The Banana Splits
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour is an American television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four funny animal characters in red helmets. The costumed hosts of the show are Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky.
The series originally ran for 31 episodes on NBC Saturday mornings from September 7, 1968 to September 5, 1970, and in syndication from 1971 to 1982. The show features the Banana Splits band as live-action costumed characters, who host both live-action and animated segments within their program. The Banana Splits was Hanna-Barbera's first series to mix live action with animation, following a 1967 telefilm, Jack and the Beanstalk, which did the same.The costumes and sets were designed by Sid and Marty Krofft, and the series' sponsor was Kellogg's Cereals.
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 27, 2019.
History
In 1967, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera approached Sid and Marty Krofft to design costumes for a television show, featuring animated and live-action segments, hosted by a bubblegum rock group of anthropomorphic characters. The format of the show was loosely based on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and the characters appeared on one episode of that show. The Banana Splits Adventure Hour premiered on NBC on September 7, 1968. In his autobiography, Barbera said that the show was originally going to be called The Banana Bunch, but permission could not be obtained from the author of a children's book by that same title.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.
The show's live-action segment Danger Island, a cliffhanger serial, as well as the short-lived Micro Ventures, a part-live action, part-animated series consisting of only four episodes, ran alongside the animated segments Arabian Knights and The Three Musketeers. Actors Jan-Michael Vincent and Ronne Troup appeared in the live-action component Danger Island. All the live-action material filmed for the series' first season, including the Banana Splits and Danger Island segments, was directed by Richard Donner.
Synopsis
Each show represented a meeting of the "Banana Splits Club", and the wraparounds featured the adventures of the club members, who acted as a musical quartet meant to be reminiscent of the Monkees.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 Six Flags Over Texas, an amusement park located in Arlington, Texas. For the second season, filming took place at the Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio. In many episodes, the Banana Splits were seen riding on the many rides at Six Flags and Coney Island.
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, under catalog number 832, beginning in 1969. These were never reissued by Aurora, but they have since been released as high-end resin-based kits.
The Banana Splits was one of the first two Hanna-Barbera series in 1968 in which Hanna and Barbera received executive producer credits, the other being The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Edward Rosen served as producer on both series. This Hanna-Barbera series was also one of the first Saturday morning cartoon shows to feature a laugh track.
Characters
Main
- Fleegle — A greenish-brown dog wearing a large red bow tie, black buttons, brownish-orange chucks, and his tongue is always sticking out, giving him a lisp and similar to Tigger, as to his laugh. He plays a guitar and sings. His acts in the main show include leading club meetings and collecting envelopes from an uncooperative mailbox. Suit performed by Jeff Winkless, Ginner Whitecombe, and Terry Sauls. Voiced by Paul Winchell, Bill Farmer, and Eric Bauza.
- Bingo — A nasal-voiced orange gorilla wearing white glasses and a yellow vest, featuring a toothy grin. He plays drums and sings. His act is answering riddles asked by Fleegle. Suit performed by Terence H. Winkless, Casey Hadfield, and Buntu Plam. Voiced by Daws Butler, Frank Welker, and Eric Bauza.
- Drooper — A lion with a very long tail wearing yellowish-orange glasses, spats on his feet, and speaks with a Southern drawl in the style of Michael Nesmith. He plays a bass guitar and sings. His acts include trying to empty a trash bin that automatically spewed its contents and answering mails from fictional fans. Suit performed by Anne W Withrow, Adam Grubner, and Kori Clarke. Voiced by Allan Melvin, Carlos Alazraqui, and Eric Bauza.
- Snorky — A mute furry elephant wearing pink glasses. He becomes a regular elephant in season 2, wearing a green vest with yellow stripes. He communicates through honking sounds akin to a clown horn, and one of the other Splits would translate what he is saying. He plays a keyboard. His act in the show is using a vacuum. Suit performed by James Dove and Robert Towers. Voiced by Don Messick.
Secondary
- 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 different comments and often helps the Banana Splits introduce segments. Voiced by Allan Melvin.
- Cuckoo Clock — A clock with a blue and yellow bird head inside that gives snarky remarks to the "What time is it" question. He also helps the Banana Splits introduce segments. Voiced by Paul Winchell.
- Goofy Gopher — A gopher who lives in their flower pot. Voiced by Paul Winchell.
- The Sour Grapes Bunch — A group of silent human girl characters who are all named Charley. They take turns bringing written notes to the Banana Splits. They danced one song with the title characters. In the first season on October 5, 1968, a song debuted entitled "Doin' the Banana Split", as all five girls appeared together with the hosts.
- The Dilly Sisters - Two human girls who play acoustic classical guitars and sing two songs, The Mexican Hat Dance and Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay.
Segments
- Arabian Knights - Prince Turhan, his cousin Princess Nida, and their allies Fariik the Magician, Raseem the Strong, his donkey Zazuum, and shapeshifter Bez work to free Persia from the evil Bakaar the Black Sultan and his enforcer Vangore.
- The Three Musketeers - Based on the novel of the same name. Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnian partake in new adventures fighting the enemies of the crowned heads of France King Louis XIV and Queen Anne. They are sometimes assisted by a queen's handmaid named Lady Constance Bonacieux and her young nephew Tooly.
- Danger Island - The show's only live-action segment. This adventure serial depicts archaeologist Professor Irwin Hayden, his assistant Lincoln "Link" Simmons, and his daughter Leslie having adventures on an unnamed island chain with a shipwrecked merchant mariner named Elihu Morgan and his sidekick Chongo as they avoid a group of bumbling yet heavily-armed modern day pirates led by Captain Mu-Tan.
