The Rabbit Called Cuddles

Not to be confused with A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story.

The Rabbit Called Cuddles is an Australian-Czechia animated series based on the characters created by both of Tony Bazell, Lubomír Beneš, and Vladimír Jiránek. It was originally aired on Fox as part of Fox Kids in United States, it was also aired on YTV in Canada.

The series is all about the rabbit named Cuddles go on the journey to see his rabbit friends, but they may have to stop the bad guys from trying to get them. Cuddles has exact friends and family where he had owner, neighbors, and others.

Premise
Cuddles goes on a journey to see his friends, his friends such as Randy, Jerry A. Cottontail, Billie Q. Hare, and Hopper J. Bunnie. they will stop the bad guys, and find their way home. Cuddles has an owner, a friend, and a family where he lived in houses.

Voice cast

 * John Hurt as Cuddles, a rabbit who goes on the journey.
 * Tom Kenny as Pat, Cuddles’ owner.
 * Jim Cummings as Mat, Pat’s neighbor and friend.
 * June Foray as Grandma Lucy, Cuddles’ co-owner and a grandmother of Pat.
 * Richard Kind as Karl Mirova and Shadow
 * Michael Bell as Randy, a blue-grey rabbit who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * Rick Jones as Jerry A. Cottontail, a brown and white rabbit who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * Patrick Fraley as Kit, a tabby cat who is a tritagonist.
 * Tara Strong as Betsy, Cuddles’ love interest. (Season 3-11)
 * Frank Welker as Sat, Pat’s pet dog and a friend of Cuddles.
 * Ken Sansom as Karel Domova and Bugsy the English Spot Rabbit
 * Kath Soucie as Priscilla, an English Spot rabbit who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * Long John Baldry as Billie Q. Hare, a Belgian Hare who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * Russi Taylor as Lucky, a friendly black cat who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * Brian Cummings as Hopper J. Bunnie, a Tan Rabbit who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * Carolyn Lawrence as Sweetie, a charming Holland Lop who is a friend of Cuddles.
 * John Goodman as Bear, a happy Saint Bernard who is a friend of Cuddles and Sat.
 * John Goodman also voiced Grandpa, who is a grandfather of Pat, and he is also a husband of Lucy.

Recurring cast

 * Peter Sallis as Rex Bremé (season 2-10)
 * Beau Weaver as Hugh the Highland Maltie (season 8-11)
 * Jeff Bergman as Tomáš Eben (season 1-10) and Mouse (season 2-6)
 * Paulina Gillis as Blue Sky and her kitten (season 4-9)
 * Paul Winchell as Marek Miler (season 1-5)
 * Greg Burson as Mr. Davidson (season 3-11) and Mole (season 2-11)
 * Michael Bell as Dr. Miler (season 4-8)
 * Peter Cullen as The Little Mutt (adult, season 3-9)
 * Rob Rackstraw as Pavel Dietách (season 2-10) and Sparky the Evil Cat (season 2-11)

United States
The series was first premiered on Fox on June 6, 1992 which is a part of Fox Kids. it later ended on May 25, 2002 when the series finale episode was named Consider Me Gone, All the Water was aired.

The series was aired on reruns which it’s on different American channels, the series was also aired on Disney XD and Disney Channel which it’s aired on May 23, 2021.

Canada
The series was first aired on YTV on June 6, 1992 in the same day as the American premiere on Fox. It was aired reruns on other Canadian channels (especially TeleToon)

International
The series was aired on CiTV, ČT1, and other international channels in other countries. however it was aired on some international channels (like ČT, ARD, BBC Two, HRT 1, etc.), it was more popular in other countries (just like United States).

PBS Kids airings
In 1997, PBS Kids has aired television series episodes. which the slapstick has toned down from TV airings, which the scenes to have controversies (like Cuddles slipping off the porch when he goes outside, Cuddles jumps out of the tree then falling down, the two rabbits getting hit with the rock while running, etc.) were cut due to high slapstick which deemed too dangerous.

Switzerland
One of the German-language stations has banned five episodes of the said series (like Pat & Mat have episode banned) because of its high amount of slapstick violence (which includes Cuddles the Flying Rabbit, The FrankenHare: The SuperRabbit Returns, The Clumsy Mouse and the Lazy Hare, The Incredible Shrinking Pat and Mat, and Lilac’s Kitten Trouble) which deemed too dangerous. however the airings have unbanned episodes aired as well.

Middle East and North Africa
The television airing has banned Betsy and the Forest Flowers, some Christmas episodes, Sweetie and Jerry’s Cruise Tales, The New Rabbit Family in Prague, and other episodes because of high amounts of controversies. the Saudi Arabia has the edited versions of the said series on VHS, which removes music to replace with different music. they have removed scenes because of its controversies, it also has different sounds to feature the characters making sounds for running, walking, and falling.

