George (Rainbow)
Encyclopedia
George is an effeminate anthropomorphic pink
hippo
and a character of the popular children's television programme Rainbow
in the 1980s, voiced by Roy Skelton
and operated by Malcolm Lord, Tony Holtham and later Craig Crane.
Sporting an impressive pair of eyelashes, the long-suffering and gentle George often appeared to be initially outwitted by the more extrovert and egotistical
Zippy. However in the manner of The Tortoise and the Hare
, George normally won through in the end.
George was noted for his fondness of stories from the rainbow book.
George's "catchphrase" was his own delayed and elongated goodbye at the end of the show, i.e. Geoffrey, Zippy, Bungle
, Rod
, Jane
, Freddy
would say "goodbye" normally, followed by a one-second pause and then George's own "good by-eye".
In December 2007, Zippy and George appeared on a puppet special of the Weakest Link
hosted by Anne Robinson
which was originally broadcast on Friday, December 28, 2007 at 18:00 GMT on BBC1. They were the 3rd one voted
George makes an appearance alongside Zippy in the premiere episode of BBC
television series Ashes to Ashes
. He was operated by Mark Mander on that programme, although Skelton continued to provide his voice.
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
hippo
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
and a character of the popular children's television programme Rainbow
Rainbow (TV series)
Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran twice weekly at 12:10 on Tuesdays and Fridays on the ITV network, from 16 October 1972 to 6 March 1992...
in the 1980s, voiced by Roy Skelton
Roy Skelton
Roy William Skelton was an English actor and voice artist, whose voice was more familiar to television viewers than his name...
and operated by Malcolm Lord, Tony Holtham and later Craig Crane.
Sporting an impressive pair of eyelashes, the long-suffering and gentle George often appeared to be initially outwitted by the more extrovert and egotistical
Egotism
Egotism is "characterized by an exaggerated estimate of one's intellect, ability, importance, appearance, wit, or other valued personal characteristics" – the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself....
Zippy. However in the manner of The Tortoise and the Hare
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Tortoise and the Hare is a fable attributed to Aesop and is number 226 in the Perry Index. The story concerns a hare who ridicules a slow-moving tortoise and is challenged by him to a race. The hare soon leaves the tortoise behind and, confident of winning, decides to take a nap midway through...
, George normally won through in the end.
George was noted for his fondness of stories from the rainbow book.
George's "catchphrase" was his own delayed and elongated goodbye at the end of the show, i.e. Geoffrey, Zippy, Bungle
Bungle (Rainbow)
Bungle is a character in the British children's television series Rainbow. He is a large brown furry bear and is played by various actors, but chiefly Stanley Bates...
, Rod
Rod, Jane and Freddy
Rod, Jane and Freddy was the most famous name for a singing trio who appeared in children's programming on the British TV channel ITV in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. They starred both in the long-running series Rainbow as well as their own 15-minute show, The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show...
, Jane
Rod, Jane and Freddy
Rod, Jane and Freddy was the most famous name for a singing trio who appeared in children's programming on the British TV channel ITV in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. They starred both in the long-running series Rainbow as well as their own 15-minute show, The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show...
, Freddy
Rod, Jane and Freddy
Rod, Jane and Freddy was the most famous name for a singing trio who appeared in children's programming on the British TV channel ITV in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. They starred both in the long-running series Rainbow as well as their own 15-minute show, The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show...
would say "goodbye" normally, followed by a one-second pause and then George's own "good by-eye".
In December 2007, Zippy and George appeared on a puppet special of the Weakest Link
Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a British television quiz show, currently broadcast on BBC Two. It was devised by Mr Wilton and Euan Green and Cathy Dunning, and developed for television by the BBC Entertainment Department. It has since been replicated around the world. The UK version is hosted by Anne...
hosted by Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
which was originally broadcast on Friday, December 28, 2007 at 18:00 GMT on BBC1. They were the 3rd one voted
George makes an appearance alongside Zippy in the premiere episode of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
. He was operated by Mark Mander on that programme, although Skelton continued to provide his voice.