Say “George of the Jungle,” and the goofy tree-swinger’s theme song instantly pops into your head.
That tune has bounced around brain cells and across generations ever since the animated Tarzan spoof first appeared on the small screen in 1967. Now a contemporary version of “George” is back on TV, complete with a catchy hip-hop beat to his familiar song (8:30 p.m. Fridays, Cartoon Network, Comcast digital channel 31).
Tiffany Ward, the show’s executive producer, is the daughter of the late Jay Ward, who created the original “George” along with Rocky the flying squirrel and Bullwinkle, his bumbling moose pal.
“I can’t tell you how much moose paraphernalia we had around the house,” Ward said. “It almost felt like Rocky and Bullwinkle were like our brothers.”
Cartoon Network has ordered 26 episodes of “George of the Jungle,” the first of which aired in January. It’s produced by Bullwinkle Studios, a joint venture of Classic Media and Jay Ward Productions Inc.
“We’ve invigorated it with young characters, but it still has that same joyful essence that our ‘George’ had,” Ward said. “The chance to bring ‘George’ to another generation is in line with my goal of keeping my father’s legacy alive.”
Ward said she and her team have been working on the project for more than two years.
“For just one episode of ‘George,’ there are probably 20 or 30 iterations of a script,” she said.
Fans of the original George will notice that he’s had a bit of a makeover, swapping his muscle-bound silhouette and highly styled pompadour for a trimmer physique and cool new ‘do.
This time, besides just having adventures, George is concerned about the environment. In April, Cartoon Network is planning an Arbor Day promotion centered on the character.
Ward said George’s reappearance would have pleased her father. Her father always said he wasn’t making his cartoons for children, but instead created them for adults to enjoy, she said.
“The young kids enjoyed the animation, and the middle kids would try to figure out why their parents were laughing,” Ward said. “He felt people needed humor to make life better. Everyone on board for ‘George’ wanted this to have the same wonderful feel.”
