[[quoteright:263:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CuriousGeorge_6779.JPG]]

-->''"George is a monkey, and he does things we can't do."''
--> --the [=PBS=] Kids show

Curious George is a series of books and a TV spin-off, plus a movie, based on the character by Margret and H.A. Rey. George is a monkey who is found overseas in Africa by "The Man With the Yellow Hat," a father-figure who takes the monkey home with him to his apartment in the city. HilarityEnsues when the monkey is treated like a human child, rather than a pet. The books and series are marketed to the preschooler/early reader group and attempt to give children an early grasp on patterns and other bits of necessary information about life.
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[[folder:The original books]]
There have also been a number of pastiche works, most of them out of print for years.
* ''Curious George'' (1941).
* ''Curious George Takes a Job'' (1947).
* ''Curious George Rides a Bike'' (1952).
* ''Curious George Gets a Medal'' (1957).
* ''Curious George Flies a Kite'' (1958).
* ''Curious George Learns the Alphabet'' (1963).
* ''Curious George Goes to the Hospital'' (1966).
[[/folder]]
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!!The Books, Movies, and TV Series Include Examples Of:
* AdultsAreUseless: The Man With the Yellow Hat often leaves George to his own devices. Let us repeat: ''George is a'' '''monkey'''.
* BlackBeadEyes: In the books.
* CaretakerReversal: Occurs in a few of the tv series episodes.
* CuriousAsAMonkey: TropeNamer
* DeadpanSnarker: Junior. Actually Junior is ''made'' of this.
* DontTryThisAtHome (See the above page quote; used with the twist that the only death-defying stunts George does are his monkey antics)
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys
* [[FreeRangeChildren Free-Range Children and Monkeys]]: George often wanders through the city and countryside without the Man in the Yellow Hat's supervision despite the fact that '''George is a monkey'''. Not only that, but also all of the recurring children characters (Betsy and Steve in the city, Bill and Allie in the country) are generally left to their own devices without a responsible adult in sight.
* GreatWhiteHunter: The Man with the Yellow Hat's role in the first book, where he captured George for an American zoo.
* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Junior, at least in the TV series. He always has to point out how George is a city kid.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Maggie.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Creator/FrankWelker as George in the movie and TV series.
* HotTeacher: Maggie.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Ivan.
* {{Narrator}}: In the show.
* NoNameGiven: The Man With the Yellow Hat, until the movie, which revealed his name to be Ted Shackleford.
* NiceHat: The Man With the Yellow Hat, natch.
* PersonWithTheClothing: The Man with the Yellow Hat.
* TheNoseKnows: Ivan.
* OncePerEpisode: George's curiosity would always get him in trouble. [[AllIsWellThatEndsWell Then he would do something heroic, and all would be forgiven]].
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: In the cartoon, BILL'S BUNNIES. Also other various animals like baby ducks and Gnocchi the cat.
* ScaryShadowFakeout: George becomes scared of the dark until The Man with the Yellow Hat tells him that the monsters are just the same objects as they are in the light and gives him a nightlight
* ShirtlessScene: Only happened once in the episode Curious George Sees Stars, where the Man in the Yellow Hat is seen in his swim trunks.
* SpoilerTitle: In "Curious George Takes a Job", guess what he does. And in "Curious George Takes Another Job", guess what he does, again,
* TheUnfavorite: Junior.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Junior.
* YouMustBeThisTallToRide - One book has George go to an amusement park but being too small ride on a roller coaster or play with bunnies in the petting zoo. He then has a dream that he grew to five times his previous size, only to find he's now too big to fit on the roller coaster and too large to play with the bunnies safely.
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!!The Movies Include Examples Of:
* AdaptationExpansion: TheMovie, especially the character of Ted.
* TheChewToy[=/=]TheWoobie: Ted spends most of the movie going between these two.
* CrazyPrepared: The theater's phone tree has an option for ''Klingon''.
* DeadpanSnarker: Ted in the movie, when things don't go well for him.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: During Ted's exchange with an unseen and unheard angry motorist, Ted yells back, "Well, that's physically impossible for me to do!"
* {{Sequel}}: ''Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey'' - DirectToVideo
* SingleIssueLandlord: Only in TheMovie.
* SuperCellReception: Ted's phone go off in the depths of Africa and he comments about the "strong signal" before answering it. Then again, the movie seems to enjoy lampshading and breaking the fourth wall every so often.
* TheOtherDarrin: In TheMovie Ted was voiced by Will Ferrell; in the {{Sequel}} he was voiced by Creator/JeffBennett
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