View source for The Banana Splits

{{Short description|American children's television variety show}}
{{For|the dessert|Banana split}}{{Redirect|Snorky|the American gangster|Al Capone}}
{{Distinguish|Banana Sundae}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.jpg
| caption              = Original title card
| alt_name             = ''The Banana Splits Adventure Hour''<br/>''The Banana Splits and Friends Show''
| genre                = {{Unbulleted list|[[Psychedelia]]|[[Comedy]]|[[Adventure]]}}
| creator              =
| director             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Richard Donner]] (season 1)
* [[Tom Boutross]] (season 2)
}}
| developer            = [[Hanna-Barbera]]
| presenter            = {{Plainlist|
* Fleegle
* Bingo
* Drooper
* Snorky
}}
| starring             = {{Unbulleted list|[[Jeff Winkless]] (as Jeffrey Brock)|[[Ginner Whitcombe]] (as Fleegle 2008)|[[Terence H. Winkless]] (as Terence Henry)|[[Dan Winkless]] (as Daniel Owen)|[[James "Jimmy" Dove]]|[[Steve Kincannon]]}}
| voices               = {{Unbulleted list|[[Paul Winchell]]|[[Daws Butler]]|[[Don Messick]]|[[Allan Melvin]]}}
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = [[Nelson B. Winkless Jr.]] (credited to [[Ritchie Adams]] & [[Mark Barkan]])
| opentheme            = "[[The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)|Tra La La (One Banana, Two Banana)]]"
| endtheme             = 
| composer             = {{Unbulleted list|[[Ted Nichols]]|[[David Mook]]}}
| company              = [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]]
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 2
| num_episodes         = 31 (+ shorts)
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = {{Unbulleted list|[[William Hanna]]|[[Joseph Barbera]]}}
| producer             = [[Edward J. Rosen]] (season 1)
| editor               = 
| location             = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 45–48 minutes
| network              = [[NBC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1968|09|07}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1970|09|05}}
| related              = {{Unbulleted list|''[[The Skatebirds]]''|''[[Cattanooga Cats]]''}} 
}}
'''''The Banana Splits''''' is an American [[children's television]] [[variety show]] produced by [[Hanna-Barbera|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]], [[singing|vocals]]), Bingo ([[drum kit|drums]], vocals), Drooper ([[bass guitar|bass]], vocals), and Snorky ([[keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[Sound effect|effects]]).<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981 |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1557-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool |url-access=registration |access-date=March 14, 2020 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool/page/31 31]–34}}</ref>

The series ran for 31 episodes on [[NBC]] on [[Saturday morning cartoon|Saturday mornings]] from September 7, 1968, to September 5, 1970, and in [[Broadcast syndication|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]] based on designs by Hanna-Barbera artists, and the series' sponsor was [[Kellogg's|Kellogg's Cereals]].<ref name="erickson">{{cite book |last=Erickson |first=Hal |title=Sid and Marty Krofft |publisher=McFarland |year=1998 |pages=14–15 |isbn=978-0-7864-0518-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jgTN6_IC9b4C&q=history+of+the+banana+splits+costumes&pg=PA15 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032714/http://books.google.com/books?id=jgTN6_IC9b4C&pg=PA15&dq=history+of+the+banana+splits+costumes&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U0AeRj5dR89FcAb33NblsEP4On_iw#PPA14,M1 |archive-date=May 2, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.

==History==
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.<ref name="erickson"/> 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.<ref name="erickson"/>

The show's live-action segment ''[[Danger Island (TV series)|Danger Island]]'', a [[cliffhanger]] [[Serial (radio and television)|serial]], as well as the short-lived ''[[Micro Ventures]]'', a part-live action, part-animated<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool|title=Children's television, the first thirty-five years, 1946-1981 |last=Woolery |first=George W. |publisher=Scarecrow Press|via=Internet Archive |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-8108-1557-5 |location=Metuchen, N.J.|oclc=8451238 |url-access=registration}}</ref> series consisting of only four episodes, ran alongside the animated segments ''[[Arabian Knights]]'' and ''[[The Three Musketeers (animated TV series)|The Three Musketeers]]''.<ref name="erickson"/> 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]].<ref>CD liner notes: ''Saturday Mornings: Cartoons' Greatest Hits'', 1995 MCA Records</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-banana-splits-mn0000038389/biography|title=The Banana Splits Biography, Songs, & Albums|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

