Bob the Builder is a British animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman for HIT Entertainment which ran from 12 April 1999 to 31 December 2011 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.
| Bob the Builder | |
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| Also known as |
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Keith Chapman |
| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Theme music composer | Paul K. Joyce |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 18 |
| No. of episodes | 250 (+10 specials) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Jackie Cockle |
| Editors |
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| Camera setup |
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| Running time | 10 minutes |
| Production company | HIT Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBeebies |
| Release | 12 April 1999 – 31 December 2011 |
The series 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 serieses; titled Ready, Steady, Build!, of which SD Entertainment completed animation production.
Following the series' conclusion, HIT Entertainment was purchased by American toy company Mattel for $680 million.[2] In October 2014, the company announced a reboot series that would feature changes in the setting, casting and character designs. The reboot aired on Channel 5's Milkshake! for three serieses from 1 September 2015 to 30 December 2018, and was severely criticised by fans of the original version.[3][4] An animated theatrical film 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 casting of Bob.[5]
A new titled Bob the Builder revival series is yet to be announced.
Cast and characters
changeVoice 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, and Noddy Holder.
Episodes
change| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||||||||
| Original series | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 13 | 12 April 1999 | 2 August 1999 | UK: CBBC (1999) US: Nick Jr. (starting 2001[6]) | ||||||||
| 2 | 13 | 11 October 1999 | 28 December 1999 | UK: CBBC (1999) US: Nick Jr. (2001) | ||||||||
| 3 | 13 | 1 September 2000 | 19 September 2000 | UK: CBBC (2000) US: Nick Jr. (2001) | ||||||||
| 4 | 13 | 1 February 2001 | 19 February 2001 | UK: CBBC (2001) US: Nick Jr. (2001) | ||||||||
| 5 | 13 | 1 April 2002 | 13 April 2002 | UK: CBeebies (2002) US: Nick Jr. (2001–02) | ||||||||
| 6 | 13 | 2 September 2002 | 14 September 2002 | UK: CBeebies (2002) US: Nick Jr. (2002) | ||||||||
| 7 | 13 | 3 February 2003 | 20 February 2003 | UK: CBeebies (2003) US: VHS/DVD (2003–04) PBS Kids (2005) | ||||||||
| 8 | 13 | 1 September 2003 | 24 November 2003 | UK: CBeebies (2003) US: VHS/DVD (2004) PBS Kids (2005) | ||||||||
| 9 | 13 | 3 April 2004 | 20 December 2004 | UK: CBeebies (2004) US: PBS Kids (2005) | ||||||||
| Project: Build It | ||||||||||||
| 10 | 15 | 2 May 2005 | 20 May 2005 | UK: CBeebies (2005) US: PBS Kids (2005) | ||||||||
| 11 | 12 | 1 August 2005 | 16 August 2005 | UK: CBeebies (2005) US: PBS Kids (2005) | ||||||||
| 12 | 14 | 31 July 2006 | 17 August 2006 | UK: CBeebies (2006) US: PBS Kids (2006) | ||||||||
| 13 | 12 | 18 August 2006 | 4 September 2006 | UK: CBeebies (2006) US: PBS Kids (2006) | ||||||||
| 14 | 12 | 3 September 2007 | 18 September 2007 | UK: CBeebies (2007) US: PBS Kids (2007) | ||||||||
| 15 | 15 | 19 September 2007 | 9 October 2007 | UK: CBeebies (2007) US: PBS Kids (2008) | ||||||||
| 16 | 13 | 5 August 2008 | 26 August 2008 | UK: CBeebies (2008) US: PBS Kids (2008–09) | ||||||||
| Ready, Steady, Build! | ||||||||||||
| 17 | 20 | 12 April 2010 | 28 May 2010 | UK: CBeebies (2010) US: PBS Kids (2010) | ||||||||
| Mini Series 1 | 6 | 25 October 2010 | UK: DVD (2010) US: PBS Kids (2011) | |||||||||
| 18 | 8 | 26 September 2011 | 5 October 2011 | UK: CBeebies (2011) US: PBS Kids (2011) | ||||||||
| Mini Series 2 | 6 | 31 December 2011 | UK: DVD (2011) US: PBS Kids (2011) | |||||||||
International broadcast
changeBob the Builder is broadcasted internationally broadcast and available in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Slovene, German, Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi, Serbo-Croatian, and others.
Impact
changeBob the Builder was nominated in the BAFTA "Pre-school animation" category from 1999 to 2009,[not in the source given] and won the "Children's Animation" category in 2003 for the special episode "A Christmas to Remember".[7] Of the series's success, Sarah Ball said:
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 stylised but has such charm.
— Interview with Sarah Ball, Gurgle.com[8]
Reboot series
changeOn 1 September 2015, a reboot series first aired on Cartoonito and Channel 5's Milkshake block and dub American aired on 7 November 2015 with no funding and programmed during weekdays until it left in 2018. In 2021, Channel 5 left as it has since ended it's run. Two years after the 2015 series ended, the original Bob the Builder also aired on Qubo but it ceased operations on 28 February 2021. A new titled Bob the Builder revival series is yet to be announced.
References
change- ↑ "Bob the Builder – Cast and Crew". TV.com. 12 April 1999. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ↑ BBC Radio Four commentary by Gerald Scarfe 8 March 2013; https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b01r12ln
- ↑ "Why some people are very angry about the new Bob the Builder". The Independent. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- ↑ "Bob The Builder's Makeover Angers Fans". The Huffington Post UK. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- ↑ "'Bob The Builder' Animated Film In Works From Anthony Ramos, Jennifer Lopez, Mattel Films & ShadowMachine; Ramos Voicing Title Character". Deadline. 25 January 2024.
- ↑ "Nickelodeon Commercials - Early 2001". YouTube. 10 April 2022.
- ↑ "Awards Database". Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ↑ "Interview with Sarah Ball, Bob the builder & Chuggington writer and director". Gurgle.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2010-11-27.