Happy Birthday Bob the Builder!

It's been a funny old week on Planet Bling. Last week the BBC and HIT Entertainment celebrated 10 years of Bob being broadcast on the channel. That's quite an acheivement for any show, and one for which I and many other who helped to make the show are very proud. I was asked to appear on a Breakfast show to talk about the initial design of the character which although horrifically nerveracking still proved to be a lot of fun. Not least because I got to meet celebrity chef Brian Turner in the green room who, while the studio manager was walking us through what would happen, managed to shove a homemade scotch egg into my hand. Cheers Brian! :-D

Then it was on to a party at the Charlotte St Hotel where the new CGI version of Bob was screened/previewed. My personal tastes are still that you can't beat the original stop motion show (but then I'm biased as it's the medium of animation that I've always loved) although the CGI does I suppose breathe new life into the property. It's not like back in the days of Mr Benn when you'd make a dozen shows and that was your lot! Pictured above is the lovely Jackie Edwards, my old producer from Frankenstein's Cat and now VIP at CBeebies!

Off to MIPCOM in Cannes next month with Niel Bushnell from Qurios Entertainment. Great place to meet broadcasters, production companies and distributors, and generally get networky. Of course, with Mr Bushnell in tow, I'm suspecting it's going to be more like Morecambe & Wise in That Riviera Touch!

Bada Bling!

Ginges of the world unite

So, it's amazing what name-dropping Bob The Builder can get you. Emma and I went to see the rather fabulous Tim Minchin last night and much chortling occured when he started shouting out profanities during one of his songs about said-builder. On our way out my dear wife couldn't resist mentioning at the stage door to a chap (who turned out to be John, his tour manager) that the guy who DESIGNED that show was in the audience. "Hold on there, one minute," says John, disappearing. As a crowd of fans gather at the stage door he reappears to say "Bob The Builder's got you in!"

Admittedly he looks like he's going to kill us both, but in our defence he was talking at the time. At least when it's him and Em and I'm out of the picture he's grinning. Top chaps the pair of them and a terrific night topped off in the most unusual fashion :-D

And from divine comedy to crappy musings, here's a link to a podcast of myself and Qurios Entertainments Niel Bushnell, waxing unlyrical after a few too many shandies. Enjoy, or don't!

http://bushnellbling.jellycast.com/podcast/feed/2

Bada Bling! xx