==Synopsis==
Each show represented a meeting of the Banana Splits Club, and the [[Interstitial program|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]].<ref name="erickson"/> For the second season, filming took place at the [[Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio)|Coney Island]] amusement park in [[Cincinnati, Ohio|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 vehicle]]s, 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.professorplastik.com/monster_site/proscenium/kits/xtrakits/othernonmonsteraurorakits/whimsical/krazykars/kookykars/bananabuggy/bananabuggy_kit.htm|title=Welcome professorplastik.com - BlueHost.com |website=www.professorplastik.com |access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074527/http://www.professorplastik.com/monster_site/proscenium/kits/xtrakits/othernonmonsteraurorakits/whimsical/krazykars/kookykars/bananabuggy/bananabuggy_kit.htm |archive-date=August 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

''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 [[Television producer|producer]] on both series.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} It was also one of the first Saturday morning shows to use a [[laugh track]],<ref>Iverson, Paul: "The Advent of the Laugh Track" Hofstra University archives; February 1994</ref> 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|Filmation's]] ''[[The Archie Show]]'').

==Characters==
[[File:Bananabros.png|thumb|(L-R) Fleegle, Snorky, Bingo, and Drooper]]

===Main===
* '''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 (voice actor)|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),<ref>{{cite web|title=Adam Grubner - Film Experience|url=https://at.linkedin.com/in/adam-grubner-10738648|publisher=LinkedIn|access-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref> Kori Clarke and Eric Bauza (2019 film), and [[C. H. Greenblatt|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).

===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|'''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 (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]]". 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:

* ''[[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 (actor)|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 (actor)|John Stephenson]]) and his enforcer Vangore (voiced by [[Paul Frees]]).
* ''[[The Three Musketeers (American TV series)|The Three Musketeers]]'' – Based on [[The Three Musketeers|the novel of the same name]]. [[Athos (character)|Athos]] (voiced by [[Jonathan Harris]]), [[Porthos]] (voiced by [[Barney Phillips]]), [[Aramis]] (voiced by Don Messick), and [[Charles de Batz de Castelmore d'Artagnan|D'Artagnan]] (voiced by Bruce Watson) partake in new adventures fighting the enemies of the crowned heads of France [[Louis XIV of France|King Louis XIV]] (voiced by Don Messick) and [[Anne of Austria|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]]).
* ''[[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 (actor)|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 (TV series)|Danger Island]]'' – The show's only live-action segment. This adventure [[Serial (radio and television)|serial]] depicts archaeologist Professor Irwin Hayden (portrayed by [[Frank Aletter]]), his assistant Lincoln "Link" Simmons (portrayed by [[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).

In the second season, ''The Three Musketeers'' segments were replaced with reruns of ''[[The Hillbilly Bears]]'', a cartoon segment that previously appeared on ''[[Atom Ant|The Atom Ant Show]]'' (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'', ''[[Secret Squirrel|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==
{{Main|Banana Splits discography}}
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 Nelson B. Winkless Jr., on the [[Piano#Upright (vertical)|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.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1969-02-08 |title=''Billboard'' Hot 100 Chart |date=February 8, 1969 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=January 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124122228/http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1969-02-08 |archive-date=January 24, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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]] [[rock and roll]] was provided by studio professionals, including [[Joey Levine]] ("I Enjoy Being a Boy", "It's a Good Day for a Parade"); [[Al Kooper]] ("You're the Lovin' End"); [[Barry White]] ("Doin' the Banana Split"); [[Gene Pitney]] ("Two Ton Tessie") and [[Jimmy Radcliffe]], 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]]; 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.united-mutations.com/l/ricky_lancelotti.htm|title=ricky lancelotti|access-date=July 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527050351/http://www.united-mutations.com/l/ricky_lancelotti.htm|archive-date=May 27, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1968, The Banana Splits released an album on [[Decca Records]] titled ''We're the Banana Splits''.

===Covers===
US [[punk rock]] act [[the Dickies]] covered the theme song in 1978 as "[[Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)]]". It reached #7 on the UK charts<ref>British Hit Singles by Pal Gambaccini, Tim Rice, and Jo Rice, published in Great Britain by Guinness Publishing Ltd.</ref> and appeared as a bonus on the CD reissue of their 1979 album ''[[The Incredible Shrinking Dickies]]''.

