''The Banana Splits'' is an American

children's television Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

produced by

Hanna-Barbera Productions Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red helmets with yellow crests. The costumed hosts are Fleegle (

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

), Bingo (

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

, vocals), Drooper (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

, vocals), and Snorky ( keyboards,

effects Effect may refer to: * A result or change of something ** List of effects ** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causality Pharmacy and pharmacology * Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug ** Therapeutic effect, ...

). The series ran for 31 episodes on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

Saturday mornings "Saturday Mornings" is a song by American rapper Cordae, released on July 24, 2024 as the second single from his third studio album '' The Crossroads'' (2024). It features American rapper Lil Wayne and was produced by Smoko Ono and BoogzDaBeast. ...

from September 7, 1968, to September 5, 1970, and in syndication from 1970 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 costumes were constructed by

Sid and Marty Krofft Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (April 9, 1937 – November 25, 2023), known as The Krofft Brothers and born as Cydus and Moshopopoulos Yolas, were a Canadian sibling team of television creators, writers and puppeteers. Through ...

based on designs by Hanna-Barbera artists, and the series' sponsor was

Kellogg's Cereals Kellanova, formerly known as the Kellogg Company and commonly known as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, US. Kellanova produces and markets convenience foods and snack f ...

. A feature-length comedy horror film adaptation, ''

The Banana Splits Movie ''The Banana Splits Movie'' is a 2019 American comedy horror film directed by Danishka Esterhazy from a screenplay written by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas. It serves as a horror reimagining of Hanna-Barbera's 1968 children's television series '' ...

'', premiered at

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...

on July 18, 2019, and was released worldwide on August 13, 2019.

History

In 1967,

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician who is best known for co-creating ''Tom and Jerry'' and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside Joseph B ...

and

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator and cartoonist, best known as the co-founder of the animation studio Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian Americans, Italian immigrants in New York City, Bar ...

approached

to build the costumes for a television show featuring animated and live-action segments, hosted by a

bubblegum rock Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, that ...

group of

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

animals. The show's format of fast-paced blackout gags was loosely based on ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for six seasons from January 22, 1968, to July 23, 1973, on the NBC television network. The show, hosted by comed ...

'', so much so that Barbera and Hanna hired that show's head writers, Phil Hahn and

Jack Hanrahan John Vincent Hanrahan

. (The Banana Splits later appeared as guests on ''Laugh-In'' on November 18, 1968.) ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour'' premiered on

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 A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...

serial, as well as the short-lived ''

Micro Ventures ''Micro Ventures'' is an animated series created by Hanna-Barbera Productions which originally aired as a four-minute segment on ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour''. It ran for only four episodes from November 9, 1968 to December 21, 1968 on NBC. ...

'', a part-live action, part-animated series consisting of only four episodes, ran alongside the animated segments ''

Arabian Knights ''Arabian Knights'' is an animated segment of ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour'', created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series is based on the ''Arabian Nights'', a classic work of Middle Eastern literature. The cast includes Jay North, Sh ...

'' and ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

''. Actors

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor. He emerged as a leading man in the 1970s, playing notable roles in films like '' Going Home'' (1971), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Sup ...

(billed as Michael Vincent) and

Ronne Troup Ronne Troup is an American actress and educator whose acting roles include Pauline "Polly" Williams Douglas on the sitcom ''My Three Sons''. Biography Troup is the daughter of musician and actor Bobby Troup, and his first wife, Cynthia Hare, and ...

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 Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American film director, producer and actor. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters", Donner directed some of the mo ...

. Jason Ankeny of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

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.

Synopsis

Each show represented a meeting of the Banana Splits Club, and the wraparounds featured the adventures of the club members, a musical quartet meant to be reminiscent of

the Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

. 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 "Six flags over Texas" is the slogan used to describe the six sovereign countries that have had control over some or all of the current territory of the U.S. state of Texas: Spain (1519–1685; 1690–1821), France (1685–1690), Mexico (1821� ...

, an amusement park in

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...

