Sideshow Bob
Encyclopedia
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character
in the animated television series The Simpsons
. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer
and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head
". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale
, a member of the Republican Party
, and a champion of high culture
. He began his career as a sidekick on Krusty the Clown's television show, but after enduring constant abuse, Bob attempted to frame his employer for armed robbery in "Krusty Gets Busted
". The plan was foiled by Bart Simpson
, and Sideshow Bob was sent to prison.
Bob made his second major appearance in season three
's "Black Widower
"; the writers echoed the premise of the Coyote chasing the Road Runner
by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart's life and attempt to kill him. In each appearance thereafter, Bob has assumed the role on The Simpsons of an evil genius. Episodes in which he is a central character typically involve Sideshow Bob being released from prison and executing an elaborate revenge plan, usually foiled by Bart and Lisa
. His plans often involve murder and destruction, usually targeted at Bart or, less often, Krusty, though these plans often involve targeting the entire Simpson family. In "Funeral for a Fiend
" it was hinted that through years of failed attempts, Sideshow Bob has become insane.
Sideshow Bob shares some personality traits of Grammer's character Frasier Crane
from the sitcoms Cheers
and Frasier
, and has been described as "Frasier pickled in arsenic". Several parallels have been explicitly drawn in The Simpsons between Bob and Frasier Crane – Bob's brother Cecil and his father were played by David Hyde Pierce
and John Mahoney
respectively, echoing the roles they played in Frasier. Grammer, who based Bob's voice on that of actor Ellis Rabb
, has been praised for his portrayals of the character. In 2006, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob
".
As of 2010, Bob has had speaking appearances in twelve episodes and been featured in eleven; the most recent, "The Bob Next Door
", aired during the twenty first season
. In addition to his recurring role in the series, Sideshow Bob has made several appearances in other Simpsons media. He appears in the Simpsons Comics, cameos in the 2007 video game The Simpsons Game
, and stars as the main antagonist in The Simpsons Ride
at Universal Studios' theme parks. Sideshow Bob is also known for his singing voice; several of Grammer's performances have been included in The Simpsons musical compilations
.
" (season eight
, 1997) reveals that Bob only received the job after his younger brother Cecil failed an audition, because Krusty considered Bob to be a perfect comic foil. After repeated instances of abuse, including being shot from a cannon and hit constantly with pies, the Yale
-educated Bob became angry at Krusty and resentful of the clown's success. In "Krusty Gets Busted
" (season one
, 1990) Bob frames Krusty for armed robbery of the Kwik-E-Mart
. After Krusty is arrested, Bob takes control of the show, introducing children to elements of high culture
. However, Bob's reign is short-lived; Bart Simpson
exposes the plan, Krusty is released, and Bob is sent to jail.
In "Black Widower
" (season three
, 1992), Bob's first major appearance after framing Krusty, he is released from prison and marries Bart's aunt Selma Bouvier. As part of a scheme to inherit money she has invested in the stock market, Bob attempts to blow Selma up during their honeymoon. Bart again foils the plan and Sideshow Bob returns to prison. After being paroled from prison in "Cape Feare
" (season five
, 1993), Bob targets Bart directly, threatening him repeatedly and forcing the Simpsons to move to Terror Lake as part of the Witness Relocation Program. Bob follows them to their houseboat and, after subduing the family, prepares to kill Bart. He allows a final request, however, and Bart asks to hear the entire score of H.M.S. Pinafore
. The delaying tactic leads to Bob's third arrest.
Bob is released from prison once again in "Sideshow Bob Roberts
" (season six
, 1994), and runs for Mayor of Springfield
as the Republican Party
candidate. He defeats Democratic Party
incumbent Joe Quimby
in a landslide, but Bart and Lisa discover that Bob rigged the election, leading to another incarceration. Bob escapes from prison for the first time in "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
" (season seven
, 1995), and threatens to blow up Springfield with a nuclear bomb unless the city stops broadcasting all television shows. He is thwarted when he finds out that the bomb itself is a dud, then kidnaps Bart and flies the Wright Brothers' plane in an attempt to kill himself, Bart, and Krusty (who is hiding inside a shack). This too is thwarted, and Bob returns to prison. In the following season, Bob takes advantage of the prison's Christian outreach program, and appears to be genuinely redeemed. In "Brother from Another Series
", Reverend Lovejoy declares him a changed man and recommends him for a work release
opportunity. Bob is discharged from prison into the care of his brother Cecil, who is Springfield
's chief hydrological and hydrodynamical engineer. However, the scheming Cecil, still smarting over his failed audition for Krusty, tries to frame Bob by sabotaging the Springfield Dam. Bob, Bart, and Lisa together stop Cecil and save the town, and both brothers, despite Bob's genuine innocence, are sent to prison.
In "Day of the Jackanapes
" (season 12
, 2001), Bob discovers that Krusty has erased all of the early shows featuring Sideshow Bob as Krusty himself is declaring his fifth and final retirement after being annoyed with the network executives. Bob is released from prison and develops a plot to kill Krusty using Bart as a suicide bomber during Krusty's retirement special. Just as Bob was to succeed, he overhears Krusty publicly holding himself responsible for turning Bob into a criminal, expressing his regret of mistreating Bob during his years as Sideshow. To appease things, Krusty sings himself a song on Bob's behalf, and being touched by this, Bob decides to abort his plan of attempted murder and reconciles with Krusty, although he is returned to prison for it. Bob's aid is sought by Springfield police in "The Great Louse Detective
" (season 14
, 2002). After an attempt is made on Homer Simpson
's life, Bob is released from prison to help find the culprit. When the mystery is solved, he returns to murder Bart. However, Bob finds he is "accustomed to [Bart's] face" and cannot do it since everything in the past have been overcome.
