TV Shows for Kids: Bob the Builder

Bob the Builder is an animated television show geared towards very young audiences. The show follows the adventures of Bob the Builder and his other friends in the construction business. Each episode the group must come together to help complete renovations, construction, and repairs of different projects. They are helped out by all of talking machinery.

Bob the Builder has the catchphrase, "Can we fix it?" He is always responded by his construction team and friends that they can. This line is a favorite among young viewers who can recite the line along with Bob and his construction team.

Bob the Builder is produced in the United Kingdom and then translated into many languages to be shown around the world. The show is translated into German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, and many other languages. It is one of the most watched television shows for children in the world.

The version that runs in the United States appeared on Nickelodeon for several years, but the show now airs on PBS Kids. Bob the Builder's voice is performed by comedian Greg Proops in the American version of the show.

The show's characters include humans, machinery, and animals. Spud, the scarecrow, is the only character on the show that does fit into any of these categories. Spud often messes things up for the group of construction friends. The machinery characters display the most childlike personalities making these characters some of the favorites for viewers.

Some of the human characters on Bob the Builder are:
Bob the Builder
Robert and Dorothy - Bob's parents
Tom - Bob's twin brother
Wendy - works with Bob
Jenny - Wendy's sister
Farmer Pickles
Mr. Bernard Bentley - building inspector
Mrs. Barbara Bentley
Mr. Sabatini - owner of the pizza shop
Mrs. Sabatini
Mr. Ellis - manager at the local museum
Mrs. Percival - principal at the local school
Mavis - mailwoman
Mr. Dixon - mailman
Mr. Costello - manager of the Drive-in Movie
JJ - supplies the parts Bob needs
Molly - JJ's daughter
Dora - Bob's aunt
Mr. Williams - manager of the airport
Mr. Stevens - an archaeologist

Some of the machine characters on Bob the Builder are:
Muck - red bulldozer
Dizzy - orange concrete mixer
Scoop - yellow truck
Lofty - blue crane
Roley - green steamroller
Trix - purple forklift
Scoot - snowmobile

Some of the animal characters on Bob the Builder are:
Tommy - turtle
Humpty - pig
Scruffy - dog
Pilchard - cat
Squawk - bird
Hamish - parrot

Bob the Builder continues to be produced in the United Kingdom. The show should continue to be one of the most popular TV shows for kids in the world.