The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968–1970) User Reviews

Blast from the past!

[kinofan1 · 8/10 · 10 November 2008]

This was a really cute kids' show, but what really amazes me is that I can still remember the theme song, and I have it on an old 45 record in it's original sleeve.

We'll be doin' it, doin' it, doin' it, doing the Banana Split, ya'll. We'll be slidin' it, peelin' it, scoopin' it, etc.!

Anyone know what it might be worth? I don't think I'd part with it, though, any more than parting with my Huckleberry Hound bank! There were a lot of "kitschy" shows on at the time, but this one was full of fun and silliness.

It's a shame that there aren't as many fun shows for kids these days. They are missing out.

UPDATE! I did find the 45, to discover that I don't have the sleeve, but I do have 2 records. So KHDolan, the group is actually the Banana Splits. Here are the names of the songs.

Record 1 - Doing' the Banana Split, I Enjoy Being a Boy (in love with you), The Beautiful Calliopa, and Let Me Remember You Smiling.

Record 2 - The Tra-la-la Song (One Banana, Two Banana), That's the Pretty Part of You, It's a Good Day for a Parade, and The Very First Kid on My Block.

A Past, Present, and Future Production by David Mook, for Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. (1969)

Good luck!

very cool

[mikecowdrey · 7/10 · 27 May 2007]

It must have taken ages getting all of the info together, with regards to actors etc. however I wanted to let you all know that I have built a new website over this weekend, the website address is as follows http://www.banana-splits-show.com/index_1.html

I hope you all enjoy it as the website is a little bigger than the last one and has more pictures. my website is probably the only site in the world to have pictures of the banana splits in there banana buggies. I wonder how long it will take before they appear on other sites. also just out of curiosity does anybody know what happened to the banana splits costumes? as I always get asked as to there where abouts.

Hodgepodge of Fun

[hillari · 10 April 2002]

One of Hanna-Barbera's best shows was this combination of live action, cartoons, vaudeville and rock n' roll. The cartoon shorts on the show are seldom seen gems today--"The Three Musketeers", "Gulliver's Travels", "The Arabian Nights". "Danger Island" was a live action serial about a group of people trapped on an island plagued by modern day pirates. A young Jan Michael Vincent was part of the cast, and Richard Donner ("Lethal Weapon") directed the episodes. In between the cartoons and "Danger Island", the Splits sang, cracked jokes, and tried to avoid confrontations with a local gang (apparently made up of kids who would dance into their clubhouse with threatening messages).

I may have only been 3 but.....

[happipuppi13 · 10/10 · 19 May 2022]

I was only 3 to 5 years old when I saw this show. (I was 3 in '71 so it must have been re-runs already.) I remember just laughing at how silly and goofy the characters acted. I barely understood what they were saying sometimes. I watched the cartoons Fleegle, Drooper, Bingo and Snorky presened.

The theme song never and I mean never, exited my head from day one and recently I found a 45rpm copy (record) of the song, which I bought for about $1.

I got lucky in 2003 and got cable TV and for one night only on Cartoon Network got to see about 3 or 4 shows in a row! I laughed a little but obviously what's funny then isn't always as funny later. I did laugh at the cartoons (unintentionally). For the times,they were pretty good but animation was a bit 'inexpensive'

The show was seen on "Boomerang" channel, basically Cartoon network Pt. 2 on Hi-Def cable.

I'll still give a 10 star rating,because when childhood memories are good,they're always good.

Great job Daws Butler and Allan Melvin & Co. Allan Melvin by the way was Barney on "All In The Family" and Sam Franklin the Butcher on "The Brady Bunch." (Allan passed away at 84 on 01/19/2008).

Loved the BANANA SPLITS!

[landerso-32180 · 10/10 · 14 September 2020]

Reruns were played at 5:30 am weekdays in the mid 1970s. I did not have to be up until 7, but would get up just to watch this show! It had a lot of slapstick humor, which is great for kids. It was just pure fun and I loved the cartoons and Danger Island!

Banana Splits

[ge1502 · 10/10 · 31 August 2008]

I as a kid remember coming home after school and watching the Banana Splits. That was one of my Favorite Shows as is today. I was thrilled to see that it is back on T.V. unfortunately the time that it comes on is utterly ridiculous. I was looking forward to watching it again. Why would Cartoon Network have it on at those crazy hours. Danger Island was one of my favorite episodes. I wanted to live in California just to see the show live in person.The Banana Splits was such a wholesome show back in the early 70's it was such a fun show to watch something that your whole family can enjoy together. I wish this generation could appreciate a Great show like this.Maybe all of us Banana Splits fans will have to set our alarm clocks to watch it.

