The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends

***The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends*** is a British animated television series based on the works of Beatrix Potter, featuring Peter Rabbit and other anthropomorphic animal characters created by Potter. It was originally shown in the U.K. on the BBC between 1992 and 1995 and subsequently broadcast in the U.S. on Family Channel from 1993–1995 (with some of the characters' voices re-dubbed by actors with more American-like accents). The series has also been released on VHS and DVD by Carlton Video.

## Production

The show was produced by TVC London for the publishing company Frederick Warne & Co in association with the BBC and the Japanese companies Pony Canyon Inc and Fuji Television Network Inc. The first six episodes cost approximately US$11 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.

## Contents

Each episode opens up with a live-action Beatrix Potter, portrayed by actress Niamh Cusack, coming to her farmhouse out of the rain, either from after finishing a watercolour painting and running home with her pet dog, Kep or doing the shopping 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 the story is finished, Potter either posts
the picture letter herself or asks a boy to do it. An exception to this
is *The Tailor of Gloucester* episode, which is set at Christmas time. *The Tailor of Gloucester* 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. Some of the
episodes include storylines from two separate books, either told one
after the other or intermingled. The animation style of *The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends* is very close to Potter's artwork in the original books. The main title song for the show is "Perfect Day," sung by Miriam Stockley.

## Episodes

1. The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny (May 13, 1992)
2. The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and Mrs. Tittlemouse (June 24, 1992)
3. The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck (July 22, 1992)
4. The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, or the Roly-Poly Pudding (May 19, 1993)
5. The Tailor of Gloucester (June 9, 1993)
6. The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher (July 7, 1993)
7. The Tale of Pigling Bland (May 18, 1994)
8. The Tale of Two Bad Mice and Johnny Town-Mouse (June 29, 1994)
9. The Tale of Mr. Tod (June 21, 1995)

## Cast

* Niamh Cusack – Beatrix Potter (live action)
* Mark Lockyer/Rory Carty – Peter Rabbit
* Adrian Scarborough/Andrew Clitheroe – Benjamin Bunny
* Enn Reitel – Mr. Bouncer
* June Whitfield – Mrs. Rabbit
* Richard Wilson/Andrew Robertson – Mr. McGregor
* Richard Griffiths – Mr. Alderman Ptolomy Tortoise
* Ian Holm

 – The Tailor (This was Holm's second time playing the Tailor in this
story, the first time being in the book's 1989 TV special adaption)

* Derek Griffiths - Simpkin
* Hugh Laurie – Johnny Town-Mouse
* Alan Bennett - Timmy Willie
* Prunella Scales – Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
* Rebecca Hall - Lucie
* Rik Mayall - Tom Thumb
* Felicity Kendal - Hunca Munca
* Alan Bowe/Atsuyuki Fujinuma - Tom Kitten
* Rosemary Leach - Tabitha Twitchit
* Patricia Routledge - Ribby
* Struan Rodger - Samuel Whiskers
* Sheila Hancock - Anna Maria
* John Gordon Sinclair - John Joiner
* Su Pollard/Sandra Dickinson - Jemima Puddle-Duck
* Pam Ferris - Aunt Pettitoes
* Dinsdale Landen - Mr. Tod
* Don Henderson - Tommy Brock
* Derek Jacobi - Jeremy Fisher
* Chris Lang - Pigling Bland
* Josie Lawrence - Pig-Wig

## Reception

At the 1993 Emmy Awards *The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends* was nominated for best animated program.

## Repeats

The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends was first broadcast on BBC1 in 1992 to 1995, with repeats until 2003 mostly at Christmas, BBC2 have also shown some episodes. CBBC on Choice have shown the series twice, both showings being at Christmas, It premiered on Monday 25th December 2000 - Thursday 4th January 2001 at 8.00am, 11.00am, 2.00pm and 5.00pm and the next showing was Thursday 27th December 2001 - Friday 4th January 2002 at 8.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm and 5.30pm. CBeebies have also repeated the series in 2002/2003.