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
 * Kind also voiced Daniel, a Checkered Giant Rabbit appeared in season two to seven.
 * 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 Czech 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.
 * Goodman also voiced Grandpa, which is a husband to Lucy and a grandfather of Pat.

Recurring characters

 * Beau Weaver as Hugh (season 2-11) a highland maltie.
 * Rob Rackstraw as Sparky, a main antagonist who is a grey tabby cat which is a rival to Lilac.
 * Anne Reid as Mimi the Czech Spot and Toodles (early onscreen scenes in each episodes only)
 * Paul Winchell as Marek Miler (Season 2-6)
 * Bill Fagerbakke as Pavel Dietách
 * Jeff Bergman as The Mouse, The Mole, Tomáš Eben, Kipper Rabbit (both of seasons 3-10 only)
 * Kees Prins as Rufus, a Dutch Rabbit who speaks Dutch and a sister of Betsy.
 * Ron Moody as Neil, a giant hare appeared in season 2-5.
 * Rik Mayall as Henry, a Silver Fox rabbit appeared in the season 3-8.
 * Alan Bennett as Wilbur, a harlequin rabbit appearing in season 5-9.
 * Enn Reitel as Rocky, a New Zealand rabbit appeared in season 7-11.
 * Mel Gibson as Thomas, a Slovenian Rabbit appearing in season 8-11.
 * Julia Sawalha as Rebecca, a Czech spot rabbit appearing in season 8-11.
 * Tony Haygarth as Jake, an English Sheepdog appearing in season 7-10.
 * Timothy Spall as Cookie, which is from Randy and His Friends but appeared in season 6-11.
 * Jane Horrocks as Michelle the English Lop, appearing in season 6-10.
 * Horrocks also voiced Mat’s aunt Marie in season 5-11.
 * David Nykl as Fluffy Rabbit, Kipper the Grey Rabbit, and Benny the Hulstlander Rabbit
 * Peter Alton as Mark the German Lop and Xander the Czech Red Rabbit
 * Peter Sallis as Rex Bremé (season 1-10)
 * Sally Grace as Mrs. Beneš (season 1 episode 16 only)
 * Various children voice actors voiced Michal, Elisa, Vera, Lubomír, Snuggles, and Dallas in their baby and younger forms. somehow that they don’t have a speaking role until season 8 episode 6 where Bill Kopp, Julia Sawalha (which same voice actress as before), Imelda Staunton, Phil Daniels, Charlie Adler, and Lynn Ferguson voiced their adult forms of Michal, Elisa, Vera, Lubomír, Snuggles, and Dallas.
 * Lynn Ferguson also voiced the lionhead rabbit character Venuše who is a Scottish born-Czech rabbit in the season 5-11
 * Imelda Staunton also voiced the Angora rabbit character Anička who is a scared rabbit in the season 4-10.
 * Phil Daniels also voiced the Blanc de Bouscat character Matouš who is a rabbit named after a character Mat, but with different name which he is appearing in season 3-11.
 * Sally Field as Edwina, a French Lop appearing in season 1-10 only, she is only Matouš’ love interest.

Australia
The series was premiered on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) on June 6, 1992 (same day as United States and Canada), the series was celebrated and honored to the aiF era episodes of “Pat & Mat” in Czech Republic.

On May 25, 2002, the series was ended as the episode was called “Consider Me Gone, All the Water” which the ending served with Cuddles passes out after drinking the contaminated water from the river before the events of “Pat & Mat: Journey Into Space”, the series was considered to be ended for series finale.

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)

New Zealand
The series was premiered on TVNZ 2 on May 11, 1996 as the title was called Pat & Mat Tales: A Rabbit Called Cuddles, it ended on June 27, 2007 as the series was over. the reruns continued as of 2021.

Czech Republic
The series was premiered in Czech Republic on June 1993 on ČT1, it was ended on April 2003 as the reruns are still going until 2010.

The series ran on ČT Decko, Fox Kids, and Jetix in Czech Republic.

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.

Australia
The series was released on VHS by ABC Video for several of volumes and other stories in 1993 through 2003, it was later released on DVD by ABC DVD on October 2002 through 2010.

The complete seasons and the complete series boxsets are released on March through August 2006 which is the complete seasons in each separate. the complete series boxsets are released on June 2021, they are both released on DVDs by ABC DVD.

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

Czech Republic
In 1994, aiF VHS has released five volumes of the series in 1994 through 1999. aiF DVD released the series on four DVDS (including The Rabbit Called Cuddles #1, Pat & Mat DVD #2 (disc two only), The Rabbit Called Cuddles #2, and The Rabbit Called Cuddles #3).

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).
 * the two dogs BowWow (male character), and Luna (female character) both do not speak in the series.
 * 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.
 * The series has been aired in Middle East and Iran as the episodes were removed from broadcasting channels.
 * It was based upon the 1974 “Randy and His Friends” series which had added more characters’ details.
 * The series was more based on Pat & Mat (a Czech and Slovakian TV series), but it was more additions to the characters in the show.
 * The Chicken Run voice actors voiced the characters that are rabbits in some seasons.