Great stuff hardly ever bettered among kids' shows!

[naseby · 9/10 · 22 December 2008]

Whilst I know this is an American show, like many Americans, we here, in the UK saw it on our screens and everyone I knew enjoyed it. Combining the mad action of the 'boys' (Is that what I could call 'em?) with the okay-cartoons (Yes they weren't necessarily any different from the churned-out Hanna-Barbera type of stuff, but still enjoyable)this was a good combination that worked.

One of my favourite skits, was the little girl who kept singing 'Ta-ra boom de ayyy!', much to the annoyance of the boys, they then tried to keep her out, but she kept on popping up and singing the same tune to annoy them further. Personally, although the cartoons were okay, I looked forward to the time when the boys showed their faces and were up to their usual craziness. I have really missed this and although the cartoons wouldn't make us bat an eyelid now, the antics of the boys would always have me glued to the screen if they came back!

I guess I am the voice of dissent....

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 15 November 2010]

I noticed that there are many, many glowing reviews for this show, so I felt compelled to write my response to "The Banana Splits". In my opinion, this was an absolutely dreadful show--even if, as kids, we enjoyed it. And, when I tried watching it years later, I nearly felt suicidal--I hated it that much! The show was a hippie-fied hodgepodge of third-rate cartoons and terrible live-action shorts. And, it was all strung together by some completely unfunny and LOUD appearances by four folks dressed up as the Splits (my favorite was Snork--as he said nothing!).

Each episode featured several possible arrangements of shorts/cartoons. The one I disliked most was "Danger Island"--sort of like a movie serial but less interesting. With it's cries of "Uh, oh...Chongo!" it made my skin crawl even as a kid--and all my friends hated this show as well. Little did we know that it was an early chance to see Jan Michael Vincent as 'the cute blond guy'! "Tom Sawyer" wasn't bad--and was an unusual combination of live action and cartoons. As for the rest, they ranged from adventure cartoons (like "The Arabian Knights") to silly but fun cartoons (the best of which I think were "Secret Squirrel" and "The Hillbilly Bears"). However, even the best of these are really limp compared to most kids shows today--and also feature astoundingly low cel counts--making the cartoons seem rather robotic in movement and style.

All in all, my childhood recollections of this show are MUCH different from the other reviews. I dreaded the show...and as an adult, I didn't like it nearly this much!!

Those funny rock-n'-roll critters will make you HOWL!!!

[Becca-37 · 15 August 2000]

When I was a tiny girl, I used to watch this special Hanna-Barbera hour featuring such zany live-action costumed animals sharing a groovy 2-D pad splashed in such bright psychedelic colors that would remind you of Pee-Wee Herman's Playhouse several decades later. All donning cool shades and old-fashioned firemen's helmets, the funny furry foursome - Bingo the toothy gorilla, Drooper the swingin' lion, Snork the woolly elephant, and my most favorite of all, Fleegle the floppy beagle with a cherry red tongue - would all run, turn around, bump into each other, hop around, and go tumbling all down as well as being scared right out of their wits by the sudden appearance of a little girl, surviving a day at an amusement park, playing such silly tunes in a band typical of cartoons from the '60s-'70s, and just plain engaging in such wacky adventures that would set off any Gen-X off into helpless gales of laughs and memories. And then after a whole series of a cuckoo bird popping out its head and then getting it whacked by a closing clock door and an ape's head moving its motorized mouth over the doorway, our singing hippie hosts would suddenly scurry away to make the way for a few short cartoons featuring The Four Musketeers and the Aladdin-like characters with their pet donkey as well as a live-action quickie all about a group of shipwrecked adventurers living on a tropical island full of crocodiles, pirates, and native cannibals. But once those little shows are over, our most beloved Banana Splits will be suddenly back with their banana-crazy antics and even more off-the-wall musical numbers to send off anyone growing up at the time on a very pleasant nostalgic trip all the way back to their Brady-Bunch childhood of the swinging Sixties and Seventies. Today, you can still visit your old rockin' pals at the most ungodly hours during the weekends on the Cartoon Network!

Ugly and Disturbing

[sraywineee · 1/10 · 10 October 2018]

This...Thing will always be the worst Saturday Morning Cartoon by far, but the reason is because it wants to be. Its WRONG, THE UGLY COSTUMES LOOK LIKE THEY WERE DONE IN 5 MINUTES WHILE THE KROFT BROTHERS WERE DRUNK, ETC.

