Curious George (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Curious George is an animated television series based on the Curious George
children's book series
, which features Jeff Bennett as the voice of The Man with the Yellow Hat. Frank Welker
, who voiced George in the 2006 feature film
, returns here as the voice of Curious George. The stories of Season One were narrated by William H. Macy
, and Seasons Two, Three, Four and Five are narrated by Rino Romano
. The show is currently broadcast on PBS Kids
. The Fifth Season had its first few episodes in Fall 2010, and is supposed to continue in Spring 2011. Season 6 was confirmed by WGBH
and is due in Fall 2011.
The series is produced by Universal Animation Studios
(Universal Pictures
released the Curious George film), Universal Television
, in association with WGBH
Boston. Each episode has two short cartoons per half-hour episode and a live-action segment after each story.
The series illustrates and explains various concepts in math and science
and each live-action segment shows schoolchildren engaging in experiments that teach the math or science concept featured in the previous cartoon.
The series is Universal's first animated television series to be filmed in the high-definition
format, although earlier Region 1 DVD releases are in full screen (cropping the left and right of the image), but not pan and scan
as the camera stays directly in the center of the image.
When the show was developed, educational advisors suggested using it to teach science, math, and engineering concepts. Episodes are often structured around a "try-fail" series of incidents, which proved to be a good way to show scientific inquiries. There was some controversy about George's eyes, which in the series have whites and pupils (except when George daydreams; his imagined characters are all without scleras); in the original books they are black dots. This gives the very humorous effect of George seeing his dreams in the original "Classic George" style, at a slightly lower resolution than the real world appears to him. This is likely a gentle poke of fun at his (mildly) limited monkey brain. The studio felt the whites and pupils design was necessary to help George express emotions since neither he, nor any of the other animal characters, talks, sings, or reads words.
United Kingdom
Canada
Indonesia
Sweden
Iceland
Curious George
Curious George is the protagonist of a series of popular children's books by the same name, written by Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey. The books feature a curious brown monkey named George, who is brought from his home in Africa by "The Man with The Yellow Hat" to live with him in a big city.When...
children's book series
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, which features Jeff Bennett as the voice of The Man with the Yellow Hat. Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, who voiced George in the 2006 feature film
Curious George (film)
Curious George is a 2006 traditionally animated film adaptation of the children's stories by H.A. and Margret Rey. Will Ferrell voices Ted. Matthew O'Callaghan directed...
, returns here as the voice of Curious George. The stories of Season One were narrated by William H. Macy
William H. Macy
William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
, and Seasons Two, Three, Four and Five are narrated by Rino Romano
Rino Romano
Rino Romano is a Canadian voice actor who has portrayed Batman in the animated series The Batman, Spider-Man in Spider-Man Unlimited, and Tuxedo Mask in the English dub of the anime Sailor Moon...
. The show is currently broadcast on PBS Kids
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
. The Fifth Season had its first few episodes in Fall 2010, and is supposed to continue in Spring 2011. Season 6 was confirmed by WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
and is due in Fall 2011.
The series is produced by Universal Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios , is an American animation studio which is a division of Universal Studios....
(Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
released the Curious George film), Universal Television
Universal Television
Universal Television is the television production arm of the NBCUniversal Television Group, and by extension, the NBC television network...
, in association with WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
Boston. Each episode has two short cartoons per half-hour episode and a live-action segment after each story.
The series illustrates and explains various concepts in math and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and each live-action segment shows schoolchildren engaging in experiments that teach the math or science concept featured in the previous cartoon.
The series is Universal's first animated television series to be filmed in the high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
format, although earlier Region 1 DVD releases are in full screen (cropping the left and right of the image), but not pan and scan
Pan and scan
Pan and scan is a method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
as the camera stays directly in the center of the image.
Press Commentary
At the start of the second season, the Boston Globe noted that Curious George was at the top of the national ratings among preschoolers 2 to 5. The show is also at the top of the ratings among women with children under 3.When the show was developed, educational advisors suggested using it to teach science, math, and engineering concepts. Episodes are often structured around a "try-fail" series of incidents, which proved to be a good way to show scientific inquiries. There was some controversy about George's eyes, which in the series have whites and pupils (except when George daydreams; his imagined characters are all without scleras); in the original books they are black dots. This gives the very humorous effect of George seeing his dreams in the original "Classic George" style, at a slightly lower resolution than the real world appears to him. This is likely a gentle poke of fun at his (mildly) limited monkey brain. The studio felt the whites and pupils design was necessary to help George express emotions since neither he, nor any of the other animal characters, talks, sings, or reads words.
Airing History
United States- PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(2006-present)
United Kingdom
- CITVCITVCITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
(2006-present) - Disney Junior (2011-present)
Canada
- Family (2007-present)
- Playhouse Disney TelePlayhouse Disney TéléDisney Junior is a Canadian French language Category B specialty channel owned by Astral Media. Disney Junior is a commercial-free channel with entertainment and learning-based programming targeted toward preschoolers....
(2010-present)
Indonesia
- AntvAntvantv is an Indonesian television network based in South Jakarta. It is owned by PT Visi Media Asia,Tbk.-History:antv was launched on 1 March 1993 as a local television station in Lampung province. In the same month it was awarded a government license for nationwide broadcasting, and moved its...
(2008-present)
Sweden
- SVTB (2007-present)
Iceland
- RúvRÚVRíkisútvarpið is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization.Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional centres around the country, the service broadcasts a variety of general programming to a wide audience across the whole country via radio...
(2006-present)
Settings
- The City: George and the Man with the Yellow Hat live in a spacious apartment with a balcony at 7 "N" Avenue. The apartment has a kitchen and large living/dining room with five other rooms. George and the Man with the Yellow Hat each have their own bedrooms. George's room is on the right side of the hall after the Man's room, while the bathroom is across from George's room on the left. The laundry room is the first door on the left side of the hall, while another door next to the kitchen was revealed in Relax! to be a storage closet. The Doorman keeps a pigeon coop on the roof and is the master of Hundley the dog. The apartment is next to a grocery store (#9 N Avenue). It is near Endless Park (which has a small pond), the museum where Professor Wiseman works, and a zoo. Chef Pisghetti's restaurant is nearby, as are a donut shop, Dulson's Toy Store, Mabel's Department Store, a supermarket and a pet shop which are recurring locations.
- The Country: George and the Man with the Yellow Hat vacation in a small house in the country. His neighbors include Bill, who lives next door with his pet bunnies (Bill's parents have not been seen, although his mother's voice is heard once); the Renkins, and Mr. and Mrs. Quint. Many of the characters in this setting have a distinct accent, similar to natives of the state of Maine. The house is near Lake Wanasink Lake, a stream, and a river that eventually flows past the city and to the ocean. There is also a coast fairly close to the house, where George and Bill end up after being swept away in a hot air balloon. (The geography around the country house varies according each story's needs. Compare, for example, the area as shown from the hill in Ski Monkey with that shown in Curious George Flies a Kite, Up, Up, and Away, and Gutter Monkey.)