The Banana Splits
The Banana Splits | |
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Also known as | The Banana Splits Adventure Hour The Banana Splits and Friends Show |
Genre | |
Developed by | Hanna-Barbera |
Directed by |
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Presented by |
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Starring |
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Voices of | |
Theme music composer | Nelson B. Winkless Jr. (credited to Ritchie Adams & Mark Barkan) |
Opening theme | "Tra La La (One Banana, Two Banana)" |
Composers |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 31 + shorts |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Producer | Edward J. Rosen (Season 1) |
Running time | 45–48 minutes |
Production company | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | September 7, 1968 September 5, 1970 | –
Related | |
The Banana Splits is an American television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red marching band hats with yellow plumes. The costumed hosts of the show are Fleegle (guitar, vocals), Bingo (drums, vocals), Drooper (bass, vocals), and Snorky (keyboards, effects).[1]
The series ran for 31 episodes on
A feature-length comedy horror film adaptation called The Banana Splits Movie premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2019, and was released worldwide on August 13, 2019.
History
In 1967,
The Krofft brothers credit the series' success for making possible their own entry into television, H.R. Pufnstuf. NBC picked up the Krofft series, which was launched on August 30, 1969, during an hour-long special hosted by the Banana Splits.[2]
The show's live-action segment
Jason Ankeny of AllMusic has blamed the show's drastic ratings drop during its second season on the production staff's failure to change backgrounds or set designs, which misled young viewers into thinking that they were watching reruns instead of new episodes.[6]
Synopsis
Each show represented a meeting of the Banana Splits Club, and the
The Splits' segments, including songs of the week and comedy skits, served as wraparounds for a number of individual segments.
For the first season, some of the live-action segments—specifically those used during the musical segments—were shot at
The Banana Buggies, mentioned in the theme song, were customized vehicles driven by each live-action character. The buggies were customized Amphicat six-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles, each decorated to resemble the character who drove it. Plastic 1/25 scale model kits were issued by Aurora Plastics Corporation (catalog number 832) beginning in 1969. They were never reissued by Aurora, but have since been released as high-end resin-based kits.[7]
The Banana Splits was one of the first two Hanna-Barbera series in 1968 for which Hanna and Barbera received executive producer credits, the other being The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Edward Rosen was the producer on both series.[citation needed] It was also one of the first Saturday morning shows to use a laugh track,[8] but only during the live-action comedy segments. In its first year, the cartoons were adventure-based and did not have laugh tracks. (The first Saturday morning cartoon with a laugh track was Filmation's The Archie Show.)
Characters
Main
- Fleegle – A dog with a lisp and the Splits' self-proclaimed leader. Performed on-screen by Jeff Winkless (1968), Ginner Whitcombe (2008), and Terry Sauls (2019 film); voiced by Paul Winchell (1968–1972), Keith Scott (2008), Eric Bauza (2019 film) and Paul F. Tompkins (in Jellystone!).
- Bingo – A nasal-voiced orange ape wearing white sunglasses and a yellow vest. Performed on-screen by Terence H. Winkless (1968), Casey Hadfield (2008) and Buntu Plam (2019 film); voiced by Daws Butler (1968–1972), Keith Scott (2008), Eric Bauza (2019 film) and Jim Conroy (in Jellystone!).
- Drooper – A Southern-accented lion with a long tail wearing yellowish-orange sunglasses. Performed on-screen by Anne W. Withrow (1968), Adam Grubner (2008), and Kori Clarke (2019 film); voiced by Allan Melvin (1968–1972), Eric Bauza (2019 film) and C.H. Greenblatt (in Jellystone!).
- Snorky – An elephant wearing pink sunglasses who communicates through honking noises. Originally covered in shaggy fur, he was redesigned for the second season to more resemble a regular elephant. Performed on-screen by James Dove and Robert Towers (1968–2008) and Brandon Vraagom (2019 film).
Secondary
- Announcer – an unseen narrator who introduced the Banana Splits and certain acts. Voiced by Allan Melvin (1968–1972) and Eric Bauza (2019 film).
- The Banana Vac – A blue moose-like head with brown hair and light bulbs on his head. He hangs over the entrance of the clubhouse making various comments and often helps the Splits introduce segments. Voiced by Allan Melvin.
- Cuckoo Clock – A clock with a blue and yellow bird head inside that gave snarky answers when asked "What time is it?", and helped the Splits introduce segments. Voiced by Paul Winchell.
- Goofy Gopher – A gopher who lived in a flower pot. Voiced by Paul Winchell, it was created for the show's second season.
- Mildred the Robot - An invention of Fleegle's that could grant wishes, often literally. "Performed" by Robby the Robot
- The Sour Grapes Bunch – A group of silent human girl characters who were all named Charley (portrayed by Sheri Freeman). The Splits' rivals, they took turns bringing written notes to the Splits. They danced one song with the title characters. In the first season, on October 5, 1968, the song "Doin' the Banana Split" had all five girls appear with the hosts.
- The Dilly Sisters (Nelly and Miriam) – Two human girls who played acoustic classical guitars and sang two songs: "The Mexican Hat Dance" and "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay".
Segments
The show had four segments:
- Arabian Knights – Prince Turhan (voiced by Jay North), his cousin Princess Nida (voiced by Shari Lewis), and their allies Fariik the Magician (voiced by John Stephenson), Raseem the Strong (voiced by Frank Gerstle), his donkey Zazuum (voiced by Don Messick), and shapeshifter Bez (voiced by Henry Corden) work to free Persia from the evil Bakaar the Black Sultan (voiced by John Stephenson) and his enforcer Vangore (voiced by Paul Frees).
