Just launched: free lifetime premium for the first 1,000 members to activate their account.

Log in Start free

The Crew Fixes a Slippery Mess

Sufficient

Recommended age Unlock

Co-watching from age 4

Stimulating

Exact score locked

Watch on

Prime Video

Paramount +

SkyShowtime

Save

The Crew Fixes a Slippery Mess

See the exact scores

The review is yours to read. Create a free account to reveal the exact SlowScreen score and every pillar score.

Create free account

This program is stimulating. It actively demands attention and can feel intense. For the recommended age, this may be on the more intense side. The pacing is fast. Images follow each other quickly, leaving little time to pause and take in what is happening. The sound is soft and supportive. The visuals are calm and well-organized.

One clear goal carries the whole episode: the pups must clean up a slippery bubble mess so the mayor can still do his ramp jump for a photo. Events build in a recognizable order, from wet paint to a runaway ramp to the sand fix and the final jump, so a child can follow how one thing leads to the next. The cause-and-effect logic is unusually tidy, with oil making wheels slip and sand soaking it up, then the same idea reused on the bubbles. New tools, vehicles and steps do arrive fairly thick and fast, which asks a bit of concentration from the youngest viewers.

The tone stays warm and supportive throughout, with characters checking 'Wheeler, are you okay?' and offering 'It's okay, I'll just paint it again' when things go wrong. Nobody is mocked or shamed, and when the duckling character causes chaos by pressing the soap button, the reaction is problem-solving rather than blame. Small tense moments, a runaway ramp or a sudden slip, land softly and are calmed within the same or the next beat, so worry never lingers. Emotions swing quickly between alarm and cheer at times, which the youngest children may feel as slightly bumpy.

The pups do the thinking here: they spot the oil, recall Grandpa's sand trick, and apply the same idea to a much bigger bubble problem, making sand in the Smash Smasher when they run out. Several problems are set off by outside events, such as the spilled oil and the accidentally pressed soap button, rather than by the pups' own curiosity, so the initiative sits more in the fixing than the starting. Solutions unfold in visible steps, naming the problem, trying a tool, checking whether the slipping stopped, and adjusting. The reasoning stays easy to trace, connecting each action to a clear result.

The language fits a young preschooler well, with short concrete sentences like 'The sand soaks up the oil and makes it so it's not slippery' and plenty of naming of objects and actions. Speech is clear and words are used consistently, so a child can trust that 'slippery', 'sand' and 'ramp' mean the same thing each time. A good share of the dialogue explains or instructs, though it is padded with a lot of expressive filler, repeated 'Hooray!', 'Woo-hoo!' and rhyming catchphrases that carry little meaning. Complete sentences and loose exclamations trade off through the episode, which is reasonable at this age.

The real-world nugget, that sand absorbs a slippery spill, is genuinely useful and shown clearly, and the teamwork and helping-the-community dynamics are recognizable to a small child. Beyond that, most of what happens sits in a fantasy world of talking pups, magical soap that floods a town and vehicles that spray instant paint, so few actions could be copied in everyday life. The activities have visible purpose, cleaning, building, mixing, but the tools and outcomes are invention rather than something a child could try at home. For this age the heavy make-believe framing limits how much carries over off the screen.

More information

The residents of Builder Cove include people of different skin tones, ages and backgrounds, from an elder dog who leads the crew to children, shopkeepers and a mayor who takes the spotlight. The construction crew is a mixed team of pups who each own a specialised job and solve the slippery-bubble problem by cooperating on equal footing, with no character locked into a narrow role. Women and characters of colour appear in active, capable positions across the town. The overall picture is varied and steady, though much of the human diversity sits in the background while the pups carry the story.

The episode takes place in the recognizable town of Builder Cove, where a team of talking construction pups fixes an everyday problem: spills that make roads slippery. Much of what happens is grounded in real cause and effect, like sand soaking up oil, which a child can understand and even imitate, though the world itself leans on talking animals and playfully oversized vehicles. There is no villain anywhere; every setback comes from accidents like wet paint or a runaway bubble machine, and the pups solve each one by working together. The fantasy stays consistent and the tone is light, with the busy pace and imaginative machines placing it a little above the most realistic fare a three-year-old typically meets.