It is revealed in "The Italian Bob
" (season 17
, 2005) that Bob has moved to Italy to make a fresh start. He is elected mayor of a village in Tuscany
and marries a local woman named Francesca, with whom he has a son named Gino. The Simpson family, in Italy to retrieve a car for Mr. Burns
, encounters him by chance. Bob welcomes them with hospitality on the condition that they not reveal his felonious past; however, a drunken Lisa jokes about Bob's criminal deeds, alienating Bob from his citizens. He, his wife and son swear a vendetta
on the Simpsons. The entire Terwilliger family returns in "Funeral for a Fiend
" (season 19
, 2007) in which Bob's father, Robert, and mother, Dame Judith Underdunk, make their first appearances. Bob fakes his own death and locks Bart in the coffin, which he attempts to cremate at the otherwise empty funeral home as all the Terwilligers laugh maniacally. They are foiled by Lisa and the rest of the Simpson family and sent to prison. Bob briefly returns in the season 20 episode "Wedding for Disaster
", when Bart and Lisa initially suspect Bob of kidnapping Homer to prevent him from attending his second wedding with Marge (due to a keychain they found had an 'S' and a 'B'), but Krusty provides him with an alibi, explaining to the kids that Bob was with him the whole day. Eventually, Bob and the kids discover the true culprits, Patty and Selma.
Bob re-appears again in the episode "The Bob Next Door
" (season 21
, 2010), where he switches faces with his prison cellmate Walt Warren. Bob returns to Springfield and moves into the house next to the Simpson family, assuming Walt's identity. He exploits this to make his latest attempt to kill Bart legally over state lines, but is foiled again and gets taken away by state police.
, but the scene was cut. Sideshow Bob has made regular appearances in the monthly Simpsons Comics, and several of Kelsey Grammer's singing performances have been included in The Simpsons CD compilations. His performance of the H.M.S. Pinafore in "Cape Feare" was later included on the album Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons
, and the song "The Very Reason That I Live
" from "The Great Louse Detective" was included on The Simpsons: Testify
. A previously unaired song, "Hullaba Lula", originally written for "Day of the Jackanapes", was also included on that compilation. The producers modeled the song after "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
", but were forced to remove the song from the episode when they were unable to obtain the rights to it.
In The Simpsons Game
, released in November 2007, Bob has a speaking cameo appearance at the end of the chapter titled "Invasion of the Yokel-Snatchers" in which he was working with Kang and Kodos. Bob was also included as a level boss in the 1991 video game Bart vs. the Space Mutants
. Sideshow Bob plays a lead role in The Simpsons Ride
, which opened at Universal Studios Florida
and Universal Studios Hollywood
in May 2008. Voiced by Grammer, he is the primary villain in the ride, having escaped from prison to get revenge on the Simpson family.
Sideshow Bob first appeared in the background of a scene in "The Telltale Head
", the eighth episode of season one
. His design was relatively simple compared to later incarnations, and his hairstyle was rounded. His first major appearance was in season one's twelfth episode "Krusty Gets Busted
", written by Jay Kogen
and Wallace Wolodarsky
. Bob's design was updated for "Krusty Gets Busted"; as the episode's animation style evolved, director Brad Bird
made the character of Sideshow Bob sleeker and more refined, to fit Grammer's voice technique. Following the re-design, animators tried to redraw his scenes in "The Telltale Head", but had insufficient time before the show was produced.
Bob has no lines of dialogue during the first half of "Krusty Gets Busted"; the character's only communication takes the form of a slide whistle
. This was designed to make Bob appear simplistic, so that when he finally spoke, viewers would be surprised to hear his educated and refined voice. An early version of the script for "Krusty Gets Busted" called for James Earl Jones
to voice Bob, but the producers instead selected Kelsey Grammer
. For Bob's voice, Grammer performed an impression of theatre actor and director Ellis Rabb
. Grammer had once worked for Rabb, whose "lamenting tones became [the] foundation for Sideshow Bob".
Sideshow Bob's full name is Robert Underdunk Terwilliger. His last name was first revealed in "Black Widower" while his middle name was first mentioned in "Sideshow Bob Roberts". Competing theories as to the origin of his name exist; some sources say he was named after the character Dr. Terwilliker from the film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
, but others say he was named after Terwilliger Boulevard
in Portland, Oregon
. Yet another theory is that he was named after Sergeant Terwilliger and Mrs. Onderdonk in the pilot episode of the TV show Hunter.
's "Black Widower
", the writers echoed the premise of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner
from Looney Tunes
cartoons by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart's life and attempt to kill him. Executive producer Al Jean
has compared Bob's character to that of Wile E. Coyote, noting that both are intelligent, yet always foiled by what they perceive as an inferior intellect. For "Black Widower", director David Silverman
updated the character model to reflect the animation of director Brad Bird. A rule for earlier episodes featuring Bob called for a recap of his evil deeds; this was dropped after season eight
's "Brother from Another Series
" when the chronology became too lengthy. Another rule established by the show's writers mandated Bob's return to prison at the end of each episode, although this pattern was abandoned in later episodes like "The Great Louse Detective" and "The Italian Bob".
Bill Oakley
and Josh Weinstein
, the showrunners for the seventh and eighth seasons, believed that every season of the show should contain an episode starring Sideshow Bob. However, by the seventh season Bob had already been the focus of four stories, and writers were having trouble developing new ways to include him. Weinstein describes Bob's dialogue as difficult to write, due to his unique and refined style of speaking. Despite these challenges, however, creators of The Simpsons usually look forward to "Sideshow Bob episodes"; the writers consider them enjoyable to write, and former director Dominic Polcino
describes them as "a treat" to work on.
Kelsey Grammer initially expected Sideshow Bob to be a one-time role, and calls him "the most popular character I've ever played". Grammer usually joins the show's "table readings" (wherein cast members read each script together for the first time), and former executive producer David Mirkin
described working with Grammer as very pleasant, due to his lively sense of humor. Grammer, Mirkin says, is capable of perfect readings, but noted that the actor dislikes performing Sideshow Bob's evil laugh. In a 2007 interview, Simpsons executive producer Al Jean
listed Grammer as his second-favorite guest star, saying "his voice is so rich". Writer George Meyer
commented that "writing for Kelsey is great, he can give the kind of purple, florid, melodramatic speeches that most of the characters would never give. And he can sing."
The show's writers admire Grammer's singing voice, and try to include a song for each appearance. Alf Clausen
, the primary composer for The Simpsons, commented that "[Grammer] is so great. He's just amazing. You can tell he has this love of musical theater and he has the vocal instrument to go with it, so I know whatever I write is going to be sung the way I've heard it." Clausen composed Sideshow Bob's theme, which is played whenever Bob gets out of prison, and was first used in "Cape Feare
". It is based on the score of the film Cape Fear
, composed by Bernard Herrmann
. The musical score for "Cape Feare" earned Clausen an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Dramatic Underscore - Series
in 1994.
