Bottersnikes and Gumbles (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's entertainment, Television |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Australia, United Kingdom |
Area served | Australia, United Kingdom, North America (via Netflix) |
| Products | Children's television series |
| Parent | Cheeky Little Media, Mighty Nice, Cake Entertainment, Kickstart Entertainment, Seven Productions, CBBC, Netflix Studios |
Bottersnikes and Gumbles is a children's television series created with CGI animation that first aired on 7TWO in Australia and on CBBC in the United Kingdom. The voice cast includes Jason Callender, Richard Grieve, Jeff Rawle, Kathryn Drysdale, and Miriam Margolyes. The show became available on Netflix in North America on 19 August 2016, featuring an American-accented dub.
History
The series' development started in 2012 through a collaboration between Mighty Nice and Cheeky Little Media, based on the Australian children's book series authored by S. A. Wakefield. Netflix secured the rights for 52 episodes of eleven minutes each in early 2015. It was broadcast on 7TWO from December 2015 to January 2016 and later on CBBC during 2016, aimed at viewers aged between 6 and 9 years old. Patrick Egerton, CEO and producer at Cheeky Little Media, highlighted the opportunity to bring the richly imagined world of the books to life using contemporary CGI techniques.
The storyline centers around three youthful Gumbles—Tink, Bounce, and Willi—who use cunning tactics and stealth to outwit the Bottersnikes. Key production collaborators include Cake Entertainment, Mighty Nice, Cheeky Little Media, Kickstart Entertainment, Seven Productions, CBBC, and Netflix Studios.
Reviewers commended the adaptation for its intricate animation and strong narrative quality. Sean O'Grady from The Independent praised the distinctive character portrayals and meticulous attention to detail. The show was honored with a Pulcinella Award for Best Kids TV Series at Venice's Cartoons on the Bay festival and earned a nomination for Most Outstanding Children's Program at the 2016 Logie Awards.
UK version
- Jason Callender as Tink
- Kathryn Drysdale as Bounce and Merri
- Akiya Henry as Willi and Jolli
- Richard Grieve as Toot, King Snike and Glob
- Jeff Rawle as Happi and Rock
- Miriam Margolyes as Weathersnike
- Alex Babic as Chank and Gubbo
- Gem Knight as Float and Snorg
US version
- Robbie Daymond as Tink
- Erica Lindbeck as Bounce
- Tara Sands as Willi
- Hal Dibble as Happi
- David W. Collins as Toot, Sammi and Rock
- Nile Kliewer as Merri
- Karen Strassman as Float and Jolli
- Ray Chase as King Snike
- Kyle McCarley as Chank
- Barbara Goodson as Weathersnike
- Kyle Hebert as Gubbo
- Keith Silverstein as Smiggles
- Jessica Gee as Glob
- Laila Berzins as Snorg
- Kaiji Tang as Burples and Angry Strawberry