A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story

''This article is about the original 1986 A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story television series. For 1992 series, see The Rabbit Called Cuddles.''

A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story is an Australian television series created by the British studio Cosgrove Hall Films, produced by Czech studio Krátký film Praha and the Australian studio Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was aired on June 12, 1986, and ended on May 21, 1991. The series was involved with the Polish rabbit named Basil goes on his journey with his love interest (who is an English spot rabbit) named Toodles, they meet their friends as they have to stop the bad guys. It was a sequel to the original series Randy and His Friends, it was also the first traditionally animated series to feature Randy and his friends characters.

Synopsis
Two rabbits named Basil (a Polish Rabbit) and Toodles (an English Spot) goes on their journey to meet their friends, but they have stop the bad guys from getting the animals or humans in danger.

Main characters

 * John Hurt as Basil, a Polish Rabbit who goes on their journey.
 * Anne Reid as Toodles, an English Spot rabbit who is Basil’s love interest.
 * Reid also voiced Mrs. Parker, a mother to Fred and Henry and a husband to John B. Parker.
 * Rupert Farley as Randy, a blue-grey rabbit who is a friend of Basil which is the original leader
 * Richard Pearson as Jerry A. Cottontail, a brown and white rabbit who is a friend of Basil.
 * Peter Sallis as Hopper J. Bunnie, a Tan Rabbit who is a friend of Basil.
 * David Jason as Billie Q. Hare, a Belgian Hare who is a friend of Basil
 * Susan Sheridan as Priscilla, an English Spot Rabbit who is a friend of Basil.
 * Sheridan also voiced Sweetie, a holland lop who is a friend of Basil and a sister of Spotty.
 * Richard Briers as John B. Parker, an owner of Basil which he adopted him after his parents’ passing.
 * Briers also voiced Spotty, which he is a brother to Sweetie in some episodes “The Spirit of Sweetie’s Brother” and “The Ghost of the Forest Animals” as a spirit/ghost.
 * Jack May as Fred Parker, John B. Parker’s son and an owner of Toodles.
 * Brett Climo as Henry Parker, brother of Fred which he also owned Toodles.

Recurring characters

 * Michael Hordern as George R. James, Randy’s owner who is an inventor.
 * Ron Moody as Neil, a giant hare which he is a carefree hare appearing in season 2-4.
 * Moody also voiced Jett, a lost brother to Basil in season 1.
 * Kees Prins as Rufus, a Dutch Rabbit who speaks Dutch appears in Season 2-5.
 * Prins also voiced Buurman (yellow) which along with Siem van Leeuwen voicing Buurman (red) in 4-5 seasons, but the grey version of Buurman (red) appeared in season 1 or 2 only. Siem van Leeuwen also voiced a Dutch speaking English Spot Rabbit named Ruff in season 1-2.
 * Richard Kind as Daniel, a Checkered Giant Rabbit appeared in season 1-4.
 * Rik Mayall as Henry, a Silver Fox rabbit appearing in season 3-5.
 * Jane Horrocks as Michelle the English Lop, she only appeared in seasons 2-4.
 * Alan Bennett as Wilbur, a harlequin rabbit appeared in season 3-5.
 * Andrew Sachs as Cookie the Havana Rabbit appearing in season 4-5.
 * Julia Sawalha as Rebecca, a Czech spot rabbit who came from Czechoslovakia which appears in season 3-4 only.
 * Sawalha also voiced the holland lop character Martha, a lost sister of Sweetie in the second season.
 * Lynn Ferguson as Bella, a Scottish Dutch Rabbit appearing in season 5 only.
 * Various children actors voiced Rex, Luna, Fred, Abby, Tom, and Elena in season 2, they don’t have a speaking role until 2004 while they grew up to adults in series finale of the said series in 1991.
 * Tom Kenny as Timmy the Hare, which he appeared in season 2-5 only.
 * Peter Davison as Paul, a Blanc de Hotot rabbit appeared in season 3-5 only.
 * Carolyn Lawrence as Abby, an Alaska Rabbit appears in season 3-4 only.
 * Peter Woodthorpe as Rollo, a mole from “Rollo’s Mole Problem”.

Antagonists

 * Jon Glover as The Big Bad Fox, Brown Bear, George the Aggressive Lionhead Rabbit, and Robert the Snake
 * Sally Grace as Willow Mad Hare, Melissa Hunt, Alena the Hunting Cat, and The Mean Old Rabbit
 * By the time, two Dutch voice actors Kees Prins and Siem van Leeuwen voiced the antagonist characters which are animals and humans who spoke Dutch by the list:
 * PawPaw the Czech Red (voiced by Siem van Leeuwen)
 * Hare Hari the Bauscat Rabbit (voiced by Kees Prins)
 * Van Rabbit, an English Lop (voiced by Siem van Leeuwen)
 * Dutch Hunter (voiced by Kees Prins)
 * Himalayan Dutch, A Himalayan Rabbit (voiced by Siem van Leeuwen)
 * Roo, a New Zealand Rabbit (voiced by Kees Prins)
 * Twee Hang, A Plush Lop and a Meissner Lop (voiced by Kees Prins and Siem van Leeuwen)
 * Timothy Bateson as Scarred Peter, a Mellerud rabbit.
 * Alan Marriott as Duffy, a French Lop.
 * John Alderton as Percy, a Giant Papillon rabbit.

