Sideshow Bob

Robert Underdunk Terwilliger is a fictional character featured in The Simpsons, voiced by Kelsey Grammer. He was originally Krusty the Klown's silent sidekick Sideshow Bob, but has since become a villainous homicidal maniac. He is known for his abnormally large hair and feet and his inability to actually kill anyone, especially Bart.

Related Topics:
Fictional character - The Simpsons - Kelsey Grammer - Krusty the Klown - Villain - Bart

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It is possible that Sideshow Bob is based in part on the character of Dr. Terwilliker from The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Not only are the surnames similar, but Sideshow Bob's accent and countenance bear a superficial resemblance to Hans Conried's performance, and both characters have a nemesis named Bart.

Related Topics:
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T - Hans Conried

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Bob never anticipated a career in show business. His younger brother Cecil (voiced by Grammer's Frasier co-star David Hyde Pierce) auditioned for the role of Krusty's sidekick (having wanted to since the age of five), but Krusty thought Bob's uptight demeanour would make him a better comic foil, and gave him the job instead.

Related Topics:
Frasier - David Hyde Pierce

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As the years went on, the highly-educated Bob became increasingly angered at being overshadowed by Krusty's "dilapidated vaudeville antics", not to mention Krusty's continual abuse. Finally, he snapped and framed Krusty for armed robbery. He took over the show, making it more upmarket (for example, Krusty's catchphrase "Children, who do you love?" was replaced by the grammatically correct "Whom do you love?") introducing culture, singing Cole Porter, and reading the classics to his rapt young audience. Although the show earned critical raves - and boffo ratings - his reign was shortlived, as Bart exposed his plan and landed him in jail.

Related Topics:
Vaudeville - Cole Porter - Bart

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Since then, he has taken the position of Evil Genius in the series - a typical Sideshow Bob episode involves his being released from incarceration and acting out some cunning plan, which is foiled by Bart and (usually) Lisa. Frequently this plan involves killing someone: Krusty, Bart or everyone in Springfield. Bob has been eager to get revenge on Bart for foiling his schemes, but in "The Great Louse Detective", when he had the opportunity to kill Bart, he found himself unable to, as he had "grown accustomed to Bart's face".

Related Topics:
Evil Genius - Bart - Lisa - Springfield

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Bob was briefly married to Selma (whom he also tried to kill), and was the Robert Mitchum/Robert de Niro character in the Cape Fear sendup episode. He is a staunch Republican, and was briefly mayor of Springfield. He can sing entire Gilbert and Sullivan operettas off the cuff. He also has a tendency to step on rakes, as evidenced in Cape Feare and Day of the Jackanapes.

Related Topics:
Selma - Robert Mitchum - Robert de Niro - Cape Fear - Republican - Gilbert and Sullivan - Cape Feare - Day of the Jackanapes

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Bob also has several tattoos, such as "Die Bart Die" (German, he claims, for "the Bart, the", which led to his being granted parole on the grounds that "no one who speaks German could be evil") on his chest and one resembling Bart's decapitated head on a skateboard on his back. The tattoos on Bob's fingers parody those of Robert Mitchum's character in the movie The Night of the Hunter (whose fingers are tattooed L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E), but, as Simpsons characters have only three fingers (besides the thumb), Bob's finger tattoos spell "L-U-V" and "H-Ā-T".

Related Topics:
German - Robert Mitchum - The Night of the Hunter

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Bob's brother Cecil (played, in a nod to the series Frasier, by David Hyde Pierce) has harbored resentment for winning the role of Krusty's sidekick for many years, and during one of Bob's releases from prison, tried to frame him for embezzlement and sabotaging the Springfield Dam. Cecil's plan ended with mixed results: the sabotage did not destroy Springfield as expected, and both brothers took the blame for it. During the same episode it was revealed that Cecil attended Princeton University for four years (described as "Clown College" by Bob), whereas Bob had already been established as a proud graduate of Yale (like Mr. Burns). Like the two brothers, these Ivy League schools have a long-standing rivalry.

Related Topics:
Frasier - David Hyde Pierce - Princeton University - Yale - Mr. Burns

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Bob's position as Krusty's sidekick is now taken by Sideshow Mel.

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