Bottler to return

Grace, who has become a household name thanks to an illustrious comedic career spanning forty years, will see his troublemaking schoolboy character given new life in the form of an animated cartoon, with the comedian himself reprising the role of an older, wiser (and live-action) Bottler looking back on his childhood exploits.

Produced by Dublin-based Keg Kartoonz Ltd., ‘Bottler’ will take viewers back to 1960’s Ireland to be reacquainted with characters such as the Rag & Bone Man and Bang Bang, the schoolboy’s adventures often coinciding with historical events reflecting working class family life and the rich culture of the city at the time.

Speaking of his happiness to see Bottler reborn on the small screen, Mr. Grace said: ” Of all my characters, Bottler is very close to my heart. There is a bit of Bottler in me, at least there was a bit of him in me as a child. He’s been around for decades now so it’s great to see him come to life in a special animation for TV3.”

The series will be produced by Michael Algar of Keg Kartoonz, who dubbed it a nostalgic experience to work with Mr. Grace once more, and expressed his desire to see Bottler’s adventures continue well into the future. The Dublin-based company has already worked up an impressive slate in the animation industry, producing ‘FadóFadó’ and ‘The Freaky Family Flynn’, with Algar himself having worked on other series such as ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’.

Viewers both young and old can catch ‘Bottler’ on TV3, 9pm Friday November 22nd. The same day will also see the special go on wide DVD release in outlets such as Tesco, Heatons, Golden Discs, Tower Records, Super Valu, Xtra Vision/HMV, Superquinn, and Power City as well as independent stores nationwide.