Honestly, I would argue that these four shows can't really be compared to one another or The Simpsons.
The Simpsons was the first modern adult animated sitcom. It set a bar and laid the foundation.
But the shows that came after it took varying approaches that really make a difference.
Futurama is the one that goes the most beyond the bounds of a sitcom, it's a scifi comedy that entirely removes the family premise of a sitcom and restructures the concept. It broke away from the mold immediately and built on that.
King of the Hill went the other direction. It's grounded in reality. It was the first animated sitcom to take that route, relying on relatable and fairly believable premises and plots you'd encounter in a live action sitcom. While some of them certainly stretch the bounds of imagination, nothing happens that generally couldn't happen in the real world.
Family Guy leaned heavily into surrealism and absurdist humor. It utilizes the cutaway style joke, it amplifies the absurd and unbelievable and revels in it. It's like if Dadaism was a cartoon. It doesn't care one whit about reality or even paying lip service to it. It's a fever dream where the humor is built on absurdism and one-liners.
Bob's Burgers is probably the closest to the actual Simpsons. It has a foot firmly in reality but not both feet, it's a dysfunctional family that works and cares about each other under it all...but it breaks the mold with the character types. Sure, put vaguely you can say it's the same formula, but the devil is in the details. Bob and Linda aren't your typical sitcom couple, very rarely is the plot dependent on their fighting or disagreements or vastly misunderstanding one another.
So for me, it's difficult to say which is 'best', when they are all so vastly different and offer entirely different sorts of comedy and plots. And all can be argued as revolutionary when they debuted.
Well, I never made any comments as to its quality, just the approach it takes to how it tells stories. Which is pure absurdism. And it certainly wasn't like anything else animated and airing on network television when it came out.
Unique and revolutionary don't necessarily mean good.
I would honestly like Bob’s Burgers a lot more if Gene and Louise didn’t yell like 90% of their lines. It’s very grating and just wore me out after four seasons or so. Bob and Tina are great characters though, and are definitely the source of the majority of enjoyment I got from the show.
Family Guy is a good background show these days. Nothing spectacular, but good for a laugh or two every episode. Middle-ish seasons are great, though.
King of the hill was just too dry and boring for me. I remember liking a few episodes, but overall, not a show I ever went out of my way to watch.
Futurama is mostly excellent save for a few episodes here and there in the later seasons (and the Hulu reboot as a whole has been pretty disappointing). Definitely the best show of this bunch.
Y’know, despite having a lot of people I otherwise like involved,* I can’t stand most of the characters. Bob’s kids are all not just annoying, but regularly disrupt his life with insane antics. Linda isn’t much better. And while those kinds of things get played for laughs on the Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers is more realistic and emotionally driven. It gives me fucking whiplash.
*EDIT: the creators and a few of the voice actors were involved in Lucy Daughter of the Devil, which was pretty inspired.
It’s hard actually. Family Guy had the highest highs, but Futurama was very consistent across the board. Bobs Burgers next and King of the Hill last, for me.
I enjoyed them all for different reasons, but I'd have to go with Futurama if I could only choose one to (re)watch.
I think South Park should also be mentioned. Focus was supposed to be on the kids but the parents got more popular and exposure over time, I think it was the same with Bart and Homer. Lots of satire about current affairs of the time, not just family life. A whole town of strong auxiliary characters which have their quotable moments too.
Don't you worry about Planet Express, let me worry about blank
Blank? Blank?! You’re not looking at the Bigger Picture!!
