasn't loud enough for network TV then. 00:06:53.819 --> 00:06:56.019 So effectively canceled almost right out of the 00:06:56.019 --> 00:06:58.899 gate. How did it end up becoming such a beloved 00:06:58.899 --> 00:07:04.279 pulp show? Enter Adult Swim. This is where Bouchard's 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.439 career really pivots towards its modern path. 00:07:06.620 --> 00:07:08.339 Right. Adult Swim was just starting to carve 00:07:08.339 --> 00:07:10.579 out its niche then. Exactly. They were building 00:07:10.579 --> 00:07:13.180 their brand on weird, unconventional, maybe failed 00:07:13.180 --> 00:07:16.509 network shows. They saw that lack of mainstream 00:07:16.509 --> 00:07:19.610 appeal in home movies not as a flaw, but as its 00:07:19.610 --> 00:07:21.790 strength. So they rescued it. They did. They 00:07:21.790 --> 00:07:23.470 aired the rest of season one. The eight episodes 00:07:23.470 --> 00:07:25.689 UPN didn't show. And then they ordered three 00:07:25.689 --> 00:07:28.490 more full seasons. It ran until 2004, thanks 00:07:28.490 --> 00:07:31.350 to them. Wow. So sometimes failing on a big stage 00:07:31.350 --> 00:07:33.410 is just a sign you're meant for a different, 00:07:33.490 --> 00:07:36.949 maybe better stage. Absolutely. Adult Swim was 00:07:36.949 --> 00:07:39.910 the right home. It let the show breathe. It allowed 00:07:39.910 --> 00:07:42.649 that distinct rhythm, those long pauses, the 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:45.470 awkward but realistic conversations to really 00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:48.790 land. And you can feel the DNA of Dr. Katz in 00:07:48.790 --> 00:07:51.410 that rhythm, right? That prioritizing the natural 00:07:51.410 --> 00:07:54.370 dialogue. Totally. Home Movies is slower. It 00:07:54.370 --> 00:07:56.589 finds humor in the effort of communication, not 00:07:56.589 --> 00:07:59.230 just punchlines. And that lo -fi vibe carried 00:07:59.230 --> 00:08:01.230 into the music, too. Yeah, the theme song is 00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:04.329 so simple and memorable. Right. Bouchard's score 00:08:04.329 --> 00:08:08.220 and theme, it's simple, jazzy. A little melancholic 00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:11.339 almost. Perfectly fit the show's grounded, slightly 00:08:11.339 --> 00:08:13.860 sad feel. But even after getting four seasons 00:08:13.860 --> 00:08:16.420 on Adult Swim, success didn't automatically lead 00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:18.839 to the next green light, did it? No. That's the 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:20.920 reality of the business. Even with a hit like 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:23.339 Home Movies, the next project isn't guaranteed. 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:26.079 He developed a pilot right after called Saddle 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.259 Rash. Saddle Rash. Never heard of it. Exactly. 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:30.680 It didn't get picked up. A temporary setback 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:33.399 forced another pivot. And he pivoted back towards 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.889 that Adult Swim sensibility. He did. Back to 00:08:36.889 --> 00:08:39.490 his strengths, that experimental, dialogue -heavy 00:08:39.490 --> 00:08:42.269 style with Lucy, the daughter of the devil. Right. 00:08:42.350 --> 00:08:45.149 That show is definitely out there. Yeah, concept 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:49.490 alone. Lucy's dad is literal of Satan. It really 00:08:49.490 --> 00:08:51.970 shows him leaning into the creative freedom Adult 00:08:51.970 --> 00:08:54.289 Swim offered. And that took a while to get going, 00:08:54.370 --> 00:08:57.029 too. It did. The pilot was made in 2005, but 00:08:57.029 --> 00:08:58.870 the show didn't actually debut as a weekly series 00:08:58.870 --> 00:09:03.559 until September 2007. Nearly two years. It shows 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:05.539 you how long development can take, even for established 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:07.700 creators on cable. And again, his fingerprints 00:09:07.700 --> 00:09:10.720 were all over it. Oh yeah. Writer, EP, director, 00:09:10.899 --> 00:09:13.679 composer, and he even voiced a character, Classmate. