FAQ

Though it's not officially stated, the implication is that Peter's deceased father was captured, killed and eaten by Mr. McGregor prior to the story's start, according to the multiple references made to him. Peter's deceased father appears occasionally through a series of technicolor photographs. And finally, in one episode ("The Unexpected Discovery"), his deceased father is "brought to life" through an old, silent black and white motion picture footage.

Not much is known about Benjamin's mother on the other hand, as she is neither seen nor mentioned throughout the show. She probably also died before the story's start due to unknown reasons.

There are a total of 6 antagonists, 4 of which are predators to the three bunny protagonists and two of which are rodents.

Mr. Tod (voice of Mark Huckerby). An elderly red fox who is sly, conniving, devious and scheming. He constantly, but unsuccessfully tries to hunt down capture, cook and devour the protagonists and deuteragonists. He is the main antagonist.

Tommy Brock (voiced by JB Blanc) A homeless, irritable, grumpy, smelly and bad-tempered badger who finds Peter and his friends obnoxious and also threatens to kill and devour them when they wake him up or disturb his possessions. He is often seen at odds with Mr. Tod and Old Brown.

Old Brown (voice of David B. Mitchell). A short-tempered, exhausted and elderly owl who wants nothing but silence. Thus he would attack Peter and his entourage, who make a sounds within his vicinity. He constantly chases after Nutkin for disrupting the peace, as well as Peter.

Mr. McGregor (voice of David B. Mitchell). A male human farmer (whose voice is heard but his full body is never seen) who lives on a farm ranch in the countryside. His vegetables are the target of Peter. His face is omitted from the picture and kept offscreen by the series' production team. Unlike the character from the books, this Mr. McGregor is a single, middle aged man who looks to be in his forties (as he is shows to have brown hair and a brown beard).

Samuel Whiskers (voice of Shawn Curran) A rat who's full name is Samuel Jeremiah Bartholomew Edmond Cornelius Whiskers. He is always after an easy meal, preferably cakes and baked sweets.

The Shrew (voice of Spike Spencer in the US and Justin Trefgarne in the UK version) His territory possesses a bountiful field of dandelions, which he guards against Peter Rabbit, or any other rabbit. He once tracked down Peter to his burrow to demand the return of dandelions picked by Peter and his friends. He is the object of Cotton-tail's affection, much to his dismay.

Peter Rabbit is full of adventure and excitement, tapping into childrens innate desire for exploration. It celebrates the themes of friendship, nature, discovery and adventure as Peter investigates the world around him. The show features educational goals that encourage preschoolers to learn problem-solving and interpersonal skills, self-efficacy, resilience, positive re-framing and fostering an interest in and respect for nature. Preschoolers are exposed to facts about nature through Lily, who refers to the names of animals and plants as well as scientific concepts like "food chain." The stories center on themes like self-confidence, friendship, teamwork,loyalty and bravery and the characters find that despite their individual limitations, they make a powerful adversary when they join forces.

The show has a strong positive message about being true to yourself and doing what you love in order to be happy. Being loyal and helping friends no matter the cost are ongoing themes. Several characters learn to accept change. Be true to yourself and love what you do.

The biggest message of the story is the advice Peter's mother tells him: "It's our choices that make us who we are," meaning that even when we've messed up or failed, we still have an opportunity to choose to ask for forgiveness or to change. The affection between cousins Peter and Benjamin, as well as with their female best friend and travel companion Lily shows how important it is for these types of relationships with your cousin and best friend to be unconditional love, regardless of how "popular" or "better" the other person seems to be, and how it's not OK to lie, cheat on, blame, and betray your family and friends and never throw them under the bus (never let them get punished for something you did).

Peter learns and shows kids that it's important to honor, eulogize and continue your deceased relative's legacy, grow up and take responsibility for yourself, own up to, and learn from your mistakes, and to value your family and friends. His actions also demonstrate the importance of being honest and telling the truth, rather than lying and cheating to protect yourselves, and accepting the consequences.

