''Peter Rabbit'' is an

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

for preschool children that debuted on the Nick Jr. Channel on 14 December 2012, in the United States and on

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...

and

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

on 25 December 2012, in the United Kingdom. It is based on the character of the same name from

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

's children’s books. The series debuted on American TV and iTunes on 14 December 2012, with the pilot episode debuting as a Christmas holiday special, titled ''Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale.'' The show became a regular series on 19 February 2013, in the USA. The first official DVD of ''Peter Rabbit'' was released on 28 May 2013, as a

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

exclusive. It contains the programme's first eight episodes on a single disc. On 11 October 2013, Nickelodeon ordered a second series of 26 episodes. In Wales, the series is known as ''Guto Gwningen'' and is dubbed into Welsh on

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...

. A springtime holiday special episode, titled ''Peter Rabbit's Springtime Tale'' (with the actual episode titled "The Tale of the Start of Spring"), aired on 29 March 2013, on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

in the USA. Season 1 concluded on 7 October 2014. The programme ran for a total of two series before concluding on 6 May 2016. It was produced for Nickelodeon in the US by Brown Bag Films,

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

and Silvergate Media. The programme still airs reruns on

in the UK. The series features and revolves around the titular character Peter Rabbit (voices of Colin DePaula and L. Parker Lucas in the US version and Charlie George, and Harry Henty in the UK version) and his younger cousin Benjamin Bunny (voice of Peter Steve Harris in the US version, and Jay Ruckley in the UK version), along with the new character of Lily Bobtail (voice of Michaela Dean in the US version, and Grace Lissenden and Imogen Bailey in the UK version). The programme features educational goals that encourage preschoolers to learn problem-solving, interpersonal skills, being aware, self-efficacy, resilience, positive re-framing and fostering an interest in and respect for nature.

Synopsis

The programme follows Peter Rabbit as he overcomes obstacles, outwits predators and avoids danger. Peter wants to grow up to be just like his late father and carries his journal (a guide on how to be a good rabbit) on his adventures with his friends, cousin Benjamin Bunny and a new character Lily Bobtail, in the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...

of northern England.

Characters

Main

Peter Rabbit Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter. A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' in 1902, and subseq ...

– The main

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the series. A mischievous, curious, quick-witted, street smart, charming, imaginative and adventurous young rabbit. He is also the eldest of his siblings. Unlike the character from the books, this version of Peter Rabbit lacks shoes. He also can be very hot-headed. Peter's catchphrases are "a good rabbit never gives up!", and "let's hop to it!" He also speaks a British accent. * Benjamin Bunny – Peter's cousin who joins him on his adventures. Unlike the character from the books, Benjamin is shorter and younger than Peter in this adaptation. He is portrayed as being cowardly, wimpy, clumsy, hungry and clueless but also good-natured, loyal, and kind. Benjamin's catchphrase is "rabbits are brave, rabbits are brave...", which he says when he is scared. *Lily Bobtail – Peter and Benjamin's quick-witted female best friend, who carries many useful objects in her pocket. Unlike Peter and Benjamin, who were based on the books by Beatrix Potter, Lily is a new character who was created by the production team for the series. She carries many objects in a pocket on her dress. Lily's catchphrases are "I know that for a fact!", and "just in case pocket, just in case!"

Recurring

* Mr. Tod – The main

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

who consistently fails to hunt down, capture, and devour the protagonists and other supporting characters. * Squirrel Nutkin – A short-tailed

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

and the leader of the squirrels' tribe. He is Peter's friend, who saves Peter whenever he gets captured by Mr. Tod. His tail was cut off by Old Brown. *Felix – Squirrel Nutkin's right-hand man. * Josephine Rabbit – The widow of Mr. Rabbit, mother of Peter, Cotton-tail, Flopsy and Mopsy, aunt of Benjamin, and sister of Mr. Bouncer. * Flopsy and Mopsy – Peter's older, ignorant, arrogant, bossy and smug twin sisters. Mopsy is the older twin and Flopsy is the younger twin. They are Benjamin's twin cousins. *Cotton-Tail – Peter, Flopsy and Mopsy's baby sister, and Benjamin's youngest cousin. * Mr. Bouncer – Benjamin's single father. He is the uncle of Peter, Cotton-tail, Flopsy and Mopsy, the brother of Josephine, and brother-in-law of Mr. Rabbit. He likes to invent many things, which often go wrong. * Jeremy Fisher – A frog that Peter, Benjamin and Lily accidentally cause trouble for on occasion. He enjoys fishing and was friends with Peter's father. He has a passion for music, but cannot really sing. * Jemima Puddle-Duck – A kind yet very simple-minded duck that knows Peter and his friends well. She has three ducklings. * Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle – A hedgehog, washerwoman and one of the many townspeople Peter interacts with. She speaks with an Irish accent. * Ginger and Pickles – A cat and dog who run the village shop. Pickles is quite gruff while Ginger is more respectful of their customers. *Mr. McGregor – A human farmer whose vegetables are the target of Peter. His face is kept hidden. He is portrayed as an old man who gets winded often. He speaks with a Scottish accent. * Tommy Brock – An irritable

badger Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...