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.700 By this point, the pattern is clear. Bouchard 00:09:16.700 --> 00:09:19.440 is an auteur. He needs that control over the 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:22.000 writing, the look, the direction, and crucially 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.620 the sound. The music is just as important as 00:09:24.620 --> 00:09:26.649 the script for him. That musical element keeps 00:09:26.649 --> 00:09:29.330 coming up. Always. And before we get to the Bob's 00:09:29.330 --> 00:09:31.610 Burgers era, worth noting a couple of side things 00:09:31.610 --> 00:09:34.009 that show his reputation was growing. Consulting 00:09:34.009 --> 00:09:35.970 producer on The Ricky Gervais Show. Yeah, for 00:09:35.970 --> 00:09:39.029 season one on HBO in 2010. That's fascinating. 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:41.830 It is. Shows that high profile people were seeking 00:09:41.830 --> 00:09:45.279 out his specific expertise. He's the guy you 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:47.320 call when you need help structuring animation 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:50.740 around spontaneous improv heavy audio. That's 00:09:50.740 --> 00:09:53.080 his wheelhouse, built from Dr. Katz and home 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:55.320 movies. Makes sense. Plus, you see those little 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:57.340 voice acting gigs popping up here and there. 00:09:57.779 --> 00:10:01.000 Rondo and Mr. Bean. Teddy and my gym partner's 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:03.600 a monkey. He's just always in that world, staying 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:05.379 connected to the craft of animation and voice 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:07.299 performance. All right, let's get to it. The 00:10:07.299 --> 00:10:10.019 show that really broke through, transcended cult 00:10:10.019 --> 00:10:12.940 status, became a genuine cultural phenomenon. 00:10:13.930 --> 00:10:16.990 2009, Bouchard teams up with Jim Dotterive. Yeah, 00:10:17.070 --> 00:10:20.529 Jim Dotterive. Powerhouse producer and writer, 00:10:20.669 --> 00:10:22.750 crucially, from King of the Hill. That connection 00:10:22.750 --> 00:10:24.750 seems deliberate. Oh, I think it was strategic. 00:10:25.230 --> 00:10:27.190 Partnering with a King of the Hill alum immediately 00:10:27.190 --> 00:10:30.070 signals something, right? A commitment to maybe 00:10:30.070 --> 00:10:33.110 more grounded, family -focused humor. Moving 00:10:33.110 --> 00:10:35.470 slightly away from the pure weirdness of early 00:10:35.470 --> 00:10:38.330 adult swim. But the core idea, the genesis of 00:10:38.330 --> 00:10:40.269 Bob's Burgers, that came from a really personal 00:10:40.269 --> 00:10:42.970 place for Bouchard, didn't it? Back to that theme 00:10:42.970 --> 00:10:44.950 you mentioned earlier. The blue collar creative. 00:10:45.250 --> 00:10:48.549 Absolutely. This is the heart of the show. Explain 00:10:48.549 --> 00:10:50.730 that. Where did it come from? Well, Bouchard's 00:10:50.730 --> 00:10:52.830 talked about growing up in a working class family. 00:10:53.889 --> 00:10:57.409 And he felt that kind of life where people maybe 00:10:57.409 --> 00:10:59.529 struggle financially, but we're still creative, 00:10:59.590 --> 00:11:03.590 still engaged, was just missing from TV. Yeah. 00:11:03.629 --> 00:11:07.000 TV families were often either like. Goofy suburban 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:10.460 sitcoms or really dysfunctional dramas. Exactly. 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:13.179 Parents were idiots or they were miserable. Yeah. 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:15.919 He wanted to portray a family that, yeah, had 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.340 money worries, constant economic anxiety, but 00:11:19.340 --> 00:11:21.679 was also fundamentally loving and found ways 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:24.659 to be creative out of necessity or just spirit. 00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:27.279 Let's break that down, though. How do you see 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:30.220 that blue collar creative idea actually playing 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:31.720 out with the Belchers? Because I think that's 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:33.419 why people connect so hard. Oh, it's everywhere. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.799 I mean, first, the constant struggle. They're 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:37.639 always almost losing the restaurant, needing 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:39.919 the kids to work, hatching these kind of desperate 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:42.000 schemes to make rent. Right. The stakes feel 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.000 real. But then look at their creative outlets. 