Bob the Builder (character)

Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder character
Bob as he appears in the original series and Project: Build It, animated in stop motion
First appearanceUnaired Pilot Episode (1997; unofficial)
Scoop Saves the Day (1999; official)
Created byKeith Chapman
Designed byCurtis Jobling
Voiced byNeil Morrissey (1999) (1997-2011) (UK)[1]
Rob Rackstraw (2007-2011) (only for live shows and the official website) (UK)
William Dufris (2001-2005) (US)
Greg Proops (2005-2007) (US)
Marc Silk (2007-2011) (US)
Lee Ingleby (2015) (2015-2018) (UK)
Colin Murdock (2015-2018) (US)
David Holt (Young, 2015 series)
Anthony Ramos (untitled upcoming film)
In-universe information
Full nameBob
NicknamesBob the Builder
Bobby
GenderMale
OccupationGeneral Contractor
Family
  • Robert (father)
  • Dorothy (mother)
  • Tom (brother)
  • Billy (grandfather)
NationalityBritish

Bob the Builder, also known simply as Bob, is the titular protagonist of the British animated programme of the same name. He is a general contractor with his own construction yard in Bobsville (original series), Sunflower Valley (Project: Build It), Fixham Harbour (Ready, Steady, Build!), or Spring City (2015 reboot) depending on which series.

Catchphrase

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Bob's catchphrase, "yes we can", is a response to other characters saying "Can we fix it?". "Can we fix it?" is also the name of the theme song, which became a top seller in the UK.

Design

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The character's appearance was created by Curtis Jobling. His character sketches initially showed him with a moustache but this made him seem too old for the target audience of preschool children and so he was then restyled as clean-shaven. As stop-motion animation requires frequent repositioning of the models, Bob was given large feet for stability.[2]

When the series was sold internationally, some changes had to be made to make him more acceptable to other cultures. For Japan, the character was shown with all five fingers on each hand, rather than his usual four. This was done because, in that society, a missing finger can indicate membership of the criminal Yakuza clans.[3][4] However, none of the footage was altered.

In 2014, the toy company Mattel bought the rights to the character and gave him a Hollywood-style makeover, making him seem younger and slimmer and more realistically proportioned. This was not well-received on social media, where the new look was described as creepy and unconvincing.[5][6][7] Like in Japan, his 2015 redesign has five fingers on each hand, instead of four.

Episodes

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Main articles: List of Bob the Builder episodes and List of Bob the Builder (2015 TV series) episodes

Appearances

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Bob has appeared in every episode in the programme and all related media. He officially first appeared in the episode "Scoop Saves the Day" that premiered on 12 April 1999 and has been going ever since 1999.

Bob has five main machines that help him out: Scoop the backhoe loader, Muck the self-loading dump truck, Dizzy the cement mixer, Lofty the mobile crane and Roley the road roller.[8]

Film adaptation

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In January 2024, Mattel announced that a film adaptation of the animated character will be produced by Jennifer Lopez and Benny Medina. The plot will follow Bob as he visits Puerto Rico for a construction job. Anthony Ramos will voice the character.[9][10]

Legacy

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Bob has helped to change negative stereotypes of construction workers among preschool children.[11] The cartoon programme is also similar in concept with Construction Site, Handy Manny and the Singaporean popular local sitcom Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, in which the latter titular character being Phua Chu Kang is also a general contractor just like Bob and that Chu Kang actually appeared in the advertisement or commercial known as Bob the Builder: Bob's Big Surprise.

References

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  1. ^ Official Charts Company (4 November 2012). The Million Sellers. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-882-9.
  2. ^ Paul Wells; Joanna Quinn; Les Mills (2008), Drawing for Animation, AVA Publishing, p. 117, ISBN 9782940373703
  3. ^ "Bob the Builder fixed for Japan". Entertainment. BBC News. 20 April 2000.
  4. ^ Freed, Brianna (2010). Can We Fix It?: Bob the Builder as a Discrusive Resource for Children (PDF) (Master of Arts thesis). Colorado State University.
  5. ^ Telegraph View (15 October 2014). "Bob the Builder's been rebuilt". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  6. ^ John McCarthy (13 October 2014), Bob the Builder: Can Mattel rebuild him? Twitter doesn't think so, The Drum
  7. ^ John Plunkett (13 October 2014), "Bob the Builder reboot on shaky ground", The Guardian
  8. ^ "Win Bob the Builder prizes". Wales on Sunday. Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales. 25 April 1999. p. 31.
  9. ^ "Lopez to co-produce Bob The Builder film". Aberdeen Evening Express: 10. 27 January 2024. ProQuest 2918676255.
  10. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (25 January 2024). "Jennifer Lopez to Produce 'Bob the Builder' Animated Movie at Mattel, Starring Anthony Ramos". Variety Magazine.
  11. ^ Moore, David (20 December 2001), "William of Sen to Bob the Builder: non-cognate cultural perceptions of constructors", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 8 (3): 177–184, doi:10.1108/eb021180

Further reading

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