Banana Splits
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Bananasplits-longlivelove.jpg
- For the namesake ice cream treat, see banana split.
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, syndicated as The Banana Splits and Friends, was an American package television program featuring both live action and animated segments, that ran on NBC Saturday mornings from 1968 to 1970. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions; the Banana Splits characters were created by Sid and Marty Krofft.
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Format
The wraparounds featured the adventures of a musical quartet, meant to be reminiscent of the Beatles and the Monkees, consisting of Fleegle, a beagle; Bingo, a gorilla; Drooper, a lion; and Snorky, an elephant. The characters were played by actors in fleecy costumes similar to later Krofft series such as H.R. Pufnstuf.
The Splits' segments, including songs-of-the-week and comedy skits, served as wraparounds for a number of individual segments.
Animated segments
- The Arabian Knights
- The Three Musketeers
- The Hillbilly Bears
- Micro Ventures
Live action segment
- Danger Island: A young Jan-Michael Vincent played Lincoln 'Link' Simmons in this live-action science fiction serial. It was directed by future Superman director Richard Donner.
After the cancellation of the original series, the characters were revived in the 1972 telefilm The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park. Unlike the television show, the Splits spent most of the film in animated form.
Music
The Banana Splits' bubblegum pop rock and roll was provided by studio professionals, including Al Kooper ("You're the Lovin' End"), Barry White ("Doin' the Banana Split"), and Gene Pitney ("Two Ton Tessie"). The music director was Mark Barkan, who also wrote the main theme. At least three singles, "The Tra La La Song", "Wait Till Tomorrow", and "Long Live Love", were released by the Splits, along with an album, We're the Banana Splits.
The Californian punk band The Dickies released a sped-up version of "The Tra La La Song" as the "Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)" which entered the UK charts in 1979.
In 1983, "The Tra La La Song" was adapted by Bob Marley and the Wailers in the song "Buffalo Soldiers" on the album Confrontation)
Trivia
- The Banana Splits lived in Hocus Pocus Park, where the cuckoo clock always read 6:55.
- Fleegle was the only character that did not wear glasses.
- Snorky was the only character that did not talk. He made a honking sound whose meaning was interpreted by other characters.
Cast
- Fleegle: Paul Winchell
- Bingo: Daws Butler
- Drooper: Allan Melvin
- Snorky: Don Messick
External links
- Banana Splits site (http://www.dfcom.freeserve.co.uk/hbw/banana/index.htm) on the Hair Bear Web (http://www.dfcom.freeserve.co.uk/hbw/index.htm)
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