Bob the Builder
{{Short description|British children's animated television show}}
{{About|the original series|the reboot series|Bob the Builder (2015 TV series){{!}}Bob the Builder (2015 TV series)|the title character|Bob the Builder (character)}}
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{{Infobox television
| image = Bob the Builder logo.svg
| alt_name = Bob the Builder: Project: Build It (series 10–16)
Bob the Builder: Ready, Steady, Build! (series 17–18)
| genre = Children's animation
| creator = Keith Chapman
| director = Sarah Ball
Liz Whitaker
Brian Little
Nick Herbert
Gilly Fogg
Andy Burns
Geoff Walker
| presenter =
| voices = Neil Morrissey
Rob Rackstraw
Kate Harbour
Rupert Degas
Colin McFarlane
Maria Darling
Emma Tate
Richard Briers
June Whitfield{{Cite web |title=Bob the Builder – Cast and Crew |url=http://www.tv.com/bob-the-builder/show/9748/cast.html |date=28 November 1998 |publisher=TV.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822011029/http://www.tv.com/bob-the-builder/show/9748/cast.html |archive-date=22 August 2011 |access-date=10 June 2012}}
Greg Proops
| theme_music_composer = Paul K. Joyce
| open_theme = "Can We Fix It?" by Neil Morrissey
| end_theme = "Can We Fix It?" (instrumental)
| composer = Keith Hopwood
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 18
| num_episodes = 250 (+10 specials)
| list_episodes = List of Bob the Builder episodes
| executive_producer = Kate Fawkes
Theresa Plummer-Andrews
Peter Curtis
| producer = Jackie Cockle
| editor = Zyggy Markiewicz
Bruce Marshall
Adam Taylor
| camera = Single camera (1999–2004)
Multi-camera (2005–2009)
| runtime =
| company = HIT Entertainment
| network = CBeebies
| first_aired = {{start date|1999|04|12|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2011|12|31|df=y}}
}}
Bob the Builder is a British animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman for HIT Entertainment which ran from {{Start date|1999|04|12|df=y}} to {{end date|2011|12|31|df=y}} in the United Kingdom through the CBBC strand and later CBeebies. The series centres on the adventures and escapades of a general contractor named Bob who owns a team of anthropomorphised construction vehicles that go about their day helping out with construction work in several towns.
The show used stop-motion animation for most of the series as well as Project: Build It, provided by Hot Animation in Manchester. The series changed to CGI animation in 2010 for its final two seasons; titled Ready, Steady, Build!, of which SD Entertainment completed animation production.
Following the series' conclusion, HIT Entertainment was purchased by US toy company Mattel for $680 million.BBC Radio Four commentary by Gerald Scarfe 8 March 2013; https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b01r12ln In October 2014, the company announced a new series that would feature changes in the setting, casting and character designs. The revival aired on Channel 5's Milkshake! for three series from 2015–2018, and was severely criticised by fans of the original version.{{Cite web |title=Why some people are very angry about the new Bob the Builder |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/new-bob-the-builder-twitter-reacts-to-characters-modern-makeover-9790794.html |date=13 October 2014 |website=The Independent |language=en |access-date=2015-10-29}}{{Cite web |title=Bob The Builder's Makeover Angers Fans |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/14/bob-the-builder-s-makeover-angers-fans_n_7321336.html |website=The Huffington Post UK |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=2015-11-19}} An animated theatrical movie adaptation of the series was announced in January 2024; which will be produced by Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions and star Anthony Ramos as the voice of Bob.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/mattel-films-anthony-ramos-jennifer-lopez-bob-the-builder-animated-film-1235803932/|title='Bob The Builder' Animated Film In Works From Anthony Ramos, Jennifer Lopez, Mattel Films & ShadowMachine; Ramos Voicing Title Character|date=25 January 2024 |publisher=Deadline}}
Premise
In each episode, Bob and his group help with renovations, construction, and repairs and with other projects as needed. They are also joined by work colleague Wendy, alongside their neighbours and friends. The action is set in Bobsville; with Sunflower Valley and Fixham Harbour introduced in later seasons.
The show emphasises conflict resolution, co-operation, socialisation, and various learning skills. Bob's catchphrase is "Can we fix it?", to which the other characters respond with "Yes we can!" This phrase is also the title of the show's theme song, which was a million-selling number one hit in the UK.
Episodes
{{Main|List of Bob the Builder episodes{{!}}List of Bob the Builder episodes}}
{{:List of Bob the Builder episodes}}
= ''Project: Build It'' =
{{main list|List of Bob the Builder episodes#Project: Build It (2005–2008){{!}}List of Bob the Builder episodes § Project: Build It (2005–2008)
}}
In May 2005, a sort of spin-off series was released titled Bob the Builder: Project: Build It. Bob hears of a contest to build a new community in a remote area called Sunflower Valley, outside of Bobsville. He moves from Bobsville (supposedly temporarily) with Wendy and the machines and builds a new Yard there. Bob convinces his father, Robert, to come out of retirement and take over the Bobsville building business. It is unknown whether Bob returned to Bobsville in the stop-motion series or not after this spin-off series was finished.
