It’s time for some excavator action! Nickelodeon’s new Paw Patrol spinoff series Rubble & Crew premieres this Friday February 3rd at 11:30am. Executive Producer Bradley Zweig and Spin Master Entertainment President Jennifer Dodge share what will make kids go “Bow Wow!” (Interview with Zweig was conducted on Zoom. Interview with Dodge was conducted as an Email Q&A. Interviews were combined and edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: My nearly five year old cousin is obsessed with “Paw Patrol” and construction vehicles. This is going to be his new favorite show!

Bradley Zweig: (laughs) Awesome. “Paw Patrol”… construction… pups — pretty good combo.

JM: Yes. What attracted you to the “Paw Patrol” universe and getting involved in this spinoff?

BZ: I was at an overall deal with Spin Master. I was creating some shows of my own, and the development team came to me and said, “Well, how would you like to help us do a spinoff of ‘Paw Patrol’?” It was very exciting. They said, “Rubble is a huge fan favorite. What if he had a family? GO! Do something with that!” So I responded right away to: Family. What a great way to tell stories and expand the world. That’s really where it all started from.

JM: Nice. Tell me about the process of creating Rubble’s family and making characters that young kids and the parents and grandparents also watching will easily identify with and enjoy.

BZ: Well our audience is ages 2-5 — that’s our sweet spot. And they really resonate with family. It’s the closest thing to them, except for their own friends. There are blended families, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles. We wanted to make a family that could be anyone’s family. We have Grandpa Gravel, Auntie Crane and a whole bunch of cousins. I keep it kind of vague how they’re all related… to me it’s just family. Family is family. And that’s the way we could approach these characters. I tried to make them funny and a little mix, so every kid could see themselves in a character and relate to the Grandpa and Auntie characters.

Jennifer Dodge: Between Rubble and his extended family there are so many stories to mine and character interactions within the family dynamics that viewers of all ages will be able to identify with. There’s the slightly older, wiser pup sibling, the tad younger silly sibling, a sweet clumsy toddler, a nurturing aunt and fun-loving grandpa – each with their own unique role within the family. And of course, families can sometimes disagree, and at times our pups do exactly that, but they also work together to support, encourage, and love each other.

BZ: And I created a villain I love, who I think adults will respond to… he’s super silly and slapstick. His name is Speedmeister. The pups are amazing construction pros and really think about construction. They’re awesome at what they do. Speedmeister’s motto is, “I build fast and sorta good.” He’s like the contractor you never want to have come to your house. He builds everything terribly. It’s a total disaster. He builds everything way too fast. And I gave him a sidekick… who’s a turtle. Mr. McTurtle is super slow. I think kids and grown ups will both really enjoy that silliness.

JM: I watched the first episode — “The Crew Builds a Bridge”. And not only is the villain aspect and that slapstick really fun, but in a way, building a bridge has multiple meanings, in this case. Yes, the crew is building a bridge. But you are also building a bridge between “Paw Patrol” and this new series. So well done!

BZ: (laughs) Yeah, it’s sort of a literal metaphor there. We start the Pilot in Adventure Bay, and Ryder shows up and says, “Rubble, I thought you were gonna have a family reunion and build something. What happened?” And Rubble goes, “Yeah, I am gonna build something… with my family.” And they all show up. And we learn, in the first 30 seconds of the Pilot, that his entire family is [full of] construction pups. They get a call from Mayor Greatway.

JM: Yes, the sister of the other mayor, who’s also a mayor!

BZ: What are the chances? Mayor Goodway’s younger sister, Mayor Greatway, is a real daredevil, funny mayor. She calls Ryder and says, “I need to talk to Rubble. We have all these people moving to Builder Cove.” That’s the town nearby. She forgot there’s a huge canyon between Adventure Bay and Builder Cove. So they need to build a bridge. So we’re literally making a physical big bridge and then also of course it’s the metaphor of making a bridge from “Paw Patrol” to “Rubble & Crew”.

JM: And how did you much think about the fact that when you’re watching these two shows on Nickelodeon (which are probably gonna play back to back), there needs to be this relatability factor of a kid who loves “Paw Patrol” and the feel of that show going into this show? Similarities, differences and the whole vibe.

BZ: That’s a really smart observation, and that’s exactly what we were going for. We want kids who love “Paw Patrol” to feel like this is the same universe, but a different world — almost like you can watch a Marvel movie where different characters play in different worlds. It feels like a “Paw Patrol” world, but it’s new. We have new secondary characters. Because we’re a construction show and Rubble and his crew build amazing things, our buildings are really fun. They build a popcorn cafe in the shape of a popcorn box. Crazy, big, fun builds. I like to say it’s “Paw Patrol 2.0”. It’s gonna look great.

