PBS KIDS has committed to airing 30 half-hour episodes of CURIOUS GEORGE, the animated preschool television series based on the children's classic book. William H. Macy will narrate the series, which is in production by Universal Home Ent. Prods. (UHEP), Imagine Ent. and WGBH Boston and targeted to launch on PBS KIDS in the fall of 2006.
A 2D animated CURIOUS GEORGE feature opens in the U.S. this Friday Feb. 10, from Universal Pictures and Imagine Ent. The Brian Grazer-Ron Howard production stars Will Farrell (Old School, Elf) as the voice of The Man with the Yellow Hat. Dick Van Dyke, David Cross, Eugene Levy and Joan Plowright are also among the cast of voices. Matt O'Callaghan directed from a screenplay by Michael McCullers (AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME, AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER AND THUNDERBIRDS) and Daniel Gerson & Rob Baird (MONSTERS INC.) and Joe Stillman (SHREK, SHREK 2).
CURIOUS GEORGE series will use the monkeys insatiable curiosity as a way of acquainting preschoolers with key concepts in math, science and design engineering technology. The series will encourage inquiry and curiosity, promote hands-on exploration and show parents and caregivers how to support children's science and math-related play. George's misadventures from dismantling clocks to rounding up errant bunnies offer a vehicle for motivating kids to expand their own investigations of the world.
"We're thrilled to be working with Universal and Imagine Ent. to introduce this literary legend to public television, said Carol Greenwald, exec producer for WGBH. It's very exciting to be bringing H.A. and Margret Rey's wonderful characters to life and to new generations of children."
Authors H. A. Rey and his wife Margret, creative partners who fled Europe during the Nazi occupation and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, eventually wrote seven CURIOUS GEORGE tales. CURIOUS GEORGE titles have sold more than 27 million copies worldwide and have been published in 14 languages, making the little monkey who left the jungle with The Man With the Yellow Hat, one of the best-selling and most enduring characters in children's literature. Originally published in 1941, the book has never been out of print since.
Universal Studios acquired the rights to CURIOUS GEORGE right years ago and has transformed the brand into a global franchise. The Curious George entertainment franchise has some 100 worldwide licensees and continues to grow across all categories such as apparel, accessories, interactive games, collectibles, fine art, home furnishings, health and beauty aids, food and beverages, gifts, stationery products and wireless communication devices and accessories.
UHEP is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.unistudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Ent., NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
WGBH Boston (www.wgbh.org) is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of nearly one third of PBS's primetime lineup as well as the award-winning children's series ARTHUR, BETWEEN THE LIONS and ZOOM. Under the leadership of vp Brigid Sullivan, the WGBH children's lineup leads the field in educational multimedia (including the Web, broadband and interactive television) and in technologies and services that make media accessible for people with disabilities. WGBH's current children's series have been recognized with some of the world's most prestigious awards.
PBS KIDS is committed to providing the highest quality commercial-free content and learning environment for children across the country. Providing age-appropriate, diverse programming for kids, PBS KIDS' programs consistently earn more prestigious awards than any other broadcast or cable network. With additional PBS resources to complement its programming, including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS Parents (www.pbsparents.org), PBS TeacherSource, PBS Ready To Learn services and literacy events across the country, PBS KIDS provides tools necessary for positive child development. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television stations, serving nearly 90 million people each week and reaching 99% of American homes.