This is a polished construction pups adventure built squarely for preschoolers, and it works better as a story than as company for the grown-up in the room. The plot actually holds together, an oil spill teaches a sand trick that pays off later when soap bubbles flood the town, so a watching parent can follow the cause and effect. Almost nothing is pitched over the kids' heads, though, and the wall-to-wall bubbly voices, cheering, and the repeated 'no slipping' chant wear on adult ears. The animation and sound are the strongest part of the experience for a co-viewer.

Themes

Problem solving

The pups diagnose why Wheeler slipped and apply a sand fix to both oil and bubbles.

Helping others

The crew works all day to clean Builder Cove and rebuild the mayor's ramp.

Learning to work together

The pups hammer, sand and spray the ramps together chanting 'We're all hammering.'

Construction

Recurring

The crew builds two giant wooden ramps down Main Street.

Rescue

Recurring

The pups race to save the runaway ramp and clear slippery roads for townsfolk.

Family

Rubble calls the crew 'family' and Grandpa Gravel helps with the sand idea.

Making mistakes

Recurring

The mayor drives on wet paint and the duckling presses the soap button, causing the mess.

Activities

Building

The crew constructs two giant wooden ramps down Main Street.

Cleaning

Charger runs street-sweeper brushes and the crew clears bubbles from the roads.

Problem solving

The pups work out that sand stops the slippery oil and bubbles.

Using tools

Mix uses a spray blaster and the crew smashes rope into sand.

Driving

The pups drive construction vehicles around Builder Cove throughout.

Photography

The mayor poses mid-jump for his City Hall photo.

Emotions

Excitement

The pups cheer 'Hooray!' repeatedly when the ramp is finished.

Determination

Rubble insists the mayor can still do his jump today and sets the crew to work.

Surprise

Characters cry 'Uh-oh!' and 'Oh, no!' as the bubbles carry the ramp away.

Joy

Everyone celebrates 'Now that's a photo!' after the successful jump.

Behaviour

Problem solving

Rubble reasons that sand can cover the bubbles just as it covered the oil.

Teamwork

The pups combine hammering, sanding and spraying to build the ramps.

Helping

The crew clears bubbles so Wingsy and other residents can cross safely.

Using tools

Mix fires a spray blaster and the crew runs the Smash Smasher to make sand.

Perseverance

After the ramp washes away the pups insist 'Rubble and crew can fix anything' and rebuild it.

Apologising

The mayor says 'Pups, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize the paint was wet.'

Comforting

The crew checks 'Wheeler, are you okay?' after the slip.

Social lessons

Teamwork

The pups split the hammering, sanding and spraying to finish the ramps together.

Helping others

The crew clears the slippery town so residents and the mayor can carry on.

Community helpers

The construction pups fix a public mess for the whole of Builder Cove.

Family

Rubble addresses the crew as 'family' and Grandpa Gravel joins the fix.

Perseverance

The pups rebuild the ramp after it is washed away rather than giving up.

Mild violence

Characters repeatedly slip, spin and tumble on oil and bubbles for comic effect.

Attention hooks

Frequent rhyming catchphrases like 'Rubble on the double' and stacked 'Hooray!' chants punctuate the action.

Rubble and his construction crew set out to build the mayor of Builder Cove a giant ramp so he can jump for his City Hall photo. When wet paint and a runaway batch of soap bubbles flood the town and make everything slippery, the pups remember Grandpa Gravel's trick of using sand to soak up a slippery mess. They make fresh sand, clear the roads, rebuild the ramp, and the mayor lands his jump for the perfect picture. The episode ends with a celebration and the crew's closing song.

