Un-Produced episode

[Magic-Rabbit]

In Season 3 that was supposed to be an episode called "Dandelion's Big Story " which would have been episode 4 of Season 3.

Instead switching it with the episode entitled Bigwig's Way which is jarring to go from Season 3 animation and voice cast down to the Season 1/2 animation an voice cast

Unproduced episode:
According to the official Watership Down TV series website (which is now closed) Season 2 was supposed to have had an episode produced called Dandelion's Big Story, in which he would tell a story to the younger rabbits, with the roles of El-ahrairah, Prince Rainbow, etc. played by the Watership Down rabbits, while Hazel and Bigwig went to Nuthanger Farm on a raid. However, the episode was never produced and was instead replaced by Bigwig's Way. Even so, the episode title and synopsis managed to find its way on to the 14-disc Region 2 DVD set by Entertainment Rights and Universal, where it replaced Bigwig's Way. The episode itself was oddly placed, on a disc with the episodes that preceded Season 3.

 From the Watership Down wiki.

 

[Chipster-roo]

I'm rather disappointed this episode wasn't produced.  While, from its description, it sounds like a filler, it does seem more interesting than a few episodes that were actually produced, like The Invasion or The Great Water.

I don't know if any storyboards, or maybe partial animation, from this episode exist?  It would be nice if it were leaked on the Internet.

[Claws]

I doubt a storyboard for this one exists (much less animation). Some studios post the basic ideas for some future plots but only pick a handful of them to actually produce and this seems to fill the bill.

[Darkling Nocturnal]

I also think, "Dandelion's Big Story" was never produced.

In "Bigwig's Way", they did not go back to Season 1/2 animation an voice cast. This episode was produces for the second season. Just the placement on the DVD-set was on the wrong position (mistake during DVD-production).

[Magic-Rabbit]

It's just that that it is annoying though.

Because you can't just watch them sequentially, having to go to the season 3 part of the box set to disc 10 to watch it then back to the season 1 part to disc 8 to match it up.

All because of a bad placement on the DVD box set.

[Acacia Heartstrings]

I think the same, I would have loved to see a well-developed history of the famous stories of El-Alhaira. Besides, Dandelion is very nice to tell stories.    

[Magic-Rabbit]

Just realised that it would of been in Season 2 meaning that Phill Jupitus would have still been the voice for Dandelion in 2000.

[Vesper]

I never knew about that, this is really cool. ^^ Think of the potential that episode would have had for the show, too bad it was never produced.

[Magic-Rabbit]

It was the magical storytime episode that never was.

[Kili]

I've been watching through my DVDs of the series and I spotted that too, with the title. I thought that Bigwig's Way was from series 2, and somehow got mixed up with the third season when they produced the box set. (Didn't see it on TV when it was aired, because I was at that age when I thought I was too old for most cartoons, and was a BBC lass growing up so I hardly ever watched ITV. So I don't know if it was shown in the second season.) I did wonder about the title on the DVD collection and thought that it was a misprint and the title didn't seem to apply to the content, so it couldn't have been a case of the episode having a different title in another country. This site seems to give a good watching order for the episodes - http://www.thankustars.co.uk/.

[Chipster-roo]

Y'all may be right that there are probably no storyboards or anything available from Dandelion's Big Story; it might not have made it further than a basic plot outline.  Which makes it rather baffling how an unproduced concept somehow made it on the boxset.  Didn't anyone proofread it or what?

I thought that Bigwig's Way was from series 2, and somehow got mixed up with the third season when they produced the box set. [...] So I don't know if it was shown in the second season.

Yes, it was from the second season; the list from the ThankUStars is the official order.  But for some reason, Bigwig's Way was put in the wrong slot on the DVD boxset, just like the Christmas special which they put at the very end rather than in the middle of the second season where it belongs.  Also, for some reason CITV never broadcast season 3; the only English-speaking country where it aired was Canada, as far as I know.

[Magic-Rabbit]

There are still more pros than cons such as actually getting to watch the Season 3 that was never aired, giving all of the voice actors that took out time to the record the scripts some gratitude for doing it in the first place and making their payments justified.

[Acacia Heartstrings]

At least the producers or writers of the series should release the plot and the writing, of what could have been that episode.
It may be basic, but at least we will know in greater detail how the episode could be. 

[Magic-Rabbit]

What would have been the episode synopsis is on the back of the DVD cover the fact that is is un-produced  means that the idea got wasted from the beginning.

[Chipster-roo]

At least the producers or writers of the series should release the plot and the writing, of what could have been that episode.
It may be basic, but at least we will know in greater detail how the episode could be. 

I'm afraid Magic may be right; no detailed scripts or storyboards for this episode would exist, so there would be nothing they could release.

Still, I would gladly have sacrificed The Invasion, The Mysterious Visitors or The Great Water in favour of Dandelion's Big Story.

I wonder about other rejected plot ideas, that might have also been better than the official fillers.