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]]. [[Gold Key comics|Gold Key]] began publishing a comic version in 1969, releasing eight issues through 1971.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comics-db.com/Other_Publishers/G/Gold_Key_Comics/B/The_Banana_Splits/index.html|title=The Banana Splits|publisher=The Big DataBase of Comic Books|access-date=August 25, 2008|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120031027/http://www.comics-db.com/Other_Publishers/G/Gold_Key_Comics/B/The_Banana_Splits/index.html|archive-date=January 20, 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dccomics.com/comics/suicide-squadbanana-splits-annual-2017/suicide-squadbanana-splits-annual-1|title=SUICIDE SQUAD/BANANA SPLITS SPECIAL #1|date=December 19, 2016|website=dccomics.com|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321035134/http://www.dccomics.com/comics/suicide-squadbanana-splits-annual-2017/suicide-squadbanana-splits-annual-1|archive-date=March 21, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsarama.com/32329-suicide-squad-meets-the-banana-splits-more-in-dc-hanna-barbara-crossover-titles.html |title=SUICIDE SQUAD Meets THE BANANA SPLITS, More In DC/HANNA-BARBERA Crossover Titles |website=newsarama.com |access-date=March 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714081712/https://www.newsarama.com/32329-suicide-squad-meets-the-banana-splits-more-in-dc-hanna-barbara-crossover-titles.html |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://capedcrusades.com/2016/12/13/suicide-squad-crossovers-banana-splits-wait/ |title=Suicide Squad Crossovers With The Banana Splits. Wait, What??! |date=December 13, 2016 |website=capedcrusades.com |access-date=March 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324102227/https://capedcrusades.com/2016/12/13/suicide-squad-crossovers-banana-splits-wait/ |archive-date=March 24, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Other projects==
===Made-for-television film===
Hanna-Barbera produced ''[[The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park]]'', a televised feature film, for [[American Broadcasting Company|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'' (1978)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5645516 ''The Banana Splits: Healthy and Happy''] at [[WorldCat]]</ref>
** ''The Banana Splits: We Have Five Senses'' (1978)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/4474787 ''The Banana Splits: We Have Five Senses''] at [[WorldCat]]</ref>
** ''The Banana Splits: Safety First'' (1978)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5645519 ''The Banana Splits: Safety First''] at [[WorldCat]]</ref>
** ''The Banana Splits: It's a Sense-sational World'' (1979)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5891959 ''The Banana Splits: It's a Sens-sational World''] at [[WorldCat]]</ref>
** ''The Banana Splits: Meet the Microbes'' (1980)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6891989 ''The Banana Splits: Meet the Microbes''] at [[WorldCat]]</ref>
* ''[[Hanna-Barbera Educational Filmstrips#Learning Tree Filmstrip Set|Learning Tree Filmstrip Set]]''
** ''Learning About Holidays with The Banana Splits'' (1982)<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/9598308 ''Learning About Holidays with The Banana Splits''] at [[WorldCat]]</ref>

===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]] on September 2, 2008.<ref name="WBO">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7Oip-NIjM|title=The Banana Splits|date=August 14, 2008|work=WarnerBrosOnline|access-date=August 15, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225225506/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7Oip-NIjM|archive-date=December 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="snorky">{{cite news|url=http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=WBCPBananaSplitsReLaunch|title=The Banana Splits Are Back! Warner Bros. Consumer Products Serves Up Four Scoops Of Hilarity With Relaunch|date=August 15, 2008|work=Warner Bros. Press Office|access-date=August 20, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220205729/http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=WBCPBananaSplitsReLaunch|archive-date=December 20, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ball|first=Ryan|title=Warner Bros. Brings Back Banana Splits|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2008/08/warner-bros-brings-back-banana-splits/|date=August 15, 2008|publisher=Animation Magazine|access-date=November 22, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127063353/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2008/08/warner-bros-brings-back-banana-splits/|archive-date=November 27, 2024}}</ref> [[Keith Scott (voice actor)|Keith Scott]] voiced Fleegle, Bingo and the announcer, and an unknown actor voiced Drooper.<ref name="BTVA">{{cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/shorts/The-Banana-Splits/|title=The Banana Splits (2008)|publisher=Behind the Voice Actors|access-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref> The series included a live show and a website,<ref name="TBS">{{cite web |url=http://www.bananasplits.com/ |title=The Banana Splits |access-date=August 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820045805/http://www.bananasplits.com/ |archive-date=August 20, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a CD and a DVD featuring 13 new songs, released by [[Universal Records]].<ref name="snorky"/> 

