The Surprising Connections Between Bob's Burgers And Archer

Even casual fans of either "Bob's Burgers" or "Archer" know that they share one significant connection in H. Jon Benjamin, the voice actor who portrays the main character on both shows, Bob Belcher and Stirling Archer. While the two characters lead very different lives, Benjamin manages to sneak in some of his signature deadpan humor into the two characters, and his trademark baritone is hard to miss in any circumstance.

While Benjamin may help the two animated series sound alike, they look pretty different, and both revolve around wildly different settings. Where "Bob's Burgers" is about an average American family trying their best to get by with a burger shop, "Archer" depicts an action-packed world of spies, drug cartels, and gunfights. "Bob's Burgers" has a simple animation aesthetic closer to "The Simpsons," whereas "Archer"'s characters and settings are composed in a much more realistic style.

As such, even viewers who may have found it jarring for the central protagonist of either show to use the same voice likely found it no big deal to keep the two separate. However, "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers" found even more ways to blur the line between the two universes, with some surprising crossovers. Here are the surprising connections between "Bob's Burgers" and "Archer."

The deeper connections between the two shows become much more apparent when viewers start paying attention to just how many voice actors have picked up roles on both "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers." Chris Parnell, for instance, has a prominent role in "Archer" as the long-suffering Cyril Figgis, an ISIS employee who often the target of Archer's verbal and physical torment. However, Parnell also appeared in "Bob's Burgers" as Warren Fitzgerald, Bob's best friend, often referred throughout the show but never seen until the Season 6 episode "Pro Tiki/Con Tiki."

Two voice actors who play members of the Belcher family have made their way over to the "Archer" universe as well. Eugene Mirman, who voices Gene on "Bob's Burgers," has appeared in Archer more than once as the cousin of Cheryl (Judy Greer), Cecil. In fact, in the two-part episode "Sea Tunt," Cecil was joined by his fiancée, Tiffy, voiced by Kristen Schaal, who is better known as the voice of Louise – Gene's sister on "Bob's Burgers." 

It isn't just principle cast members who have appeared on both shows. Jon Glaser played Jairo, the Brazilian Capoeira instructor who had a conflict with Bob on "Bob's Burgers" over the course of a couple of episodes. Glaser also voiced Trent Whitney, the private school bully shown tormenting Archer during a flashback in the episode "Deadly Prep."

While there are many amusing crossover appearances on the two shows, "Archer" takes it to the next level in the Season 4 episode "Fugue and Riffs." In that season opener, Archer has been suffering from amnesia, grown a mustache, and began living a new life as Bob Belcher. On top of that, he now finds himself married to Linda Belcher (John Roberts), running a burger restaurant, and raising his three step-children. While only Linda has any lines in the scene, Archer does say goodbye to Gene, Louise, and Tina, whose name Archer appears to have not learned.

Of course, the crossover doesn't last long, as the restaurant is soon invaded by the same kind of Russian agents that Archer has found himself clashing with repeatedly on his world. As those agents attack Archer, his training kicks back in, as does at least a limited understanding of Russian. The attack jars Archer's memory and compels him to leave his life as a burger restaurant operator and owner, leaving to figure out just who Archer is and eventually resume his life at the ISIS agency.