ˈiːtʃ ˈɛpɪsˌoʊd ˈoʊpənz ˌʌp wɪð ɐ lˈaɪvˈækʃən bˈiətɹɪks pˈɑːɾɚ, poːɹtɹˈeɪd baɪ ˈæktɹəs nˈaɪəm kjˈuːsæk, kˈʌmɪŋ tə hɜː fˈɑːɹmhaʊs ˌaʊɾəv ðə ɹˈeɪn, ˈiːðɚɹ ˈæftɚ fˈɪnɪʃɪŋ ɐ wˈɔːɾɚkˌʌlɚ pˈeɪntɪŋ ænd ɹˈʌnɪŋ hˈoʊm wɪð hɜː pˈɛt dˈɑːɡ, kˈɛp, ɔːɹ ˈæftɚ dˌuːɪŋ ðə ʃˈɑːpɪŋ ɪn tˈaʊn ænd hˈɪtʃɪŋ ɐ ɹˈaɪd hˈoʊm ˌɔn ɐ hˈɔːɹsdɹˈɔːn vˈiəkəl, sˈɪɾɪŋ dˌaʊn tə sˌʌm tˈiː wɪð hɜː pˈɛt ɹˈæbɪt, pˈiːɾɚ, ænd ðˈɛn sˈɛɾɪŋ ˌʌp ðə fˈiːtʃɚd stˈoːɹi.
Each episode opens up with a live-action Beatrix Potter, portrayed by actress Niamh Cusack, coming to her farmhouse out of the rain, either after finishing a watercolour painting and running home with her pet dog, Kep, or after doing the shopping in town and hitching a ride home on a horse-drawn vehicle, sitting down to some tea with her pet rabbit, Peter, and then setting up the featured story.