In my earliest days of being a parent, I had some interesting questions that kept coming to mind as I jumped deep into the world of children’s entertainment. Several of those involved BOB THE BUILDER – is he licensed? Does he have insurance? Are he and his crew considered Union Labor? Did he go to some sort of trade school? How long has he been building and/or fixing? None of those things mattered, or were answered, but they were all things that have crossed the mind of a 30-something man while watching episodes of the British import on PBS Kids and Sprout. Back in March, I found out that Bob and the crew were getting a major overhaul, and I posted on my Facebook page about it – a discussion that had a lot of parents chiming in. Now, BOB THE BUILDER is ready to rock, with new episodes about to launch in the UK on September 1 (on Channel 5’s Milkshake), and later this Fall on PBS KIDS here in the U.S. A few months back, I said I didn’t know how I felt about the revamp, but now I have to say the whole crew is looking pretty good…
From the Official Announcement:
Bob the Builder has been given his biggest re-vamp in the show’s history with a modern look and feel.
The new-look Bob is still the same Bob that audiences know and love though. His dungarees might have been replaced with a hi-vis jacket but his chunky boots, yellow hard hat and checked shirt all remain, ensuring TV’s best-loved builder remains just as recognisable as ever. With his trusty tool belt now jam-packed with all manner of handy kit, Bob is ready to go… No project is too big, no problem too hard to solve.
The new series will see Bob the Builder continuing its long tradition of telling fun and interesting stories through positivity and teamwork with exciting characters, relatable locations and an aspirational hero.
All of the show’s core characters return for the new series, including Bob’s business partner Wendy and popular vehicles Scoop, Muck and Lofty. Other fans’ favourites, Roley and Dizzy, also remain but there will be new faces for viewers to meet – including Leo (an apprentice builder), Mayor Maria Madison, energetic young sports club members ‘The Spring City Rockets’ and two new machines: a heavy-lifting low-loader truck called ‘Two Tonne’ and a tower crane called Tiny.
There’s still no job too big or small for Bob and the gang, as they approach every job with positivity, enthusiasm and their catch phrase “Can we build it? Yes we can!”
Bob also has a new home in the bustling metropolis of Spring City – a glimmering and rapidly-developing modern urban skyline of steel and glass, complete with its own docks, a diverse population and strips of shops and restaurants. But his switch to the big city doesn’t signal the end for his traditional home in Fixham, where he’s still going to be building and carrying out smaller scale jobs throughout the series.
Check out more at http://www.bobthebuilder.com/en-us/