. For the second season, filming took place at the

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

amusement park in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, Ohio. In many episodes, the Banana Splits were seen riding 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 Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configura ...

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat ...

s, each decorated to resemble the character who drove it. Plastic 1/25 scale model kits were issued by

Aurora Plastics Corporation The Aurora Plastics Corporation was an American toy and hobby manufacturing company. It is known primarily for its production of plastic scale models of cars, airplanes, and TV and movie figures in the 1960s. Its principal competition in modeli ...

(catalog number 832) beginning in 1969. They were never reissued by Aurora, but have since been released as high-end resin-based kits. ''The Banana Splits'' was one of the first two Hanna-Barbera series in 1968 for which Hanna and Barbera received

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

credits, the other being ''

The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is an American live-action and animated fantasy television series that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1968, through February 23, 1969. Produced by Hanna-Barbera and based on the classic Mark ...

''; Edward Rosen was the producer on both series. It was also one of the first Saturday morning shows to use a

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is an audio recording consisting of laughter (and other audience reactions) usually used as a separate soundtrack for comedy productions. The laugh track may contain live audience reactions or artificial laught ...

, 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 ''The Archie Show'' (also known as ''The Archies)'' is an American musical animated sitcom television series produced by Filmation for CBS. Based on the Archie Comics, created by Bob Montana in 1941, ''The Archie Show'' aired Saturday morning ...

'').

Characters

Main

* Fleegle – A

beagle The Beagle is a small breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking inst ...

with a

lisp Lisp (historically LISP, an abbreviation of "list processing") is a family of programming languages with a long history and a distinctive, fully parenthesized Polish notation#Explanation, prefix notation. Originally specified in the late 1950s, ...

and the Splits' self-proclaimed leader. Performed on-screen in the original series by

Jeff Winkless Jeffrey Alan Winkless (June 2, 1941 – June 26, 2006) was an American actor born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Two of his younger brothers, Terence H. Winkless and Daniel Owen Winkless, worked with him on ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour'' ...

(1968) and voiced by

Paul Winchell Paul Winchell (''Birth name, né'' Wilchinsky; December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005) was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, humanitarian, and inventor whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1954, he hosted ''The Pa ...

(1968–1972). Later performed by Ginner Whitcombe and Keith Scott (2008), Terry Sauls and

Eric Bauza Eric Bauza (born December 7, 1979) is a Canadian voice actor based in the United States. He is mostly known for voicing several ''Looney Tunes'' characters, for which he won three Emmy Awards for his performances in '' Looney Tunes Cartoons'' (20 ...

(2019 film), and

Paul F. Tompkins Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He worked in television on such programs as '' Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and '' Best Week Ever'', later renamed ''Bes ...

(in ''Jellystone!''). * Bingo – A nasal-voiced

orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...

wearing white sunglasses and a yellow vest. Performed on-screen in the original series by Terence H. Winkless (1968) and voiced by

Daws Butler Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company and the Walter Lantz cartoon studio. He originated the voices of many familiar Hanna-Barbera ...

(1968–1972). Later performed by Casey Hadfield and Keith Scott (2008), Buntu Plam and Eric Bauza (2019 film), and

Jim Conroy Jim Conroy is an American actor and television writer known for appearing on television shows and movies, such as ''The Cuphead Show!'', '' Jellystone!'', '' Kenny the Shark'' and '' Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman'', as well as numerous radio commerc ...

(in ''Jellystone!''). * Drooper – A Southern-accented

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

with a long tail, wearing yellowish-orange sunglasses. Performed on-screen in the original series by Anne W. Withrow (1968) and voiced by

Allan Melvin Allan John Melvin (February 18, 1923 – January 17, 2008) was an American actor and impressionist, who was cast in hundreds of television episodes from the 1950s to the early 1990s, often appearing in recurring roles on various series. Some of ...

