Rusty Rivets
Rusty Rivets is a Canadian animated children's television series, and is produced by Arc Productions and Spin Master Entertainment. The series aired for three seasons, simultaneously on Treehouse TV in Canada and on Nickelodeon in the U.S., from November 8, 2016, to May 8, 2020. Inspired by elements of the maker culture, it follows the adventures of a young inventor named Rusty and his team of customized robots.
The first season was the last animated project of Arc Productions before it was absorbed into Jam Filled Toronto in August 2016.
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 city 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, and Liam changes the last word to "Liamify" when he does it.
Characters
Main
- Rusty Rivets is an engineer. He has his own mobile laboratory, which is 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 there are conflicting ideas about the name of Ruston Rivets IV, since in Season 3, Rusty also called him Mortimer Rivets.
- Ruby Ramirez is Rusty's best friend who normally carries a tablet computer that she uses to call the Bits into action. Ruby wears a red sash with white dots around her head, reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter.
- Frankie Fritz is Rusty and Ruby's rival, arch-enemy and neighbor, using every opportunity he can to try and upstage Rusty and be the best engineer in Sparkton Hills, even resorting to cheating to accomplish it.
- Frankford is Frankie's robotic skunk, best friend and counterpart to Bytes. He helps Frankie in his attempts to put Rusty out of action.
- Bytes is Rusty's robotic dog, who communicates by barking. He generally does not take part in missions.
- Kittybot is Ruby's robotic cat, who communicates by meowing. She can sit down.
- Ray is a small, red-coloured member of the Bits with a single eye that functions as a flashlight.
- Whirly is a pink Bit who resembles a hummingbird. She has a pair of wings and a propeller on her head.
- Crush is an orange Bit made from a clamp, who can crush and hold small objects.
- Jack is a blue, cube-shaped Bit who can lift and transport objects using his forklift-like arms.
- Botasaur is the tallest member of Rusty's team, modeled after Tyrannosaurus rex. He is Rusty's sidekick.
- Botarilla is Rusty's robotic gorilla, who can climb on trees and swing on vines.
- TigerBot is Rusty's robotic tiger, who can climb with her tiger claws.
- ElephantBot is Rusty's robotic elephant, who can spray water on his trumpet.
- Dak is Rusty's robotic Pterodactylus.
- Spike is Rusty's robotic Triceratops.
- Velocity is Rusty's robotic Velociraptor.
- Steggie is Rusty's robotic Stegosaurus.
- Brawny is Rusty's robotic Brachiosaurus.
Recurring
- Liam is a young blonde-haired boy who often needs rescuing.
- Emily is a young girl introduced in Season 2, who is a friend of Liam.
- Ranger Anna is a redheaded animal enthusiast in charge of the Sparkton Hills Scouts which Rusty and Ruby are part of.
- Chef Betty and Teacher Betty is a culinary expert and later a teacher at the school where Rusty, Ruby, and Frankie go to.
- Sammy Scoops is an ice cream vendor.
- Samantha shares the nickname "Sammy". They go into business together in "Captain Scoops" and are shown playing soccer together in "Rusty's Spaceship".
- Mr. Higgins is the first inventor in town who inspired Rusty.
- Officer Carl is the only police officer in Sparkton Hills.
- Mrs. Rivets is Rusty's mother.
- Mrs. McCloud is Liam's mother.
- Mr. McCloud is Liam's father.
- Ollie is Ozzy's brother from Dino Island.
- Ozzy is Ollie's brother from Dino Island.
- Orbit is a satellite after he crashed into the ground and Rusty launched him back into space.
- Frankasaurus is Frankie's former younger robot dinosaur brother.
- Robo-Squirrel is Mr. Higgins' robotic squirrel who can destroy things by taking nuts out.
- Chompers is a beaver who can wag with her beaver tail.
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 have been 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.
Home media
On June 11, 2016, the first episode was released to Amazon Video as a free preview. The same episode was released to Nickelodeon's mobile platforms on June 20, 2016.Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment released the DVD of the show on July 31, 2018.