Two questions come to mind: Just how curious is George; and what's with that creepy Man With the Yellow Hat?
Of course I'm talking about Curious George, the little monkey of the children's books by Margret and H.A. Rey, who began life in 1939 as the most memorable of nine monkeys (see below).
We can ponder anthropomorphic primates as we watch Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle at 7 a.m. Monday on AETN and PBS.
If 7 a.m. is too early for you and/or your preschooler, the movie will repeat at 2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and Friday at 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
If you want something truly deep to ponder, dwell on this. Curious George is supposed to be a "little brown monkey," but he has no tail. That would make him an ape. Unless he happened to be a Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), which is a monkey with a vestigial tail.
Curiouser and curiouser, George's intermembral index (long arms, short legs) indicates he's an ape. My best guess is that the Reys either didn't know, or didn't care.
In Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle, George blasts off into space and crash lands in Africa, his ancestral home.
Naturally, the Man With the Yellow Hat is beside himself with worry and goes in search of George. Meanwhile, George explores the jungle and makes new animal buddies along the way.
Once TMWTYH and George are reunited, "the two best pals have an unforgettable adventure shared with their new friends."
The film features the voices of Angela Bassett and John Goodman, with music by the Plain White T's.
It's not all whimsy and good times for Curious George. The animated series, which debuted on PBS in 2006, has solid preschooler education in mind. Other than the usual STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) goals, Curious George adds lessons in exploration, observation, discovery and, naturally, curiosity.
I was curious about how Curious George got started, so I went to the parents link at PBSkids.org and gleaned this fascinating information.
German writer and illustrator H.A. Rey (born Reyersbach) married writer Margret Waldstein when they were in Brazil in 1935. The German Jews moved to Paris later that year to escape Nazi Germany.
In Paris in 1939, H.A.'s first children's book, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys (G stands for giraffe) was published. The most memorable of the nine monkeys was the future Curious George.
In 1940, the Reys fled Paris mere hours ahead of the Nazis and landed in the United States, settling in New York.
Curious George was published in the United States and Britain in 1941. (George was called Zozo in England.) Over the next 25 years, Margret and H.A. collaborated on six additional Curious George stories.
Curious George begins with George living happily in Africa. Then he's captured in a bag by the Man With the Yellow Hat, who takes him back to "the big city" where he has a few adventures and ends up in the zoo.
Not a very auspicious start.
It wasn't until the second book, 1947's Curious George Takes a Job, that George escapes from the zoo, has several more adventures and ends up going to live with the Man With the Yellow Hat.
Did TMWTYH have some sort of Geppetto complex, desiring a little boy of his own? Was he some sort of wacko trophy animal hunter? What's with the freaky banana yellow outfit, yellow polka dot tie and brown boots? Is his name really Ted as some suspect?
I suppose it doesn't matter. More than 30 million copies have been sold in 16 languages.
• More George. AETN will also air the movie Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Plot, if it matters, involves George helping Kayla, a baby circus elephant, travel across the country to get back to her family.
• TCA Awards. Last week, the Television Critics Association (220 critics and journalists from the United States and Canada) handed out its annual TCA Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
I've been a card-carrying member since 1993, and I know the awards are coveted because the critics are highly discerning, consummate professionals who actually get paid to watch TV.
Here's the winner list. For the record, my vote agreed with all but three of the categories.
Drama: The Americans (FX).
Individual, Drama: Jon Hamm (Mad Men, AMC).
Comedy: Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central).
Individual, Comedy: Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer).
News and Information: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO).
Reality Programming: The Chair (Starz).
Youth Programming: The Fosters (ABC Family).
New Program: Better Call Saul (AMC).
Movies, Miniseries, Specials: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (HBO).
Career Achievement: James L. Brooks.
Heritage Award: Late Show/Late Night With David Letterman (NBC/CBS).
Program of the Year: Empire (Fox).
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 08/16/2015