Curious George (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curious George |
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| Genre | Family Adventure Comedy Education Children's television series |
| Developed by | Joe Fallon |
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| Composer(s) | Nick Nolan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 15 |
| No. of episodes | 198 (389 segments + 3 specials) (list of episodes) |
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| Editor(s) | Kirk Demorest |
| Running time | 22 minutes (11 minutes per segment) |
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| Original release | September 4, 2006 – March 17, 2022 |
Curious George is a popular American animated TV show for kids. It's based on the classic children's books about a curious monkey named George. The show first aired on PBS Kids on September 4, 2006. It ran for many years, ending its 15-season run on Peacock on March 17, 2022.
In the series, Frank Welker voices George, just like he did in the 2006 Curious George movie. Jeff Bennett voices the Man with the Yellow Hat, who is George's best friend and teacher. The show is known for teaching kids about math and science in a fun way.
Contents
What Is Curious George About?
The Curious George TV show follows the adventures of George, a playful monkey, and his human friend, the Man with the Yellow Hat. George is always curious about how things work. This often leads him into funny situations. But he always learns something new along the way!
Each episode usually has two animated stories. For a long time, there was also a short live-action part after each story. These live-action segments showed real kids doing experiments. They helped explain the math or science ideas from the cartoon. This made the show both entertaining and educational.
Where Do George's Adventures Happen?
George and the Man with the Yellow Hat live in two main places:
The Big City
George and the Man with the Yellow Hat have an apartment in a busy city. The city's real name isn't given, but it looks a lot like New York City. In the city, they are close to:
- A museum where Professor Wiseman works.
- Chef Pisghetti's Italian restaurant.
- A doughnut shop and a toy store.
- The Doorman, who takes care of his dog, Hundley, and pigeons.
The Countryside
They also have a small house in the quiet countryside. This is where they go for vacations. In the country, George makes friends with:
- Farmer Mr. and Mrs. Renkins.
- Their granddaughter, Allie.
- The Quint Family.
- Bill, the paperboy.
The country house is near a lake, a stream, and a river.
Meet the Characters
The show has many fun characters, both main and supporting.
Main Characters
- Curious George: He is the main character, a monkey who is super curious. George often gets into trouble by accident because he wants to explore everything. He helps kids learn new things as lessons are explained to him.
- The Man with the Yellow Hat: Voiced by Jeff Bennett, he is George's kind and patient friend. He almost always wears yellow clothes. He teaches George about the world and helps him understand things. His name in the movie was Ted Shackelford.
- Narrator: This unseen storyteller (voiced by William H. Macy in Season 1 and Rino Romano later) tells the story of each episode. The Narrator often shares what George and the Man with the Yellow Hat are thinking or feeling.
Supporting Characters
- Chef Pisghetti: Voiced by Jim Cummings, he is a friendly Italian chef in the city. He owns a restaurant with his wife.
- The Doorman: He is the doorman for George's apartment building. He owns a dog named Hundley.
- Professor Wiseman: Voiced by Rolonda Watts, she is a smart scientist and a friend of George and the Man. She works at a museum and is sometimes a rocket scientist.
- Steve and Betsy: These siblings are George's friends in the city. They live with their Aunt Margaret and their dog, Charkie.
- Hundley: He is the Doorman's proper and gentlemanly dachshund dog. He often watches over the apartment lobby.
- Compass: A blue homing pigeon owned by the Doorman. He's called an "Almost-Homing Pigeon" because his sense of direction isn't always the best. He often tries to guess what kind of animal George is.
- Jumpy Squirrel: A squirrel who lives in the country.
- Gnocchi: Chef Pisghetti's beige cat.
- Charkie: Steve and Betsy's black cocker spaniel dog.
- Bill's Bunnies: Bill, George's country neighbor, owns seven baby bunnies and their mother.
- Mr. and Mrs. Renkins: They are farmers who live near George's country house.
- Allie: The 5-year-old granddaughter of the Renkins. She becomes good friends with George.
- Mr. Zoobel: George's upstairs neighbor in the city, who is a modern artist.
- Marco: A boy from a Mexican neighborhood in the city. He and his family love playing Spanish music.
Voice Actors
Many talented voice actors bring the characters of Curious George to life:
- Frank Welker voices George and many other characters.
- Jeff Bennett voices the Man with the Yellow Hat and others.
- William H. Macy (Season 1) and Rino Romano (Seasons 2-15) are the Narrators.
- Rob Paulsen voices Compass, Charkie, and Mr. Glass, among others.
- Jim Cummings voices Chef Pisghetti and Jumpy Squirrel.
- Debi Derryberry (Seasons 1-3) and Dee Bradley Baker (Seasons 4-15) voice Gnocchi.
- Bill Chott (Season 1) and Lex Lang (Season 2) voice the Doorman and Hundley.
- Rolonda Watts voices Professor Wiseman.
- E. G. Daily voices Steve.
- Grey DeLisle voices Betsy and Marco.
- Lara Jill Miller voices Allie.
- Annie Mumolo voices Bill.
- Kath Soucie voices Mrs. Renkins.
Episodes and Specials
The show has many episodes, often set in either the city or the country. This helps kids who live in different places relate to George's adventures. Sometimes, episodes take place in other familiar spots like an airport or a train station.
A special animated TV movie, Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, was released on November 25, 2009. In this holiday special, George and the Man with the Yellow Hat try to figure out what to give each other for Christmas. It's shown every Christmas season on PBS Kids.
Awards and Recognition
Curious George has won several awards for being an outstanding children's animated program.
- Emmy Award
- 2008 – Outstanding Children's Animated Program
- 2010 – Outstanding Children's Animated Program
See also
In Spanish: Jorge el curioso (serie de televisión) para niños
