George Shrinks
George Shrinks is a Canadian children's animated television series. It is based on the children's book by the well-known author William Joyce, co-produced by Nelvana Limited and Jade Animation, produced in association with PBS. The show premiered as part of the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch block on September 30, 2000, and ended with the final episode on January 23, 2003.
The series differs from the book in that the title character does not return to his normal size at the conclusion, appearing to have already been small with no apparent explanation.
Premise
The series follows the story of a ten-year-old boy named George Shrinks who is only tall. George lives with his musician father Harold, his artist mother Perdita, and his little brother Harold Jr., finding adventure with them and his friends in mundane situations - something that comes naturally as a result of his diminutive size. But through a mixture of his own ingenuity and imagination, as well as a variety of highly adaptable mini machines built by him and his dad, George proves that being tiny is no obstacle to solving problems and having fun.George's tiny size turns mundane activities, such as working around the house or playing outside, into dramatic adventures. His primary mode of transportation is his Zoopercar, a multi-purpose miniature vehicle he built with his father that can do things like transform into a submarine, an airplane or a helicopter. George often has interesting encounters with animals who, although they don't talk, seem to be able to communicate with George throughout the series. On one occasion, he encountered a robotic alien that was his own size and helped it get back home.
Production
The show bears a retro-1950s look, with simple animation, character design, and colors, similar to Warner Bros. Animation's Superman: The Animated Series. Primarily jazz is used for background music and music cues, reflecting both his father's occupation as a musician who tinkers with inventing new musical instruments and his mother's style as an avant-garde artist. However, statements made in the characters' dialogue indicate that events take place in the present, or the year that the showing episode was produced and animated.Broadcast
In Canada, the show aired on CBC, TVO, and YTV. The show premiered on PBS in the United States on September 30, 2000, as a segment on the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch block. The block was dropped altogether at the end of 2004, but the show was given an individual PBS debut on January 6, 2003, along with Berenstain Bears and Seven Little Monsters.Internationally, the show aired on ABC Kids in Australia, and on Milkshake! in the United Kingdom.
Characters
Main
George Bernard Shrinks is the 10-year-old titular protagonist of the series, who wakes up from a dream to discover he is extremely small; his golden-plated baby shoes were completely tiny seen in "Round Up the Usual Insects". Because of his small stature, George has had to invent his own adaptive devices, most notably the Zoopercar. Another invention is a system of pneumatic tubes, which George also uses for transportation.Harold Shrinks Jr. is George's little brother who often accompanies George in his adventures around the house. Junior is George's "sidekick" and "gofer", doing the tasks that are too difficult for George because of the latter's stature. However, his playfulness and his size sometimes lead to unexpected accidents, though Junior's sincere "Sowwy, George", always gets his brother to forgive him.Rebecca "Becky" López is George's Latina best friend who lives next door. She and George go on many exploits and adventures. Becky is the captain for a Little League ice hockey team called, "The Storks", whose poorly-bad scoring drought was the focus of one of the later episodes.Perdita Shrinks is George and Harold Junior's mother, a freelance artist by trade who builds, sculpts and welds with a very abstract style. She is a member of the town's art committee and is very much into healthy foods. She is also very supportive of the projects that the family and kids work on, and enjoys helping out in the community. She also used to be a Radio City Rockette which George reveals his father told him in the episode "If It Ain't Broke".Harold Shrinks Sr., sometimes called "Harold", or "Harold Senior",, is George and Junior's father, a musician in a jazz band who is constantly building and trying out new instruments in the search for the "perfect sound". Harold is a little eccentric, but still loves his family very much and is a good father.Others and one-time characters
