Fetch the Vet      (2000-2001)
  
   producers: Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd
                     for Itel / Flextech Rights Ltd
   animation: stop-motion animation
     episodes: 26 x 11mins

  
   "Fetch the Vet - Coming to the rescue!"
 

   Tom Fetch is a vet, based in in the village of Duckhurst. He and his nurse, Kara,
   are kept on their toes by the locals whose pets and animals are always getting
   in to scrapes, scraps and bothers. But whether he's tending to lambing ewes,
   rescuing a mischievious goat, curing a parrot with a blocked nose, or a collie
   dog with bee stings, "Fetch" takes it all in his stride, and treats them all with
   a smile and wave. George, Lionel, Viloet and the kids Joe, Pippa and Lucy
   look up to him as a counsellor and friend and as a rod for their community,
   there to take on all sorts of secondary roles, when they need a helping hand.
   Which means that life is never dull for Tom in Duckhurst...

   "Fetch the Vet" joins an illustrious line-up of British stop-motion professionals
   which includes the likes of Postman Pat, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder.
   And the series has such an obvious premise - a stop-motion James Heriot -
   it's a wonder no one did it before. But history credits the husband and wfie
   team-up of Gail Penstone and Stephen Thraves with the series creation, and
   Cosgrove Hall brought the exploits of Tom Fetch to life, via Mackinnon &
   Saunders. And it's a lovely little series, packed with quirky characters and
   animals and situations. There's Lionel Froggatt, the perculiar pet shop owner
   with Iggy the iguana, and Columbus, his parrot who causes no end of bother.
   George Moffatt the down-to-earth farmer at Whitecliff Farm has to cope with
   Trevor the Goat; the most stubborn old capra you've ever met. And then there's
   Violet Blush, the gushing romance author who drives around town in a
   purple Morris Traveller (number plate: ROM ANZ), with her three pampered
   felines. She's one-part Barbara Cartland, and two-parts Miss Slocombe
   from "Are You Being Served"!

   

   As for Tom, he's voiced by John Gordon-Sinclair, and he's been given a passion
   for football that rivals his vetenarian work (You'll note that John went on to voice
   Tubb in HOT Animation's Rubbadubbers).

   Vetenarians were all the rage at the time of the series' commission, with the
   BBC's real-life "Animal Hospital" (1994-2004) catching the public's fascination
   with all-things small and cuddly and injured. There are no graphic encounters
   in Duckhurst, though, unless you count Violet's romantic pursuit of poor Lionel!

   "When Tom Fetch comes with his bag,
    all the tails begin to wag.."

   "Fetch the Vet" went on to be acquired by Buena Vista in America, where it
   was given a new title sequence and theme song...
 
 

    Duckhurst pals & animals

  

   broadcast info

    The series premiered on CiTV on Monday, 18th September 2000... 

 

   Fetch the Vet episodes

 

     Fetch the Vet on DVD


      Fetch the Vet
                Region 2 / six episodes / July 2003

 

    (writing & animation credits incomplete)

    Series created by
    Gail Penstone and Stephen Thraves