Bob's prisoner number is often 24601, which is Jean Valjean
's prisoner number in Les Misérables
. Another trademark for Bob is a visual gag of stepping on a rake and being struck in the face with its handle; this joke first appeared in "Cape Feare". To fill time, the writers added nine consecutive iterations of the same joke in quick succession. The sequence has become known as the "rake joke" and was described by Entertainment Weekly as showing "genius in its repetitive stupidity".
The episode "Brother from Another Series
" introduces Bob's brother Cecil. After writer Ken Keeler
was assigned to write an episode featuring Sideshow Bob, he drew inspiration from episodes of Frasier
. He decided to incorporate elements of Grammer's other show into the character of Sideshow Bob, and designed Cecil to resemble Grammer's brother on Frasier. Cecil is voiced by David Hyde Pierce
, who portrayed Frasier Crane
's brother Niles
. Pierce commented, "Normally, I would not do something like this. But how often do you get a chance to work with an actor like Kelsey Grammer and, more importantly, play his brother?" Several of Frasiers producers were asked to review the original script and provide feedback. Their comments were positive; they only expressed concern with a very brief scene in which Cecil talks to a visible character whom he refers to as "Maris". In Frasier, Maris Crane is an unseen character
, and the producers of Frasier asked that the scene be removed. Many of the interactions between Bob and Cecil were based on those of Niles and Frasier. Cecil was drawn to resemble David Hyde Pierce
, while retaining a visual similarity to Sideshow Bob. According to director Pete Michels
, it was difficult to draw Bob and Cecil standing together, because of their comically oversized feet.
Cecil returns in season 19
's "Funeral for a Fiend
", which introduces the brothers' previously unseen father, Dr. Robert Terwilliger, played by John Mahoney
. Mahoney portrayed Martin Crane
, the father of Grammer's and Pierce's characters in Frasier. Whereas in Frasier, Mahoney played the "down-to-earth, average guy" to Grammer's and Hyde Pierce's "uppity snobs", Robert Terwilliger Sr. was portrayed as equally highbrow as Bob. His wife, Bob's mother, is Dame Judith Underdunk, "the finest classical actress of her generation." She sports the same curly spiked hair as her two sons. Bob also has a wife named Francesca (voiced by Maria Grazia Cucinotta
) and a son named Gino, both of whom were introduced in season 17
episode "The Italian Bob
" and returned for "Funeral for a Fiend
".
The character of Sideshow Bob and Grammer's voicework have received many accolades. In 2006 IGN
listed him as the second-best "peripheral character" on The Simpsons, commenting that Bob is "a man of contradictions; his goofy appearance, complete with palm tree like hair, doesn't seem to match up to the well spoken and even musically talented maniac." Also that year, Wizard Magazine
rated Bob as the 66th greatest villain of all time. Adam Finley of TV Squad wrote that "that baritone voice, the Shakespearean delivery, and the ability to go from calm and collected to stark raving mad all within the same second make Sideshow Bob one of the best reocurring [sic] characters on the show."
Kelsey Grammer has consistently received praise for his voicework, and has been described as "brilliant", "inimitable" and "a feast of mid-Atlantic anglophilia". In 2006, Grammer won the Primetime Emmy Award
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
for his role in "The Italian Bob
"; he had previously won four awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
category for his portrayal of the title role on Frasier. In 2008, Grammer was included in Entertainment Weekly
s list of the sixteen best Simpsons guest stars; Hyde Pierce was also included in that list. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Kelsey Grammer's grand voice-performance as Sideshow Bob is Frasier pickled in arsenic." In her book My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy
, Nancy Cartwright
(who performs the voice of Bart Simpson) wrote that "Kelsey Grammer scores big-time by injecting caustic, bitter, contemptuous and deliciously vile energy into his rendition of Sideshow Bob. Springfield just wouldn't be the same without him."
Most of the episodes featuring Bob have been well-received by fans and critics. "Cape Feare
" is generally regarded as one of the best episodes of The Simpsons and placed third on Entertainment Weeklys 2003 list of the show's top 25 episodes. IGN considers it the best episode of the fifth season. In 2007, Vanity Fair
called it the show's fourth-best episode, because of its "masterful integration of filmic parody and a recurring character". Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star
listed "Cape Feare", "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" and "Brother From Another Series" among the best episodes of the series, writing "forget Frasier, these are Kelsey Grammer's best roles." "The Italian Bob
" and its writer John Frink
won a Writers Guild of America Award
in 2007 in the animation category. In December 2009, Robert Canning of IGN ranked the ten episodes to feature Bob that had aired at the time. The first five Bob episodes took up the top five, with "Cape Feare" being ranked first. "The Italian Bob" was ranked tenth, with the explanation that "All the things we love about a Sideshow Bob episode -- the vengeance, the familiar settings and characters, the elaborate scheming -- were missing from this half-hour. Without it, Bob wasn't nearly as entertaining, and the episode didn't result in a whole lot of laughs." He noted that only "The Italian Bob" and the ninth ranked "Funeral for a Fiend" were "the only ones I'd consider clunkers. The remaining episodes are all quite fun."
writes that Bob is built into a highbrow snob and conservative Republican
so that the writers can continually hit him with a rake and bring him down. He represents high culture
while Krusty represents low culture
, and Bart, stuck in between, always wins out. In the book Leaving Springfield
, David L. G. Arnold comments that Bart is a product of a "mass-culture upbringing" and thus is Bob's enemy. Frustrated by his early role as the target of "Krusty's cheap gags", Bob frames Krusty and takes over the show. He changes the content of that show to present readings of classic literature and segments examining the emotional lives of pre-teens. He believes that by exposing the kids to high culture he will improve their lives. Arnold writes that "Bob's own conscience and morality are clearly unaffected by the high culture he represents." He also tries to "manipulate the tastes of the masses" by becoming a criminal mastermind. Arnold believes that this is most apparent in "Sideshow Bob Roberts
", wherein he rigs the election to become the mayor of Springfield. When accused of election fraud, he rants, "Your guilty consciences may force you to vote Democratic, but secretly you yearn for a cold-hearted Republican who’ll cut taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king! You need me, Springfield!" He considers himself a member of the social elite, and happily uses Machiavellian
methods to acquire and maintain power.
