Bob the Builder is a British animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman for HIT Entertainment which ran from 12 April 1999 (1999-04-12) to 31 December 2011 (2011-12-31) 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 the residents of Bobsville; Sunflower Valley and Fixham Harbour are featured in later seasons.
[2] In October 2014, the company announced a new series that would feature changes in the setting, casting and character designs.
[3][4] 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.
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).
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.
[8][9] 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[10] through November 6, 2015, after which it was replaced with the 2015 reboot.
[11] 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.
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.
In another episode, Bob encounters the title character of Handy Manny, whom he tells to "Stop copying my show!"
Some have complained about technical errors and lack of proper safety practices in the programme, especially the absence of protective eyewear.
Bob hears of a contest to build a new community in a remote area called Sunflower Valley, outside of Bobsville.
[24] Various companies manufacture licensed Bob the Builder merchandise (e.g.: Brio, Lego Duplo, Hasbro, Learning Curve, etc.)
Learning Curve also created the Thomas & Friends characters, while the company still makes the sets (e.g. Scoop, Muck, Lofty, Dizzy, Andy's trailer etc.)
In 2012, Character World announced that they had signed a license to manufacture official Bob the Builder bedding and bedroom textiles.