For the US version of the Project: Build It series, different actors were found to do the voices for many of the human characters, including casting Greg Proops as the new voice of Bob, and Rob Rackstraw, who played the original voices of Scoop, Muck and Travis, to be the voices of Spud the Scarecrow and Mr. Bentley for both the UK and the US. The show also added recycling and being environmentally friendly to its lessons, emphasising the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."
This series premiered on 2 May 2005 in the United Kingdom and 3 September of the same year in the United States, and was the first series made in HD 1080p.
= ''Ready, Steady, Build!'' =
The third spin-off was titled Bob the Builder: Ready, Steady, Build! It was created by Keith Chapman and Mallory Lewis. The group, now joined by newcomer Scratch are now residing in the town of Fixham Harbour (which is very similar to Bobsville, and is even implied to be Bobsville in several episodes), deal with construction and other building tasks around the area. Unlike the previous series, Ready, Steady, Build! is animated in full CGI animation, which allows for larger and more elaborate construction projects that would be too large or expensive for the model sets of the stop-motion series, though it still retains the theme song.{{Cite web |title=Bob the Builder: Ready, Steady, Build! |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s41sk |access-date=27 August 2010 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation}}
Characters and voice actors
File:Bob the builder.jpg, the titular character, in his design used for the original series]]
{{Main|List of Bob the Builder characters{{!}}List of Bob the Builder characters}}
Voice actors who have contributed to the original British version include Neil Morrissey, Rob Rackstraw, Kate Harbour, Rupert Degas, Colin McFarlane, Maria Darling, Emma Tate, Richard Briers, and June Whitfield.
Celebrities who have provided voices for the series (usually for one-off specials) include John Motson, Sue Barker, Kerry Fox, Ulrika Jonsson, Alison Steadman, Stephen Tompkinson, Elton John, Noddy Holder, and Chris Evans (Bobsville's resident rock star Lennie Lazenby).
International broadcasts
Bob the Builder is shown in more than thirty countries, and versions are available in English, French, Spanish, Serbian, Swedish, Slovenian, German, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi, and Croatian, among other languages. It was shown on CBeebies on BBC television in the UK. It has also aired on Nick Jr. in the UK.{{cite news |last1=Fielding |first1=James |title=Bob the Builder becomes children's role model in China |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/175379/Bob-the-Builder-becomes-children-s-role-model-in-China |access-date=16 December 2020 |agency=Express |date=16 May 2010}}
The North American version of the show uses the original British footage and script, but replaces the voices with American accents and verbiage; for example, "wrench" is used instead of "spanner", owing to the former's use in North America. The original North American voice of Bob (and Farmer Pickles/Mr. Beasley/Mr. Sabatini) was William Dufris; he was replaced with comedian Greg Proops. More recently, Bob's US voice has been provided by Marc Silk, an English voice actor from Birmingham.{{Cite web |title=Silk TV |url=http://www.marcsilk.com/silktv/silktv.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325135716/http://www.marcsilk.com/silktv/silktv.html |archive-date=25 March 2010 |access-date=7 April 2010}}{{Cite web |title=Marc Silk |url=http://www.marcsilk.com/ |access-date=7 April 2010}} In the United States, the series first aired during the Nick Jr. block (from 2001 to 2004) before moving to PBS Kids for a long run, from January 1, 2005{{cite web |last1=Everhart |first1=Karen |title=PBS, producers, Comcast wed to create digital kids' channel |url=https://current.org/2004/11/pbs-producers-comcast-wed-to-create-digital-kids-channel/ |website=Current |access-date=21 January 2024 |date=1 November 2004}} through November 6, 2015, after which it was replaced with the 2015 reboot.{{cite web |title=Watch Bob the Builder KLRU TV Schedule KLRU-TV, Austin PBS |url=http://www.klru.org/program/bob-the-builder/ |website=www.klru.org |access-date=21 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104015431/http://www.klru.org/program/bob-the-builder/ |archive-date=4 November 2015 |date=4 November 2015 |url-status=dead}} Qubo also started airing the show from 7 October 2020 through 28 February 2021 due to the channel's closure, but with the original British English dub. Today, both the classic series and the 2015 reboot are available to stream on Paramount+ and Peacock, and the classic series can be streamed for free on Pluto TV.
When being exported to Japan, it was reported that characters of Bob the Builder would be doctored to have five fingers instead of the original four. This was because of a practice among the Japanese organized crime gangs, the yakuza, where members would "cut off their little fingers as a sign they can be trusted and have strength of character, and will stay through."{{Cite news |date=20 April 2000 |title=Bob the Builder fixed for Japan |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/720419.stm |access-date=11 August 2006}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
=Singles=
Impact
Bob the Builder was nominated in the BAFTA "Pre-school animation" category from 1999 to 2009,{{failed verification|date=April 2016}} and won the "Children's Animation" category in 2003 for the special episode "A Christmas to Remember".{{Cite web |title=Awards Database |url=http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?pageNo=1&year=2002 |access-date=27 November 2010}} Of the show's success, Sarah Ball said:
{{blockquote|I think diggers and dumpers fascinate kids in the same way that they are drawn to dinosaurs. They both have a timeless appeal. The technique of stop motion is very tangible - the characters look like you can just pick them up and play with them. It’s a safe, lovely, bright, colourful world, which is very appealing. Curtis Jobling did a fantastic job designing the show - it’s very simple and stylized but has such charm.