Bob's intelligence serves him in many ways. During the episode "Cape Feare", for example, the parole board asks Bob why he has a tattoo that says "Die, Bart, Die". Bob replies that it is German for "The, Bart, The"; members of the board are impressed by his reasoning. Believing that "nobody who speaks German could be an evil man", they release him. However, his love of high culture is sometimes used against him. In the same episode, Bob agrees to perform the operetta H.M.S. Pinafore
in its entirety as a last request for Bart. The tactic stalls Bob long enough for the police to arrest him.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head
The Telltale Head
"The Telltale Head" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons first season, and it originally aired February 25, 1990. It was written by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon, Matt Groening, and directed by Rich Moore. In the episode, Bart cuts the head off the statue of Jebediah Springfield in the center of...
". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and a champion of high culture
High culture
High culture is a term, now used in a number of different ways in academic discourse, whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products, mainly in the arts, held in the highest esteem by a culture...
. He began his career as a sidekick on Krusty the Clown's television show, but after enduring constant abuse, Bob attempted to frame his employer for armed robbery in "Krusty Gets Busted
Krusty Gets Busted
"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Brad Bird. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the...
". The plan was foiled by Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, and Sideshow Bob was sent to prison.
Bob made his second major appearance in season three
The Simpsons (season 3)
The Simpsons third season originally aired on the Fox network between September 19, 1991 and May 7, 1992. The show runners for the third production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss who executive produced 22 episodes the season, while two other episodes were produced by James L. Brooks, Matt...
's "Black Widower
Black Widower
"Black Widower" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons third season, originally airing on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1992. It was written by Jon Vitti, directed by David Silverman, and saw Kelsey Grammer guest star as Sideshow Bob for the second time. In the episode, Sideshow...
"; the writers echoed the premise of the Coyote chasing the Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart's life and attempt to kill him. In each appearance thereafter, Bob has assumed the role on The Simpsons of an evil genius. Episodes in which he is a central character typically involve Sideshow Bob being released from prison and executing an elaborate revenge plan, usually foiled by Bart and Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
. His plans often involve murder and destruction, usually targeted at Bart or, less often, Krusty, though these plans often involve targeting the entire Simpson family. In "Funeral for a Fiend
Funeral for a Fiend
"Funeral for a Fiend" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and first aired on November 25, 2007. It was written by Michael Price and was directed by Rob Oliver. It features Kelsey Grammer in his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob, as well as David Hyde Pierce in his second...
" it was hinted that through years of failed attempts, Sideshow Bob has become insane.
Sideshow Bob shares some personality traits of Grammer's character Frasier Crane
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
from the sitcoms Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
and Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, and has been described as "Frasier pickled in arsenic". Several parallels have been explicitly drawn in The Simpsons between Bob and Frasier Crane – Bob's brother Cecil and his father were played by David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
and John Mahoney
John Mahoney
John Mahoney is a British born American actor, known for playing Martin "Marty" Crane, the retired police officer, father of Kelsey Grammer's Dr...
respectively, echoing the roles they played in Frasier. Grammer, who based Bob's voice on that of actor Ellis Rabb
Ellis Rabb
Ellis Rabb was an American actor and director who in 1959 formed the Association of Producing Artists, a theatre company that brought new works and noteworthy revivals to Broadway and to regional theatres...
, has been praised for his portrayals of the character. In 2006, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob
The Italian Bob
"The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season. It features Kelsey Grammer in his ninth appearance as Sideshow Bob and is the first time the Simpsons visit Italy.-Plot:...
".
As of 2010, Bob has had speaking appearances in twelve episodes and been featured in eleven; the most recent, "The Bob Next Door
The Bob Next Door
"The Bob Next Door" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season and the 463rd episode overall on Fox Broadcasting Company...
", aired during the twenty first season
The Simpsons (season 21)
The Simpsons twenty-first season aired on Fox from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010. It was the first of two seasons that the show was renewed for by Fox, and also the first season of the show to air entirely in high definition....
. In addition to his recurring role in the series, Sideshow Bob has made several appearances in other Simpsons media. He appears in the Simpsons Comics, cameos in the 2007 video game The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North...
, and stars as the main antagonist in The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
at Universal Studios' theme parks. Sideshow Bob is also known for his singing voice; several of Grammer's performances have been included in The Simpsons musical compilations
The Simpsons discography
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening that has aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company since 1989. The show's characters are voiced by several cast members who contribute to the show's releases.-Studio albums:...
.
On The Simpsons
The character of Sideshow Bob began his career as the non-speaking sidekick on Krusty the Clown's television show. The episode "Brother from Another SeriesBrother from Another Series
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is...
" (season eight
The Simpsons (season 8)
The Simpsons eighth season originally aired between October 27, 1996 and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The show runners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
, 1997) reveals that Bob only received the job after his younger brother Cecil failed an audition, because Krusty considered Bob to be a perfect comic foil. After repeated instances of abuse, including being shot from a cannon and hit constantly with pies, the Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
-educated Bob became angry at Krusty and resentful of the clown's success. In "Krusty Gets Busted
Krusty Gets Busted
"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Brad Bird. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the...
" (season one
The Simpsons (season 1)
The Simpsons first season originally aired between December 17, 1989 and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The show runners for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L...
, 1990) Bob frames Krusty for armed robbery of the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
. After Krusty is arrested, Bob takes control of the show, introducing children to elements of high culture
High culture
High culture is a term, now used in a number of different ways in academic discourse, whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products, mainly in the arts, held in the highest esteem by a culture...
. However, Bob's reign is short-lived; Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
exposes the plan, Krusty is released, and Bob is sent to jail.
In "Black Widower
Black Widower
"Black Widower" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons third season, originally airing on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1992. It was written by Jon Vitti, directed by David Silverman, and saw Kelsey Grammer guest star as Sideshow Bob for the second time. In the episode, Sideshow...
" (season three
The Simpsons (season 3)
The Simpsons third season originally aired on the Fox network between September 19, 1991 and May 7, 1992. The show runners for the third production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss who executive produced 22 episodes the season, while two other episodes were produced by James L. Brooks, Matt...
, 1992), Bob's first major appearance after framing Krusty, he is released from prison and marries Bart's aunt Selma Bouvier. As part of a scheme to inherit money she has invested in the stock market, Bob attempts to blow Selma up during their honeymoon. Bart again foils the plan and Sideshow Bob returns to prison. After being paroled from prison in "Cape Feare
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
" (season five
The Simpsons (season 5)
The Simpsons fifth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 30, 1993 and May 19, 1994. The show runner for the fifth production season was David Mirkin who executive produced 20 episodes. Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced the remaining two, which were both hold overs...
