George and Martha
| George and Martha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Children's show Comedy |
| Created by | James Marshall |
| Voices of | Nathan Lane Andrea Martin Sean Cullen Robin Duke Kathryn Greenwood Greg Kramer Debra McGrath Colin Mochrie Tony Rosato Dwayne Hill |
| Opening theme | "Perfidia" by Mambo All-Stars |
| Country of origin | Canada United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 26 (52 segments) |
| Production | |
| Production companies | Wild Things Productions Nelvana |
| Original release | |
| Network | YTV HBO Family |
| Release | April 1, 1999 – May 1, 2000 |
George and Martha is a series of children's books written and illustrated by James Marshall between 1972 and 1988. Each book in the series contains five short stories describing interactions between two hippos, George and Martha. The books inspired an animated children's television show which comprised 26 episodes made in 1999,[1] and a musical in 2011.
Plot
The books describe the activities and adventures of best friends George and Martha. These activities include taking dance classes, going to the beach and the amusement park, and playing pranks on each other. In a humorous way, the series teaches about friendship. George and Martha sometimes argue, but always make up.
Books
The George and Martha books comprise the following titles:
- George and Martha (1972)
- George and Martha Encore (1973)
- George and Martha Rise and Shine (1976)
- George and Martha One Fine Day (1978)
- George and Martha Tons of Fun (1980)
- George and Martha Back in Town (1984)
- George and Martha Round and Round (1988)
- George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends, with a foreword by Maurice Sendak (1997)
Television
Cast
- Nathan Lane - George Hippo
- Andrea Martin - Martha Hippo
- Kathryn Greenwood - Frieda
- Colin Mochrie - Oscar, Bud Chuckles
- Debra McGrath - Valerie Chuckles
- Sean Cullen - Wilde, Eton
- Robin Duke - Penny
- Tony Rosato - Duke
- Greg Kramer - Anton
Production
The series aired on HBO Family, debuting on April 1, 1999.[2]
The series' theme song is "Perfidia", by Mambo All-Stars.[citation needed]
Episodes
Season 1 (1999)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Dance Recital" | April 1, 1999 |
| "The Tooth" | |||
| 2 | 2 | "The Snoop" | April 2, 1999 |
| "A Day at the Beach" | |||
| 3 | 3 | "The Scary Movie" | April 3, 1999 |
| "The Book" | |||
| 4 | 4 | "The French Lesson" | April 4, 1999 |
| "The Big Scare" | |||
| 5 | 5 | "The Mirror" | April 25, 1999 |
| "The Special Gifts" | |||
| 6 | 6 | "The Picnic" | May 2, 1999 |
| "The Trickster" | |||
| 7 | 7 | "The Trip" | May 9, 1999 |
| "The Experiment" | |||
| 8 | 8 | "The Triple Dare" | May 16, 1999 |
| "The Icky Story" | |||
| 9 | 9 | "The Garden" | May 23, 1999 |
| "Split Pea Soup" | |||
| 10 | 10 | "Baby Doll" | May 30, 1999 |
| "The Acting Class" | |||
| 11 | 11 | "The Comedian" | June 6, 1999 |
| "The Prize" | |||
| 12 | 12 | "The Misunderstanding" | June 13, 1999 |
| "The Secret Club" | |||
| 13 | 13 | "The Hypnotist" | June 20, 1999 |
| "The Sweet Tooth" | |||
Season 2 (2000)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "The Cold" | February 19, 2000 |
| "The Campout" | |||
| 15 | 2 | "The Reader" | February 20, 2000 |
| "The Decorator" | |||
| 16 | 3 | "The Badminton Tournament" | February 26, 2000 |
| "The Caddy" | |||
| 17 | 4 | "The Roller Derby" | February 27, 2000 |
| "The Spa" | |||
| 18 | 5 | "The Argument" | March 5, 2000 |
| "Happy Palms' Finest" | |||
| 19 | 6 | "The Flying Donut" | March 12, 2000 |
| "Martha's Cousin" | |||
| 20 | 7 | "The Big Splash" | March 19, 2000 |
| "My Stars!" | |||
| 21 | 8 | "The Blabbermouth" | April 1, 2000 |
| "Life and Breath" | |||
| 22 | 9 | "The Best Friends Show" | April 8, 2000 |
| "The Sleepwalker" | |||
| 23 | 10 | "Funny Business" | April 15, 2000 |
| "The Tease" | |||
| 24 | 11 | "The Play's The Thing" | April 22, 2000 |
| "The Sore Loser" | |||
| 25 | 12 | "The Costumed Duo" | April 29, 2000 |
| "Temper Temper" | |||
| 26 | 13 | "The Fibber" | May 1, 2000 |
| "The Mascot" | |||
Home media
Select episodes of the series were released on VHS by Sony Wonder, under their "Doors of Wonder" banner.[citation needed]
Musical
George and Martha was turned into an original musical, George and Martha: Tons of Fun, by Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland in 2011. It featured music, books, and lyrics by Joan Cushing and was directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 237. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 366. ISBN 978-1476665993.
External links
- Canadian children's animated comedy television series
- Canadian children's animated fantasy television series
- Fictional hippopotamuses
- YTV original series
- 1990s Canadian animated television series
- 2000s Canadian animated television series
- 1999 Canadian television series debuts
- 2000 Canadian television series endings
- HBO Family
- HBO original programming
- English-language television shows
- Canadian television shows based on children's books
- Television series by Nelvana
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation shows
- Qubo
- Animated television series about mammals