Bob the Builder is returning to PBS in November with CGI-animation, a brand new look for both the series and its title character, and Downton Abbey‘s Joanne Froggatt voicing one of the lead roles, Wendy. Ahead of the TV show, HIT Entertainment, a division of Mattel, is welcoming back Bob with a brand new Bob the Builder YouTube channel launching today.
The YouTube channel will feature 40-plus mini adventures leading up to the TV premiere. The first one is a sing along episode, set to the iconic “Bob the Builder” theme song, “Can We Fix IT?”
Each of the YouTube shorts will run about 3 minutes, with new webisodes uploaded on a regular basis. Upcoming shorts include a Bob introduction webisode and a Wendy introduction webisode—featuring the first look at Froggatt voicing the character—debuting on August 21.
The new-look Bob is the same character audiences have grown to love, but his dungarees have been replaced with a hi-vis jacket, while his chunky boots, yellow hard hat, and checked shirt all remain. All of the show’s core characters return for the new series, including Bob’s business partner, Wendy and vehicles Scoop, Muck, and Lofty. Other fan favorites, Roley and Dizzy, also remain, but there will be new faces for viewers to meet, such as an apprentice builder, Leo; Mayor Maria Madison; energetic young sports club members, The Spring City Rockets; and two new machines, a heavy-lifting low-loader truck called Two Tonne and a tower crane called Tiny.
