Bob’s Burgers Just Ended a 15-Year Fox Tradition With One Bold Move

Fox is shaking up Sundays again. After 15 years on the fall slate, Bob's Burgers is sitting out this fall and shifting to midseason. Yes, the show that just hit its 300th episode is benched until early 2027. Here is what actually changed and why it ( begrudgingly) makes sense.What changedBob's Burgers rolled back onto TV this spring with the second half of Season 16. Last year it opened that season with its 300th episode, which is a wild milestone for a show that premiered in 2011. But when Fox laid out its Fall 2026 plans (per Deadline), the Belchers were nowhere on the Sunday Animation Domination card. Instead, the live-action series Animal Control is taking the 8:30 slot inside that block. Yes, a live-action show in Animation Domination. Make your own joke. So where did Bob's go? Fox is holding it for midseason, with new episodes expected around January 2027. Family Guy did this exact move a couple years back, so this is not unprecedented.Fall 2026 Sunday lineup (no specific premiere dates yet)The Simpsons at 8:00 PM ET Animal Control at 8:30 PM ET Universal Basic Guys at 9:00 PM ET Grimsburg at 9:30 PM ET Why Fox is doing thisThis is less about Bob's and more about Fox trying to plug a midseason hole. The Great North was canceled, which left a gap after the holidays. To cover it, Fox leaned on double-stacking Family Guy when it could, but that burned through the latest season fast. They need something steady when most people are recovering from football, awards shows, and winter breaks. Parking Bob's at midseason gives them exactly that, and it spreads the wealth across the year instead of front-loading Sundays in the fall. Framing matters here: this does not weaken Fall 2026 so much as it fortifies early 2027. It worked for Family Guy, and it looks even sturdier now that American Dad is back on the channel as part of a larger animation push.Is Bob's Burgers in trouble?No. Bob's Burgers is not going anywhere. Fox already handed out a big multi-season renewal to Bob's, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad. The first season covered by that deal has already aired, which means Bob's still has at least three more seasons locked in. Fox still treats it as a pillar franchise — this is just a calendar shuffle, not a warning sign. Bottom line: if you wanted new Bob's in the fall, sorry — you will be waiting a bit. But the upside is a stronger midseason run starting around January 2027, while Fox experiments this fall with a slightly odd Sunday mix that includes a live-action ringer alongside the cartoons.

Bob’s Burgers Just Ended a 15-Year Fox Tradition With One Bold Move

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