, 1993), Bob targets Bart directly, threatening him repeatedly and forcing the Simpsons to move to Terror Lake as part of the Witness Relocation Program. Bob follows them to their houseboat and, after subduing the family, prepares to kill Bart. He allows a final request, however, and Bart asks to hear the entire score of H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
. The delaying tactic leads to Bob's third arrest.
Bob is released from prison once again in "Sideshow Bob Roberts
Sideshow Bob Roberts
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns as villain Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud. The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh...
" (season six
The Simpsons (season 6)
The Simpsons sixth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994 and May 21, 1995 and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
, 1994), and runs for Mayor of Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
as the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate. He defeats Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent Joe Quimby
Joe Quimby
Mayor Joseph "Joe" Quimby, nicknamed "Diamond Joe," is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets an F". A member of the Democratic Party, Quimby is the mayor of Springfield, and is a...
in a landslide, but Bart and Lisa discover that Bob rigged the election, leading to another incarceration. Bob escapes from prison for the first time in "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 26, 1995. In the episode, Sideshow Bob becomes disturbed when he hears the other inmates laughing at the inane antics of Krusty the Clown's...
" (season seven
The Simpsons (season 7)
The Simpsons seventh season originally aired on the Fox network between September 17, 1995 and May 19, 1996. The show runners for the seventh production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein who would executive produce 21 episodes this season. David Mirkin executive produced the remaining...
, 1995), and threatens to blow up Springfield with a nuclear bomb unless the city stops broadcasting all television shows. He is thwarted when he finds out that the bomb itself is a dud, then kidnaps Bart and flies the Wright Brothers' plane in an attempt to kill himself, Bart, and Krusty (who is hiding inside a shack). This too is thwarted, and Bob returns to prison. In the following season, Bob takes advantage of the prison's Christian outreach program, and appears to be genuinely redeemed. In "Brother from Another Series
Brother from Another Series
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is...
", Reverend Lovejoy declares him a changed man and recommends him for a work release
Work release
In prison systems, work release programs allow a prisoner who is sufficiently trusted or can be sufficiently monitored to leave confinement to continue working at his or her current place of employment, returning to prison when his/her shift is complete...
opportunity. Bob is discharged from prison into the care of his brother Cecil, who is Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
's chief hydrological and hydrodynamical engineer. However, the scheming Cecil, still smarting over his failed audition for Krusty, tries to frame Bob by sabotaging the Springfield Dam. Bob, Bart, and Lisa together stop Cecil and save the town, and both brothers, despite Bob's genuine innocence, are sent to prison.
In "Day of the Jackanapes
Day of the Jackanapes
"Day of the Jackanapes" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 18, 2001. In the episode, Krusty announces his retirement due to interference from network executives and the growing popularity of the game...
" (season 12
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
, 2001), Bob discovers that Krusty has erased all of the early shows featuring Sideshow Bob as Krusty himself is declaring his fifth and final retirement after being annoyed with the network executives. Bob is released from prison and develops a plot to kill Krusty using Bart as a suicide bomber during Krusty's retirement special. Just as Bob was to succeed, he overhears Krusty publicly holding himself responsible for turning Bob into a criminal, expressing his regret of mistreating Bob during his years as Sideshow. To appease things, Krusty sings himself a song on Bob's behalf, and being touched by this, Bob decides to abort his plan of attempted murder and reconciles with Krusty, although he is returned to prison for it. Bob's aid is sought by Springfield police in "The Great Louse Detective
The Great Louse Detective
"The Great Louse Detective" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons fourteenth season. It features Kelsey Grammer in his eighth appearance as Sideshow Bob...
" (season 14
The Simpsons (season 14)
The fourteenth season of the animated television series The Simpsons was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between November 3, 2002 and May 18, 2003. The show runner for the fourteenth production season was Al Jean, who executive produced 21 of 22 episodes. The other...
, 2002). After an attempt is made on Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's life, Bob is released from prison to help find the culprit. When the mystery is solved, he returns to murder Bart. However, Bob finds he is "accustomed to [Bart's] face" and cannot do it since everything in the past have been overcome.
It is revealed in "The Italian Bob
The Italian Bob
"The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season. It features Kelsey Grammer in his ninth appearance as Sideshow Bob and is the first time the Simpsons visit Italy.-Plot:...
" (season 17
The Simpsons (season 17)
The Simpsons' seventeenth season originally aired between September 2005 and May 2006, beginning on Sunday, September 11, 2005. It broke Fox's tradition of pushing its shows' season premieres back to November to accommodate the Major League Baseball games airing on the network during September...
, 2005) that Bob has moved to Italy to make a fresh start. He is elected mayor of a village in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
and marries a local woman named Francesca, with whom he has a son named Gino. The Simpson family, in Italy to retrieve a car for Mr. Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
, encounters him by chance. Bob welcomes them with hospitality on the condition that they not reveal his felonious past; however, a drunken Lisa jokes about Bob's criminal deeds, alienating Bob from his citizens. He, his wife and son swear a vendetta
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
on the Simpsons. The entire Terwilliger family returns in "Funeral for a Fiend
Funeral for a Fiend
"Funeral for a Fiend" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and first aired on November 25, 2007. It was written by Michael Price and was directed by Rob Oliver. It features Kelsey Grammer in his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob, as well as David Hyde Pierce in his second...
" (season 19
The Simpsons (season 19)
The Simpsons nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008.-Production:The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line...
, 2007) in which Bob's father, Robert, and mother, Dame Judith Underdunk, make their first appearances. Bob fakes his own death and locks Bart in the coffin, which he attempts to cremate at the otherwise empty funeral home as all the Terwilligers laugh maniacally. They are foiled by Lisa and the rest of the Simpson family and sent to prison. Bob briefly returns in the season 20 episode "Wedding for Disaster
Wedding For Disaster
"Wedding for Disaster" is the fifteenth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 2009. In the episode, Marge and Homer's second marriage turns out to be invalid, so they decide to get married again...
", when Bart and Lisa initially suspect Bob of kidnapping Homer to prevent him from attending his second wedding with Marge (due to a keychain they found had an 'S' and a 'B'), but Krusty provides him with an alibi, explaining to the kids that Bob was with him the whole day. Eventually, Bob and the kids discover the true culprits, Patty and Selma.
