Rusty Rivets

Plot

A young boy named Rusty Rivets uses his knowledge of engineering to repurpose machine parts and create gadgets. He lives in the fictional town of Sparkton Hills in a futuristic Canada along with his best friend Ruby Ramirez, a robotic tyrannosaurid named Botasaur, and a group of smaller robots known as the Bits. The show highlights a variety of concepts related to basic science and technology. Rusty uses the recurring catch phrase "modify, customize, Rustify" when personalizing inventions. Ruby changes the last word to "Rubify" when she does the alterations (only twice in "Rusty and the Mechanical Animal" and "Rusty's Spooky Adventure"), and Liam changes the last word to "Liamify" when he does it (only once in "Rusty the Vacuum Kid").

Characters

Rusty Rivets (voiced by Kyle Harrison Breitkopf in Canada, and Theo Crabb-LaHei in UK) is an engineer with his own mobile laboratory based in a recycling yard. He is the great-great-grandson of Ruston Rivets IV, which Ruby guesses hearing the number, indicating he is Ruston Rivets VIII, although in Season 3 Rusty also called him Mortimer Rivets. Ruby Ramirez (voiced by Ava Preston in Canada, and Imogen Addicott in UK) is Rusty's best friend who normally carries a tablet computer to call the Bits into action; she wears a red sash with white dots around her head, reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter.

Frankie Fritz (voiced by Jacob Skiba in Canada, and Fraser Martin in UK) is Rusty and Ruby's rival, arch-enemy and neighbor, using every opportunity to try and upstage Rusty, even resorting to cheating. Frankford is Frankie's robotic skunk, best friend and counterpart to Bytes. Bytes (voiced by Robert Tinkler) is Rusty's robotic dog who communicates by barking. Kittybot is Ruby's robotic cat who communicates by meowing.

The Bits include Ray (small, red, with a single eye that functions as a flashlight), Whirly (pink, resembles a hummingbird, with wings and a propeller on her head), Crush (orange, made from a clamp, can crush and hold small objects), and Jack (blue, cube-shaped, can lift and transport objects with forklift-like arms). Botasaur (voiced by Robert Tinkler) is the tallest member of Rusty's team, modeled after Tyrannosaurus rex, and is Rusty's sidekick.

Other robots include Botarilla, TigerBot, ElephantBot, Dak, Spike, Velocity, Steggie, and Brawny. Recurring characters include Liam, Emily, Ranger Anna, Chef Betty (Season 1) and Teacher Betty (Seasons 2 and 3), Sammy Scoops, Samantha (aka Cream Queen and Cone Woman), Mr. Higgins, Officer Carl, Mrs. Rivets, Mrs. McCloud, Mr. McCloud, Ollie, Ozzy, Orbit, Frankasaurus, Robo-Squirrel, and Chompers.

Production

Rusty Rivets began development in late 2014. The concept was originally pitched to Guru Studio, which ultimately chose not to develop the show. The first season was produced in accordance with Spin Master's policy to work on 1-2 television programs a year. It is Spin Master's sixth animated television venture. Twenty-six episodes have been confirmed. Most of the first season's episodes were animated by Arc Productions in Toronto, Ontario. The studio closed on August 2, 2016, but its assets were sold to the Ottawa-based company Jam Filled Entertainment, and the business reopened on August 22, 2016, as Jam Filled Toronto. On May 24, 2017, it was renewed for a second season. On May 22, 2018, it was renewed for a third season.

Release

The series was announced at Nickelodeon's upfront presentation in New York City on March 2, 2016. It was originally slated to premiere in the United States on August 22, 2016, but it was pushed back to November 8, 2016. The first season was going to air on Treehouse TV in Canada throughout fall 2016, but it was delayed until January 16, 2017. Spin Master distributes the series and its product line globally. The series premiered on Nick Jr. in Israel on February 12, 2017. As of December 2018, new episodes moved to the Nick Jr. channel.