Season 1

24 episodes

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Bridge

recommended age co-watching from 4

Rubble's construction pup family gathers for a reunion and is called to the town of Builder Cove to build a bridge across a canyon so families can reach their new homes. A boastful rival named Speedmeister keeps trying to take over, and his first bridge collapses without the right bolts, which Rubble rescues everyone from. The family cleans up and rebuilds a safe, colorful bridge together. In the end the pups decide to stay and make Builder Cove their new home, the Barkyard.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Big Bike Shop

recommended age co-watching from 4

In the town of Builder Cove, the construction pup Rubble and his crew are asked to build a bigger bike shop so every child has a bike for the town's first Bike Day. A rival named Rosie, with her friend Mr. McTurtle, steals their supplies and, disguised as Speedmeister, throws up a shaky shop she claims as her own. When that building starts to sway with a character stuck on top, the pups rescue him with a slide and then pour the foundation she skipped. The shop is made safe, a truck of big kid bikes arrives, and Lily rides her new bike as Bike Day begins.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Super Tub

recommended age co-watching from 4

Rubble and his construction crew are getting clean for family photo day when Motor, a puppy who hates baths, gets muddy and runs off to hide. To win her over, Rubble builds a super tub with a slide and a bubble fountain, working through leaks and a rubber duck stuck in a pipe along the way. Motor discovers she loves the bubbly tub and takes her bath, and the crew joins Auntie Crane, Grandpa Gravel and Mayor Greatway for the family photo.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds an Ice Cream Shop

recommended age co-watching from 4

In the town of Builder Cove, ice cream vendor Cafe Carl is overwhelmed by a long line of customers, so Rubble and his construction crew of pups decide to build him a proper ice cream shop. They gather supplies, hammer up walls, and craft a giant fake ice cream scoop for the roof, but strong wind sends the scoop rolling and flying through town. The crew works together to catch it, save some children in its path, and secure it in place. The episode ends with Cafe Carl's new shop opening and the pups helping serve ice cream to everyone.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Fixes a Squeak

recommended age co-watching from 4

Construction pups Rubble and Charger visit City Hall to fix a mysterious squeak that keeps interrupting Mayor Greatway's speech practice. As they open walls, floors and the ceiling, they discover the squeaks are a family of mice searching for their lost baby. The pups reunite the mice, repair the building and construct a small City Hall home for them. The mayor then gives her speech, announcing a new town festival that ends with fireworks.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Playground

recommended age co-watching from 4

Rubble and his construction crew of puppies set out to give the town of Builder's Cove a playground, guided by Grandpa's advice to 'work with what you have.' When the boastful builder Speedmeister throws up an unsafe playground that falls apart and endangers little Motor, the crew rescues everyone and rebuilds it safely using the broken pieces, even turning a tire into a swing. Speedmeister secretly sabotages their work and gets caught in his own trap, then admits his mistake. The episode ends with the finished playground open for the town's children and a card teasing the next story.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Fixes a Roof

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, the construction pups are called to City Hall when its roof begins to cave in just before Mayor Greatway's Chili Cookaroo. They discover an eagle named Wingsy has built a nest with three eggs on the roof, so the crew splits up to repair the roof and move the nest to a safe tree. After rescuing an egg that rolls off the edge and adding a kitchen vent, the pups finish the repair. The town then gathers to enjoy the chili together.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Car Wash

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, Mayor Greatway's motorcycle gets clogged with mud right before the Vroom Vroom Road Race, so Rubble and the construction pups build her a car wash to clean it. A rival racer named Speedmeister secretly swaps the soap for mud and cement to keep the motorcycle dirty, and the first wash fails. The crew figures out the sabotage and builds a bigger, stronger car wash that finally cleans the machine. The mayor races, wins first place, and Speedmeister admits his trick and apologizes.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Plans Grandpa Day

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, a crew of construction pups decides to give their Grandpa a special Grandpa Day full of games and treats. Their plans keep getting interrupted when Grocer Gabrielle's store is blocked by fallen branches, then a broken path and a broken doorknob, so the pups take turns fixing each problem. Grandpa cheers each pup on and joins in the work himself. In the end he calls it the best Grandpa Day ever because he got to build with his family, and everyone shares cheesy kibble.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Skate Park