that finds Peter and his friends obnoxious when they wake him up or disturb his possessions, but sometimes he gets along with them and even saves them from Mr. Tod. He enjoys eating worms. * Old Brown – A short-tempered

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

that wants nothing but silence, thus he attacks anyone who makes a sound within his vicinity. He constantly chases after Nutkin for disrupting the peace. * Samuel Whiskers – A

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...

whose full name is Samuel Jeremiah Bartholomew Edmond Cornelius Whiskers. He is always after an easy meal, preferably cakes and baked sweets, and often attempts to steal food from the other characters. *Dr. Warren Bobtail – Lily's father and the Rabbits' family doctor. He has a strong sense of smell. *Mrs. Bobtail – Warren's wife and Lily's mother. * Pig Robinson – A friendly pig that lives on a farm with his best friend Mittens. He loves to paint on his easel and tries to befriend everyone he meets. * Mittens – A young cat that lives on a farm with her best friend Pig Robinson. While somewhat hostile to Peter, Benjamin and Lily at first, she eventually warms up to them. She is aggressive towards any rodents, and loathes the idea of Tommy Brock moving in her farm. *Mr. Tolly – A

tortoise Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like o ...

, that, over his many years, has acquainted with many of Peter Rabbit's friends, enemies, as well as Peter's father with whom he went on many adventures with alongside Jeremy Fisher and Mr Bouncer. * Jack Sharp – A

three-spined stickleback The three-spined stickleback (''Gasterosteus aculeatus'') is a fish native to most inland and coastal waters north of 30°N. It has long been a subject of scientific study for many reasons. It shows great morphological variation throughout its ra ...

that once knew Mr. Rabbit. Often fights with Jeremy Fisher. *The Shrew – A

shrew Shrews ( family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to dif ...

whose territory possesses a bountiful field of dandelions, which he guards against Peter Rabbit, or any other animal. He is the object of Cotton-tail's affection, much to his dismay. *The Tittlemouse siblings – Albert, Louisa and Stanley are mice siblings that are always trying to survive. Fifty six episodes of the series have been aired as of 2016. Except "Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale", all episode titles begin with "The Tale of". The American dub did not follow this titling method in season 2.

Voice cast

UK version

*Charlie George (Season 1) and Harry Henty (Season 2) as Peter Rabbit *Grace Lissenden (Season 1) and Imogen Bailey (Season 2) as Lily Bobtail *Jay Ruckley as Benjamin Bunny * Nigel Pilkington as Squirrel Nutkin and Squirrels *Mark A. Huckerby as Mr. Tod * J. B. Blanc as Tommy Brock * Dave B. Mitchell as Mr. McGregor * Joshua Colley as Pig Robinson *Gwenfair Vaughan as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle *Justin P.G. Trefgarne as The Shrew, Dr. Warren Bobtail, Felix (Season 2), Albert Mouse (Season 2) and Stanley Mouse (Season 2) *Roger May as Mr. Bouncer *Gemma Harvey as Jemima Puddle-Duck * Sophie Ellis-Bextor as Mrs. Bobtail, Mrs. Rabbit (Season 2), Flopsy (Season 2) and Mopsy (Season 2) * Emma Tate as Cottontail (Season 2) and Louisa Mouse (Season 2) * Jo Wyatt as Mrs. Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton Tail (Season 1) * Dan Chambers as Jeremy Fisher, Ginger and Pickles, Mr. Tolly (Season 2) and Jack Sharp (Season 2) * Laurence Kennedy as Sammy Whiskers and Old Brown * Sophia Waterton as Mittens (Season 2) * Danny Price * John White * Sophie Aldred

US version

*Colin DePaula as

(Season 1, 28 episodes, 2012–2014) *L. Parker Lucas as Peter Rabbit (Season 2, 28 episodes, 2014–2016) *Peter Steve Harris as Benjamin Bunny (56 episodes, 2012–2016) *Michaela Dean as Lily Bobtail (56 episodes, 2012–2016) * Kyle Dean Massey as Squirrel Nutkin (53 episodes, 2012–2016) *

Stephanie Sheh Stephanie Sheh (born April 10, 1977) is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer, and producer who has worked for several major companies. She is often involved with work in English dubs of anime, cartoons, video games, and films. Her not ...