Bob re-appears again in the episode "The Bob Next Door
The Bob Next Door
"The Bob Next Door" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season and the 463rd episode overall on Fox Broadcasting Company...
" (season 21
The Simpsons (season 21)
The Simpsons twenty-first season aired on Fox from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010. It was the first of two seasons that the show was renewed for by Fox, and also the first season of the show to air entirely in high definition....
, 2010), where he switches faces with his prison cellmate Walt Warren. Bob returns to Springfield and moves into the house next to the Simpson family, assuming Walt's identity. He exploits this to make his latest attempt to kill Bart legally over state lines, but is foiled again and gets taken away by state police.
Other media
In addition to regular roles in the television series, Sideshow Bob has made several appearances in other Simpsons media. Kelsey Grammer recorded several Sideshow Bob lines for The Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
, but the scene was cut. Sideshow Bob has made regular appearances in the monthly Simpsons Comics, and several of Kelsey Grammer's singing performances have been included in The Simpsons CD compilations. His performance of the H.M.S. Pinafore in "Cape Feare" was later included on the album Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons
Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons
Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons is the 1999 soundtrack album from The Simpsons. It takes many of the musical numbers from the series which were either not included in the previous album, Songs in the Key of Springfield, or were created since the previous album's release. The album has 53 tracks,...
, and the song "The Very Reason That I Live
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is a song from the 1956 musical My Fair Lady, with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was originally performed by Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins...
" from "The Great Louse Detective" was included on The Simpsons: Testify
The Simpsons: Testify
The Simpsons: Testify is an album that features songs from the animated television series The Simpsons. It was released on September 18, 2007 and includes songs from season 11 to season 18...
. A previously unaired song, "Hullaba Lula", originally written for "Day of the Jackanapes", was also included on that compilation. The producers modeled the song after "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song from the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South, sung by James Baskett. With music by Allie Wrubel and lyrics by Ray Gilbert, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
", but were forced to remove the song from the episode when they were unable to obtain the rights to it.
In The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North...
, released in November 2007, Bob has a speaking cameo appearance at the end of the chapter titled "Invasion of the Yokel-Snatchers" in which he was working with Kang and Kodos. Bob was also included as a level boss in the 1991 video game Bart vs. the Space Mutants
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants is the title of the first video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was released in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System, Atari ST, Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC, and in 1992 for Mega...
. Sideshow Bob plays a lead role in The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
, which opened at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
and Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
in May 2008. Voiced by Grammer, he is the primary villain in the ride, having escaped from prison to get revenge on the Simpson family.
Creation
The Telltale Head
"The Telltale Head" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons first season, and it originally aired February 25, 1990. It was written by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon, Matt Groening, and directed by Rich Moore. In the episode, Bart cuts the head off the statue of Jebediah Springfield in the center of...
", the eighth episode of season one
The Simpsons (season 1)
The Simpsons first season originally aired between December 17, 1989 and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The show runners for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L...
. His design was relatively simple compared to later incarnations, and his hairstyle was rounded. His first major appearance was in season one's twelfth episode "Krusty Gets Busted
Krusty Gets Busted
"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Brad Bird. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the...
", written by Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
and Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
. Bob's design was updated for "Krusty Gets Busted"; as the episode's animation style evolved, director Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
made the character of Sideshow Bob sleeker and more refined, to fit Grammer's voice technique. Following the re-design, animators tried to redraw his scenes in "The Telltale Head", but had insufficient time before the show was produced.
Bob has no lines of dialogue during the first half of "Krusty Gets Busted"; the character's only communication takes the form of a slide whistle
Slide whistle
A slide whistle is a wind instrument consisting of a fipple like a recorder's and a tube with a piston in it. Thus it has an air reed like some woodwinds, but varies the pitch with a slide. The construction is rather like a bicycle pump...
. This was designed to make Bob appear simplistic, so that when he finally spoke, viewers would be surprised to hear his educated and refined voice. An early version of the script for "Krusty Gets Busted" called for James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
to voice Bob, but the producers instead selected Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
. For Bob's voice, Grammer performed an impression of theatre actor and director Ellis Rabb
Ellis Rabb
Ellis Rabb was an American actor and director who in 1959 formed the Association of Producing Artists, a theatre company that brought new works and noteworthy revivals to Broadway and to regional theatres...
. Grammer had once worked for Rabb, whose "lamenting tones became [the] foundation for Sideshow Bob".
Sideshow Bob's full name is Robert Underdunk Terwilliger. His last name was first revealed in "Black Widower" while his middle name was first mentioned in "Sideshow Bob Roberts". Competing theories as to the origin of his name exist; some sources say he was named after the character Dr. Terwilliker from the film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a musical fantasy film, the only feature film ever written by Theodor Seuss Geisel , who was responsible for the story, screenplay and lyrics...
, but others say he was named after Terwilliger Boulevard
Terwilliger Boulevard
Terwilliger Boulevard is a street in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It begins at southwest 6th Avenue and Interstate 405 near Portland State University. It passes through the neighborhoods of Marquam Hill, Southwest Hills, and Burlingame and by Lewis and Clark College before ending at Oregon Route 43 in...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Yet another theory is that he was named after Sergeant Terwilliger and Mrs. Onderdonk in the pilot episode of the TV show Hunter.
Development
For season threeThe Simpsons (season 3)
The Simpsons third season originally aired on the Fox network between September 19, 1991 and May 7, 1992. The show runners for the third production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss who executive produced 22 episodes the season, while two other episodes were produced by James L. Brooks, Matt...
's "Black Widower
Black Widower
"Black Widower" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons third season, originally airing on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1992. It was written by Jon Vitti, directed by David Silverman, and saw Kelsey Grammer guest star as Sideshow Bob for the second time. In the episode, Sideshow...
", the writers echoed the premise of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
from Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
cartoons by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart's life and attempt to kill him. Executive producer Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
has compared Bob's character to that of Wile E. Coyote, noting that both are intelligent, yet always foiled by what they perceive as an inferior intellect. For "Black Widower", director David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
updated the character model to reflect the animation of director Brad Bird. A rule for earlier episodes featuring Bob called for a recap of his evil deeds; this was dropped after season eight
The Simpsons (season 8)
The Simpsons eighth season originally aired between October 27, 1996 and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The show runners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
's "Brother from Another Series
Brother from Another Series
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is...
