Christmas is coming and Bob and his friends - human, animal, mechanical
    and scarecrow - are preparing for the jolly holidays. And those festivities look
    set to be even jollier than usual because Bob's twin brother Tom is coming
    to visit. Tom is a celebrated zoologist based way up north in the snowy arctic
    circle, with his husky Pongo, and Scoot the skibogan, and he's not seen his
    brother in ages.

    As Tom prepares for his visit, Bob and friends are planning a cracking
    Christmas concert in the town square, with those old rockers Lennie and the
    Lazers as the stars of the show.  But - oh - how the best preparations go awry.
    The Town Hall gets bashed by a wayward fir tree, the Christmas lights short
    circuit the town, Spud trashes the Christmas Fairy, Lennie loses his voice
    and worst of all, poor Tom has missed his boat South. Truly, this is shaping
    up to be a christmas to remember...

    "A Christmas to Remember" is Bob the Builder's first-ever feature-length
    adventure, and it's really rather fun. The antics in town are boosted by the
    prescence of several "star guests" who, rather than labouring events with
    their inclusion, are tastefully underplayed so that they lift the film above the
    expected norm for a video feature. Lennie Lazer is voiced by and looks like
    media celebrity Chris Evans (he's popped up infrequently in the regular tv
    show too). Then there's the roadie, barking-mad Banger who bears more than
    a passing resemblance to Noddy Holder, the former frontman of glam rock
    act Slade. Banger even wears glam clothes and sports those so-familiar
    muttonchop  sideburns. And then there's John, the meek and mild songwriter
    who's itching for his big break with the Lazers. The chap finally gets his chance
    to shine, thanks to Lennie's lack of larynx, and some helpful encouragement
    from Roley. John is in fact voiced by Elton John and he belts out a rousing
    version of "Crocodile Rock" in the film's finale. It's an understated turn from
    the knighted one, and works very well indeed.
    
    You know, it's easy to dismiss Bob, Wendy, Spud and the rest on the back
    of "that song" and the excessive press that accompanied the characters a
    year-or-so ago, but when you cut away thehype the show itself is actually
    a very fine creation with endearing characters and stories, and top-quality
    animation. It's difficult to fault and it's no surprise to hear that the video has
    shifted more than 320,000 units to date in the UK. What's more, the film
    went on to pick up the very first Bob the Builder BAFTA, because, after
    several series nominations, it was this film that finally clinched the coveted
    trophy for Best Animation in 2003...

 

     Awards

     2003 Children's BAFTA - Best Animation

 

     See also

       Tv Series:
       Bob the Builder
       Bob the Builder: Project Build-It
    
       Specials:  
       Bob the Builder: Bob's Big Plan
       Bob the Builder: Built to be Wild
       Bob the Builder: Knights of Can-a-lot
       Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish
       Bob the Builder: Scrambler to the Rescue
       Bob the Builder: Snowed Under
       Bob the Builder: When Bob Became a Builder

 

     A Christmas to Remember on DVD

     Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember
                Region 2 / HIT Entertainment / Nov 2003

      Bob the Builder - Holiday Video 2003
                A Christmas to Remember
                Region 1 / Lyons / Lyrick / Sept 2003

 

     a HOT Animation Production
     for HIT Entertainment Plc

 

      On the web


       Bob the Builder
       Bob's home on the web, suitably bright and busy for kids...

       HIT Entertainment 
       The parent site for Bob's owners with corporate info on all of their
       many and varied characters....