Welcome to this humble blog. Today I am going to be writing about the YouTube series, George Bothers, and how it ended.
(Above: George in Cartoon Form)
Playing GTA5 Roleplay was an incredible discovery for me. For a long time I had been on the search for a game that suited the play I liked to play. Creating characters and telling stories. I've played various versions of The Sims games since it's original release in 2000 but, at the end of the day there were plenty of limitations. It never felt as alive, and of course you could never run over anyone with a car! GTA5 Roleplay gave me the opportunity to create new characters (Using GTA skins and my own voice) and improvise my way through roleplay and genuinely funny situations.
For me, it was a GOLDMINE for straight man, funny man. Working with some of the players that dedicate themselves to authority roles turned out hilarious. Watching them either break character or try and work out how to deal with a silly old man in the most realistic way possible.
The first half of the video series was recorded on various servers on FIVEM (The modded GTA). Each server has it's own community of people, and players really just need to find the one that suits them.
I created George on a server I was continuously kicked out of, named COPS RP. I'm not sure if they are still running today. I was kicked out for silly reasons, once for trying to react a scene from Back to the Future 3 where a car is on a train track. Surely a guy can play out his Back to the Future III fantasy!
Soon enough, I created George. I was the only one around, as far as I could tell that used this Civilian Skin. George was an old chap with a pink jumper and everyone loved him!
Suddenly, all the same things I was doing before, were no longer getting me kicked out! Because a funny old man was doing it all!
A community began to build up and George became everyone's friend. But these servers all have leaders, some more mature than others. In their defense, they pay to keep these things running, and that must be a challenge in itself.
There were conflicts and the server fell apart. COPS RP closed down and George was left as a floater in the great FiveM toilet.
I believe I made 11 episodes in a variety of different servers, never knowing where George's next meal was coming from. It was so difficult to find good players or interesting servers day by day. Every video you watch in that middle section of the George Bothers history is pretty inconsistent when it comes to story and funnies.
Saying that, this was a time of reflection.
I really enjoyed producing this sketch comedy video style and a George Trailer produced for my by Lesmovids inspired me to edit HARDER. I was keen to edit in the way, that the young whipper snappers of Youtube would understand.
Hanging onto the strands of COPS RP, some online friends gave me the opportunity to produce two roleplay/ machinima mixes. In these, I tried to build short films of George backstory and music. In short, his back story involved his involvement in a plane crash and his father.
Eventually I decided, I want to give George one more shot. I was eagerly hoping for his popularity to catch on at any point but it was not to be. After a friend of mine '''Sweet Anita', on twitch hit massive fame I was still hopeful for the old chap.
I created an animated version of George to enhance the branding, and hunted for a new server.
First off, I tried to get into one of the biggest FiveM servers known, 'DOJ'. Or at least, it was once one of the biggest. I think their military and cult-like nature may have scared a few people away.
I was accepted, but immediately walked away. After being asked to memorize various amounts of paperwork and do certain things certain people told me too, I told myself it WAS NOT worth it.
Soon enough, I came across a server that was a little bit more friendly to get into. While it did have the strong structure of a well-functioning server (Similar to DOJ), it seemed more friendly and welcoming to new players. They were more interested in seeing what fun stories and characters I was going to bring to them. The server was called Áspirant Gaming' and ended up being George's core home for some of the best George Bothers episodes I produced (In my opinion). 12 episodes were filmed using the Aspirant Gaming server and I hope one day there will be more.
Aspirant Gaming was not ALL bunnies and bowties though. After a successful first video, 'Celebrity Shop Manager', I was excited to continue my George's father story-line, set up in my previous episode. But doing so, It was required to bring my friend James (Who played George's father) back into FIVEM. As he was not a part of Aspirant Gaming I thought the best option was to find a nice quiet server (Preferably empty) and record some machinima based media.
Suddenly a red flag as a bot (or a person, or both), notified me on the Aspirant Discord, that I had been seen in another server. A few frantic personal messages I'd missed and suddenly I was banned from the server.