Development
On December 27, 1985, Cosgrove Hall Films planned the traditionally animated series version of Randy and His Friends following the continuation of Basil and Toodles’ adventures, the animated series maintain Count Duckula’s premiering plan in 1988 while continuing the series’ production. Mark Hall says that “Basil and Toodles’ story will be continuing their adventures, which it follows his friends returning in the animated series.” as it was confirmed for the next sequel, the show has been developed between January 2-April 2, 1986.

Animation
The animators began animating between January 11-April 29, 1986, the series began the filming and production between February-April 30, 1986. storyboard was complete throughout the years, the animating process was between 1986-1991.

Music
In 1986, Petr Skoumal scored the series’ music which completes the both new and archived music scores, the new soundtrack for the series has been added to the episodes between 1986-1991, the television series has bought some Pat & Mat music from 1989-1990 which is put to some episodes between 1989-1991. the new music was scored by the Czechoslovakian musician in the series, and it was also recorded in later 1987-1990.

United Kingdom
The series was premiered on BBC1 on June 12, 1986, the series has been more popular in United Kingdom alongside the original series. the series continues to air until it ended in 1991, it was ended on May 21, 1991 where the cliffhanger ending showed Basil getting unconscious from drinking contaminated water.

The series returned for Priscilla’s Wild Tales: The Rabbit Adventures where Priscilla and friends goes back to United Kingdom to save Basil from poisoning, which is from the first episode.

Australia
The series was premiered on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) on June 12, 1986 on the same day as United Kingdom airing, the series became popular in Australia as these populations in the country continued to grow and became increasingly popular with viewers. the series ended on May 21, 1991 on the same day as United Kingdom’s series finale of the said series, it was increasingly known that the cliffhanger ending of the series would be considered by viewers that Basil had been passed out due to contaminated water drinking.

Czech Republic and Slovakia
ČST Bratislava's children's section chose the series on July 6, 1986, it was early premiered as this part of the section where the said series was premiered in July which was picked up by ČST. the series became more popular at the time, which continued to grow and became more popular in the country. the series was ended on June 1, 1991 where the series began showing cliffhanger ending by some Czech and Slovakian viewers.

The series ran on ČT and STV, as well these different channels.

United States and Canada
The series was aired on CBS on August 2, 1986 as part of the Saturday Night block, the series was intended more popular in United States and Canada. the said series was also aired on CBC on the same day as United States, the series was ended on November 30, 1991 as the cliffhanger ending appeared.

Switzerland
Similar to Pat & Mat and Randy and His Friends episodes that got banned before, The German-language station Schweizer Fernsehen banned each episodes of A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story because of dark subject matter and violence that deemed too dangerous. some episodes had passed for other Switzerland airings.

Fox Kids Europe airings
Coming soon!

Middle East
Coming soon!

Iran
Coming soon!

Morocco
Coming soon!

Kenya
Coming soon!

United Kingdom
The series was first released on VHS by both Video Collection International and Tempo Video in 1987, after the 1995 where The Video Collection was changed its name to VCI that the said series was released on VHS and DVD.

In 2000s, the said series and Randy and His Friends were both released on DVDs by Acorn Media International, HiT Entertainment, Delta Entertainment, Clear Vision, and other home entertainment distributors in the UK. the two series were later both streamed on all streaming services in platforms in 2021.

Australia
In 1992, the series was first released on VHS by ABC Video (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), which it contains twenty volumes and compilations from the said series. the show was released on DVD by ABC DVD for the first time in 2003, and it contains complete seasons, compilations, and the complete series.

The series was available on Australian streaming services in 2021.

Czech Republic and Slovakia
In 1995, Bonton a.s. released three series (including Randy and His Friends, A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story, and The Rabbit Called Cuddles) on VHS, the series contains the compilations and twenty volumes.

In 2002, the series was released on DVD by Ateliéry Bonton Zlín (like Randy and His Friends, The Rabbit Called Cuddles, and A Rabbit Called Basil: A Hare’s Story). DVDs were released by Magic Box in 2019, and it was digitally remastered. as of 2022, the series is now acquired by Studio PatMat s.r.o. when the second series was first shown.

United States
The second series was first released on VHS by Strand VCI Entertainment in 1990, it was also released on VHS by Strand Home Video in 1992 to 1994 besides Thomas and Friends.

The series was released on VHS by Video Treasures in 1987 to 1998, willingly along with Randy and His Friends, and The Rabbit Called Cuddles. the series was released on DVD for the first in 2003 by Mill Creek Entertainment for the complete first to fifth seasons.

It was digitally released on DVD by Shout! Factory in 2022, and it was streamed on all digital streaming services which is digitally remastered.

Marketing
22 merchandises were released in following between 1986 to 1993, the plush items were sold in the markets in some countries. some plush items were recalled due to safety issues, but some items were not affected. in 2022, the plush sets were available in some countries (like United States, United Kingdom, Australia, etc.).

Some books were available in bookstores in 1987, and it became available in local libraries and bookstores.

Trivia

 * First traditionally animated series to have the characters showing in 2D, which drawn by British artists.
 * The series was first aired on three channels (such as BBC1, ABC, and ČST).
 * The rabbit characters appears in the seasons of the television series that has Dutch and English languages that they speak in any languages.