Saturday Morning Memories

[Sargebri · 17 April 2003]

This was a show that I truly enjoyed looking at as a child. The songs may have been corny bubblegum, but they were enjoyable. Also, the back up features (The Three Musketeers, The Arabian Knights and, of course, Danger Island) were what really made this show special. I hope that they will eventually release it on D.V.D. and that the songs will be re-released on compact disc.

If it's frightening, you have a screw loose

[cwalkerjr-38250 · 5/10 · 23 June 2019]

The Banana Splits was show I had seen in my youth. Everyone I've known in my family and neighborhood has seen it and found nothing about it frightening in the least. It was pure escapist fare for children. If it was found to be scary, believe me, the Evangelicals would have had it removed instantly. The only thing scary these days is Hollywood's penchant for transforming things into drek because the illiteracy rate in that down has bee lowered to its basest level. Even kid's shows are no longer safe. If you want scary television, watch the Trump rallies.

Cool Show...

[A-Ron-2 · 4 January 2002]

I really loved this show when I was kid, because it exposed me to all kinds of genres of story... pirates, musketeers, etc. It is a great all-around show and I hope that Cartoon Network brings it back more often in re-runs (I have seen it on Saturday Morning Flashback with my step-son several times).

I wish that there were more shows like this one the air for kids... innocuous little adventure shows with a certain innocence to them.

Horrifying!

[shaunnatoots · 1/10 · 27 June 2020]

Banana split scary banana banana scary banana scary scary split frightening split is scare banana split is scare banana is ugly scary banana split scary scary split scary ugly banana ugly scary ahhhh wa wa banana split scare and ugly and go Tinky Winky !!'&/&:& ugly banana split scary ugly 828 $& k

7376@&:$ jerk. 93837-;:- I hate banana split

Uh oh, CHONGO!

[obe-one · 15 August 2001]

One of my favorite Saturday morning kids shows growing up. My favorite segment was "Danger Island" which also featured a young Jan-Michael-Vincent, but who at that time was billed as Michael Vincent.I wish the Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon would show the reruns.

The exciting part of that show was "Danger Island"!!!

[raysond · 6 August 2000]

During half-way into the show,there was this short piece that have several survivors stranded on a tropical island where they faced great danger at every turn,and along the way they had this huge guy(played by Rocke Tarkington),and his mate who guided them through the treacherous jungles,and fought off deadly animals,and bloodthirsty pirates,and etc......... It also had a very young Jan Micheal-Vincent in this too,and it still comes on every Friday night on Cartoon Network. The show I'm preferring to was one action packed show,even though it only ran for like eight to nine minutes....Catch the non-stop excitement of "Danger Island",as part of the Banana Splits Show. In case you're wondering,the show was very good,and one of the best memories from my childhood.

Dear Drooper

[Andybern · 19 December 2005]

I watched this show in 1969 when my father was stationed in Bangkok and the family relocated. I didn't like it. I loved it. And I can still hum the Banana Splits theme song. The part I enjoyed a lot was the write-in letter for Dear Drooper. He would always come up with the zaniest reply. To a writer, amazed that the light from the sun travels 86,000 miles per second, he replies, "Don't forget, it's downhill all the way." To a safety conscious student driver, he replies, "The most dangerous part of the car is the nut holding the steering wheel." I still have the tape recording (monoraul audio) I made back then. This is part of my childhood and my early lessons in humor.

Shear Genious.

[dootuss · 1 January 2003]

I caught this on Cartoon Network's "Boomerang" preview about 2 weeks ago, and since it was my first time seeing it, I knew I was in for a treat since this was one of Hanna-Barbera's memorable shows. This show has live action(The Bannana Splits, Danger Island which was on the episode I watched. Got to admit, it rocked), animation(Arabian Nights, The Four Muskateers). What a concept this was!! It's a shame it didn't last at least 5 years because this show was pretty good. Plus, it featured Michael Vincent (now known as Jan-Michael Vincent). Another fact was that Richard Donner("Lethel Weapon") directed the episodes. Quite interesting.

This gets a perfect 10.

Pop Group with Costumed Animal Schtick

[jonesy74-1 · 29 December 2005]

This was basically, "The Monkees" for kids with cartoons and a weekly serial tossed in for fun. Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In was an obvious influence as well with the pop-art sets, patterns and color schemes. Paul Winchell's voice (Jerry Mahoney and Mortimer Snurd - a popular Ventriloquist/Dummy act of the time) as Fleagle was fun. Winchell was also the voice of "Tigger" from Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" and many other cartoon voices, including the leader of the "Anthill Mob" in "The Adventures of Penelope Pitstop." Daws Butler's voice (Huckleberry Hound and many others) as Bingo was great too.