I was passionate about continuing my George back-story with James, but had to make a decision.
Aspirant Gaming had reliable players that offered me an opportunity to record some consistent video content and they were giving me a chance to return.
At this point I was enjoying the comedy editing and found myself watching a bunch of other GTA video content online. I hoped I had a chance of getting an income from my quest. I was really upset with my real life job taking up so much of my creative time and needed some hope. That sounds silly now, but tell that to those video makers online who have made it.
I decided to scrap the story video and create more consistently comedy based George videos (The ones people actually enjoyed watching).
I am proud of the episodes I created, though at some points it did feel like a job. Each video needs people interaction, and on this server, I'd usually have to wake up and play between 3AM to 9AM in the morning for that interaction. It was worth it, but difficult. Time-zones are a killer!
I met some wonderful people on there, and always loved adding characters into George's friendship family.
Unfortunately, due to the way I recorded videos, George's friendships never lasted. Whether it be players leaving servers or just plain old timezone issues. I suppose we can put it down to his memory.
I'm going to treat George Bothers like it is a legitimate program now, mainly because I enjoy writing lists.
The list below only includes GTA5 episodes, with no other George related videos included.
George Bothers
Season 1
Episode 1:
George is in a Bank Robbery
Episode 2:
George writes to the Council
Description:
This episode cemented what I wanted to do with George Bothers and ended up being one of the most popular episodes. This episode also reveals the possibility that someone in George's family was named Jennifer.
Episode 3:
Georges sees a Sand Wagon
Description:
This episode reveals George's love for animals when he meets a little birdy!
Episode 4:
George moves house and is on TV!
Description:
George gets some help moving from his old house to his new house! His old house was rarely seen in any episodes but was used in RP for a long time previous. The old house appears briefly in 'George gets his house back'. The new house is revealed to have Flamingos outside.
Episode 5:
George shoots an old friend!
Description:
I will always remember this episode as the one I rush recorded after I did a way better version of it and it crashed!
Episode 6:
George becomes a Security Guard
Description:
Love this concept and some of the video I still find quite funny. Though I wished I could have done some more of George as a guard.
As a side note, this was the first episode where another character in the George universe was revealed (But never mentioned again). George's security guard friend.
George Stories: PROLOGUE
Description:
A non George Bothers episode. It is revealed George taking his first flight as a young pilot. He had been drinking and going a bit heavy on the biscuits before the crash. The plane was flying from London and crashed in Sandy Shores, USA.
Episode 7:
George makes dreams come true!
Description:
This was the last episode recorded on the COPS RP server before it closed.
Episode 8:
George goes Christmas Shopping
Description:
Jumping from server to server, the episode is a bit of a mess but still fun. He meets a little catholic Irish lad.
George Stories: PART 1 (George meets Cliff)
Description:
I was lucky enough to work with a friend from the last remaining shatters of COPS RP, who was running his own server. With a few pals we shot the whole story in one evening. John, whose server it was, also played George's OLDEST friend, John, in game.
The story reveals the co-pilot from the doomed plane was out for revenge on George. At the last minute, George's good friend John comes to save him.
Episode 9:
George's Delivery Donuts
Description:
This is still one of my favorite episodes with one of my favorite titles. This episode, no matter how silly it is, introduces us to one of George's main recurring friends, The Texan Man (Dick Donnelly?) played by my friend James who came into FiveM to encourage me to make more videos.
Episode 10:
OLD MAN BURNS DOWN FIRE STATION??
Description:
First attempt at a click-bait title. That title honestly does happen though so it's pretty funny. The Texan Man returns in this episode.
Episode 11:
OLD MAN BUYS $500 JAFFA CAKES
Description:
The first half of this video is very funny and ended up as a large portion in the best of collection.
Episode 12:
OLD MAN ROLEPLAY AS TOUR BUS DRIVER??
Description:
First episode that subtly reveals issues with George's father. Also PLENTY of Flamingo love.