Aunt Eunice is George and Junior's great-aunt, who sometimes serves them as their babysitter. The first time she saw the boys, she was very patronizing toward George, treating him as though his size were a handicap and "assisting" him. However, Aunt Eunice's ways have changed when George fixes her prized plant, a Bonsai tree "Maurice", which seemingly been damaged beyond repair. In "Return to Sender", she expresses complete confidence in that George will handle himself just fine when he was mailed to different locations across the planet, and that he could mail himself back home safely. She has travelled all over the world; as such, she knows a great deal about different places as well as people. The boys' mother, Perdita Shrinks, is Eunice's niece.Sparkle Tangerine is a furry, bright orange stray cat that roams George's neighborhood, also the main antagonist. She often tries to eat George or anyone his size. A similar cat, though unnamed, appeared in the original book by William Joyce. Seen in some episodes: "Can We Keep Him?", "Close Encounters of the Bird Kind", "Zoopercar Caper", "King Kongo", "George vs. the Space Invaders", "Journey to the Centre of the Garden", "Dog-Sitting Miss Daisy", "The George-Lo-Phone", "Return of the Space Invaders", "Small of the Wild", "Hound of the Bath-ervilles", "George Unshrinks", "If I Ran the Circus", "Becky in Wonderland", and "The Lost World of George Shrinks".Russell Copeland is a very kindhearted senior that used to live in George's house as a boy. He is also a retired veterinarian.Ellen is a kindhearted Chinese-American girl next door. Despite only appearing in three episodes, Ellen plays a major role in two of them. Ellen is a fan of vintage horror movies and enjoys playing harmless practical jokes. She has an older brother, Matt, who is an owner of an anole lizard named Ting-Ting. She is left-handed and a member of the Storks, Becky's hockey team, as a forward on the left wing.Timmy and Jimmy Fortevoce are identical twins, members of Becky's hockey team- Jimmy plays centre and Timmy plays defence. Despite appearing in just two episodes, they still play an important role as supporting members of the cast. In Italian, their last name means "Loud Voice". Hilda and Henry Cooper are two blonde-haired, glasses wearing dizygotic fraternal twins/sororal twins. They enjoy playing tricks on one another, such as during a scary movies night at the Shrinks' residence. They are somewhat competitive with each other, but are good friends with George and Becky. Helga is the goaltender for the Storks, Becky's Little League hockey team. She usually wears glasses, except on the ice because the lenses fog up. Lizzy is right-wing forward for the Storks, Becky's Little League hockey team. She's skilled at turning on the spot because of her past experience figure skating; she joined the hockey team because she thought it was kind of lonely and wanted to join the team. Hannah and Hurlden Cadwell appear only in the episode, "Speed Shrinks". These kids are two twins similar to Hilda and Henry, but are somewhat villainous. They build a craft similar to the SR-71 Blackbird and use its special features to destroy and unfairly halt the other racers in order to win.Skyler is George and Junior's first cousin once removed. Seen only in "Toy George". She is about the same age as Junior and has similar personalities to him. She attended the school play which George was putting on, "Pinocchio".Music
The theme song, composed by Roberto Occhipinti, in a jumping blues style, is sung by Canadian musician Colin James.Home media
| DVD title | Episode count | Release date | Episodes |
| Down the Drain | 3 | February 28, 2006 | "Coach Shrinks", "In the Duck Soup", and "The Lost World of George Shrinks" |
| Ghost Grabber Machine | 3 | May 9, 2006 | "Ghost of Shrinks Manor", "All Along the Clock Tower", and "Journey to the Center of the Garden" |
| George Vs. Space Invaders | 2 | May 9, 2006 | "George vs. Space Invaders", and "Close Encounters of the Bird Kind" |
| Speed Shrinks | 3 | May 9, 2006 | "Speed Shrinks", "Hound of the Bath-Ervilles", and "George-Lo-Phone" |
| King Kongo | 2 | May 9, 2006 | "King Kongo", and "Ants in the Pantry" |
| Toy George | 3 | May 9, 2006 | "Toy George", "Dog-Sitting Miss Daisy", and "Down on the Bayou" |
| Snowman's Land | 2 | November 10, 2009 | "Snowman's Land", and "From Bad to Worse" |
| Zoopercar Caper | 2 | January 26, 2010 | "Zoopercar Caper", and "If It Ain't Broke" |
| Sunken Treasures | 2 | March 9, 2010 | "Sunken Treasures", and "Can We Keep Him?" |
| The Lost World of George Shrinks | 4 | "If I Ran the Circus", "Becky in Wonderland", "Toy George" and "Lost and Found Art" |
Treehouse Direct also released the series on YouTube.