Last week, we were invited to London to preview the award-winning kids’ CGI animation show – Bottersnikes & Gumbles which is coming to CBBC on 25th July 2016, airing at 6pm every week day (with a repeat the following day at 3.30pm).
This series brings to screen the much-loved 1970s classic children’s books by Australian author S.A. Wakefield and illustrated by Desmond Digby. Personally I had not read the books before and didn’t know about the show, and the same goes for my children. After watching two episodes, I can understand why this is such an award winning children’s show. The storyline is fun to watch and the content is suitable for children aged 6 onwards. The characters are funny especially the Bottersnikes! Did you know that they shrink when they touch water? Visually, the animation is a feast for the eyes with a fantastic world set in the Outback. My children and I love the show! There are 52-episode series comprising 11-minute episodes to watch! You can also watch the show on BBC iPlayer.
The story is set in the land of Bottersnikes and Gumbles, a forgotten valley of abandoned junk where a timeless battle rages between good and evil. Follow the adventures of the three Gumble heroes: Tink, Bounce and Willi, who love nothing better than to ‘gumble’ all day long, which means crazy, stretchy capers around their junk valley, while carefully avoiding getting tin-canned by the Bottersnikes who are led by the foul tempered and vain Bottersnikes King. Bottersnikes are the stinkiest, ugliest, laziest and most mean spirited creatures. They eat mattress stuffing and rusty nails and like to put the Gumbles to work whenever they can lay their claws on them. The 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 who star in this show include Harry Potter star and BAFTA winning Miriam Margolyes who voices ‘Weathersnike’, one of the nasty Bottersnikes – whilst fellow Harry Potter and Hollyoaks actor, Jeff Rawle, voices Happi, a wise old Gumble. So do look out for this new show which will be on next week at CBBC!
Disclosure: We were invited to attend the event and received goody bag. Images used with permission.