" when the chronology became too lengthy. Another rule established by the show's writers mandated Bob's return to prison at the end of each episode, although this pattern was abandoned in later episodes like "The Great Louse Detective" and "The Italian Bob".
Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
and Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans High School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the...
, the showrunners for the seventh and eighth seasons, believed that every season of the show should contain an episode starring Sideshow Bob. However, by the seventh season Bob had already been the focus of four stories, and writers were having trouble developing new ways to include him. Weinstein describes Bob's dialogue as difficult to write, due to his unique and refined style of speaking. Despite these challenges, however, creators of The Simpsons usually look forward to "Sideshow Bob episodes"; the writers consider them enjoyable to write, and former director Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino is an animation director who has worked on The Simpsons, Mission Hill, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. Dominic worked on the first season of Family Guy, then left to direct for King of the Hill and then returned to Family Guy...
describes them as "a treat" to work on.
Kelsey Grammer initially expected Sideshow Bob to be a one-time role, and calls him "the most popular character I've ever played". Grammer usually joins the show's "table readings" (wherein cast members read each script together for the first time), and former executive producer David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
described working with Grammer as very pleasant, due to his lively sense of humor. Grammer, Mirkin says, is capable of perfect readings, but noted that the actor dislikes performing Sideshow Bob's evil laugh. In a 2007 interview, Simpsons executive producer Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
listed Grammer as his second-favorite guest star, saying "his voice is so rich". Writer George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
commented that "writing for Kelsey is great, he can give the kind of purple, florid, melodramatic speeches that most of the characters would never give. And he can sing."
The show's writers admire Grammer's singing voice, and try to include a song for each appearance. Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of The Simpsons, of which he has been the sole composer since 1990...
, the primary composer for The Simpsons, commented that "[Grammer] is so great. He's just amazing. You can tell he has this love of musical theater and he has the vocal instrument to go with it, so I know whatever I write is going to be sung the way I've heard it." Clausen composed Sideshow Bob's theme, which is played whenever Bob gets out of prison, and was first used in "Cape Feare
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
". It is based on the score of the film Cape Fear
Cape Fear (1962 film)
Cape Fear is a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen. It was adapted by James R. Webb from the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson, and released on April 12, 1962...
, composed by Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
. The musical score for "Cape Feare" earned Clausen an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Dramatic Underscore - Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-Total Awards:* CBS - 10* ABC - 7* NBC - 6* FOX - 3* Syndicated - 3* Discovery Channel - 2...
in 1994.
Bob's prisoner number is often 24601, which is Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
's prisoner number in Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
. Another trademark for Bob is a visual gag of stepping on a rake and being struck in the face with its handle; this joke first appeared in "Cape Feare". To fill time, the writers added nine consecutive iterations of the same joke in quick succession. The sequence has become known as the "rake joke" and was described by Entertainment Weekly as showing "genius in its repetitive stupidity".
Family
Brother from Another Series
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is...
" introduces Bob's brother Cecil. After writer Ken Keeler
Ken Keeler
Kenneth "Ken" Keeler is an American television producer and writer. He has written for numerous television series, most notably The Simpsons and Futurama. According to an interview with David X. Cohen, he proved a theorem which appears in the Futurama episode "The Prisoner of Benda".-Career:After...
was assigned to write an episode featuring Sideshow Bob, he drew inspiration from episodes of Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
. He decided to incorporate elements of Grammer's other show into the character of Sideshow Bob, and designed Cecil to resemble Grammer's brother on Frasier. Cecil is voiced by David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
, who portrayed Frasier Crane
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
's brother Niles
Niles Crane
Niles Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American sitcom Frasier, a spin-off of the popular show Cheers. He was portrayed by David Hyde Pierce. Niles is the younger brother of Dr. Frasier Crane, the son of Det. Martin Crane and Dr. Hester Crane, husband of Daphne Moon,...
. Pierce commented, "Normally, I would not do something like this. But how often do you get a chance to work with an actor like Kelsey Grammer and, more importantly, play his brother?" Several of Frasiers producers were asked to review the original script and provide feedback. Their comments were positive; they only expressed concern with a very brief scene in which Cecil talks to a visible character whom he refers to as "Maris". In Frasier, Maris Crane is an unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
, and the producers of Frasier asked that the scene be removed. Many of the interactions between Bob and Cecil were based on those of Niles and Frasier. Cecil was drawn to resemble David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
, while retaining a visual similarity to Sideshow Bob. According to director Pete Michels
Pete Michels
Pete Michels is an animation director on Family Guy. He has also been the supervising director on Family Guy as well as on the short-lived TV show, Kid Notorious. He started working on The Simpsons in 1990 as a background layout artist. He worked his way up to character layout artist, timer,...
, it was difficult to draw Bob and Cecil standing together, because of their comically oversized feet.
Cecil returns in season 19
The Simpsons (season 19)
The Simpsons nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008.-Production:The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line...
's "Funeral for a Fiend
Funeral for a Fiend
"Funeral for a Fiend" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and first aired on November 25, 2007. It was written by Michael Price and was directed by Rob Oliver. It features Kelsey Grammer in his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob, as well as David Hyde Pierce in his second...
", which introduces the brothers' previously unseen father, Dr. Robert Terwilliger, played by John Mahoney
John Mahoney
John Mahoney is a British born American actor, known for playing Martin "Marty" Crane, the retired police officer, father of Kelsey Grammer's Dr...
. Mahoney portrayed Martin Crane
Martin Crane
Det. Martin "Marty" Crane is a fictional character on the American television show Frasier. He was played by actor John Mahoney. Martin is the father of Frasier and Niles Crane.- Biography :...
, the father of Grammer's and Pierce's characters in Frasier. Whereas in Frasier, Mahoney played the "down-to-earth, average guy" to Grammer's and Hyde Pierce's "uppity snobs", Robert Terwilliger Sr. was portrayed as equally highbrow as Bob. His wife, Bob's mother, is Dame Judith Underdunk, "the finest classical actress of her generation." She sports the same curly spiked hair as her two sons. Bob also has a wife named Francesca (voiced by Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Maria Grazia Cucinotta is an Siciian/Italian actress who has featured in many films and television series since 1990, she has also worked as a producer, screenwriter and model....