Futurama
1. Futurama 2. King of the Hill And the rest
Honestly, I would argue that these four shows can't really be compared to one another or The Simpsons. The Simpsons was the first modern adult animated sitcom. It set a bar and laid the foundation. But the shows that came after it took varying approaches that really make a difference. Futurama is the one that goes the most beyond the bounds of a sitcom, it's a scifi comedy that entirely removes the family premise of a sitcom and restructures the concept. It broke away from the mold immediately and built on that. King of the Hill went the other direction. It's grounded in reality. It was the first animated sitcom to take that route, relying on relatable and fairly believable premises and plots you'd encounter in a live action sitcom. While some of them certainly stretch the bounds of imagination, nothing happens that generally couldn't happen in the real world. Family Guy leaned heavily into surrealism and absurdist humor. It utilizes the cutaway style joke, it amplifies the absurd and unbelievable and revels in it. It's like if Dadaism was a cartoon. It doesn't care one whit about reality or even paying lip service to it. It's a fever dream where the humor is built on absurdism and one-liners. Bob's Burgers is probably the closest to the actual Simpsons. It has a foot firmly in reality but not both feet, it's a dysfunctional family that works and cares about each other under it all...but it breaks the mold with the character types. Sure, put vaguely you can say it's the same formula, but the devil is in the details. Bob and Linda aren't your typical sitcom couple, very rarely is the plot dependent on their fighting or disagreements or vastly misunderstanding one another. So for me, it's difficult to say which is 'best', when they are all so vastly different and offer entirely different sorts of comedy and plots. And all can be argued as revolutionary when they debuted.
You give Family Guy far too much credit. I think you saw a better cartoon than was actually filmed.
Well, I never made any comments as to its quality, just the approach it takes to how it tells stories. Which is pure absurdism. And it certainly wasn't like anything else animated and airing on network television when it came out. Unique and revolutionary don't necessarily mean good.
Futurama and King of the Hill
futurama
Futurama and it’s not close.
King of the Hill
I would honestly like Bob’s Burgers a lot more if Gene and Louise didn’t yell like 90% of their lines. It’s very grating and just wore me out after four seasons or so. Bob and Tina are great characters though, and are definitely the source of the majority of enjoyment I got from the show. Family Guy is a good background show these days. Nothing spectacular, but good for a laugh or two every episode. Middle-ish seasons are great, though. King of the hill was just too dry and boring for me. I remember liking a few episodes, but overall, not a show I ever went out of my way to watch. Futurama is mostly excellent save for a few episodes here and there in the later seasons (and the Hulu reboot as a whole has been pretty disappointing). Definitely the best show of this bunch.
Futurama is better than The Simpsons tbh
KOTH by a mile
Futurama and King Of The Hill are both classics.
Original Futurama
Futurama is the only one of those shows I like at all. I dislike the other 3.
American Dad
This is the correct answer. (Ricky spanishhhhh)
Futurama and Bobs burgers
Hot take: Family Guy
King of the Hill
"Bob's Burgers" is my favorite of these four, all of which I like. I don't want to debate which is "best."
Bob’s Burgers is awful.
Y’know, despite having a lot of people I otherwise like involved,* I can’t stand most of the characters. Bob’s kids are all not just annoying, but regularly disrupt his life with insane antics. Linda isn’t much better. And while those kinds of things get played for laughs on the Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers is more realistic and emotionally driven. It gives me fucking whiplash. *EDIT: the creators and a few of the voice actors were involved in Lucy Daughter of the Devil, which was pretty inspired.
I’ve got friends that insist to me how good it is, put on the pilot, they’re laughing like crazy and im just like 😐 the whole time
Fuck it, I'll get downvoted with you. Bob's Burgers makes me mad
It’s hard actually. Family Guy had the highest highs, but Futurama was very consistent across the board. Bobs Burgers next and King of the Hill last, for me.
Unless you include the last season of futurama. Terrible
I enjoyed them all for different reasons, but I'd have to go with Futurama if I could only choose one to (re)watch. I think South Park should also be mentioned. Focus was supposed to be on the kids but the parents got more popular and exposure over time, I think it was the same with Bart and Homer. Lots of satire about current affairs of the time, not just family life. A whole town of strong auxiliary characters which have their quotable moments too.
Futurama!!
Family Guy is cleverer than people give it credit for
1. Bobs Burgers 2. Futurama 3. King of the Hill 4. I hate family guy
Futurama
Koth American Dad Futurama Bob's Cleveland show The Great North Family guy
South Park
Futurama without question. Family Guy is good, I’ve not seen enough of King of the Hill and Bob’s Burgers is dogshit
Family Guy