Iran
The television airings has banned six episodes including Betsy and the Forest Flowers, Sweetie and Jerry’s Cruise Tales, Cuddles to the Rescue: Return of the SuperRabbit, A Care for Hopper J. Bunnie, The Hurricane Escape: Cuddles’ SuperRabbit Adventure, and Consider Me Gone, All the Water because of high amount of dark subjects and other seasons. they have edited to modify the scenes from the episodes which it became somehow to remove scenes from each episodes.

On December 11, 2009, on IRIB TV2 (which was located to accidental broadcast of Pat & Mat episode), the accidental broadcast of banned episode named Betsy and the Forest Flowers when Cuddles meets Betsy as they were seen to have high amount of controversy. it has led two employees to dismiss (like three of employees did when “Vinári” has accidentally broadcasted which cause them to get fired), it have apologized that it will never do it again.

Italy
On Cartoon Network Italy, the scenes where Cuddles singing his song from the episode has been cut due to copyright issues. some scenes that caused to be removed from episodes due to high amount of slapstick violence.

Fox Kids Europe airings
Much like Pat & Mat (the original series), The Rabbit Called Cuddles has been aired around 1-10 seasons in 2000 before it was bought the rights from Ateliéry Bonton Zlín to air episodes 2–26 in 2003. some slapstick violence has been toned down (including Cuddles slipping off the front porch, two rabbits being hit with the rock while running, Cuddles falling off the tree, Hopper gets hit with the mousetrap, etc.) includes that the scenes has been cut.

United States
The complete series was released on June 8, 2021 by Shout! Factory in United States. however it was released on VHS and DVD in later 1994 through 2016 by two home entertainment companies.

The series was first released on VHS by Strand Home Video on December 1992 through 1993, the said series was also released on VHS by Video Treasures in 1993 through 1998. It was later released on VHS and DVD by Sony Wonder in 1999 through 2004.

In 2006, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released the volumes and complete seasons from 2006 through 2016.

On May 2, 2021, the series became available on Tubi and Shout! Factory TV.

International
the said series was released internationally on VHS and DVD in later 1993 through 2018 by the international distributors (like, aiF VHS, ABC Video, VCI, BMG, etc.).

Czech Republic
In 2002, Ateliéry Bonton Zlín in Czechia has announced that it will be releasing the said series on DVD in which the Pat & Mat aiF era shorts were initially unavailable due to copyright issues (which have claimed too expensive). Ateliéry Bonton Zlín has released four of the cheap aiF era shows (like ALF, The Little Cat and The Big Wolf, The Rabbit Called Cuddles, and Pat, Mat, and Sat: The Animated Series), but the Pat & Mat aiF shown on DVD for the first time in early, mid or late 2007.

Related products
The six books with the series’ characters were published by these years:


 * Michl, Jiří (1993). Cuddles’ Adventures. Czech Republic and United Kingdom: Egmont.
 * Michl, Jiří (1994). Cuddles’ Detective Tales. Czech Republic and United Kingdom: Egmont
 * Michl, Jiří (1995). Cuddles Wants to Fly. Czech Republic and United Kingdom: Egmont
 * Michl, Jiří (1996). Cuddles the SuperRabbit. Czech Republic and United Kingdom: Egmont
 * Michl, Jiří (1997). The Rabbits’ Long Journey. Czech Republic and United Kingdom: Egmont
 * Sýkora, Pavel (2011). Cuddles’ Ordinary Rabbit Adventures. Czech Republic: Albatros, United States: Edwin Mellen Press.

There is wide range of The Rabbit Called Cuddles merchandises, including plush items, toys, games, key rings, T-shirts, posters, office materials, and keepsakes.

Spin-offs
The spin-off series was called A Hopper’s Tale: The Rabbit Friends Adventure was aired on PBS stations on May 22, 2005, the series was produced by WNET Thirteen (The WNET Group), 20th Television, and HiT Entertainment. the series was streamed on Tubi as well with the logos that was owned.

2023 Reboot
On July 23, 2022, Darrell Van Citters announced that there will be a reboot of the said series which it’s coming on January 22, 2023. however the different voice cast will appear which reprising roles of Tom Kenny and Jim Cummings would allow to voice them again, the new characters and backgrounds will appear to be same as the 2018-2020’s Pat & Mat entertain us, Pat & Mat winter adventure, and Pat & Mat adventures.

Trivia

 * This is the first Australian series based on Pat & Mat which in the 1990s.
 * Betsy was later appeared in the 2007 TV series called Pat & Mat.
 * The music scored by Petr Skoumal will play the same music as previous Pat & Mat soundtracks as it was credited.
 * It was first series by aiF Studio and Egmont Imagination, however it was scored out when aiF Studio left out in 1998 due to bankruptcy.
 * The other characters (like Lilac, Rex the Dog, Dex the Cat, and Berry the Cat) were silent, they only make noises (like Rex barking, Dex, Lilac, and Berry meowing).
 * In The Netherlands, Cuddles and Pat are both voiced by Kees Prins which voices two characters. It was followed that Mat, Bear, and Billie Q. Hare being voiced by Siem van Leeuwen when he voiced three of the characters.
 * It spawned “How Do We Supposed to Get to the Different River?” meme, it also spawned Cuddles’ sad face meme.