(1968–1972). Later performed by Adam Grubner (2008), Kori Clarke and Eric Bauza (2019 film), and C.H. Greenblatt (in ''Jellystone!''). * Snorky – An

elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

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 in the original series by James Dove (1968). Later performed by

Robert Towers Robert Towers (born August 19, 1936) is an American actor who has appeared in many television shows, including '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. He also played Buster the coke-snorting jockey on ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' in season ...

(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 The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

-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 Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They ar ...

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 Robby the Robot is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1956 film ''Forbidden Planet''. He made a number of subsequent appearances in science fiction films and television programs, which has given him the distinction as "the harde ...

* 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 – Two Latina girls who played acoustic classical guitars and sang two songs: " The Mexican Hat Dance" and "

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay" is a vaudeville and music hall song first performed by the 1880s. It was included in Henry J. Sayers' 1891 revue ''Tuxedo (vaudeville), Tuxedo'' in Boston, Massachusetts. The song became widely known in the 1892 version sung ...

". They became such a running gag that the viewer didn't even have to see them -- one of the Splits would open a door and the first line of "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay" would issue from ''behind'' the door. The Dilly Sisters were really Miriam and Nelly Nuñez, who recorded pop songs in their native Mexico from 1965 through 1983.

Segments

The show had four segments: * ''

'' – Prince Turhan (voiced by

Jay North Jay Waverly North Jr. (August 3, 1951 – April 6, 2025) was an American actor. His career as a child actor began in the late 1950s, and he went on to appear in eight TV series, two variety shows and three feature films. At age 7, he became a h ...

), his cousin Princess Nida (voiced by

Shari Lewis Shari Lewis (born Phyllis Naomi Hurwitz; January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998) was a Peabody awards, Peabody-winning American Ventriloquism, ventriloquist, puppeteer, children's entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, a ...

), and their allies Fariik the Magician (voiced by John Stephenson), Raseem the Strong (voiced by

Frank Gerstle Francis M. Gerstle (September 27, 1915 – February 23, 1970) was an American character actor who appeared in supporting roles in numerous films, radio programs and TV shows following World War II. Biography Gerstle's notable appearances in ...

), his donkey Zazuum (voiced by

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered voice roles include Scooby-Doo; Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ''The Flintsto ...

), and shapeshifter Bez (voiced by

Henry Corden Henry Corden ( Cohen; January 6, 1920 – May 19, 2005) was a Canadian-born American actor, best known for assuming the voice of Fred Flintstone after the death of Alan Reed in 1977. His official debut as Fred's new voice was in a 1965 Hanna ...

) work to free Persia from the evil Bakaar the Black Sultan (voiced by John Stephenson) and his enforcer Vangore (voiced by

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986), better known as Paul Frees, was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass and Walt Disney the ...

). * ''

'' – Based on the novel of the same name. Athos (voiced by

Jonathan Harris Jonathan Daniel Harris ( Charasuchin; November 6, 1914 – November 3, 2002) was an American character actor whose career included more than 500 television and film appearances, as well as Voice-over, voiceovers. Two of his best-known roles we ...

Porthos Porthos, Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds is a fictional character in the novels ''The Three Musketeers'' (1844), '' Twenty Years After'' (1845), and '' The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' (1847–1850) by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the o ...

(voiced by

Barney Phillips Bernard Philip Ofner (October 20, 1913 – August 17, 1982), better known by his stage name Barney Phillips, was an American film, television, and radio actor. His roles include that of Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the 1950s '' Dragnet'' television ser ...

Aramis René d'Herblay, alias Aramis, is a fictional character in the novels ''The Three Musketeers'' (1844), '' Twenty Years After'' (1845), and '' The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' (1847–1850) by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the other two musketeers, ...

(voiced by Don Messick), and

D'Artagnan Charles de Batz de Castelmore (), also known as d'Artagnan and later Count d'Artagnan ( 1611 – 25 June 1673), was a French Musketeer who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died at the siege of Maastricht in the Fr ...

(voiced by Bruce Watson) partake in new adventures fighting the enemies of the crowned heads of France

King Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monar ...

