Awesome / The Wind in the Willows (1983)

• Badger, Rat and Mole single-handedly fight off all the Weasels to reclaim Toad Hall. And then, when the Chief Weasel is the only Weasel left standing, Toad lands on top of him and knocks him out.
• This adaptation not only covered all of Kenneth Grahame's original novel, but over sixty new mini stories were created by Brian Trueman and Rosemary Anne Sisson. These new stories were given, perhaps a bit of a quicker pace and more humour for the TV affect but they still maintained the true spirit of the book and its characters.
• The episode "Unlikely Allies" has Badger's last confrontation with the Stranger, who seems to recognise him and chooses to move on rather than fight. Keep in mind that the Stranger has been repeatedly inferred to be Satan himself, due to his hypnotic powers of suggestion. With this in mind... did Badger just tell the Devil to sling his hook?

  "Work your evil, I'm sure you will. But not here! Not yet!"

• In "Mole's Cousin", the famous playwright Auberon Mole writes to his cousin Mole to let him know he will be coming to visit. Mole's friends believe that he is far too shabby to entertain such a distinguished gentleman, and proceed to attempt to spruce dear old Mole up. After having his home refurnished by Rat, told to recite Shakespeare and Latin by Badger, forced into expensive dinner jackets by Toad, and finally subjected to a literal (and still surprisingly charming) song-and-dance number on the matter by all of his friends, the ever-timid Mole finally lets rip, standing up for himself and his humble nature in a speech that's surprisingly powerful:

  "No! No, I don't care what he thinks of me. If he won't take me as I am, he could-he could-he could-HE COULD GO AWAY!"

  • And when cousin Auberon arrives, he is indeed quite charmed with Mole's humble nature and quite pleased to visit a simple country home.
• "The Weasel's Trap" has multiple moments showing that Badger, despite his advanced age, is not to be messed with.
  • Right at the beginning, when he accosts the Weasels for trying to take Billy Rabbit's school picnic money. He effortlessly turns their scheme (sixpence to walk on their path) against them, then forcefully shows them exactly why they won't ever pick on smaller animals in his presence:
    Badger: Your path, is it? Sixpence to walk on it, is it?
    Henchman: Oh- Just Chief's little joke-
    Badger: Well... I'm on your path. Would you care to take a sixpence from me?
    (No response from the Weasels)
    Badger: Come and take a sixpence from me.
    Henchman: Well, er-
    Badger: Come on...
    Chief Weasel: Alright, Mister Badger! We can't stand 'ere arguin' with the likes of you! We got things to attend to!
    Badger: (snatches the Chief Weasel's stick) Well, then, be off and attend to them before I attend to you!
    (He snaps the stick, causing the Weasels to jump in terror)
  • Then, near the end of the episode, Badger pulls a Bait-and-Switch by claiming they can't get the trap off the Chief Weasel and telling Mole and Rat to leave him in it. When the Chief goes into a hysterical rant and curses out Badger for seeingly not caring, Badger turns round and silences him thusly:
    Badger: You. Be quiet.
    Chief Weasel: Eh?! Don't you-!
    Badger: Be quiet.

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