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, the construction pup crew secretly builds a skate park as a surprise for Auntie Crane, a former skateboarding champion. While Grandpa keeps her busy baking a cake, the pups dig, pour cement, and hit a setback when the bowl fills with cement blobs and ducklings need rescuing. They rebuild the park from scrap materials and reveal it to Auntie Crane. She puts on her old outfit, skates her Tornado Twirler trick, and the crew celebrates with cake.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Tunnel

recommended age co-watching from 4

When a fallen boulder blocks the road, pop star Sierra Sparkle's tour bus cannot reach her concert in Builder Cove. Rubble and his crew of construction pups drive out to help, first trying to move and smash the boulder, which sets off an avalanche they escape safely. They then dig and reinforce a tunnel through the rock so the bus can pass. Sierra reaches the stage, reunites with her dad, and thanks the pups before the closing concert.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Beaver Home

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, the construction pup Rubble and his crew are throwing a family dance party when the power suddenly goes out across town. Following a rolling utility pole to the river, they discover a beaver they name Crunchy has been taking the poles to build his home. The pups build Crunchy his own home from barkyard materials, so he returns the poles and they reconnect the wires. Power comes back for the whole town, and the episode ends with the family dance party resuming.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Fixes a Road

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, Mayor Greatway plans a parade to celebrate the town's helpers. Left off the list, Speedmeister secretly jackhammers Main Street so he can pretend to repair it, but his patch job opens a giant sinkhole that he falls into. Rubble and the construction crew rescue him and rebuild the road properly with concrete and asphalt. Speedmeister admits what he did and apologizes, and the parade goes ahead.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Popcorn Café

recommended age co-watching from 4

Cafe Carl asks the construction pups of Rubble and Crew to build him a popcorn café shaped like a giant box of popcorn. On a very hot day, the sun heats a pot of kernels and they pop, overflowing the build and covering the town in popcorn. The crew cleans up the streets, rebuilds the walls and adds a foam roof to block the sun. Cafe Carl opens his finished café and thanks the pups with flavored popcorn.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Fixes a Slippery Mess

recommended age co-watching from 4

Rubble and his construction crew set out to build the mayor of Builder Cove a giant ramp so he can jump for his City Hall photo. When wet paint and a runaway batch of soap bubbles flood the town and make everything slippery, the pups remember Grandpa Gravel's trick of using sand to soak up a slippery mess. They make fresh sand, clear the roads, rebuild the ramp, and the mayor lands his jump for the perfect picture. The episode ends with a celebration and the crew's closing song.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Drive-In Movie Theater

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, Mayor Greatway asks the construction pups to build a movie theater in time for a new Super Squirrely Whirly film that night. The crew builds one, but the delivered screen turns out far too big to fit inside. Mix suggests turning the site into an outdoor drive-in so the giant screen can still be used. By nightfall the town gathers in their cars to watch the movie together.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Finds a Rainbow Treasure

recommended age co-watching from 4

A crew of construction pups discovers a buried gem that turns out to be the first clue to a legendary rainbow treasure. Guided by Grandpa's legend, they solve four rhyming riddles that send them digging at a mountain, a park and a lake to collect four triangle stones before sunset. When the stones smash together in a truck, the pups rebuild them with concrete and assemble the final clue. They follow the light to a treasure chest of golden tools and raise them to create a rainbow over Builder Cove.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Pig Barn

recommended age co-watching from 4

The construction pups meet Farmer Zoe, a first-time farmer who needs a barn for her new pig, Truffles, before a welcome party. The crew builds a spotless pink barn, but Truffles rejects it and runs off, turning up cooling herself in river mud. The pups realise pigs roll in mud to stay cool and rebuild the barn with a mud wallow inside. Truffles happily settles in, and the town celebrates with the pig party. A short preview for the next episode follows the story.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Giant Runway

recommended age co-watching from 4

A team of construction pups secretly prepares a lakeside birthday party for Motor while a pilot named Camilla flies in an oversized gift. When her plane proves too big for Builder Cove's tiny runway, the crew tears up the old strip and builds a larger one from concrete and asphalt. Darkness falls before Camilla can land, so the pups add bright runway lights just in time. The plane touches down, the giant Big Ducky gift is revealed, and Motor's party ends with cake and music.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew and Marshall Build a Fire Station

