Bob the Builder Returns, Refreshed and Ready to Fix It

Bob the Builder is back. He and his friends have a new look, but they can still fix it. Yes they can!

If your kids are anything like mine, they’ve gone through (or have persisted in) a construction phase. My son is obsessed with cars and trucks – really, anything with wheels – and shows like Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine are right in his wheelhouse.

When it comes to Thomas, I’ve noticed that he tends to prefer the newer versions with smoother animation over the older series with somewhat creepy stop-motion animation. The same was true for Bob the Builder. He wanted to like the show, but the quirky stop-motion animation always seemed to be a bit of a deal breaker for him.

Well, Bob is back with a new show that not only has refreshed character designs and visuals but also is made with enhanced CG animation.

Behold, old-school Bob the Builder versus his 2015 counterpart:

It was therefore with much interest that we sat down to watch the new show. I was curious to see if he’d take to the character. There shouldn’t have been any doubt. It was love at first wrench.

Aside from the updated animation style, the new show remains true to what made the original such a success. The theme song remains mostly the same. The catchphrases (“Can we fix it? Yes we can!”) are the same. And the positive messages of creative thinking and teamwork are just as enthusiastic as ever.

But Bob’s not the only one sporting a new look. Also updated are the construction vehicles, Wendy, and new apprentice builder Leo. (My daughter, who–at 6–fancies herself too old for Bob the Builder, is nonetheless a fan since she’s currently obsessed with British accents. The new Wendy, therefore, pushes this one into the Win column for her.)

If your kids are already fans of Bob the Builder, then they’ll almost certainly be fans of the new show. It has the same charm and appeal of the original, just with an updated look and sensibilities. The new animation style might even win over a few adults… or at least make this preschool show a bit more palatable.