Fox has made the surprise move to renew its low-rated animated comedy “Bob’s Burger’s” for a second season.
The move comes as “Burgers” was one of the lowest rated programs on Fox, or any network not named NBC. After “American Dad” was officially added to Fox’s 2011-2012 schedule, many speculated “Burgers” was done.
The show has been both a critical and commercial disaster for the network, but as it comes from cult-creator Loren Bouchard, the show has attracted a small, but loyal audience.
The show actually attracted a large audience in its first airing, drawing a 4.5 in the demo. However, it has fallen precipitously in recent airings, leaving little chance of a ratings uptick later in its life.
Rumors are that Fox had already commissioned a second series of the show (animated shows must be renewed much earlier, often more than a year in advance) before the show aired to disastrous results. In that scenario, it makes more financial sense for Fox to air a second season than eat the license fee; at least it can make ad revenue off the low-rated broadcast.