as Josephine Rabbit (Season 1) * Megan Taylor Harvey as Flopsy, Mopsy (Season 1) *Brittany Harms as Flopsy (Season 2) *Sawyer Niehaus as Mittens and Mopsy (Season 2) *Jenna Iacono (Season 1) and Aviella Kibel (Season 2), Ayla Bauernfeind (Season 2) as Cottontail Rabbit * JB Blanc (54 episodes, 2012–2016) as Tommy Brock, Mr. Bouncer, Ginger and Jack Sharp *Mark A. Huckerby as Mr. Tod * Dave B. Mitchell as Mr. McGregor and Old Brown *Gwenfair Vaughan as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle *Sarah Bolt as Jemima Puddle-Duck (Seasons 1–2) and Mrs. Bobtail (Season 1) *Katie Koslowski as Josephine Rabbit (Season 2) and Mrs. Bobtail (Season 2) * Kirk Thornton as Jeremy Fisher and Pickles *Shawn Curran as Sammy Whiskers and Dr. Warren Bobtail *

Spike Spencer Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer (born December 21, 1968) is an American voice actor and columnist best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is known for his roles in ADV Films dubs of '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' as Shinji Ikari, '' Mart ...

as The Shrew and Felix * Joshua Colley as Pig Robinson *David McCamley (23 episodes, 2014–2015) *Dino Athanassiou (23 episodes, 2014–2015) *Cole Meyer Carandang (23 episodes, 2014–2015) *Jennifer Fox (1 episode, 2015)

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2012–14)

Season 2 (2014–16)

Broadcast

Peter Rabbit airs in Canada on

Treehouse TV Treehouse TV (commonly known as Treehouse) is a Canadian English-language Discretionary service, discretionary specialty channel that was launched in 1997. Its name comes from sister network YTV (Canadian TV channel), YTV's former programming b ...

. In the United Kingdom, it airs on

and streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Distribution rights were held globally by Silvergate Media, except in North America and India, where

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

/ Viacom Media Networks secured them under license. The series was available for streaming on

Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...

until being removed in June 2023.

Home media

North America

Home media releases in North America were handled by

Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, originally Paramount Home Video, and operating as the namesake film studio since 2022) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures. The division oversees Para ...

. * Peter Rabbit (28 May 2013) * Christmas Tale (12 November 2013) * Spring Into Adventure (18 February 2014) * ''Peter Rabbit: Season One'' was released on 8 October 2015, exclusively at

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...

. This release contains 4 discs. It is published on demand onto

DVD-R DVD recordable and DVD rewritable are a collection of optical disc formats that can be written to by a DVD recorder and by computers using a DVD writer. The "recordable" discs are write-once read-many (WORM) media, where as "rewritable" discs a ...

Reception

The series was met with mostly positive reviews. "Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale" (14 December, at 7 p.m. ET/PT), drew 3 million total viewers and ranked as the number-one program with K2-5 and K2-11 across all TV in its time period. It was also the top-rated and most-watched preschool telecast for the week, posting double and triple-digit gains over last year with K2-5 (6.7/891,000, +196%) and K2-11 (4.7/1.6 million, +22%); and A18-49 (.9/940,000, +73%), making it the week's top preschool telecast. According to 'By The Numbers', Nickelodeon's brand-new animated series ''Peter Rabbit'' rose to the top of the charts, with its Tuesday, 19 February premiere, which delivered 1.7 million total viewers. The new CG-animated series was also basic cable's top telecast in its time period (12-12:30 p.m. ET/PT) with K2-5, A18-49, W18-49 and total viewers, posting double-digit gains for the net with K2-5 (5.7/760,000, +21%), A18-49 (+47%), W18-49 (+43%) and total viewers (+31%). CBeebies broadcasts of the programme have been equally successful with the broadcast on Christmas morning 2012 on BBC1 earning it the highest ratings on any channel in that timeslot. At the 2014 Emmy Awards, the programme earned three daytime Emmys and scored another five nominations, earning the most nominations for an animated programme that year.

References

External links

* *
Official website
{{Authority control Peter Rabbit BBC children's television shows 2012 animated television series debuts 2012 British television series debuts 2016 British television series endings 2010s British animated television series 2010s British children's television series 2012 Irish television series debuts 2016 Irish television series endings Irish children's animated adventure television series Irish children's animated comedy television series British children's animated adventure television series British children's animated comedy television series British English-language television shows British preschool education television series British computer-animated television series Irish preschool education television series Animated preschool education television series 2010s preschool education television series Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series by Brown Bag Films British television shows based on children's books Animated television series about rabbits and hares CBeebies Nick Jr. original programming Treehouse TV original programming BBC animated television series