A child-themed area, '''Banana Splitsville,''' was also installed at [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]]'s Hard Rock Park rock-and-roll theme park, which later became [[Freestyle Music Park]] before closing permanently in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hardrockpark.com/bornintheusa/bananasplitsville.cfm |title=Hard Rock Park–Banana Splitsville |publisher=Hard Rock Park |access-date=August 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201152748/http://www.hardrockpark.com/bornintheusa/bananasplitsville.cfm |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<big>'''2016 revival pilot'''</big>

In 2016, Warner Bros. teamed up with [[Christian Jacobs]]’ production company ‘Awesome Forces!’ to create a pilot for another potential revival of the series. Despite using the designs and costumes from the 2008 revival, it looked to capture the spirit and tone of the original series. Parts of the pilot were filmed on location at [[Castle Park (amusement park)|Castle Park]] in [[Riverside, California]].

Despite claims that Warner Bros. loved the pilot, the idea for a full series was shelved, leaving the pilot completed, yet unreleased.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Banana Splits! (partially found pilot for cancelled "Banana Splits" reboot; 2016) - The Lost Media Wiki |url=https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Banana_Splits!_(partially_found_pilot_for_cancelled_%22Banana_Splits%22_reboot;_2016) |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241007095229/https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Banana_Splits!_(partially_found_pilot_for_cancelled_%22Banana_Splits%22_reboot;_2016) |archive-date=2024-10-07 |access-date=2025-12-16 |website=lostmediawiki.com |language=en}}</ref>

===2019 comedy horror film===
{{main|The Banana Splits Movie}}

On February 19, 2019, [[Warner Bros. Television|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 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.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-banana-splits-horror-movie-20190219-story.html "'The Banana Splits' are getting a horror movie"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221044817/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-banana-splits-horror-movie-20190219-story.html |date=February 21, 2019 }} from ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' (February 19, 2019)</ref> On June 13, 2019, Syfy Wire released the official trailer for the film. The film was released worldwide on August 13, 2019.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R1-ZZTcTBY "The Banana Splits Movie - Official Trailer | SYFY WIRE"] from ''SYFY WIRE'' (June 13, 2019) {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/913260159 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/913258548 cite #3 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref><ref>[https://www.polygon.com/2019/6/13/18678178/banana-splits-movie-trailer-syfy-horror "Syfy basically turned the kids show Banana Splits into a Five Nights at Freddy's movie"] from ''Polygon'' (June 13, 2019) {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/913260159 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/913258548 cite #4 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref>

===''Jellystone!''===
{{main|Jellystone!}}

The Banana Splits appear in ''[[Jellystone!]]'' which was released [[HBO Max]] on July 29, 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HAVgdujUWQ| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/-HAVgdujUWQ| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=live|title=Jellystone! I Official Trailer I HBO Max Family|website=[[YouTube]]|date=June 24, 2021|access-date=June 24, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> with Fleegle voiced by [[Paul F. Tompkins]], Bingo voiced by [[Jim Conroy]], and Drooper voiced by show creator [[C. H. Greenblatt]]. They are portrayed as cartoonishly effective criminals and the enemies of [[Quick Draw McGraw|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 [[DVD region code#2|Region 2]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Banana-Splits-Complete-Season-DVD/dp/B0027UY87M|title=The Banana Splits - Complete Season 1|website= Amazon.co.uk|access-date=April 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905135748/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Banana-Splits-Complete-Season-DVD/dp/B0027UY87M |archive-date=September 5, 2017}}</ref> 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]].

==Reruns==
''The Banana Splits and Friends'' series appeared in reruns from 1972 to 2014. The series has aired on [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]], [[Cartoon Network]], and [[Boomerang (TV network)|Boomerang]].

==See also==
* [[List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions]]
* [[List of Hanna-Barbera characters]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0062543}}
* {{discogs artist|The Banana Splits}}
* [http://www.wingnuttoons.com/Banana_Conf.html Interview with Shirley Hillstrom (now Sheri Freedman), who played Charley the Messenger of the Sour Grapes Bunch]

{{Banana Splits}}
{{Sid and Marty Krofft}}
{{Children's programming on NBC in the 1960s}}
{{Children's programming on NBC in the 1970s}}
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{{Authority control}}

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