00:11:44.659 --> 00:11:47.519 Bob pours all his artistic energy into the burgers, 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:51.070 right? The punny names, the craft of it, the 00:11:51.070 --> 00:11:53.750 sweet child of Weinberger, the poutine on the 00:11:53.750 --> 00:11:56.450 Ritz burger. That's his art in this little struggling 00:11:56.450 --> 00:11:59.289 business. And Linda. Linda's constantly bursting 00:11:59.289 --> 00:12:02.470 into song, these amazing, slightly off -key musical 00:12:02.470 --> 00:12:06.110 numbers about everyday life. Or she's organizing 00:12:06.110 --> 00:12:08.710 these elaborate, super low -budget family dinner 00:12:08.710 --> 00:12:12.309 theaters or holiday pageants. It's creativity 00:12:12.309 --> 00:12:15.049 born from constraint and from joy. And importantly, 00:12:15.129 --> 00:12:17.029 they're not cynical about their situation, are 00:12:17.029 --> 00:12:19.320 they? Not really, no. That's a key difference 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:21.700 from maybe some other adult animated shows. The 00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:24.240 Belchers Their love for each other is never, 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:26.879 ever the butt of the joke. Right. The humor comes 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:29.139 from the outside world or their individual quirks, 00:12:29.139 --> 00:12:31.059 but not from mocking the family bond itself. 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:33.679 Exactly. Their loyalty, even when everything's 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:36.299 falling apart, is solid. That warmth, that authentic 00:12:36.299 --> 00:12:38.759 working class core, that's what Bouchard wanted 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:40.919 to put on screen. And Fox saw something in it. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:42.919 They put it on their main primetime schedule 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:46.039 for 2010 -2011. Even gave it a special Thanksgiving 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:49.039 preview, airing in November 2010. Yeah, they 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:50.799 gave it a real shot. But here's the twist we 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:54.080 need to dig into. It didn't exactly explode out 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:57.379 of the gate. The initial reviews were kind of 00:12:57.379 --> 00:13:00.679 meh. Isn't that wild? A show that feels so essential 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:04.500 now started off lukewarm. But yeah, the premiere 00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:06.539 got mixed reviews. Metacritic's score was only 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:09.279 like 54 out of 100. Why do you think that was? 00:13:09.340 --> 00:13:11.440 What were critics missing? Well, you gotta remember 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:14.220 the context. This was peak Family Guy South Park 00:13:14.220 --> 00:13:17.799 era. Critics... maybe audiences too, were kind 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:20.879 of conditioned to expect faster pacing, cutaway 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:24.220 gags, shock value, maybe more cynicism. And Bob's 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:26.240 Burgers wasn't delivering that. Not at all. It 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:28.919 felt slower, maybe a bit weirder to them. And 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:31.799 honestly, maybe. Too nice. Didn't have that sharp 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:34.019 edge they were used to. So what turned the tide? 00:13:34.259 --> 00:13:36.360 Why did critics and audiences eventually come 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:38.419 around so strongly? I think it just took a little 00:13:38.419 --> 00:13:40.419 time for people to adjust their expectations 00:13:40.419 --> 00:13:42.799 and see what the show was doing rather than what 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.669 it wasn't. As the first and second seasons progressed, 00:13:46.029 --> 00:13:48.230 the writers really doubled down on the character 00:13:48.230 --> 00:13:50.769 development, the specific voices, the relationships. 00:13:50.769 --> 00:13:53.029 People started to appreciate the rhythm. Exactly. 00:13:53.590 --> 00:13:55.809 Critics realized the humor wasn't about shock. 00:13:56.090 --> 00:13:59.450 It was about the dialogue, the wordplay, those 00:13:59.450 --> 00:14:02.389 awkward, funny, Bouchard -esque rhythms we talked 00:14:02.389 --> 00:14:05.250 about from Dr. Katzenholm movies. It was quieter 00:14:05.250 --> 00:14:07.990 but smarter. So it found its audience and its 00:14:07.990 --> 00:14:10.649 critical appreciation. Yeah, and now it's often 00:14:10.649 --> 00:14:13.289 called a spiritual successor to King of the Hill. 