With children consuming excessive hours of repetitive break-the-4th-wall shows every day, Mark Baker and Neville Astley had to find a way to stand out from the rest and make a more memorable program. The show “Peppa Pig” arises; four seasons long.
In the beginning of "Rebecca Rabbit", we are first introduced to four children: half are older and half are younger. By the look at their faces you can tell they are very happy and having fun, as they are playing a game in what appears to be the basic children's room, with toys scattered everywhere. Half are pigs, and the other half are rabbits. They are acting like the average children: very excited. Peppa is wearing a red dress and black shoes. Not only do they signify a typical kid's attire, but the colors also blend in well: bubblegum pink, pastel red and black. These are traits that most people would find in a child. Also the colors of everyone else's outfits are shades of blue, which compliment Peppa's red dress.
The second scene is where another character, a young male rabbit, comes into play. Looking at his appearance you can tell he is into dinosaurs, a typical male child staple. He is wearing a dark blue suit, which clashes into his vanilla color. Next, a shower of tears is coming out of his eyes, showing that he is crying which ties into his young appearance. His crying catches the attention of the other kids, who lose their joyful expressions as soon as he starts. This leads Peppa to ask why he is crying. His older sister, Rebecca, says it's because he's afraid of stairs, which brings up an important kid show rule: never be scared to try out new things.
Next we see Peppa's parents, who give off a 'typical, everyday parent' vibe. Based on their personalities, it is implied they behave like typical parents: they get a bit confused sometimes, and care about their offsprings.
Next, we are introduced to Rebecca's house, which is actually a burrow. This burrow is almost thrown into the episode to keep the animal vibe up. This shows that being a rabbit, Rebecca does not have interest in an actual house.
The next scene is what can be perceived today as the typical dinner scene. The parents and the children are all sitting together at the dinner table. In this scene the 'trying new things' theme is explored again, when the young pig named George tries out carrots, and discovers he likes them. This makes him a 'proper rabbit', as Rebecca was teaching the pigs to act like them in the episode.
The final scene of this episode shows everyone laughing, implying the moral is what always catches on to kids, and is viewed as fun.
There are many messages present in this episode: a staple of the show. For example, Rebecca states Richard's problem right away, “He's a bit scared of going downstairs.” This shows a theme that stitches the episode together, and shows a common value in children. This theme is later revisited at the end, where George tries the carrots.
Overall, the "Rebecca Rabbit" episode makes a lot of assumptions about children, and how they should try new things. It stands out more than other children's shows, which use fourth-wall breaking to educate children, making the protagonist look dumb. However, Peppa Pig takes a more smart approach, appealing to children and adults alike.
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