I never watched the first incarnation of Bob, but I have a two year old boy and he LOVES the 'new' rebooted Bob. The first two 'seasons' were great but after that they changed the models and made the show more 'slap stick' and we dislike those. You can see the seasons on Amazon, and the YouTube channel for the this Bob the Builder reboot only has the the 'good' episodes.
Most of the negative reviews seem to focus on how this show is different than the original. Yes, it's a reboot! We tried watching the older series but none of us like it; my son seems to dislike the models for the trucks (frankly, I think they look weird and creepy with their grinning grilles). I think that whether or not you watched the original absolutely affects how much you like the reboot.
The machines are sort of goofy - as an adult, you realise they are sort of children with different personalities and they are frankly naive and simple in the way they act. This is what kids need - actions and characters they can relate to on their level. The machines are often impulsive, but so are kids, and they can see the consequences. The lessons are gentle, like "don't hide things from your parents (Bob)". Not all machines are good at all jobs is another one, and teamwork can make a difference.
The music is good and the voice acting (British voices) is great! The American Bob doesn't do nearly as good of a job as the British one, FYI. The models aren't meant to be lifelike, and I think they are fine for what they are.