- King Louis XIV (voiced by Don Messick) and Queen Anne (voiced by Julie Bennett). They are sometimes assisted by a queen's handmaid named Lady Constance Bonacieux (voiced by Julie Bennett) and her young nephew Tooly (voiced by Teddy Eccles).
- Jan Michael Vincent), and his daughter Leslie (portrayed by Ronne Troup) having adventures on an unnamed island chain with a shipwrecked merchant mariner named Elihu Morgan (portrayed by Rockne Tarkington) and his sidekick Chongo (portrayed by Kim Kahana) as they avoid a group of bumbling yet heavily armed modern day pirates led by Captain Mu-Tan (portrayed by Victor Eberg).
- Micro Ventures – A four-episode segment where Professor Carter (voiced by Don Messick) and his children Jill (voiced by Patsy Garrett) and Mike (voiced by Tommy Cook) use a shrinking machine to shrink themselves and their dune buggy to miniature size to explore and experience the world from the perspective of an insect.
In the second season, The Three Musketeers segments were replaced with reruns of The Hillbilly Bears, a cartoon segment that previously appeared on The Atom Ant Show (1965–1968). In reruns, episodes of The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show, The Adventures of Gulliver, and The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were aired on the show.
The Banana Splits was syndicated in 1970 to local stations under the title of The Banana Splits and Friends Show, but with several other series included in a package deal. All the Banana Splits episodes were syndicated in this package alongside The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Atom Ant Show, The Secret Squirrel Show, and The Adventures of Gulliver.
Music
The show's theme song, "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)", was credited to Ritchie Adams and Mark Barkan, but that was merely contractual. It was written by N. B. Winkless Jr., on the upright piano in his living room—a piano that also spawned the "Snap, Crackle, Pop" jingle, among other successful themes. Adams and Barkan were the show's music directors. The song, a single attributed to The Banana Splits, peaked at #96 on Billboard's Top 100 in February 1969.[9] The version included on the We're The Banana Splits album is the same heard at the beginning of the show, while the single version is an entirely different arrangement and recording, with an additional verse.
The Banana Splits'
The music director was music publisher Aaron Schroeder; production duties were mainly handled by David Mook. When a heavier R&B vocal was needed, the music producers usually turned to singer Ricky Lancelotti, who was credited under his stage name Rick Lancelot. He went on to record several songs with Frank Zappa.[10] In 1968, The Banana Splits released an album on Decca Records titled We're the Banana Splits.
Covers
US
Comics
The Banana Splits' adventures continued in
The Banana Splits had a crossover with the Suicide Squad in Suicide Squad/Banana Splits #1 on March 29, 2017.[13][14][15]
Other projects
Made-for-television film
Hanna-Barbera produced The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park, a televised feature film, for ABC in 1972 that has the group rescuing a girl from an evil witch.
Educational films
- Hanna-Barbera Educational Filmstrips
- Learning Tree Filmstrip Set
- Learning About Holidays with The Banana Splits (1982)[21]
2008 revival
In August 2008,
2019 comedy horror film
On February 19, 2019,
Jellystone!
The Banana Splits appear in
Home media
The 1st episode "The Littlest Musketeer" was released on the DVDs Saturday Morning Cartoons 1970s Vol. 2 & Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s-1980s Collection.
On September 21, 2009, Warner Home Video released the complete first season on DVD in Region 2.[30] The six-disc set consists of 36 edited half-hour episodes of The Banana Splits and Friends Show as aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. The series was also released on VHS.
See also
References
- ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-0518-3. Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2009.
- IMDb
- OCLC 8451238– via Internet Archive.
- ^ CD liner notes: Saturday Mornings: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records
- ^ "The Banana Splits Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Welcome professorplastik.com - BlueHost.com". www.professorplastik.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ Iverson, Paul: "The Advent of the Laugh Track" Hofstra University archives; February 1994
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. February 8, 1969. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ^ "ricky lancelotti". Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
- ^ British Hit Singles by Pal Gambaccini, Tim Rice, and Jo Rice, published in Great Britain by Guinness Publishing Ltd.
- ^ "The Banana Splits". The Big DataBase of Comic Books. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
- ^ "SUICIDE SQUAD/BANANA SPLITS SPECIAL #1". dccomics.com. December 19, 2016. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "SUICIDE SQUAD Meets THE BANANA SPLITS, More In DC/HANNA-BARBERA Crossover Titles". newsarama.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Suicide Squad Crossovers With The Banana Splits. Wait, What??!". capedcrusades.com. December 13, 2016. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ The Banana Splits: Healthy and Happy at WorldCat
- ^ The Banana Splits: We Have Five Senses at WorldCat
- ^ The Banana Splits: Safety First at WorldCat
- ^ The Banana Splits: It's a Sens-sational World at WorldCat
- ^ The Banana Splits: Meet the Microbes at WorldCat
- ^ Learning About Holidays with The Banana Splits at WorldCat
- ^ "The Banana Splits". WarnerBrosOnline. August 14, 2008. Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "The Banana Splits Are Back! Warner Bros. Consumer Products Serves Up Four Scoops Of Hilarity With Relaunch". Warner Bros. Press Office. August 15, 2008. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
- ^ "The Banana Splits". Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ^ "Hard Rock Park–Banana Splitsville". Hard Rock Park. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
- The Los Angeles Times(February 19, 2019)
- ^ "The Banana Splits Movie - Official Trailer | SYFY WIRE" from SYFY WIRE (June 13, 2019) [verification needed]
- ^ "Syfy basically turned the kids show Banana Splits into a Five Nights at Freddy's movie" from Polygon (June 13, 2019) [verification needed]
- ^ "Jellystone! I Official Trailer I HBO Max Family". YouTube. June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ "The Banana Splits - Complete Season 1". Amazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2012.