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The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends

The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends is a British animated anthology television series based on the works of Beatrix Potter, featuring Peter Rabbit and other anthropomorphic animal characters created by Potter.[1] 14 of Potter's stories were adapted into 9 films, and the series was originally shown in the U.K. on the BBC between 20 December 1992 and 25 December 1998. It was subsequently broadcast in the U.S. on Family Channel between 23 October 1992 and 23 October 1995. For the initial VHS releases, some of the characters' voices were dubbed-over by actors with more American-like accents.[2]

The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
GenreAnimation
Written by
Directed by
Narrated byNiamh Cusack
Ending theme"Perfect Day" by Miriam Stockley
ComposerColin Towns
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes9 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerJonathan Peel
Producers
  • John Coates (series producer)
  • Dennis Abey (live action)
  • Giles Johnson (live action)
  • Ginger Gibbons
  • Catrin Unwin
  • Nick Comley
Editors
  • William Taylor Grant (live action)
  • Andy Kemp
  • Corinne Lejeune
  • William Taylor Grant
  • Tony Fish
  • Peter Hearn
  • Mark Edwards
  • Jamie Martin
Running time24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkBBC1 (1992–96)
BBC Two (1998)
Release20 December 1992 (1992-12-20) –
25 December 1998 (1998-12-25)

Production

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TVC London, in association with the BBC and the Japanese companies Pony Canyon Inc and Fuji Television Network Inc., produced the show for the publishing company Frederick Warne & Co. The first six episodes cost approximately £5 million to produce. Dianne Jackson, director of the 1982 Christmas special The Snowman, was involved in the planning of the series and received series director and writer credit on the first six episodes, but she died of cancer on New Year's Eve 1992. The animation style of The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends keeps very close to Potter's artwork in the original books. The main title song for the show is Perfect Day sung by Miriam Stockley. The live-action scenes in Potter's cottage and grounds were filmed on location at her actual cottage, 'Hill Top', in Cumbria, which is maintained unchanged as a museum by the National Trust.

Contents

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Each episode opens up with a live-action Beatrix Potter, portrayed by actress Niamh Cusack, coming to her farmhouse out of the rain, either after finishing a watercolour painting and running home with her pet dog, Kep, or after doing the shopping in town and hitching a ride home on a horse-drawn vehicle, sitting down to some tea with her pet rabbit, Peter, and then setting up the featured story. Once Potter finishes the story, she either posts the picture letter herself or asks a boy to do it. An exception to this is The Tailor of Gloucester episode, which takes place at Christmas time. The Tailor of Gloucester, unlike the other episodes, begins with Potter's maid, Daisy, serving out mince pies to some carol singers who sing the Sussex Carol while Potter and her pet cat, Simpkin, listen to them, and it ends with pictures taken from the main story. Some of the episodes include storylines from two separate books, either told one after the other or intermingled.

