Editing Sideshow Bob (section)

{{short description|Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Sideshow Bob
| series = [[The Simpsons]]
| image = File:C-bob.png
| first = "[[The Telltale Head]]" (1990)
| creator = [[Al Jean]]<br />[[Mike Reiss]]<br />[[Sam Simon]]<br />[[Matt Groening]]<br />[[Jay Kogen]]<br />[[Wallace Wolodarsky]]<br />[[Brad Bird]]
| designer = Matt Groening
| voice = [[Kelsey Grammer]]
| full_name = Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr.{{Efn|name="Middle Name"}}
| gender = Male
| occupation = Television personality<br />Former Mayor of Springfield<br />Former Mayor of Salsiccia<br />Scientist<br />Professor<br />Actor<br />Criminal<br />
| family = Dr. Robert Terwilliger Sr. (father)<br />Dame Judith Onderdonk (mother)<br />Cecil Terwilliger (brother)
| children = Gino (son)
| spouse = [[Patty and Selma#Selma Bouvier|Selma Bouvier]] (ex-wife)<br />Francesca (ex-wife)<br />Tasha (wife)
| relatives = [[Patty and Selma#Patty Bouvier|Patty Bouvier]] (ex-sister-in-law)<br />[[Marge Simpson]] (ex-sister-in-law)<br />[[Homer Simpson]] (ex-brother-in-law)<br />[[Bart Simpson]] (ex-nephew)<br />[[Lisa Simpson]] (ex-niece)<br />[[Maggie Simpson]] (ex-niece)
}}

'''Robert Underdunk "Bob" Terwilliger Jr.''', [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]],{{Efn|name="Middle Name"|According to one of the show's writers, [[Bill Oakley]], Sideshow Bob's middle name is Onderdonk,<ref name="Onderdonk">{{Cite twitter |title=Yes @Jeopardy you made a rare mistake. It's "Onderdonk". And @Joshstrangehill and I are certain cause we wrote that script. Cc: @KenJennings |date=March 13, 2024 |author=Oakley, Bill |user=thatbilloakley |number=1768113342210867416}}</ref> after [[Henry Onderdonk]].<ref>{{Cite twitter |title=This is where we got the name, it was from a hymnal we saw in high school - |date=March 13, 2024 |author=Oakley, Bill |user=thatbilloakley |number=1768349814104953218}}</ref> However, in all other references, including books by Simpsons' creator Matt Groening,{{Sfn|Groening|2010|pp=207, 1183, 1193}} and [[subtitles]] of the show,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Sideshow Bob Roberts |episode-link=Sideshow Bob Roberts |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=1994-10-09 |season=6 |number=5 |time=6:27}}</ref> it is Underdunk.}}<ref>{{Cite episode |title=The Man Who Grew Too Much |episode-link=The Man Who Grew Too Much |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |season=25 |number=12 |time=7:20 |quote=Dr. Sideshow Bob. [...] PhD.}}</ref> better known as '''Sideshow Bob''', is a recurring antagonist in the animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. He is voiced by [[Kelsey Grammer]] and first appeared in the episode "[[The Telltale Head]]". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of [[Yale University]] and a champion of [[high culture]], including the adoption of a [[Northeastern elite accent|transatlantic accent]], similar to that of Grammer's portrayal of [[Frasier Crane|Dr. Frasier Crane]] from the sitcoms ''[[Cheers]]'' and ''[[Frasier]]''. He began his career as a sidekick on [[Krusty the Clown]]'s television show, but after enduring constant abuse, Bob framed his employer for armed robbery in "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]", only to be foiled by [[Bart Simpson]], and sent to prison. Bob started seeking revenge against Bart while in prison, and the two became feuding archenemies.

Bob made his second major appearance in [[The Simpsons (season 3)|season three]]'s "[[Black Widower]]"; the writers echoed the premise of [[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner]] by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart's life, threatening to disrupt and end it through murder. Starting with that appearance and thereafter, Bob has assumed the role on ''The Simpsons'' of an [[villain|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 Simpson|Lisa]]. His plans often involve death and destruction, usually targeted at Bart or, less often, Krusty, though he [[The Italian Bob|starts targeting]] the entire Simpson family in [[The Simpsons (season 17)|season 17]]. In [[The Simpsons (season 27)|season 27]], however, during the first segment of "[[Treehouse of Horror XXVI]]", entitled "Wanted: Dead, Then Alive", Bob finally gets his wish of killing Bart, commenting that he spent 24 years trying to kill a ten-year-old child; however, he becomes bored with Bart dead, so he brings him back to life so that he can repeatedly kill Bart over and over again.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=June 6, 2015 |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/06/simpsons-sideshow-bob-kill-bart |title=The Simpsons scoop: Sideshow Bob to finally kill Bart this fall |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=June 11, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Nicholson |first=Max |date=July 11, 2015 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/11/comic-con-2015-the-simpsons-panel-teases-new-treehouse-of-horror |title=Comic-Con 2015: The Simpsons Panel Teases New "Treehouse of Horror" |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=September 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Snierson |first=Dan |date=October 8, 2015 |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/08/simpsons-treehouse-horror-sideshow-bob-ren-stimpy |title=Simpsons' 'Treehouse of Horror XXVI': First Look and details on Sideshow Bob killing Bart and more |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=October 11, 2015}}</ref>

Despite his villainous deeds, Sideshow Bob shares some personality traits of Grammer character Frasier Crane, and he has been described as "Frasier pickled in arsenic".<ref name="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 [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]] for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob".

As of season 36, Sideshow Bob has appeared in more than 40 episodes, had speaking appearances in 25 of these, and been featured as the main character in 15. The most recent of the latter, "[[The Yellow Lotus]]", aired during [[The Simpsons (season 36)|the 36th season]], and his most recent speaking appearance was in "[[Treehouse of Horror XXXIV]]" in [[The Simpsons (season 35)|the 35th season]].<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Price |first=Michael |user=mikepriceinla |number=1581713481124188160 
|date=October 16, 2022 |title=@WonderedAlways Yes but I can't tell you when or what! |language=en |access-date=July 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210000508/https://twitter.com/mikepriceinla/status/1581713481124188160?s=46&t=bT2rLJXzlvagbrScuLpMdQ |archive-date=December 10, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to his recurring role in the series, Sideshow Bob has made several appearances in other ''Simpsons'' media and is mentioned in several more episodes. He appears in the [[List of The Simpsons comics#Simpsons Comics|''Simpsons Comics'']], the 2007 video game ''[[The Simpsons Game]]'', and stars as the main antagonist in [[The Simpsons Ride|''The Simpsons'' Ride]] at Universal Studios' theme parks. A lover of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] [[operetta]]s, Sideshow Bob is also known for his singing voice; several of Grammer's performances have been included in [[The Simpsons discography|''The Simpsons'' musical compilations]].