(voiced by Don Messick) and Queen Anne (voiced by

Julie Bennett Julie Bennett (January 24, 1932 – March 31, 2020) was an American actress. Early years Bennett was born in Manhattan, New York, on January 24, 1932. By the time she was 18, she had been living in Hollywood, Los Angeles for so long that she was ...

). 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 Theodore Edward Eccles (born June 9, 1955) is an American former child actor and executive producer. Career Eccles performed many of his best known roles as a child actor. He appeared in several television series and feature films in the 1960s a ...

). * ''

'' – 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. * '' Danger Island'' – The show's only live-action segment. This adventure serial depicts archaeologist Professor Irwin Hayden (portrayed by

Frank Aletter Frank George Aletter (January 14, 1926 – May 13, 2009) was an American theatre, film, and television actor. Early years Born in College Point, Queens, on January 14 1926 in New York, Aletter studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop in Manha ...

), his assistant Lincoln "Link" Simmons (portrayed by

Jan Michael Vincent Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

), and his daughter Leslie (portrayed by

) having adventures on an unnamed island chain with a shipwrecked merchant mariner named Elihu Morgan (portrayed by

Rockne Tarkington William Rockne Tarkington, Jr. (July 15, 1931 – April 5, 2015) was an American stage, film and television actor. Career Born in Junction City, Kansas, Tarkington began his career as a stage actor, and made the transition to television with ...

) 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). In the second season, ''The Three Musketeers'' segments were replaced with reruns of ''

The Hillbilly Bears ''The Hillbilly Bears'' is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The series aired as a segment on ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' from October 2, 1965 to September 7 ...

'', a cartoon segment that previously appeared on ''

The Atom Ant Show ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' is an hour-long Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1965 to 1967 for NBC. In 1965, the show aired as two independent half-hour programs. ''The Atom Ant Show'' f ...

'' (1965–1968). ''The Banana Splits'' was syndicated in 1970 to local stations, reformatted as a half-hour show under the title ''The Banana Splits and Friends Show''. The Banana Splits formed a framework for episodes from three of Hanna-Barbera's animated series (''The Atom Ant Show'', '' The Secret Squirrel Show'', and ''The Adventures of Gulliver'') and the live-action ''The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn''. All the original ''Banana Splits'' episodes were included in this package, with Paul Winchell providing new, spoken introductions for the added components in the series.

Music

The show's theme song, "

The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" is a 1968 pop song, which was the theme song for the children's television program ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour''.CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records Origin ...

", was credited to

Ritchie Adams Richard Adam Ziegler (December 15, 1938 – March 6, 2017), known professionally as Ritchie Adams, was an American singer and songwriter. Biography Born in New York City, by 1959 he joined The Fireflies, and sang lead vocals on their hit rec ...

and

Mark Barkan Marcus Barkan (July 4, 1934 – May 8, 2020) was an American songwriter and record producer. He was also a Music director, musical director for the television show ''The Banana Splits, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour'', which aired between Sept ...

, but that was merely contractual. It was written by Nelson B. Winkless Jr., on the

upright piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an action mechanism where hammers strike strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a chromatic scale in equal temper ...

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 ''Billboards Top 100 in February 1969. 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'

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

was provided by studio professionals, including

Joey Levine Joey Levine (born May 29, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer of pop music, who has been active since 1966. Career Levine sang lead vocals on several Top 40 singles including "Run Run Run" by The Third Rail (1966), " ...

("I Enjoy Being a Boy", "It's a Good Day for a Parade");

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s he was a prolific studio musician, including playing organ on the Bob Dylan song " Like ...

("You're the Lovin' End");

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

("Doin' the Banana Split");

Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 h ...

("Two Ton Tessie") and

Jimmy Radcliffe James Radcliffe (November 18, 1936 – July 27, 1973) was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer. Biography James Radcliffe was born in New York City. He released such singles as "My Ship is Coming In", a so ...

