Rubbadubbers   (2002 - 2004)
 
   producers: HOT Animation for
                     HIT Entertainment  
   animation: stop-motion animation
     episodes: 39 x 10mins
                     and 1.5min interstitials

 
     "Here come the Rubbadubbers - Splish! Splash! Splosh!"
 

    Bath-time fun here with a colourful cast of water toys. There's Tubb the frog, Terence
    the bath bottle crocodile, Finbar the wind-up bath shark, Sploshy the starfish-shaped
    sponge, Winona the squeaky toy whale, Reg the robot and Amelia the flying
    submarine. These bath-time buddies come to life whenever the wash room is empty.
    The gang imagine themselves in all kinds of fantasy situations and they work their
    way through songs, problems, escapades and adventures which take them out
    of the bath room and into a wealth of fantasy scenarios. But they're always
    certain to be back in the bath once more, before "Benjie" and "Sis" make their
    way to the facilities...

        

    "Rubbadubbers" is animated by the team at HOT Animation, who previously
    brought Bob the Builder and friends to our screens, and it's great splashy fun
    for little 'uns. The stand-out star of the show is stuttering Finbar, as voiced by Irish
    comedian Sean Hughes. And there's lots of lovely detail on offer, big soapy bubbles,
    and rippling bath water. Taking the characters out of what could have become
    quite a dull bath environment means the animators can play with a variety of
    bright scenarios, and they certainly go to town, up in the clouds, on theatrical
    stages, and more. There's some fun interplay between them all too, with Tubb
    being the self-appointed leader, Sploshy always over-exuberant, Reg being very
    reserved and robotic, Terence always hesitant and afraid of new things and
    Finbar simply being gnawing, gnashing, angry at the world (though he couldn't
    even nibble a lilly pad, in reality).

    As one would expect from such a hit (HIT?) series, there were a plethora of
    licensed goodies produced when the show launched, one of the more popular
    items being this here all-talking, all-chomping Finbar plush toy:

    

     Cute, eh?
 

    Scramble!

    Like Buzz and Wooody in Pixar's "Toy Story" films, the Rubbadubbers prefer
    to come to life when there aren't any humans around. Reg is their robot guard,
    and the others wait for his "all clear" before the fun and games commence.
    He takes center stage again outside the bathroom door, come story's end,
    as he hears their human owners coming, and calls out for the "Bathtime
    Scramble!"...

 

    Clean Fun

    Although there are cotton buds and sundries lying around, everything
    in the 'dubbers bathroom home is scrupulously clean at all times, with
    ne'er a used tissue, or a stray hair in sight!

 

     Bathroom to Outback

     The series originator was Peter Curtis. He's since taken to the skies with
     Spellbound Entertainment and those ever-helpful Koala Brothers...

 

     

     Tubb the Builder

     In the episode "The House that Tubb Built", Tubb takes us on an "if only"
     flight of fancy, in which he becomes the head of a building site who looks
     just like his HIT Entertainment stablemate, Bob the Builder. Terence is
     there too, and he's dressed up to look like Bob's building inspector
     Mr Bentley!

 

    Splish-splash-splosh with them...

    Tubb, the frog toy
    Terence, the dinosaur toy
    Finbar, the wind-up shark
    Sploshy, the star-shaped bath sponge
    Winona, the squeaky whale toy
    Reg the plastic robot
    Amelia, the flying submarine toy

 

    Rubbadubbers episodes

    Drip!                                Terence the Spy
    Sploshy of the Arctic          Terence's Bubble Trouble
    Hide and Seek                   Tubb the Magician
    Scary Finbar                      Amelia the Babysitter
    High Noon in the Bathroom   Tubb the Frog Prince
    Amelia the Monster             Finbar and the Ghosts
    Reg the Monster                 Sploshy's Wishes
    Terence's Double Trouble     The House that Tubb Built
    Sploshybird                        Terence the Monster Hunter
    Terence of Arabia               Lighthouse Keeper Reg
    Sheriff Terrence                 Copy Sploshy
    Spaceman Reg                   Terence's Ties
    Deep Sea Reg                    Finbar the Star
    Traindriver Tubb                 Reg's Game Plan
    Tubb the Pirate                  Farmer Sploshy
    Speedy Terence                 Princess Amelia
    Sploshy's Tail                     Super Amelia
    Finbar's Important Part        Footballer Tubb
    Rocket Sled Reg                 Muddy Finbar
    Amelia and the Detectives

    Interstitials

    Clean and Groovy
    Great Skate
    All Wrapped Up
    Hide and Seek
    Swimming Races
    Being Choosey
    Swimmin'!!
    On a Roll
    Row, Row, Row

 

     Rubbadubbers on DVD

    Here are the invididual releases:

      Rubbadubbers: Here Come the Rubbadubbers
                Region 2 / three episodes / HIT Entertainment / May 2003

      Rubbadubbers: Splish! Splash! Splosh!
                Region 2 / four episodes / HIT Entertainment / Sept 2003

      Rubbadubbers: Bathtime Scramble!
                Region 2 / four episodes / HIT Entertainment / Feb 2004

      Rubbadubbers: Swimmin'
                Region 2 / four episodes / HIT Entertainment / April 2007

     And there's a box-set featuring the first three discs:

      Rubbadubbers Box-Set
                Region 2 / three discs / HIT Entertainment / March 2007

     In addition the Rubbadubbers also appear on several of
     HIT Entertainment's Children's Favourites compilations...