In the finest Jay Ward tradition, George of the Jungle – set in the appropriately warped Imgwee Gwee Valley in Mbwebwe Province, Africa – was a great kids’ cartoon with humour that adults could enjoy.
George was a good-natured but dim-witted, clumsier version of Tarzan, who, despite the warning in the catchy opening theme to “watch out for that tree,” would inevitably eat bark as he splatted into trunk after trunk – which accounted for his usual dazed condition.
But his awkwardness was only one of life’s daily difficulties for the hunky, loin-clothed ape-man.
George would often forget that his curvaceous wife Ursula (voiced by Jay Ward staple June Foray) was a woman and that his pet Shep was a fully-grown bull elephant, not “a big, grey, peanut-eating dog.”
He was also frequently harassed by an assortment of villains including Tiger Titherage and Weevil Plumtree; Dr Chicago; Ungawa the Gorilla God; Tiny Tony Tuxedo the Tip-Top Tailor from Tanganyika (aka “Little Scissor”); The Duke of Wellington and his wife Cynthia; Gerry Mander; Seymour Nodnick; and various witch doctors who sounded like Phil Silvers.
Luckily, George was often helped out by his more-human-than-ape friend, the erudite Ape (an intelligent, civilised, and sophisticated gorilla who was usually the voice of reason) and Wiggy, a man-eating plant.
Sharing the half-hour was Super Chicken – aka. Henry Cabot Henhouse III – an ordinary, run-of-the-coop millionaire scientist who became his alter-ego after downing some “Super Sauce”.
With the help of his reluctant and cowardly lion pal, Fred, Super Chicken would fly around in his Supercoupe, tracking down criminals.
Fred, who wore a backwards “F” on his shirt and doubled as Henry’s butler, was always reminded by his employer, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!”
Super Chicken’s villains include: Appian Way; The Zipper, Rotten Hood; The Oyster; Prince Blackhole of Calcutta; Merlin Brando; Wild Ralph Hiccup; The Geezer; Salvador Rag Dolly; The Easter Bunny; The Noodle; The Fat Man; Briggs Bad-wolf; The Laundry Man; The Muscle; Dr Gizmo; and The Wild Hair.
Rounding out the programme was a third segment, Tom Slick. Tom was the coolest racing driver this side of Speed Racer.
With his never-fail optimism, Tom would calmly tell his girlfriend, “There’s no such word as failure in auto racing, Marigold”, as he competed in his trusty vehicle, the Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper.
The car could be converted into virtually any type of racing vehicle, from a train to a stock car racer, drag racer, racing balloon, swamp buggy, submarine – even a miniaturised skateboard.
Good-guy Tom – assisted by his elderly mechanic, Gertie Growler – would repeatedly have to face cheating competitors like the Teutonic Baron Otto Matic and his incompetent lackey Clutcher.
Other racing nemeses include: Lobo Fanguzzi; Fred G. Frankenstein; Count Lew Gozzi; “Lucky” Pool; Floyd Britches and Brenda; Felini Scalappini; Steve McQueasy; Harley Angel; Amsome Snobsworth V; Wilma Willow; Ringo Starfish; Sweet Willy Rollbar; The Sneaky Sheik; Sonya Nar; Sepulchra; Prince Monte Carloff; and Dranko the Dragster from the planet Merth.
The last of the Jay Ward shows, George of the Jungle was continuously repeated in syndication and brought back in reruns on Fox in 1992 and ABC in 1995.
In 1997, the show was made into a live-action Disney film starring Brendan Fraser, which won a new worldwide generation of fans to the tree-hugging twit.
An inevitable direct-to-video sequel, George of the Jungle 2, followed in 2003.
George of the Jungle/ Super Chicken /Tom Slick/ Gertie Growler
Bill Scott
Ape/ Fred/ Baron Otto Matic/ Narrator
Paul Frees
Ursula/ Marigold
June Foray
Clutcher
Daws Butler
George was a good-natured but dim-witted, clumsier version of Tarzan, who, despite the warning in the catchy opening theme to “watch out for that tree,” would inevitably eat bark as he splatted into trunk after trunk – which accounted for his usual dazed condition.
Luckily, George was often helped out by his more-human-than-ape friend, the erudite Ape (an intelligent, civilised, and sophisticated gorilla who was usually the voice of reason) and Wiggy, a man-eating plant.
Super Chicken’s villains include: Appian Way; The Zipper, Rotten Hood; The Oyster; Prince Blackhole of Calcutta; Merlin Brando; Wild Ralph Hiccup; The Geezer; Salvador Rag Dolly; The Easter Bunny; The Noodle; The Fat Man; Briggs Bad-wolf; The Laundry Man; The Muscle; Dr Gizmo; and The Wild Hair.
Good-guy Tom – assisted by his elderly mechanic, Gertie Growler – would repeatedly have to face cheating competitors like the Teutonic Baron Otto Matic and his incompetent lackey Clutcher.
An inevitable direct-to-video sequel, George of the Jungle 2, followed in 2003.
