Unless these episodes are being released prior to their being aired on television, there's no reason they didn't make the cut. Containing the usual down-to-earth jocularity and can-do brio of any other Bob the Builder collection, this is an as-usual exemplary group. After building the town of Sunflower Valley from scratch, Bob sets his sights on the nearby bay with lovely sandy beaches.

He's going to have a whole new set of challenges, however, and will need many new team members to help him get the job done. So along with Wendy and the usual crew, we get to meet Packer the Delivery Truck; Flex the truck with a flexible crane-arm; Dodger the old-fashioned Delivery Truck; Bristle the Cleaning Truck and Tumbler the Cement Mixing Truck. In addition, Bob and team's exploits are being filmed by a Hollywood movie crew! Bob's gang gets down to work teaching lessons along the way. Spud learns to focus when he tries to work with the movie crew, Lofty overcomes feelings of inadequacy, (and a bout of being camera shy) and Dizzy deals with a blowhard.

All along is Bob's indefatigueably positive attitude, the one towering aspect of the Bob the Builder appeal. While other shows go through the numbers of teaching kids things like: sharing is good, bullying is bad, being responsible is nice and suchlike, Bob puts his money where his mouth is. Crewmembers work together and support each other while Bob, a guy who could be a big burly scary dude, (the way some construction workers are in real life) comes forth with his surfer-cool, 'everything's gonna be OK' attitude which teaches kids not to be afraid to try and fail, and not to be afraid to be afraid. Bob is a really good guy.

The five stories here are fast moving and entertaining for kids, and even for adults too. I got plenty of laughs out of things my daughter thought funny, and we both had a great time imagining life in Bob's sunny, can-do world. I still wonder where Bob gets all his financial backing, and the imprimatur to just go ahead and build an entire seaside town over the course of a few days, but your preschooler probably won't ask. Bob the Builder is always a good time, and we're truly hoping that some day Bob's people will put out a two or three disc set, so parents can save a little scratch for building their own resorts.

The DVD

Video:
Bobland bay comes to us in fullscreen (1.33:1 ratio) as Builder is broadcast on TV. The picture is sharp and vibrant, with bright, cheerful colors that aren't too searing to your eyes. There are no digital mastering or compression artifacts to speak of, except some very minor instances of edge enhancement.

Sound:
The Digital Audio track is perfectly serviceable. No mention is made on packaging, but I assume it's a stereo track. Leastways, I didn't notice any nods towards an aggressive 5.1 mix. Dialog and music are mixed nicely and at a tolerable level.

Extras:
Needs-based extras include Closed Captioning, English, French and Spanish Audio Tracks as well as an Auto Play function and Onscreen Menus for episode selections, etc. Also included are two episodes for other releases: Sam the Fireman - Bug Eyed Boy from Venus, and Fifi and the Flowertots - Hole Lot of Fun. Both episodes are about ten minutes long, and Fifi is the real danger. The kid went nutso for the theme song alone, (as did my wife and I) a minute-long slice of pure breezy Europop that sticks like bubblegum - saccharine and genetically engineered to perfection. The last extra is a four minute segment where you can Meet the New Crew Members.

Final Thoughts:
Those familiar with Bob the Builder will find this collection to be more of the same, super-positive, fun little stories that are engaging, entertaining, educational and a pleasure to watch for young and old. At ten minutes each, they're easily digestible and will have you and your young ones begging for more. Bob's adventures building Bobland Bay shy away somewhat from the eco-concerns of Sunflower Valley, (they even build a skate park) but are still plenty of fun and Recommended. We just still wish they'd pack a few more eps on each DVD.

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