Bob the Builder

***Bob the Builder*** is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series, Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of anthropomorphised work-vehicles and equipment. The show is broadcast in many countries, but originates from the United States where Bob is voiced by English actor William Durfis. The show was later created using Computer-generated imagery animation starting with the spin-off series *Ready, Steady, Build!*.

In each episode, Bob and his group help with renovations, construction, and repairs and with other projects as needed. 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 USA.

## Impact

*Bob the Builder* was nominated in the American Academy of Film and Television Arts "Pre-school animation" category from January 15, 2001 to November 12, 2010, and won the "Children's Animation" category the special episode "A Christmas to Remember". Of the show's success, Sarah Ball said:

Bob the Builder has been parodied by *Robot Chicken* in the episode and by *Comedy Inc.* as Bodgy Builder.

Bob was also parodied on Cartoon Network's *MAD* in the episode "S'UP / Mouse M.D." In the episode when Mickey Mouse portrays Gregory House he goes to perform surgery on Bob who smashed his thumb asking similar to his famous catchphrase "Can we fix it?" Mickey then replies no and orders for it to be amputated. He later appears in another episode when Bob interacts with Manny from *Handy Manny* after they get into a fender bender and get into an argument with Bob saying "Stop copying my show!" He leaves then someone tells Manny he just got built. In another episode, "Kung Fu Blander / Destroy Bob the Builder Destroy", *Mad* parodies *Bob the Builder* and *Destroy Build Destroy*. In the episode, Andrew W.K. of *Destroy Build Destroy*, is portrayed as being a jerk towards Bob. Andrew destroys everything Bob builds. In the end, Bob transforms his construction vehicles into Build-Tron (a parody of Voltron). 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. However, in later episodes, Bob is seen using safety glasses.

## Merchandise

Various companies manufacture licensed Bob the Builder merchandise (e.g.: Brio, Lego Duplo, Hasbro, Learning Curve, etc.) since about sometimes some fans make fan-made merchandise for the television show, such as racing games that are not related to the show.

## Lego Duplo/Explorer

Lego began manufacturing licensed Duplo Bob the Builder sets in 2001. Lego Explorer also made the sets using the same bricks that Duplo used Naughty Spud, Wallpaper Wendy, etc.). The sets were aimed at younger children, two and up. Duplo manufactured the sets (e.g. Scoop at Bobland Bay, Muck Can Do It Lego's contract expired.

## Hasbro

Hasbro created licensed Bob the Builder characters. They included talking characters and others to go with the Bob the Builder line. The Hasbro line was discontinued in 2005 when Learning Curve took the chance to take over.

## Learning Curve

Learning Curve among countless others held a license to make the toys, but discontinued them. They first merchandised their Bob the Builder products in 2005 after the Hasbro range was discontinued. Learning Curve also created the Thomas and Friends characters, while the company still makes the sets (e.g. Scoop, Muck, Lofty, Dizzy, andys trailer etc.) and then sold them to stores. They discontinued them in 2010 and it is unknown if they could ever return to making them. The toys are currently available in the United States by Character Options.

## Character World

In 2010, Character World announced that they had signed a license to manufacture official Bob the Builder bedding and bedroom textiles. A duvet cover is said to be available in the US in late 2010.

## Project Build It

*For a more comprehensive list, see List of Bob the Builder episodes.*

In the tenth season, a sort of spin-off series was created 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 will return to Bobsville or not.

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 Marc Silk, who played as the voice of Bob, to be the voices of Spud the Scarecrow and Mr. Bentley. The show also added recycling and being environmentally friendly to its lessons, emphasising the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

## Ready, Steady, Build!

In the seventeenth and eighteenth season, the second 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 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.

## Voice actors

Voice actors who have provided contributed voices to the original American version include William Durfis, Greg Proops, Mark Silk, Lorelei King Alan Marriott, Lachele Carl, Maria Darling, Sonya Leite, Colin McFarlane, Rupert Degas, Rob Rackstraw Emma Tate, Vincent Marzello, Chris Evans, Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki and Rob Paulsen.

## International broadcasts

*Bob the Builder* is shown in more than thirty countries, and versions are available in English.

The North American version of the show uses the original British footage and script, but dubs the voices in American accents and slang; for example, the word "soccer" is used instead of "football" to avoid confusion with the gridiron forms of the game. The original North American voice of Bob (and Farmer Pickles/Mr. Beasley/Mr. Sabatini) was William Dufris, however, 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.