Bob the Builder (2015 TV series)

Bob the Builder is a CGI animated children's television series and a reboot of the British-American animated television show of the same name. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 5, beginning on 1 September 2015 and PBS Kids in the United States in 14 November.

Bob the Builder
Logo for the reboot series.
Genre	Children's animation
Created by	Keith Chapman
Based on	Bob the Builder by Keith Chapman
Voices of	Lee Ingleby Joanne Froggatt Jacob Scipio (UK) Colin Murdock Ian James Corlett Lee Tockar (US)
Theme music composer	Paul K. Joyce
Composers	David Schweitzer (2015–2017) Tim Foy (2018) Paul Koffman (2018)
Country of origin	United Kingdom United States Canada
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	130 (+1 special) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Kim Dent Wilder (2015–2017) Michael Hefferon (2015–2017) Edward Catchpole (2015–2016) Christopher Keenan (2015–2018) Steven DeNure (2018) Kirsten Newlands (2018)
Producers	Kylie Ellis (2015–2017) Fred de Bradeny (2015–2017)
Camera setup	Multi-camera (2004–2018)
Production companies	HIT Entertainment (2015–2017) Mattel Creations (2017–2018) Animation: Rainmaker Entertainment (2015–2017) IoM Media Ventures Halifax (2018)
Distributor	Mattel (2015–2018) WildBrain (2017–2018)
Release
Original network	Channel 5 (UK) PBS Kids (Seasons 1-2) Qubo (Season 3) (US) Family Jr. (Canada)
Picture format	16:9
Original release	1 September 2015 – 30 December 2018
Chronology
Related shows	Bob the Builder (original series)
External links
Website

The program is also a sequel as PBS lists it as the 19th season and onward.

Episodes

Series		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	52	1 September 2015	29 February 2016
	2	52	27 June 2016	7 September 2017
	3	26	2 January 2018	30 December 2018

Cast

United Kingdom

• Lee Ingleby as Bob
• Blake Harrison as Scoop
• Paul Panting as Muck
• Steven Kynman as Lofty and Dash Lighting
• Terry Mynott as Two-Tonne and Tiny
• Jacob Scipio as Leo
• Joanne Froggatt as Wendy
• Sarah Hadland as Dizzy, Lift Voice, Betsy and Vet Tilly
• Nick Mercer as Mr. Bentley and Farmer Pickles
• Marcel McCalla as Roley
• Sam Swann as Stretch
• William Haresceugh as JJ (Not to be confused with the character from the Original Series)
• Mia Hope as Saffi
• Lucy Montgomery as Mayor Madison, Jenny Dobbs and Shifter
• Holly Hazelton as Mila
• Dustin Demri-Burns as Tread
• Steve Cannon as Phillip and various minor roles
• Phil Cornwell as Alfred

United States

• Colin Murdock as Bob
• Blake Harrison as Scoop
• Vincent Tong as Muck and Brandon
• Richard Ian Cox as Lofty
• Richard Newman as Two-Tonne
• Daniel Bacon as Leo
• Joanne Froggatt as Wendy
• Claire Corlett as Dizzy
• Ian James Corlett as Roley and Mr Bentley
• Erin Mathews as JJ and Vet Tilly
• Lee Tockar as Tiny
• Peter New as Stretch
• Steve Cannon as Phillip
• Lucy Montgomery as Jenny Dobbs
• Cole Howard as Shifter
• Ryan Beil as Tread
• Nicole Oliver as Mayor Madison
• Kazumi Evans as Saffi
• Rebecca Shoichet as Mila and Betsy

Production and broadcast

After the original show ended, Mattel bought the Bob the Builder franchise for a revamped original series. The series was given a visual overhaul for both the environmental hybrid characters and the scenery, with Bob and his team moving to the bustling metropolis of Fixham. The CGI animation remained and the construction projects and buildings are significantly larger and more advanced. Mr. Bentley is now seen with a new character, Mayor Madison and a new builder named Leo joined the building team. Several new vehicles have CGI faces were also introduced, including a heavy delivery vehicle named Two-Tonne.

Turner Broadcasting System later bought the broadcasting rights for the 2015 series for the United Kingdom to be repeated on Cartoon Network UK's sister preschool channel Cartoonito UK. The channel began airing the series in January 2016.[1] After the second season ended Rainmaker Entertainment announced that they have ceased animating the show due to issues the company was having at the time. DHX Media announced that they had started work for the third season and that their Halifax studio have officially replaced Rainmaker Entertainment.

The show also aired on Family Jr. in Canada. In Australia, Bob the Builder premiered in 2016. It aired on 10 Peach (formerly known as Eleven) every weekday morning. It also aired on ABC Kids. In the United States, it aired on PBS Kids from 2015 until 2018. Qubo aired the reboot series on 26 August 2019 for only the third series, but the original British dub is aired on that channel, instead of the American dub.

Reception and criticism

The reboot was poorly received by longtime fans of the older series. Criticism focused on the characters' redesigns and the changes to their personalities.[2]

References

1. "Boomerang UK And Cartoonito UK January 2009 Highlights". RegularCapital.com. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
2. Campbell, Tina (12 October 2014). "Bob The Builder gets a makeover: 'WTF have they done?' asks everyone". Metro. Retrieved 2 June 2017.