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The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends

  • ️Sun Dec 20 1992
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
Genre Animation
Written by
Directed by
Narrated by Niamh Cusack
Ending theme "Perfect Day" by Miriam Stockley
Composer Colin Towns
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language English
No. of episodes 9 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer Jonathan 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 time 24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network BBC1 (1992–96)
BBC Two (1998)
Release 20 December 1992 (1992-12-20) –
25 December 1998 (1998-12-25)

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 13 May 1992 and 26 June 1995. For the initial VHS releases, some of the characters' voices were dubbed-over by actors with more American-like accents.[2]

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.

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.

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
  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.