So imagine this. You’re 6 years old again, you just got home from school, you jump on the couch,
and Curious George is playing on the TV. I imagine this nostalgia trip appeals to many people
including myself, and I think there’s a pretty good reason for that! Curious George, the animated
series, which ran from 2006 and is still going many years later, is a great show with
awesome characters, a wholesome vibe, and great animation! But what happened to this show? Did it
die off like many shows we’ve seen before, or does it still hold up to this day? Well,
shalom ladies and jellyfish, welcome back to A.S.K. Air, as today I’ll be answering these
questions and taking a trip down nostalgia lane to see what the hell happened – to CURIOUS GEORGE!
[Title Card]
So before we can even get to the show, we gotta do a lil history lesson. Curious George was a
series of children stories written by husband and wife Margret and Hans Augusto Rey, a Jewish couple
who fled Paris hours before Nazi-occupation in 1940, on self-made bicycles, carrying
the Curious George manuscript with them. They eventually made their way to the United States,
in search of a safer haven for their humble passion project. The books were a huge success,
depicting an African monkey taken to America, specifically OHIO, by a Man in a Yellow Hat,
and their misadventures along the way. This inquisitive monkey was of course, George,
no not that George, no not that one either. No, no, no, no, no YES! No, you skipped it. Yeah,
that George. Gee, that must’ve taken a while to come up with! But at least it’s catchy!
Later, Curious George got adapted into an 80s animated series on Nickelodeon,
and after two decades, got the big-screen treatment with an awesome traditionally
animated and CGI hybrid movie, which came out in 2006! The movie itself is AWESOME!
The beautiful animation, the stellar voice acting, starring Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore,
and the greatest actor to ever live: David Cross. Looks like this one wasn’t
quite as much of Chipwreck as some of his other works. The movie also has a
great story and witty dialogue, and while only succeeding mildly at the box office,
its wholesome presence made it an undeniable contender for yet another animated series!
[Music]
This new show aired on PBS Kids, which also housed shows I’ve reviewed before,
like Wild Kratts. The new show had amazing ANIMATION, slick, colorful,
beautiful backgrounds. It had an awesome SOUNDTRACK, that added tones and moods that
enhanced the show’s quality, and it was overall one of the most chill, wholesome shows out there,
that didn’t depend on hyperbolic stories and dramatic twists to keep you engaged. It was just
heartwarming and cute to watch, and that was okay for most kids! The characters well all likable,
including The Man in the Yellow Hat, or as he’s later known, Ted, who I like to describe as a
mix between the professor from the Powerpuff Girls, and the original April O’Neil….with
a bit of Doug Dimmadome in there for good measure! (That's right, Doug Dimmadome!)
And as for George, he is just insanely cute and likable as well! Although, I can’t say the
same for his lack of tail, IS HE A MONKEY OR NOT GUYS? This is like Squidward having 6 legs even
though he’s an octopus! THEY NEVER GET THIS CRAP RIGHT, DO THEY? Was his tail snipped off at birt–
Am I suddenly a monkey too now since I have no tail? *monkey noises*
There, that’s what you wanted right, you people are all sick.
(clip) Yeah, I know, also was that the Mario sound effect? Anyway,
remember how I said the animation looks really good? Yeah…(clip)
Sweet lord above, what is THAT? I’LL DESTROY YOU YOU SON OF A–
This show also has other characters we see occasionally, like some scientists.
Including…uhhh…Mr. Einstein…I mean, it makes sense, his immigration story sounds awfully
similar to the authors of these books. There’s also another French cook who looks just like
Monsieur Heat Miser from Wild Kratts! GUYS, AT THIS POINT THIS IS JUST A WEIRD STEREOTYPE!
As far as the stories in this show go, most are pretty simple, with a larger focus on
the characters and their dynamics, especially between George and the Yellow Hat Man. It’s all
pretty light-hearted and comradery-focused, which has kept Curious George on the air for decades.
The voice of George from the 06 film, Frank Welker, returns for this series, and I gotta say,
I did not realize how many frickin animals this guy can voice! He voiced Totoro in the
English dub of the film, he voiced the monkeys and elephants in Aladdin, he voiced the penguins in
the critically acclaimed cult classic Mr. Poppers Penguins, and even voiced Garfield! But I mean,
he still has nothin on A.S.K. Air’s monkey impression! *monkey noises* Jeff Bennett
comes to replace Will Ferrell as Ted, and he’s got quite the resume as well, voicing Kowalski,
one of the Penguins of Madagascar, not to mention voicing in Cats & Dogs:
The Revenge of Kitty Galore, a true rival to Citizen Kane in terms of cinematic prowess.
I mean, while we talk about movies, I think it’s fair to point out that the 06 Curious George
movie got 5 fricking sequels, the newest coming out in 2020, and…I’ll be honest,
I couldn’t be bothered to watch any of these, but I mean, how good can they really be?
Aside from all this, the show ran for 9 long seasons on PBS Kids, until being cancelled in
2015, and later revived in 2018 where it aired on Family Jr. and later Peacock to this day. So far,
we have a whopping total of 389 individual episode segments, which is pretty impressive for a story
started out by two fleeing lovers in seek of a safe haven for their little passion project.
I think such a wholesome and beautiful show full of so much magic and curiosity,
can only come from a backstory equally as magical and inquisitive. And that’s why Curious George
will remain a fantastic nostalgic kids show for hopefully many years to come!
I didn’t know how to properly end this video, so lemme just read this funny Reddit post I found
about this show. This is from r/rant, so you know it’s gotta be good! “I just don't get the Curious
George cartoon. It makes no sense in so many areas that I just cannot take it seriously.”
“You start with this monkey that has the intellect of a 5 year old yet is often
allowed to do whatever and go wherever he pleases with no adult supervision. He will often cause
hundreds or thousands of dollars of damage with no punishment or repercussions.” Dude,
it’s a show made for little kids. You want George to get a misdemeanor DUI
every episode? Must have missed the episode where George goes
on a fentanyl-enduced murder-spree and shoots the Yellow Hat Man in the kneecap.
“And he speaks in grunts yet for some reason people understand him.” BRO,
SO DOES MR. BEAN! You want George to break out into Romanian all of a sudden? He’s a monkey!
“Then you have the guy with the yellow hat. Seriously? a yellow hat? WHY?” Hahahahaha!
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Anyway, if you enjoyed this video, please be sure to give it a like and let me know
anything and everything you think about Curious George! Any nostalgic memories you’d like to
share? What experiences did you have with this show? Be sure to let me know all that in the
comments down below, and be sure to subscribe to support me going forward. And thank you so much
for all your support on my Wild Kratts video, be sure to check it out if you haven’t yet!
The Twitter and Discord are linked below, and with all that said, shalom everybody!