George Stories: PART 2 (Daddy Issues)
Description:
A controversial second part! For my friends anyway. But at the end of the day, this is the story I wanted to tell. I suppose my only regret, now that I know how difficult it is to actually make these, is that I didn't push the grumpy Neighbour Lady to the side for the Dad story (Which needed a bit of work). Still, I had fun and some of the drama is great in my opinion. This episode reveals that the Flamingos were George's mothers. John, Dave and Barry. Barry was destroyed by his father.
It also reveals that no one was responsible for the plane crash, and that George's father had influenced the US police and pushed the co-pilot, Watson to imprisonment. (This is a plot point I very much hoped to open up in a future episode, but not sure I will now)
I still enjoy the neighbor and her son story-line. There was an unanswered question though. The Texan Man says the Neighbours son is dead so no need to worry, but his death was never seen on screen....
Episode 13:
OLD MAN TAXI DRIVER BREAKS THE LAW!
Description:
Some okay moments but overall, shows my struggle to record good content when jumping from server to server. Does show off George's love for drawing birds, both real and metal.
Episode 14:
OLD MAN SELLS ICE-CREAM HOTDOGS??
Episode 15:
Celebrity shop Manager!
Description:
First episode recorded on new Aspirant Gaming server! It was very well received. Subtly revealed George's memory loss in one scene. Also played out George's love of Hip Hip and performance.
This was also the first episode to be based in the city (Outside of Sandy Shores)
Episode 16:
SPEED DATING CHAOS!
Description:
While in the city George meets a new recurring friend, Bea Landers! It was certainly nice for George to meet some people closer to his age group in this episode. This episode also reveals George's love for his magical pink bicycle, Sally. Sally returns in a few other episodes but not with quite as much passion shown here.
Episode 17:
OLD MAN ANIMAL ESCAPE!
Description:
Regarded as the best episode to some who like animals escaping! George makes friends with a boar he names Barry (named after his mothers Flamingo? WHO KNOWS). He also meets a cat.
George Stories: PART 3 (George get's his house back)
Description:
While I was not able to bring James into Aspirant Gaming to continue the story with me, I asked him to record a goodbye letter I could play over the video.
This episode shows George driving past his old house and reflecting on the lives loss from the plane crash, as well as Watson's wrongful imprisonment.
It is revealed subtly in this episode, that the Texan Man is having to leave as he had killed the Neighbours son from PART 2.
Episode 18:
OLD MAN VS SNAKE! (AND FLAMINGOS)
Description:
George meets up with Bea Landers again (For the last time)
Episode 19:
George's Funny Hostage Adventure
Description:
Episode 20:
Grandpa's Last Crimewave
Description:
Some of my favorite funny moments are in this episode.
Episode 21:
Old Man Starts Gang War
Description:
At this point most 'George Canon' is not really important. These episodes are all just fun, jokey trolling.
Episode 22:
Hairless in GTA! Secrets Revealed!
Description:
George visits the medical centre after a tragic accident at the hairdressers! (It's a bad hair cut) This episode reveals George used to be a popular pink jumper wearing model for the Fireman's Calenders.
Episode 23:
Grandpa Snow Dog Rescue!
Description:
Honestly one of my favorite episodes. Very sweet, quite funny. George befriending fluffy mutt in the snow.
Episode 24:
Grandpa's Big Butt Adventures
(Also known as, George Stories PART 4)
Description:
The final episode begins as a typical comedy sketch episode, trolling people in the usual George fashion. But soon turns into a more serious story. George has some issues with his placement and his memory, and is soon revealed to have Dementia.
While trying to deal with this, George returns to the Lighthouse clifftop seen in George Stories PART 1. Here he attempts to call his oldest friend John, who had once stood on that clifftop with him. Unfortunately John had passed away. George deals with this, and when trying to move on feels a sense of optimism, only John could have given him.
Then George accidentally drives off of the cliff and has been missing ever since.
If anyone is curious as to what my favorite episode is. It would be the BEST OF collection I made of all my favorite bits. (Not including final episode)
The End