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny"Geoff Dunbar20 December 1992 (1992-12-20)[3]
Peter Rabbit goes into Mr. McGregor's garden against his mother's warning. He loses his clothes after an eventful escape, and Mr. McGregor puts them on his scarecrow. The next morning, Peter and his cousin Benjamin Bunny go into Mr. McGregor's garden to rescue the clothes, and get Mrs. Rabbit a present of onions. They find a cat and hide in a basket which the cat sits upon. Mrs. Rabbit is sad that Peter hasn't returned, and Benjamin's father notes that Benjamin has also gone missing. He goes into Mr. McGregor's garden where he fights the cat off the basket and locks her in the garden shed. Then he sends Peter back home.
2"The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck"Dave Unwin9 April 1993 (1993-04-09)[4]
Tom Kitten and his sisters are all dressed up for their mother's tea party. They lose their clothes while playing and Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit is mad at them for doing so. When her guests arrive, she tells them her kittens are in bed with measles. Meanwhile, Jemima Puddle Duck is trying to lay her eggs and comes across a foxy whiskered gentleman.
3"The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding"Mike Stuart29 August 1993 (1993-08-29)[5]
On baking day, Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit locks her kittens up in a cupboard. But Tom Kitten tries to hide, and goes up the chimney. Tabitha's cousin Ribby comes over to borrow some yeast, and Tabitha tells her that she can't find Tom. They search for him all over the house. Meanwhile, Tom Kitten comes face to face with Samuel Whiskers, an old rat, and his wife Anna Maria who then hold him prisoner in an attempt to make him into a roly-poly pudding.
4"The Tailor of Gloucester"Jack Stokes and Roger Mainwood (animation director)24 December 1993 (1993-12-24)[6]
A tailor is making a coat for the Mayor of Gloucester. He is nearly finished except for some cherry coloured silk. Some mice finish the coat in the night.
5"The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher"Geoff Dunbar1 April 1994 (1994-04-01)[7]
Lucie has lost another pocket handkerchief. She tries to find them, and then comes across a tiny bucket in a waterfall. She meets Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, a hedgehog who does laundry. She has her pocket handkerchiefs. Then Lucie and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle deliver the laundry. They meet Mr. Jeremy Fisher, a frog who has had quite an adventure. He was fishing one day, when he nearly got swallowed by a big fish.
6"The Tale of Pigling Bland"Mike Stuart27 December 1994 (1994-12-27)[8]
Pigling Bland is sent off to market, but he loses his way and ends up at a farm, where he meets a black Berkshire pig named Pig Wig.
7"The Tale of Two Bad Mice and Johnny Town-Mouse"Roger Mainwood26 December 1996 (1996-12-26)[9]
Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca are little mice who break into a doll's house and destroy everything. Meanwhile, Timmy Willie, a mouse who lives in the country, is horrified by things at Johnny Town Mouse's home.
8"The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and Mrs. Tittlemouse"Dave Unwin and Tony Guy (animation director)27 December 1996 (1996-12-27)[10]
Benjamin Bunny has grown up and married his cousin Flopsy. They have a large family, collectively known as the Flopsy Bunnies. They go to Mr. McGregor's rubbish heap and eat the lettuce leaves, then they fall into a deep sleep. Mr. McGregor sees the Flopsy Bunnies when dumping grass cuttings onto the heap, then he puts them into his sack. Benjamin and Flopsy try to rescue them, then Mrs Tittlemouse bites through the sack, setting them free. Benjamin and the bunnies then fill the sack with rotten vegetables. Mrs. Tittlemouse returns home to see Mr. Jackson sitting by her fireplace. Then Mr. McGregor picks up the sack, thinking the Bunnies are still in it. Mrs. McGregor is shocked to find the vegetables in the sack.
9"The Tale of Mr. Tod"Geoff Dunbar25 December 1998 (1998-12-25)[11]
Benjamin and Flopsy leave their children in the care of Mr. Bouncer. Tommy Brock comes by, looking for food. Mr. Bouncer and Tommy Brock both hate Mr. Tod the fox. Tommy Brock puts the Flopsy Bunnies into his sack. When Benjamin and Flopsy returns, they are shocked to find their children missing. Benjamin tells his cousin Peter what has happened. They go to Tommy Brock's house, where they hear the Flopsy Bunnies in the oven. Mr. Tod arrives, shocked to find Tommy Brock sleeping in his bed. He hangs a bucket of water over his bed, but Tommy wakes up before he can be drenched, and the two enemies eventually brawl, allowing Peter and Benjamin to rescue the Flopsy Bunnies, and bring them back to Flopsy.

Cast

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Documentaries

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When the films were released on VHS, they featured a special mini documentary at the end.

Documentary Summary VHS release Release date
Beatrix Potter's World Beatrix Potter's stories were inspired by the world around her. The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck 15 March 1993
A Victorian Childhood Beatrix Potter was born in the Victorian era. The Tailor of Gloucester 11 October 1993
The Story Letters Many of Beatrix Potter's stories started off as letters written to children. The Tale of Mrs Tiggy Winkle and Mr Jeremy Fisher 14 March 1994
The Conservationist As well as writing books, Beatrix Potter protected the land where she lived and left all her property to the National Trust. The Tale of Pigling Bland 1 August 1994
The Legacy of Beatrix Potter When Beatrix Potter died, she left us many things. The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly Poly Pudding 17 October 1994

References

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  1. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 918–919. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - Official Order - All Seasons - TheTVDB.com". www.thetvdb.com. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  3. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC One London - 20 December 1992". BBC Genome Project. 20 December 1992. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  4. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC One London - 9 April 1993". BBC Genome Project. 9 April 1993. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  5. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC One London - 29 August 1993". BBC Genome Project. 29 August 1993. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Beatrix Potter's Tailor of Gloucester - BBC One London - 24 December 1993". BBC Genome Project. 24 December 1993. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Beatrix Potter: the Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Mr Jeremy Fisher - BBC One London - 1 April 1994". BBC Genome Project. April 1994. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Beatrix Potter: the World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC One London - 27 December 1994". BBC Genome Project. 27 December 1994. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  9. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC One London - 26 December 1996". BBC Genome Project. 26 December 1996. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  10. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC One London - 27 December 1996". BBC Genome Project. 27 December 1996. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  11. ^ "The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends - BBC Two England, 25 December 1998". BBC Genome Project. 25 December 1998. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
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