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, the construction pup family welcomes the firefighter Marshall and builds a new fire station for the town. A raccoon named Speedmeister schemes to be named volunteer fire captain and secretly cements the garage door shut, trapping the fire truck. When a hiking family is caught near a forest fire, the pups improvise a rescue with their construction vehicles, and the self-doubting pup Motor builds a tree bridge to save the day and is named fire captain.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Does a Home Renovation

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, the pup construction crew Rubble and Mix are filmed by TV host Hank Hammer as they try to help the busy, forgetful shopkeeper Shelly fix up her home. They build a new door and replace a window before realising she keeps forgetting her real request. Shelly finally remembers she wants the whole house moved closer to her bike shop, so the full crew joins forces to lift and relocate it. The episode closes with the house next to the shop and a title card for the next story.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Lighthouse

recommended age co-watching from 4

In Builder Cove, Mayor Goodway is coming to visit her sister Mayor Greatway, but the only road is closed and thick fog rolls in over the sea. Rubble and his construction crew build a lighthouse so Captain Turbot can steer the boat safely to shore. When the tide softens the sand and the tower starts to lean, the pups build a giant dog bowl wall and add concrete to hold it steady. The light shines out again, the boat arrives safely, and the two sisters reunite over a special meal.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Dinosaur Museum

recommended age co-watching from 4

A team of construction pups on a family picnic day dig up dinosaur bones and decide to build a museum in their town, Builder Cove. As they uncover a velociraptor, a stegosaurus and a tyrannosaurus rex, they keep rebuilding the museum bigger and taller to fit each new skeleton. The digging and building teams stay in touch and solve each sizing problem, ending with a glass dome so the tallest dinosaur can peek out. The episode closes with the mayor opening the finished museum as the town celebrates.

Rubble and Crew

Rubble and Crew

The Crew Builds a Wheelchair Ramp

recommended age co-watching from 4

In the town of Builder Cove, the construction pups notice that Omar the mail carrier is late because he hurt his leg and now uses a wheelchair he cannot get up the steps. The crew works out that a smooth ramp will help and builds one at City Hall, then ramps for every building that needs one. Omar finishes all his deliveries, including Mix's new paint, and the pups turn it into a mural. The episode ends with the whole group celebrating and playing basketball together.

Related media

Other series that fit this age group

Jessica's Big Little World

Jessica's Big Little World

recommended age co-watching from 2

Jessica's Big Little World follows a young girl eager to do things herself, with her family and toys at home and around town. Warm and playful for preschoolers, with gentle lessons in independence and perseverance.

Curious George

Curious George

recommended age co-watching from 3

Curious George follows a playful monkey and the Man with the Yellow Hat through everyday city and country adventures. The tone is gentle, aimed at young preschoolers, teaching curiosity and everyday problem-solving.

Phoebe & Jay

Phoebe & Jay

recommended age co-watching from 2

Siblings Phoebe and Jay solve everyday problems with their dad and grandmother in a busy apartment building. The tone is warm and encouraging, aimed at preschoolers, teaching perseverance through small everyday challenges.

Puffin Rock

Puffin Rock

recommended age co-watching from 4

Puffin Rock follows young puffin Una and her baby brother Baba exploring a quiet Irish island full of animals. The tone is calm and gentle, for young preschoolers, teaching nature facts and helping others.

Explore more

From this series Rubble and Crew

By age 3 years

By platform Paramount +

By theme Animals Apologising Big feelings Disappointment Family Helping at home Helping others How things work Learning to work together Moving house Overcoming fear Perseverance Pride Problem solving Professions Responsibility Telling the truth

Just launched: free lifetime premium for the first 1,000 members to activate their account.

Create your account

We use functional cookies and Google Analytics to improve our site. Learn more