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:15.759 Right. Because it shares that grounded feeling, 00:14:15.899 --> 00:14:18.159 that focus on character and family stability 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:22.379 over just like random chaos. And Bouchard's role 00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:26.000 in keeping that specific tone consistent. It's 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.519 huge. He's not just the creator on paper. Oh, 00:14:28.539 --> 00:14:30.519 he's the architect. Absolutely. Yeah. He controls 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:32.460 the whole texture. He composed the main theme 00:14:32.460 --> 00:14:35.519 music, that iconic, simple kind of ukulele driven 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:38.159 tune. That's him. I didn't know he actually composed 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:40.440 that. Yep. He's a writer, co -developer, executive 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.299 producer. He doesn't just hire a composer. He's 00:14:42.299 --> 00:14:44.600 the sound of the show in many ways. Wow. And 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:46.539 he still gets in the booth. He voices Mickey 00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:48.940 sometimes. He actually took over that role from 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:51.720 Bill Hader in the episode Beach, Please. No kidding. 00:14:51.980 --> 00:14:55.320 H. John Benjamin, now Bill Hader. He works with 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:58.080 the best. Always has. And the ultimate proof 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:01.019 of the show's enduring power and appeal came 00:15:01.019 --> 00:15:04.649 in 2022. with the Bob's Burgers movie. The leap 00:15:04.649 --> 00:15:07.149 to the big screen. Yeah, that was a massive moment. 00:15:07.289 --> 00:15:09.490 And a huge step for Bouchard personally, wasn't 00:15:09.490 --> 00:15:14.330 it? Huge. It was released May 27, 2022. And incredibly, 00:15:14.629 --> 00:15:17.429 it was his feature film directorial debut. Never 00:15:17.429 --> 00:15:20.710 directed a movie before. But he tackled it with 00:15:20.710 --> 00:15:23.590 that same obsessive, comprehensive control he 00:15:23.590 --> 00:15:26.350 brings to the show. Looking at the credits for 00:15:26.350 --> 00:15:28.990 the movie, it's almost comical how much he did. 00:15:29.090 --> 00:15:31.629 It really drives home that auteur point. It's 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:33.870 insane, right? He's credited as director, writer, 00:15:33.970 --> 00:15:37.970 producer. Okay, that's standard. But then, music 00:15:37.970 --> 00:15:40.190 and lyrics, additional score arrangements, additional 00:15:40.190 --> 00:15:42.169 music, musician, vocalist, and song producer. 00:15:42.289 --> 00:15:44.370 He basically was the movie's entire sound department, 00:15:44.490 --> 00:15:47.490 too. Pretty much. He was the guardian, ensuring 00:15:47.490 --> 00:15:50.070 that jump to cinemas didn't lose the show's delicate 00:15:50.070 --> 00:15:52.750 balance. It needed bigger musical numbers, higher 00:15:52.750 --> 00:15:55.009 stakes, but it still had to feel like the Belchers. 00:15:55.110 --> 00:15:57.370 And he pulled it off, proved he could handle 00:15:57.370 --> 00:16:00.279 that massive scale. So the massive success of 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.539 Bob's Burgers obviously gave him the clout to 00:16:02.539 --> 00:16:06.980 do more to expand his animated universe. Let's 00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:09.559 talk about Central Park. Yes, Central Park, which 00:16:09.559 --> 00:16:13.899 ran 2020 to 2022 on Apple TV+. That felt like 00:16:13.899 --> 00:16:15.759 a different kind of project, didn't it? It really 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.559 did. A fascinating contrast. It still has that 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.519 Bouchard focus on character and heart. But visually, 00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:25.679 musically, much grander. Exactly. This was him 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:28.889 stepping into big budget. prestige streaming 00:16:28.889 --> 00:16:32.269 animation, and specifically embracing the full 00:16:32.269 --> 00:16:34.590 -blown animated musical format, like seriously 00:16:34.590 --> 00:16:36.929 musical. That's a huge creative leap from the 00:16:36.929 --> 00:16:39.070 sort of charming simplicity of Bob's Burgers 00:16:39.070 --> 00:16:41.289 songs. It really is. On Central Park, again, 00:16:41.350 --> 00:16:43.330 he was creator, writer, executive producer, and 00:16:43.330 --> 00:16:45.789 naturally... Main theme composer. Main theme 00:16:45.789 --> 00:16:47.809 composer, of course. But the musical style was 00:16:47.809 --> 00:16:50.370 much more polished, complex, leaning into almost 00:16:50.370 --> 00:16:52.809 Broadway -level compositions, working with big 00:16:52.809 --> 00:16:55.210 names like Kate Anderson and Alyssa Samsel. So 00:16:55.210 --> 00:16:57.490 it shows his range, his versatility. Totally. 