George and Martha

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 made in 2011.

George and Martha
GenreChildren's show
Comedy
Created byJames Marshall
Directed byGlenn Sylvester
Voices ofNathan 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 originCanada
United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes26 (52 segments)
Production
Production companiesWild Things Productions
Nelvana
Release
Original networkYTV
HBO Family
Picture format480i (4:3 SDTV)
Audio formatStereo
Original releaseApril 1, 1999 (1999-04-01) –
May 1, 2000 (2000-05-01)

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

Production

The series aired on HBO Family, debuting on April 1, 1999.[2]

The series' theme song is "Perfidia", by Mambo All-Stars.

Season 1 (1999)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11"The Dance Recital" / "The Tooth"April 1, 1999 (1999-04-01)
22"The Snoop" / "A Day at the Beach"April 2, 1999 (1999-04-02)
33"The Scary Movie" / "The Book"April 3, 1999 (1999-04-03)
44"The French Lesson" / "The Big Scare"April 4, 1999 (1999-04-04)
55"The Mirror" / "The Special Gifts"April 25, 1999 (1999-04-25)
66"The Picnic" / "The Trickster"May 2, 1999 (1999-05-02)
77"The Trip" / "The Experiment"May 9, 1999 (1999-05-09)
88"The Triple Dare" / "The Icky Story"May 16, 1999 (1999-05-16)
99"The Garden" / "Split Pea Soup"May 23, 1999 (1999-05-23)
1010"Baby Doll" / "The Acting Class"May 30, 1999 (1999-05-30)
1111"The Comedian" / "The Prize"June 6, 1999 (1999-06-06)
1212"The Misunderstanding" / "The Secret Club"June 13, 1999 (1999-06-13)
1313"The Hypnotist" / "The Sweet Tooth"June 20, 1999 (1999-06-20)

Season 2 (2000)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
141"The Cold" / "The Campout"February 19, 2000 (2000-02-19)
152"The Reader" / "The Decorator"February 20, 2000 (2000-02-20)
163"The Badminton Tournament" / "The Caddy"February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26)
174"The Roller Derby" / "The Spa"February 27, 2000 (2000-02-27)
185"The Argument" / "Happy Palms' Finest"March 5, 2000 (2000-03-05)
196"The Flying Donut" / "Martha's Cousin"March 12, 2000 (2000-03-12)
207"The Big Splash" / "My Stars!"March 19, 2000 (2000-03-19)
218"The Blabbermouth" / "Life and Breath"April 1, 2000 (2000-04-01)
229"The Best Friends Show" / "The Sleepwalker"April 8, 2000 (2000-04-08)
2310"Funny Business" / "The Tease"April 15, 2000 (2000-04-15)
2411"The Play's The Thing" / "The Sore Loser"April 22, 2000 (2000-04-22)
2512"The Costumed Duo" / "Temper Temper"April 29, 2000 (2000-04-29)
2613"The Fibber" / "The Mascot"May 1, 2000 (2000-05-01)

Home media

Select episodes of the series were released on VHS by Sony Wonder, under their "Doors of Wonder" banner.

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.

References
  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 237. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 366. ISBN 978-1476665993.
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