Once upon a time, DIY was scorned or, at best, carried out begrudgingly. Now, millions of people worldwide are jumping on the neatly rebranded “maker movement” – and this is exactly what Rusty Rivets hopes to tap into.

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Distributor VIMN
Producers Spin Master Entertainment
Length 26 x 30 minutes
Broadcaster Nickelodeon (US), Treehouse TV (Canada)

The pre-school animated series follows ‘21st century kid hero’ Rusty, who always manages to save the day through his imagination and resourcefulness.

Alongside best friend Ruby and his team of customised robots, 10-year-old Rusty invents his way out of every jam by repurposing objects and spare parts into wild contraptions.

The series aims to help preschool children gain confidence and fuel creativity with a strong focus on inventing, creating and problem-solving.

It encourages young children to use their imaginations to design and create fun new gadgets and inventions.

Like Bitz And Bob (see page 54), it has a strong emphasis on basic science and technology, tapping into the push to get kids interested in STEM subjects.

Rusty Rivets is produced by Spin Master Entertainment, whose established Nick Jr hit Paw Patrol has been sold to broadcasters in more than 160 territories.

There are plans afoot for a line of toys based on the new show, which are due to go on sale from next autumn. Rusty Rivets is overseen by executive producers Ronnen Harary and Laura Clunie, both of whom worked on Paw Patrol.

Clunie, a former vice-president of creative affairs for Entertainment One, where she was responsible for brands including Peppa Pig, was promoted to vice-president of international at Spin Master Entertainment in August 2015 – working closely with co-founder Harary.

Rusty Rivets debuted in the US in August and is being made available to international broadcasters for the first time at Mipcom.