00:16:57.590 --> 00:17:00.629 He can do the lo -fi improv -based stuff of Dr. 00:17:00.850 --> 00:17:04.390 Katz, the quirky little jazz tins of Bob's Burgers, 00:17:04.390 --> 00:17:08.450 but he can also oversee these lush, expansive 00:17:08.450 --> 00:17:12.230 musical numbers for a top -tier streamer. He's 00:17:12.230 --> 00:17:14.869 fluent in multiple animation languages, musically 00:17:14.869 --> 00:17:17.390 and visually. Then there's also The Great North, 00:17:17.529 --> 00:17:20.680 which started in 2021, still going strong. And 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:23.380 his role there signals another kind of evolution, 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:25.799 doesn't it? I think so, yeah. This is a really 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:28.240 important distinction. On The Great North, he's 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:31.279 credited as an executive producer. But not creator 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:34.279 or showrunner. Exactly. That's the Mulaney sisters, 00:17:34.660 --> 00:17:36.839 Wendy and Lizzie, who came from Bob's Berkers, 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.299 along with Minty Lewis. So here, Bouchard is 00:17:39.299 --> 00:17:41.079 stepping back slightly. From being the hands 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:43.630 -on auteur of everything. Right. It suggests 00:17:43.630 --> 00:17:46.430 a shift. He's using the platform, the infrastructure, 00:17:46.630 --> 00:17:48.430 maybe the creative culture he built with Bob's 00:17:48.430 --> 00:17:51.450 Burgers to champion other creative teams. More 00:17:51.450 --> 00:17:53.589 like a mentor or a patron figure. Kind of, yeah. 00:17:53.930 --> 00:17:56.190 Ensuring that same standard of character -driven, 00:17:56.289 --> 00:17:58.890 heartfelt humor continues, but empowering others 00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:01.269 to lead it. It's a natural progression for a 00:18:01.269 --> 00:18:03.990 successful showrunner. Okay, so if you had to 00:18:03.990 --> 00:18:07.130 synthesize it across these big projects, Bob's, 00:18:07.210 --> 00:18:11.269 Central Park, Great North. What's the undeniable 00:18:11.269 --> 00:18:13.849 Lauren Bouchard signature? What makes something 00:18:13.849 --> 00:18:16.769 feel like his work, even when his role changes 00:18:16.769 --> 00:18:19.450 slightly? I think it comes down to his control 00:18:19.450 --> 00:18:23.390 over the feel, the texture of the show. And so 00:18:23.390 --> 00:18:25.829 much of that comes through the music and the 00:18:25.829 --> 00:18:27.869 direction of the voice actors. Back to the sound 00:18:27.869 --> 00:18:30.450 again. Always. Remember, he started where sound 00:18:30.450 --> 00:18:32.150 was everything because the visuals were limited. 00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:35.359 Now, even with bigger budgets, he still keeps 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:37.740 that intense focus. His name is consistently 00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:40.380 tied to the music composer, theme music, lyrics, 00:18:40.539 --> 00:18:43.019 arrangements. It means the emotional tone, the 00:18:43.019 --> 00:18:45.579 pacing. It's always deeply connected to his specific 00:18:45.579 --> 00:18:48.200 comedic vision. He dictates the score, not just 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:50.180 the script. That's a great way to put it. It's 00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:52.799 rare. truly holistic approach. And just to round 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.700 out the picture before we hit the awards, a quick 00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:57.259 note on his personal life balancing this massive 00:18:57.259 --> 00:18:59.900 creative output. Yeah, important context. He 00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:01.759 lives in L .A. with his wife, Holly Kretschmar. 