) and a son named Gino, both of whom were introduced in season 17
The Simpsons (season 17)
The Simpsons' seventeenth season originally aired between September 2005 and May 2006, beginning on Sunday, September 11, 2005. It broke Fox's tradition of pushing its shows' season premieres back to November to accommodate the Major League Baseball games airing on the network during September...
episode "The Italian Bob
The Italian Bob
"The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season. It features Kelsey Grammer in his ninth appearance as Sideshow Bob and is the first time the Simpsons visit Italy.-Plot:...
" and returned for "Funeral for a Fiend
Funeral for a Fiend
"Funeral for a Fiend" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and first aired on November 25, 2007. It was written by Michael Price and was directed by Rob Oliver. It features Kelsey Grammer in his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob, as well as David Hyde Pierce in his second...
".
Commendations
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed him as the second-best "peripheral character" on The Simpsons, commenting that Bob is "a man of contradictions; his goofy appearance, complete with palm tree like hair, doesn't seem to match up to the well spoken and even musically talented maniac." Also that year, Wizard Magazine
Wizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
rated Bob as the 66th greatest villain of all time. Adam Finley of TV Squad wrote that "that baritone voice, the Shakespearean delivery, and the ability to go from calm and collected to stark raving mad all within the same second make Sideshow Bob one of the best reocurring [sic] characters on the show."
Kelsey Grammer has consistently received praise for his voicework, and has been described as "brilliant", "inimitable" and "a feast of mid-Atlantic anglophilia". In 2006, Grammer won the Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
for his role in "The Italian Bob
The Italian Bob
"The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season. It features Kelsey Grammer in his ninth appearance as Sideshow Bob and is the first time the Simpsons visit Italy.-Plot:...
"; he had previously won four awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series is an Emmy presented to the best performance by a lead actor in a television comedy series.-Winners and nominees:...
category for his portrayal of the title role on Frasier. In 2008, Grammer was included in Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s list of the sixteen best Simpsons guest stars; Hyde Pierce was also included in that list. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Kelsey Grammer's grand voice-performance as Sideshow Bob is Frasier pickled in arsenic." In her book My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy
My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy
My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy is an autobiography written by Nancy Cartwright. First published in September 2000 by Hyperion, it details Cartwright's career, particularly her experiences as the voice of Bart Simpson on The Simpsons and contains insights on the show, diary entries and anecdotes about...
, Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
(who performs the voice of Bart Simpson) wrote that "Kelsey Grammer scores big-time by injecting caustic, bitter, contemptuous and deliciously vile energy into his rendition of Sideshow Bob. Springfield just wouldn't be the same without him."
Most of the episodes featuring Bob have been well-received by fans and critics. "Cape Feare
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
" is generally regarded as one of the best episodes of The Simpsons and placed third on Entertainment Weeklys 2003 list of the show's top 25 episodes. IGN considers it the best episode of the fifth season. In 2007, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
called it the show's fourth-best episode, because of its "masterful integration of filmic parody and a recurring character". Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
listed "Cape Feare", "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" and "Brother From Another Series" among the best episodes of the series, writing "forget Frasier, these are Kelsey Grammer's best roles." "The Italian Bob
The Italian Bob
"The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season. It features Kelsey Grammer in his ninth appearance as Sideshow Bob and is the first time the Simpsons visit Italy.-Plot:...
" and its writer John Frink
John Frink
John Frink is an American television writer and producer. He has written several episodes of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, many of which he co-wrote with his former writing partner Don Payne. Frink and Payne started their career in television writing for the short-lived sitcom Hope...
won a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
in 2007 in the animation category. In December 2009, Robert Canning of IGN ranked the ten episodes to feature Bob that had aired at the time. The first five Bob episodes took up the top five, with "Cape Feare" being ranked first. "The Italian Bob" was ranked tenth, with the explanation that "All the things we love about a Sideshow Bob episode -- the vengeance, the familiar settings and characters, the elaborate scheming -- were missing from this half-hour. Without it, Bob wasn't nearly as entertaining, and the episode didn't result in a whole lot of laughs." He noted that only "The Italian Bob" and the ninth ranked "Funeral for a Fiend" were "the only ones I'd consider clunkers. The remaining episodes are all quite fun."
Analysis
In Planet Simpson, author Chris TurnerChris Turner (author)
Chris Turner is a Canadian author. He is the author of Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation, published in 2004...
writes that Bob is built into a highbrow snob and conservative Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
so that the writers can continually hit him with a rake and bring him down. He represents high culture
High culture
High culture is a term, now used in a number of different ways in academic discourse, whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products, mainly in the arts, held in the highest esteem by a culture...
while Krusty represents low culture
Low culture
Low culture is a term for some forms of popular culture. Its opposite is high culture. It has been said by culture theorists that both high culture and low culture are subcultures....
, and Bart, stuck in between, always wins out. In the book Leaving Springfield
Leaving Springfield
Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture is a non-fiction compilation work analyzing the effect of the television program The Simpsons on society, edited by John Alberti. The book was published in 2004 by Wayne State University Press...
, David L. G. Arnold comments that Bart is a product of a "mass-culture upbringing" and thus is Bob's enemy. Frustrated by his early role as the target of "Krusty's cheap gags", Bob frames Krusty and takes over the show. He changes the content of that show to present readings of classic literature and segments examining the emotional lives of pre-teens. He believes that by exposing the kids to high culture he will improve their lives. Arnold writes that "Bob's own conscience and morality are clearly unaffected by the high culture he represents." He also tries to "manipulate the tastes of the masses" by becoming a criminal mastermind. Arnold believes that this is most apparent in "Sideshow Bob Roberts
Sideshow Bob Roberts
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns as villain Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud. The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh...
", wherein he rigs the election to become the mayor of Springfield. When accused of election fraud, he rants, "Your guilty consciences may force you to vote Democratic, but secretly you yearn for a cold-hearted Republican who’ll cut taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king! You need me, Springfield!" He considers himself a member of the social elite, and happily uses Machiavellian
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
methods to acquire and maintain power.
Bob's intelligence serves him in many ways. During the episode "Cape Feare", for example, the parole board asks Bob why he has a tattoo that says "Die, Bart, Die". Bob replies that it is German for "The, Bart, The"; members of the board are impressed by his reasoning. Believing that "nobody who speaks German could be an evil man", they release him. However, his love of high culture is sometimes used against him. In the same episode, Bob agrees to perform the operetta H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
in its entirety as a last request for Bart. The tactic stalls Bob long enough for the police to arrest him.
External links
- Sideshow Bob at TheSimpsons.com