In the episode "Nutkin's Rabbity Day", the moral of the story shows kids that important to be and stay the way who you naturally are and never attempt to popularize yourself by pretending to be someone/something else you aren't, regardless of how spot-on your performance is, a lesson that Nutkin eventually learns.

According to common sense media, there is a mixed bag. On one hand, Peter and his friends embody preschoolers' sense of adventure, curiosity, and precocious fun, and their escapades yield opportunities to learn about courage, resilience, and the world around them. On the other, they repeatedly break rules that put them in danger and lie to Peter's mother about their whereabouts. But above all, Peter, along with the other protagonists and deuteragonists do have a genuine heart and work harder to become a better person.

The predators (Mr. McGregor, Mr. Tod, Tommy Brock, and Old Brown) are evil, predatory, mean-spirited and demeaning. They are seen consistently threatening the rabbits' lives, promising but (thankfully, because this is a kids show) unsuccessfully attempting to hunt down, capture, kill, cook and devour them (each and every one of which backfires). But the adults who are the parents of the three bunny protagonists are kindhearted, loving, caring and generous.

The best kid role model, Lily, is pretty enough to be a "mean girl," however, she's not. In fact, Lily is never afraid to be exactly who she is, a sweet and obedient girl who shows that she loves and cares for her family and friends. She's kind to everyone, in addition to being very book smart, honest, methodical, friendly, feisty, scientific and detective minded, sharing, caring.and generous.

Benjamin isn't exactly a perfect role model due to his extreme anxieties, irresponsible clumsiness and hunger but he's a great example of someone who is positively, naturally and amicably enjoying just being himself and doesn't try so hard to be professional hasty and popular at tasks like his older cousin Peter does (mostly unsuccessfully). He is comfortable being different and doesn't worry about how often he gets all the fame and attention. Benjamin is never afraid to be exactly who he truly is -- a sweet, obedient boy who loves his family and friends and shows it. And in a way, his anxieties and reluctance is beneficial because it saves him from getting caught in a trap like his older impulsive cousin, Peter. Despite being a bit irresponsible and clumsy such as thwarting garden raids, and accidentally losing Peter's father's journal, he owns up to his mistakes, apologizes sincerely, learns his lesson and gets his act together, coming up with plans to solve the problem. He is also a very kind, polite, loyal, helpful, resourceful and sweet friend who is sharing and caring, willing to help others out, and values other friendships despite his anxieties to carry out perilous tasks, and when crucial moments come, he valiantly musters up enough courage to get his act together (stand up to and cleverly escape from the predators).

Peter isn't an ideal role model either, though he does learn his lesson and redeems himself at the end. He's also a great example of someone adventurous, curious, imaginative, outgoing, street-smart and resourceful who has a can-do attitude, tirelessly working to accomplish goals. However, his character is a bit flawed at places. He disobeys his mother's cautions, lies to her about his whereabouts, and daringly seeks out danger. Thus, he bends the rules. He also doesn't care weather he's in trouble or killed until he experiences it first hand. Despite this, he is not mean spirited, and buried underneath his mischievous, impulsive and daring rascal fashion, Peter does have a genuine heart and works harder to become "a good rabbit" (a better person; more organized, methodical, assertive, responsible, honest, and obedient). He receives other protagonists and deuteragonists sympathy, learns to accept their help when he needs it and return their love. And when the crucial moment of danger comes, he chooses what's right over his own foolishness and other bad behavior, becoming brave and clever enough to outwit his predators and escape, but not before coming dangerously close to a violent death. He learns important lessons about just being himself, sacrificing his self-respect for someone else's best interests (his family and friends), growing up and being responsible, owning up to and learning from his mistakes, valuing his friends and family, honoring his deceased father, and last but not the least, being honest. So all in all, Peter begins each episodes story as a fairly iffy role model -- he can't seem to hold a job, and his sisters and mother rebuke his lack of focus and responsibility -- but over the course of each episode, he learns some important things about himself and others. Despite his initial lies and scrapes, Peter grows up and takes responsibility, owns up to and learns from his mistakes and apologizes to his family and friends. Peter also grows closer to them (his family and friends) by being honest about their interests.