00:19:01.980 --> 00:19:04.839 They got married back in 2006, kind of right 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:07.299 in that period between home movies wrapping up 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:09.539 and Bob's Burgers starting. And they have two 00:19:09.539 --> 00:19:12.200 sons. From all accounts, he's managed to build 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:14.880 this animation empire while maintaining a pretty 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.640 private, dedicated family life. Which kind of 00:19:17.640 --> 00:19:19.640 mirrors the values you see in his best work, 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:22.759 doesn't it? Stability, family unity amidst the 00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:25.539 chaos. All right. Let's talk recognition. Because 00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:27.440 Lauren Bichotte's story isn't just about cult 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:30.420 hits. It's about sustained critical acclaim over 00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:33.440 like three decades now. It really is remarkable 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.099 longevity. Starting with the big one. The Emmy 00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:38.720 wins for Bob's Burgers. That's the industry benchmark. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:41.299 Absolutely. And Bob's Burgers didn't just win 00:19:41.299 --> 00:19:44.420 once. It secured multiple primetime Emmy awards 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:47.400 for Outstanding Animated Program. That shows 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:50.440 real sustained excellence and leadership. The 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:53.369 first win was 2014, right? For the episode Maiseltina. 00:19:53.470 --> 00:19:56.049 Correct. And then again in 2017 for Bob, actually. 00:19:56.269 --> 00:19:58.829 That gap is interesting three years apart. It 00:19:58.829 --> 00:20:00.930 proves it wasn't just a fluke or a hot streak. 00:20:01.029 --> 00:20:04.190 The quality held up consistently. Exactly. It 00:20:04.190 --> 00:20:06.589 speaks volumes about the writing room, the cast, 00:20:06.809 --> 00:20:09.509 and Bouchard's steady hand guiding it all. And 00:20:09.509 --> 00:20:11.329 it's not just the Emmys. The animation industry 00:20:11.329 --> 00:20:13.670 itself recognizes the show's quality. Right. 00:20:13.730 --> 00:20:16.009 The Annie Awards. Those are purely focused on 00:20:16.009 --> 00:20:18.819 animation. Bob's Burgers won Best General Audience 00:20:18.819 --> 00:20:22.200 Animated TV Broadcast Production in 2017 for 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:26.400 Glued, Where's My Bob? So respected by general 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.299 TV critics and by his peers within animation. 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:31.839 That's a crucial combination. It shows the craft 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:34.160 is admired on its own terms. And what's really 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:37.609 striking is connecting these. recent major awards 00:20:37.609 --> 00:20:39.829 all the way back to the beginning of his career. 00:20:40.049 --> 00:20:43.170 That 1995 Cable Ace Award for Dr. Katz. Yeah. 00:20:43.349 --> 00:20:45.630 It feels like an echo, doesn't it? It does. He 00:20:45.630 --> 00:20:47.930 found critical success almost immediately after 00:20:47.930 --> 00:20:50.390 getting that first break. So his timeline of 00:20:50.390 --> 00:20:53.289 recognition stretches from those new early cable 00:20:53.289 --> 00:20:55.970 awards of the mid -90s straight through to the 00:20:55.970 --> 00:20:58.509 biggest network and streaming awards today. It's 00:20:58.509 --> 00:21:00.730 an incredible arc of sustained relevance. And 00:21:00.730 --> 00:21:02.589 beyond the wins, just look at the sheer volume 00:21:02.589 --> 00:21:05.369 of nominations Bob's Burgers racks up year after 00:21:05.369 --> 00:21:07.690 year. That nomination landscape tells its own 00:21:07.690 --> 00:21:09.589 story, doesn't it? It's the measure of being 00:21:09.589 --> 00:21:12.089 constantly part of the conversation, constantly 00:21:12.089 --> 00:21:14.589 considered among the best. Critics' choice, people's 00:21:14.589 --> 00:21:17.950 choice, teen choice. Dorian TV Awards, even a 00:21:17.950 --> 00:21:21.190 Peabody Award nomination in 2022, which is huge 00:21:21.190 --> 00:21:23.930 prestige. The show is just perpetually relevant. 