The Banana Splits

The Banana Splits is an American children's 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 helmets with yellow crests. The costumed hosts are Fleegle (guitar, vocals), Bingo (drums, vocals), Drooper (bass, vocals), and Snorky (keyboards, effects). The series ran for 31 episodes on NBC on Saturday mornings 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 from designs by Hanna-Barbera artists, and the series' sponsor was Kellogg's Cereals. A feature-length comedy horror film adaptation, The Banana Splits Movie, premiered at San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2019, and was released worldwide on August 13, 2019. In 1967, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera approached Sid and Marty Krofft to build the costumes for a television show featuring animated and live-action segments, hosted by a bubblegum rock group of anthropomorphic animals. The show's format of fast-paced blackout gags was loosely based on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, so much so that Barbera and Hanna hired that show's head writers, Phil Hahn and Jack Hanrahan. (The Banana Splits later appeared as guests on Laugh-In on November 18, 1968.) 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 (billed as 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. 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. 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 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 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 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 (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 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, 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). Fleegle – A beagle with a lisp and the Splits' self-proclaimed leader. Performed on-screen in the original series by Jeff Winkless (1968) and voiced by Paul Winchell (1968–1972). Later performed by Ginner Whitcombe and Keith Scott (2008), Terry Sauls and Eric Bauza (2019 film), and Paul F. Tompkins (in Jellystone!). Bingo – A nasal-voiced orangutan wearing white sunglasses and a yellow vest. Performed on-screen in the original series by Terence H. Winkless (1968) and voiced by Daws Butler (1968–1972). Later performed by Casey Hadfield and Keith Scott (2008), Buntu Plam and 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 in the original series by Anne W. Withrow (1968) and voiced by Allan Melvin (1968–1972). Later performed by Adam Grubner (2008) and voiced by Karl Wiedergott (2008), Kori Clarke and 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 in the original series by James Dove (1968). Later performed by Robert Towers (2008) and Brandon Vraagom (2019 film). 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, he 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 (played by Debra Thibodeaux, Colette Chenault, Julie Graham, Kathy O'Dare, and Shirley Hillstrom). 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". 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. 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). The Three Musketeers – Based on the novel of the same