JD: While Paw Patrol is all about big, amazing rescues, this series is all about big, amazing construction projects. True to their Paw Patrol DNA, sometimes during a construction project, the pups will have to work together to overcome an obstacle while finishing a job. One point of difference is the emphasis on family. Rubble & Crew is based on Rubble and his family and their interactions and storylines within the family are explored. Ultimately, the message in each episode remains focused on the idea that an awesome family of pups working together can build anything!

JM: And you nicely make sure to tell everyone of all ages who’s watching this that Rubble will be on this show and he will still be on “Paw Patrol”.

BZ: That’s right. Well it’s a dilemma, right? He’s part of the Paw Patrol. He’s still gonna be on that show. He’s still gonna be involved in those rescues. But he also lives in this world. And the two can happen together. Simultaneously. And we do explain how he does go back and forth.

JM: You don’t want to upset kids in any way. Not all television show spinoffs have worked. What makes Rubble a perfect lead character now for a spinoff series?

JD: As a proud member of the Paw Patrol, Rubble stole the hearts of preschoolers around the world with his loyal, optimistic nature and penchant for treats. An adorable English bulldog, his playful disposition and silly side is something kids really relate to. With Rubble & Crew we get to dive deeper into his world, meet his family and dig into amazing construction projects combined with high-stakes action, fun adventures and messy demolition.

BZ: Rubble’s funny. He raps. He’s also DJ Rubble. Because he’s so likable, it’s easy to make him a leader. He becomes the leader in this series, whereas on “Paw Patrol”, he’s one of many pups. So it’s fun to take a character, give him a little bit of a different role, push his character more and really lean-into his comedy. He loves snacks and can be silly… and sometimes we do big, long, fun raps. I think he’s a perfect character to do a spinoff.

JM: Which of these iconic four spinoffs is your all-time favorite?: “Frasier”, “The Jeffersons”, “Better Call Saul” or “The Simpsons”?

BZ: Wow. Could you have picked four less iconic shows? My gosh. To me, to many writers as well, it all comes down to characters. You just mentioned shows that all have really great characters. I don’t know that I can pick one! In spinoffs, you get to create these new, great, secondary characters, like Niles on “Frasier”. “The Simpsons” when they went from “The Tracey Ullman Show” into the full series, you got all these secondary characters that people fell in love with. “Better Call Saul” — you get to expand his world. (pauses) So I’m not answering your question, am I? (laughs)

JM: (laughs) And I think this “Rubble & Crew” spinoff could be up there… of all-time spinoffs because of the phenomenon that it is “Paw Patrol”.

BZ: I hope. I think the whole crew at Spin Master and Nick Jr. certainly hope so. And I really hope kids respond to it. That’s our goal.

JM: Speaking of Spin Master, what kind of toys are coming? Is there a Barkyard that’s coming? What can we expect?

BZ: There’s a lot of stuff they always think about when we’re producing the show. I think if you watch the Pilot episode, you’re gonna see some things featured that you’ll be seeing. Of course: vehicles. Kids LOVE “Paw Patrol” vehicles. I think kids are gonna go bonkers when they see these construction vehicles because they’re not just construction vehicles you’re used to seeing. They’re really quite special and fun. I have to be perfectly honest: I don’t know exactly what’s hitting the shelf. It’s not my expertise of what they’re rolling out. But I can tell you all the fun stuff you’re seeing in the Pilot will be available.

JM: What has the Paw Patrol brand meant to Spin Master over the years, when it comes to overall impact?

JD: This year marks Paw Patrol’s 10th anniversary. For a decade, the pups and their stories have entertained millions of preschoolers in over 180 countries and 30+ languages. The franchise spans our three creative centres: originating with compelling stories and characters in Entertainment, coming to life in playrooms for children through Toy, and extending into Digital Games this year with the debut of a Paw Patrol app that will blend story and interactivity with educational and emotional learning.

JM: How does this show, and Rubble’s motto of, “There’s always a construction solution!”, inspire you?

JD: I’m inspired by Rubble’s positive nature and believe it will connect with preschoolers too. To me, his motto perfectly captures his personality – digging into the fact that solutions are not always easy. They can require work, and often teamwork, but with the help of family and friends, there’s always a solution.

JM: The “Paw Patrol” theatrical sequel “The Mighty Movie” is in theaters in October. Will we be seeing Rubble’s family in “The Mighty Movie”?

BZ: You know, I cannot talk about a movie that has not come out yet. That’s a good question! I can talk about “Rubble & Crew”, but the movie I’ll leave to them.

JM: (laughs) I think this show is going to be a gigantic hit. You are a part of one of the most iconic animated [franchises] of the last 10 years, easily.

BZ: “Paw Patrol” is one of the biggest global franchise juggernaut hits on the planet. Kids know it all over the world. And it’s super exciting, and a lot of pressure of course, to work on a spinoff. Truthfully, our amazing creative team is having fun. It’s exciting for us to make this, and I think it’s coming through on the show. We love these characters. And I hope kids like it as much as we do. We will watch the animatics and different cuts of the show and we get really excited about it. I hope kids do too.