00:21:24.309 --> 00:21:27.369 And circling back one more time to that comprehensive, 00:21:27.789 --> 00:21:31.359 creative role writer, director, composer. You 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:33.539 can even see that reflected in the specific award 00:21:33.539 --> 00:21:35.779 nominations he personally received, right? Yes. 00:21:35.880 --> 00:21:38.339 This is a fantastic point. He was personally 00:21:38.339 --> 00:21:41.920 nominated, along with John Dylan Keith, for Outstanding 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.680 Achievement, Music in an Animated TV Broadcast 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:48.559 Production back in 2017 for Bob's Burgers. So 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:51.259 not just nominated as an EP for the show overall, 00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:54.920 but specifically for the music. Exactly. It underscores 00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:57.359 that his musical contribution isn't just incidental. 00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:00.339 It's recognized by the industry as a key creative 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:03.019 element, essential to the show's success. He's 00:22:03.019 --> 00:22:05.000 not just managing the talent. He's the talent 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:07.930 getting praised. Hashtag, hashtag, outro. So 00:22:07.930 --> 00:22:09.549 when we pull it all together, we've traced this 00:22:09.549 --> 00:22:11.930 really incredible kind of improbable journey. 00:22:12.029 --> 00:22:14.029 Totally. Started with a high school dropout, 00:22:14.069 --> 00:22:16.049 working as a bartender. Who gets this one lucky 00:22:16.049 --> 00:22:18.269 break? Right. An accidental opportunity working 00:22:18.269 --> 00:22:20.829 in that very specific, technically constrained 00:22:20.829 --> 00:22:23.609 squiggle vision environment. And that constraint, 00:22:23.710 --> 00:22:27.289 that limitation, it actually forced him to develop 00:22:27.289 --> 00:22:30.289 his greatest strength. Prioritizing that authentic, 00:22:30.569 --> 00:22:33.309 improvised dialogue, the character rhythm. Putting 00:22:33.309 --> 00:22:36.660 the voice first. Exactly. And that focus carried 00:22:36.660 --> 00:22:38.859 him through the cult success of home movies. 00:22:39.019 --> 00:22:41.720 And ultimately led him to create Bob's Burgers, 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:44.240 where he found this huge audience by sticking 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:47.240 to his guns creatively. Yeah, that defining mandate. 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:51.440 represent the blue -collar creatives, show warmth, 00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:54.619 show real family connection, focus on dialogue. 00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:57.140 Instead of just going for shock value or cynicism, 00:22:57.240 --> 00:22:59.680 which was maybe more the trend at the time. He 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:02.619 carved out this massive space in primetime by 00:23:02.619 --> 00:23:05.400 essentially building his empire on kindness and 00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:07.690 character. Yeah. Finding that sweet spot, being 00:23:07.690 --> 00:23:10.329 seen as that spiritual successor to shows like 00:23:10.329 --> 00:23:12.130 King of the Hill, proving there was a huge appetite 00:23:12.130 --> 00:23:14.369 for animation with heart and complexity, not 00:23:14.369 --> 00:23:18.029 just noise. And that core idea, his successful 00:23:18.029 --> 00:23:20.809 search for an authentic, maybe underrepresented 00:23:20.809 --> 00:23:24.109 slice of life to put on screen, it raises a really 00:23:24.109 --> 00:23:26.049 interesting final question for you, the listener, 00:23:26.190 --> 00:23:29.470 to think about. We saw Bouchard find gold by 00:23:29.470 --> 00:23:31.509 focusing on the struggling, creative working 00:23:31.509 --> 00:23:35.609 class, something missing from TV. So thinking 00:23:35.609 --> 00:23:40.009 about adult animation right now, what other authentic 00:23:40.009 --> 00:23:42.890 family dynamic, what community, what underrepresented 00:23:42.890 --> 00:23:44.970 group is out there just waiting for the Bouchard 00:23:44.970 --> 00:23:47.710 treatment? Who's next? Yeah. What group full 00:23:47.710 --> 00:23:50.670 of love and their own specific chaos needs their 00:23:50.670 --> 00:23:53.289 grounded, maybe musical animated champion to 00:23:53.289 --> 00:23:55.650 step up, building on the kind of foundation he 00:23:55.650 --> 00:23:58.319 laid? That is a great thought to end on. What's 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.480 the next Bob's Burgers waiting to be discovered? 00:24:00.779 --> 00:24:03.880 Something to chew on. Definitely. Well, thank 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:06.759 you for joining us for this deep dive into the 00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:09.079 really fascinating creative evolution of Lauren 00:24:09.079 --> 00:24:11.119 Bouchard. My pleasure. We'll catch you next time 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:11.920 on The Deep Dive.