I had to see reruns of this show to remember it was Jan Michael Vincent's t.v. debut in the "Danger Island" segment.

"Chongo" (Uh Oh) got a little irritating with his constant bird sounds in place of real language.

The cartoons were fun - Three Musketeers and Arabian Nights.

It was an obvious Hannah-Barbera effort.

Lots of fun for kids. Teens too.

GREAT theme song (La la la, la la la la)!

Fond early memories...

[gazzo-2 · 19 November 2000]

You don't Know how big this was back in the day...Heck I used to watch this ALL the time. Loved the Splits, the Musketeers Toons and their music. It was very funny. Haven't seen it much since but that's fine, it was meant for the 6 year old mind-set and it's in that frame of reference that it belongs.

*** outta ****.

Banana Splits Show/Danger Island Nostalgia

[unique1956 · 3 January 2006]

Seeing this show was very nostalgic for me. I was a kid during that era, and I used to watch the Banana Splits every week when it was on - same time frame as the Monkees. Was there ever a better time for TV? Not only is the show clever in its ruses and gags, but there is an action sequence for almost any taste in the silly, yet amusing, Danger Island.

I did notice an actor in Danger Island that I used to see during the later 1960's and throughout the 1970's. His name is Jimmy Bradfield. He had a very small part in this show, as one of the "natives" that befriends Michael Vincent. He was in the Heat of the Night movie with Sidney Poitier as a youngster. He was a guest (not a guest-star) on the Brady Bunch. I know he was in the Babysitter horror movies, and he played on a few other '70s shows before working with the obligatory rock band. Alas, he seems to have disappeared, probably because no one is making the fairly mindless, yest still humorous shows like they used to. Too bad, I mourn for the simpler days.

BRING IT BACK ON TV LAND

[akpolar · 18 July 2004]

I remember this show and mickey mouse club the original. I loved these shows as far as banana splits I really remember tom sawyer but all these. they weren't violent they were awesome and i so want to share these and grape ape and land of the lost and the show w/ ruth buzzy and jim neighbors with my kids. these cartoons now stink and aren't appropriate for my kids please bring these awesome well loved appropriate totally rad cartoons back for this new generation I believe these shows helped define me as a good loving person. Please help my children don't hide these away in the archives that would be a waste and should be a crime by the way how about donny and marie osmand and shanana

Sincerely the biggest fan of class in television

Did The Banana Splits ever produce a best of CD?

[btdroflet38 · 12 June 2005]

Never mind the characters, or the animation....it was the songs that stayed in the memory even as sketchy as mine. Someone mentioned a song called 'Wait Til Tomorrow' and i thought it was the best of the bunch (no pun indeed LOL). Who sang it - and does he still perform to the present day? If he does, he must be in his early fifties by now.

Okay, i changed my mind - loved the cartoons (Arabian Knights were like Shazzan, but what the heck? the action sequences were cool!) Danger Island kinda grated on me because the scripting was so bad, but the location scenes on the island were above par and heaps better than the similarly-named "Mystery Island" live-action show years later.

• Brian T.

Small world!

[CaptainAmerica10 · 11 January 2006]

I was reading the first comment that shows up about how the guy got cable TV in 2003 and saw them rerun a bunch of shows in a row on Cartoon Network! I caught that too! I had gotten up to have a garage sale at 6am, turned the TV on, flipped around a while and saw it. Small world indeed! I loved this show when it came on. Would come home everyday and jam out to the song. If anyone is interested, there was a CD released called "Saturday Morning Cartoons" which had a rockin' cover of the theme song by Juliana Hatfield. Such memories always make me stop and smell the roses from time to time. So funny how we can't remember what we had for dinner last month but we know moments like this by heart. Hopefully heaven will allow us to be kids just once more.

What memories this show brings back!!

[SkippyDevereaux · 28 October 2001]

This was a hilarious and very memorable show from the late sixties. A mixture of live-action and cartoons,jokes and songs-- it was a show that went by so fast, that you could not believe that the hour was over!! I remember those cartoon, "Arabian Nights" and "The Three Musketeers" and the live-action adventure, "Mystery Island". They just don't make shows like this anymore, at least I don't think so, as I haven't watched Saturday morning television since Scooby-Doo went off the air, back in the 1970's--LOL. I sure wish that whoever owns the rights to this show would put this show out on DVD, as I would surely purchase the complete set!!