Bob's Burgers

A burger is a simple food that requires precise balance of key ingredients. The meat-cheese-bun ratio has to be right, sauce and toppings should complement each other—those who deride the noble profession of “flipping burgers” with condescension are idiots. The same could be said of a 30-minute sitcom. The cast has to not only be funny individually, they have to have good chemistry. Silly character quirks and wacky plots are a necessity, but you have to avoid jumping the shark. And you gotta nail the theme song.

Luckily for us and the universe we live in, Bob's Burgers gets their recipes right. Literally, there are cookbooks dedicated to the show's famous “burger of the day” bit. Throw in a realistic portrayal of a humble, loving working-class family, an endless parade of memorable side characters, and maybe a dash of endearing musical numbers, and reader? That's a show worth watching with a side of fries and a cold beverage.