Bottersnikes and Gumbles was in development as early as 2012 by Mighty Nice and Cheeky Little Media. The TV series is based on the children's book series of the same name written by S. A. Wakefield. In early 2015, the streaming video service Netflix announced it had acquired the rights to the series and it was released as 52 eleven-minute episodes. It later aired on 7TWO in Australia on 18 December 2015 until 22 January 2016 and CBBC in the UK in 2016. It is pitched at "6 to 9 year old boys and girls." Patrick Egerton, the producer and Cheeky Little Media CEO, described how the "books contain such a rich, distinctive world and made an indelible mark on my mind as a kid. With the CG tools and skills now available, we knew the timing was right to develop the property for TV and really do it justice." According to Animation World Network staff editor it "follows the adventures of three young Gumbles, Tink, Bounce and Willi, who love nothing better than to 'gumble' all day long. Endless battles ensue involving plenty of stealth, trickery, daring rescues and narrow escapes as the Gumbles try to outwit the Bottersnikes in every episode." The cast includes Richard Grieve, Jeff Rawle, Kathryn Drysdale and Miriam Margolyes. It was released on Netflix in North America on 19 August 2016; which was re-dubbed with American accents. Sean O'Grady of The Independent felt the series based on Wakefield's books "are better adapted than most other exercises of this nature. Bottersnikes are superbly rendered lizardly creatures that are the bogeymen of the show, a bit like Momentum in the Labour Party; Gumbles are apparently normal, but hopelessly optimistic, like Brexiteers. The stories are short and sweet and the attention to detail is remarkable." The show received a Pulcinella Award for 'Best Kids TV Series' at the international animation festival, Cartoons on the Bay, in Venice and was nominated for 'Most Outstanding Children’s program' at the 2016 Logie Awards.
Cast
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
Also starring
Audrey Wasilewski as a many more gloomy
Vincent Martella as a Jole
Nick Mohammed as Zach
Nika Futterman as Stacy
Tara Strong as Melissa
Gray Delisle as a Small Chinkel Spider
Tom Kenny as a Night Kingdom
Bill Farmer as a many more Kingdom, a some stream when he notices.
