HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

Hold On to Your Hammers and Hard Hats as Bob the Builder™ Begins a Brand-New Project at Bobland Bay

Explore The Excitement Of This Seaside Location With The Newest Members Of The Can-Do Crew: Tumbler, Bristle, Flex and Splasher on PBS KIDS®

02/18/2008

New York, NY

Bob the Builder embarks on an exciting new adventure, as he and his Can-Do Crew begin work at the seaside location, Bobland Bay in all-new episodes of the popular preschool series, launching on PBS KIDS® in September 2008. Aspiring builders and Bob-fans will welcome new members of the machine team- - Tumbler, Bristle, Flex and Splasher - who help get the job done in an eco-friendly way in this new community filled with fun and activity!

• Tumbler - is the biggest cement mixer you'll ever see with tumbling drums and a big rumbling voice. He's mixing things up in Bobland Bay.
• Bristle - is the clean-as-a-whistle cleaning machine with brilliant brushes and squirters too.
• Flex - is a fantastic new part of the machine team with a flexible arm that can reach high and a basket on the end so that Bob and the crew can reach new heights.
• Splasher - is an amphibious 'duck' bus! He is a hyper-enthusiastic young machine with a preoccupation with being a superhero. He's always ready to drop his tour-guiding and zoom off to the rescue as Super-Splasher whenever he's needed!

The adventures at this new seaside location begin with the March DVD release, Building Bobland Bay. There is so much for Bob and the Can-Do Crew to get done, from building a new lifeguard lookout station, a drive-in cinema and a skate park; to building an observatory and finalizing a promenade in time for the big celebration! Bob is going to need a lot of help to build this new town!

In June the fun continues with the DVD release, Let's Build the Beach! This time, Bob and his machine team need to build a hotel and a jetty. Will everything be ready in time for the Grand Opening?

In tandem with these direct-to-DVD specials, Bob's website, www.bobthebuilder.com, will be constructing new games, activities and projects. Each of the new machine team members will be introduced via streaming video clips and dedicated pages.

Beginning this September, fourteen new episodes of Bob the Builder - Project: Build It set at Bobland Bay will air on PBS KIDS (check local listings). Every episode of Bob the Builder finishes with a job well done and a lesson learned about the value of a positive attitude, problem solving and teamwork while always demonstrating that The Fun Is In Getting It Done!

To download artwork, please visit www.hitnewsonline.com

About Bob the Builder™

Bob the Builder and his machine team are ready to tackle any project. As they hammer out the solutions that lead to a job well done, Bob and the Can-Do Crew demonstrate the power of positive thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and follow-through. Most importantly, from start to finish, the team always shows that The Fun Is In Getting It Done! Bob the Builder is produced at HOT Animation and can be seen building, digging and hauling on PBS KIDS® and PBS KIDS Sprout℠. For more information about Bob the Builder, and the Can-Do Crew please visit www.bobthebuilder.com.

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners since June 2005, is one of the world’s leading independent children’s entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT’s portfolio includes internationally renowned children’s properties, such as Bob the Builder™, Barney™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Rubbadubbers™ and Angelina Ballerina™. HIT acts as a representative for The Wiggles® in the UK, US and Canada and as worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company’s library of classic family brands, including Fraggle Rock™. HIT also owns the Guinness World Records™ publishing and television property and Fireman Sam™, a joint venture with S4C. Launched in 1989, HIT’s lines of business span television and video production (including studios in the US and the UK), publishing, consumer products licensing and live events. With a catalog of more than 1,000 hours of young children’s programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240 countries worldwide, in more than 40 different languages and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2005, the Company joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and Sesame Workshop to launch PBS KIDS Sprout℠, a 24-hour digital cable channel and VOD service for preschoolers. For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.

About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!

PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, are committed to providing the highest quality non-commercial content and learning environment for children across the country. Providing age-appropriate, diverse programming for kids, PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! programs consistently earn more prestigious awards than any other broadcast or cable network. Only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. With additional PBS resources to complement its programming, including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbs.org/teachers), PBS Ready To Learn services and literacy events across the country, PBS is providing the tools necessary for positive child development. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 355 public television stations, serving nearly 73 million people each week and reaching 99% of American homes.