- Micro Ventures - A four-episode segment where Professor Carter and his children Jill and Mike 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.
The Banana Splits was syndicated in 1971 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, titled "The Tra La La Song ", was credited as being written by Ritchie Adams and Mark Barkan, but that was merely contractual. In fact 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 others. Adams and Barkan were music directors for the show. The song was released as a single, attributed to the Banana Splits, and peaked at number 96 on Billboard's Top 100 in February 1969. The version included on the We're The Banana Splits album is the same recording heard at the beginning of the show, while the single version is an entirely different arrangement and recording of the song, featuring an additional verse.The Banana Splits' bubblegum pop rock and roll was provided by studio professionals, including Joey Levine ; Al Kooper ; Barry White ; Gene Pitney and Jimmy Radcliffe, who provided his songs but did not contribute vocals to Splits recordings.
The music director was music publisher Aaron Schroeder, while 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 billed in the show credits under his stage name Rick Lancelot. Lancelotti went on to record several songs with Frank Zappa. In 1968, The Banana Splits released an album on Decca Records titled We're the Banana Splits.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed The Banana Splits among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Covers
US punk rock act the Dickies covered the theme song in 1978, entitled "Banana Splits ". Their recording reached Number 7 in the UK charts and now appears as a bonus on the CD reissue of their 1979 album The Incredible Shrinking Dickies. They still perform this cover live at almost every concert. It was also featured in the movie soundtrack of Kick-Ass, during ten-year-old Hit-Girl's brutally violent fight scene.A cover of the show's theme song performed by Liz Phair with Material Issue is included on the 1995 tribute album , produced by Ralph Sall for MCA Records. Another rendition was performed by rock and roll comic C.C. Banana on the 2005 cartoon tribute album "Complete Balanced Breakfast."
A cover of "Don't Go Away Go-Go Girl" by pop-punk band Mr. T Experience was issued on the 1993 tribute album Banana Pad Riot and their Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood and Our Bodies Our Selves CD releases. The 1988 landmark release "Sub Pop 200" included a version of "I'm Gonna Find a Cave" retitled "Gonna Find a Cave" by the band Girl Trouble. "Sub Pop 200" featured recordings from many soon to be notable bands, Nirvana, Green River, Mudhoney, Soundgarden and others from Seattle's Grunge music explosion that followed.
Chicago punk band, The Vindictives did a version of “Two Ton Tessie” for the before mentioned “Banana Pad Riot” tribute compilation, and was later released as part of their “Curious Oddities and the Bare Essentials” compilation album. It was also covered by Texas punk band, Bickley in 1998.
The “Banana Pad Riot” tribute, in addition to the Mr. T Experience and Vindictives songs, also included:
Wisconsin band, Boris The Sprinkler performing “We’re The Banana Splits”, and Seattle band, The Young Fresh Fellows performing “Doin’ The Banana Split.”
Chicago-based musician Ralph Covert, who records children's music under the group name Ralph's World, covered the theme song under the title "The Banana Splits " on his 2001 album At the Bottom of the Sea.
An unusual claim is that the song may have inspired Bob Marley, with the striking similarity between the song's chorus and the bridge of the Bob Marley and the Wailers song "Buffalo Soldier". A story by BBC in 2010 examines the claim.
New York-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants have covered "I Enjoy Being A Boy ", released as part of their podcast.
New Hampshire punk band, The Queers, also covered “I Enjoy Being A Boy ” on their 1998 album, Punk Rock Confidential. It also appeared on their “Everything’s Okay” EP the same year.
Cleveland-based garage rock band 45 Spider have covered "I'm Gonna Find a Cave" for the Underground Garage "Coolest Song in the World".
Comics
The Banana Splits' adventures continued in comic books. Gold Key began publishing a comic version in 1969, releasing eight issues through 1971. Drawn by Jack Manning, these stories followed the musicians either trying to find work or on the road between gigs.The Banana Splits had a crossover with the Suicide Squad in Suicide Squad/Banana Splits #1 on March 29, 2017.
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
- * The Banana Splits: Healthy and Happy
- * The Banana Splits: We Have Five Senses
- * The Banana Splits: Safety First
- * The Banana Splits: It's a Sense-sational World
- * The Banana Splits: Meet the Microbes
- Learning Tree Filmstrip Set
- * Learning About Holidays with The Banana Splits
2008 revival
2019 comedy horror film adaptation
On February 19, 2019, Warner Bros. Television Group's Blue Ribbon Content division announced that it was collaborating with Blue Ice Pictures on producing a film adaptation of The Banana Splits television series collectively named The Banana Splits Movie, which would take place in a comedy horror-like setting. Danishka Esterhazy was hired to direct the film, based on a script written by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas. On June 13, 2019, Syfy Wire released the official trailer for the film.The plot follows a family attending a taping of The Banana Splits television series, in which the titular characters are animatronics with artificial intelligence instead of humans in costumes. However, the family and everyone else present are soon trying to survive when Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky become evil upon learning of the cancellation of their show. In their rage, their programming malfunctions, starting a killing spree around the studio. The film premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2019, and was released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment via Blu-ray and DVD on August 27, 2019 to positive reviews from critics. Eric Bauza lent his voice to Fleegle, Bingo, and Drooper as well as the show's announcer.