, who provided his songs (" I'm Gonna Find a Cave", "Soul", "Don't Go Away Go-Go Girl", "Adam Had 'Em" and "The Show Must Go On") but did not contribute vocals to Splits recordings. The music director was music publisher

Aaron Schroeder Aaron Harold Schroeder (September 7, 1926 – December 2, 2009) was an American songwriter and music publisher. Early years Born in Brooklyn, Schroeder graduated from the school now known as the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art a ...

; 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 Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

. In 1968, The Banana Splits released an album on

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

titled ''We're the Banana Splits''.

Covers

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

act

the Dickies The Dickies are an American punk rock band formed in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, in 1977. One of the longest tenured punk rock bands, they have been in continuous existence for over 40 years. They have consistently balanced catchy mel ...

covered the theme song in 1978 as "

Banana Splits (Tra La La Song) "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" is a 1968 pop song, which was the theme song for the children's television program ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour''.CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records Origin ...

". It reached #7 on the UK charts and appeared as a bonus on the CD reissue of their 1979 album ''

The Incredible Shrinking Dickies ''The Incredible Shrinking Dickies'' is the debut studio album by the California punk band The Dickies. It peaked at #18 on the UK album charts. The album includes the group's cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid (Black Sabbath song), Paranoid," ...

''. The song was also covered as the first track on the album Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits by Liz Phair with Material Issue in 1995.

Comics

The Banana Splits' adventures continued in

comic books A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

. 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 The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

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 ''The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park'' is a 1972 live-action/animated television film made by Hanna-Barbera featuring the characters from ''The Banana Splits'' television series. Mixing live action sequences shot at Kings Island amusement par ...

'', a televised feature film, for

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

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'' (1978) ** ''The Banana Splits: We Have Five Senses'' (1978) ** ''The Banana Splits: Safety First'' (1978) ** ''The Banana Splits: It's a Sense-sational World'' (1979) ** ''The Banana Splits: Meet the Microbes'' (1980) * '' Learning Tree Filmstrip Set'' ** ''Learning About Holidays with The Banana Splits'' (1982)

2008 revival

In August 2008, Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced a multi-platform release featuring new comedy shorts/series and music videos. It debuted on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

on September 2, 2008. Keith Scott voiced Fleegle, Bingo and the announcer, and Karl Wiedergott voiced Drooper. It included a live show and a website, as well as a CD and a DVD featuring 13 new songs, released by

Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. a child-themed area, Banana Splitsville, was also installed at

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

's Hard Rock Park rock-and-roll theme park, which later became

Freestyle Music Park Freestyle Music Park, formerly called Hard Rock Park, was a music-themed amusement park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Built on , the park was located at the intersection of US 501 and the Intracoastal Waterway. It included part of the forme ...

before closing permanently in 2009.

2019 comedy horror film

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 ''

'', which would serve as an R-rated slasher film. 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 film was released worldwide on August 13, 2019.

''Jellystone!''

The Banana Splits appear in ''

Jellystone! ''Jellystone!'' is an American animated television comedy, comedy television series developed by C. H. Greenblatt for the streaming service HBO Max. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and features reimagined versions of various cha ...

'' which was released

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

on July 29, 2021 with Fleegle voiced by

, Bingo voiced by

, and Drooper voiced by show creator

C. H. Greenblatt Carl Harvey Greenblatt (born June 17, 1972) is an American animator, television writer and voice actor. He is the creator of Cartoon Network's '' Chowder'', Nickelodeon's '' Harvey Beaks'', and developer and executive producer of '' Jellystone! ...

. They are portrayed as cartoonishly effective criminals and the enemies of El Kabong.

Home media

The first episode "The Littlest Musketeer" was released on the DVDs ''Saturday Morning Cartoons 1970s Vol. 2'' and ''Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s-1980s Collection''. On September 21, 2009, Warner Home Video released the complete first season on DVD in Region 2. The six-disc set consists of 36 edited half-hour episodes of ''The Banana Splits and Friends Show''. The series was also released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

Reruns

''The Banana Splits and Friends'' series appeared in reruns from 1972 to 2014. The series has aired on TBS,

, and

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

References

External links