Bob the Builder has been parodied by Robot Chicken in the episode "More Blood, More Chocolate", and by Comedy Inc. as Bodgy Builder.
Bob has also been parodied on Cartoon Network's MAD on several occasions. In the episode "S'UP / Mouse M.D.", Bob is seen with a smashed thumb and asks "Can we fix it?" In another episode, Bob encounters the title character of Handy Manny, whom he tells to "Stop copying my show!"
A New Yorker cartoon shows a parent in a toy store asking for toys depicting Alex the Architect, supposedly a white-collar equivalent to Bob the Builder.
Some have complained about technical errors and lack of proper safety practices in the programme, especially the absence of protective eyewear.{{Cite web |title=FLUID POWER SAFETY INSTITUTE - Toy Safety - ATTENTION PARENTS! - Bob the Builder Alert! |url=http://www.fluidpowersafety.com/sfty_toy1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021105120445/http://www.fluidpowersafety.com/sfty_toy1.html |archive-date=5 November 2002}}Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. However, in later episodes, Bob is seen using safety glasses.
Video games
Various video game publishers released Bob the Builder video games throughout the 2000s:
- Fix It Fun! (Game Boy Color, NTSC/PAL) - 2000
- Can We Fix It? (PC, PS1, NTSC/PAL) - 2001
- Bob Builds a Park (PC, NTSC/PAL) - 2002
- Bob's Castle Adventure (PC, NTSC/PAL) - 2003
- Project: Build It (PS2, PAL only) - 2005
- Bob the Builder: Festival of Fun (PS2, Wii, Nintendo DS, PAL only) - 2007
- Bob the Builder: Can-Do-Zoo (PC, NTSC/PAL) - 2008
In the United States, Bob the Builder: Can We Fix It?{{'}}s computer version sold 350,000 copies and earned $6.1 million by August 2006, after its release in August 2001. It was the country's 50th best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006. Combined sales of all Bob the Builder computer games released between January 2000 and August 2006 had reached 520,000 units in the United States by the latter date.{{Cite magazine |title=The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |last=Edge Staff |date=25 August 2006 |magazine=Edge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017165955/http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |archive-date=17 October 2012}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Bob the Builder|Bob the Builder}}
{{Wikiquote|Bob the Builder|Bob the Builder}}
- {{BBC programme}}
=Channels=
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111112045811/http://www.abc.net.au/abcforkids/shows/s2948127.htm Bob the Builder on ABC 4 Kids]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111029211314/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/bobthebuilder/ Bob the Builder on CBeebies]
- [http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1128247081-borek-stavitel/207552117180026-azor-hlida/ Bob the Builder on Česká Televize]
- [http://www.nickjr.co.uk/shows/bob-the-builder/#! Bob the Builder on Nick Jr. UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405124409/http://www.nickjr.co.uk/shows/bob-the-builder/#! |date=5 April 2016 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111105023837/http://www.sproutonline.com/sprout/characters/?preset=bobthebuilder Bob the Builder on Sprout]
- [http://www.telequebec.tv/emissions/boblebricoleur/ Bob the Builder on Télé-Québec] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528093159/http://www.telequebec.tv/emissions/boblebricoleur/ |date=28 May 2015 }}
- [http://www.toggolino.de/?bhcp=1 Bob the Builder on TOGOLINGO]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071015153144/http://treehousetv.com/watch/shows/BobtheBuilder/default.aspx Bob the Builder on Treehouse TV]
- [http://pbskids.org/bobthebuilder Official website on pbskids.org]
=Others=
- [http://www.hitentertainment.com/bobthebuilder Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106160713/http://www.hitentertainment.com/bobthebuilder/ |date=6 January 2018 }}
- {{IMDb title|id=0262151|title=Bob the Builder}}
{{Bob the Builder}}
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 2000s}}
{{Former PBS Kids shows}}
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Category:1999 animated television series debuts
Category:1999 British television series debuts
Category:2011 British television series endings
Category:1990s British animated television series
Category:1990s British children's television series
Category:1990s preschool education television series
Category:2000s British animated television series
Category:2000s British children's television series
Category:2000s preschool education television series
Category:2010s British animated television series
Category:2010s British children's television series
Category:2010s preschool education television series
Category:Animated preschool education television series
Category:BBC children's television shows
Category:British children's animated comedy television series
Category:British children's animated fantasy television series
Category:British computer-animated television series
Category:British preschool education television series
Category:British stop-motion animated television series
Category:CBeebies original programming
Category:Claymation television series
Category:Television series by Mattel Television