The Banana Splits Adventure Hour

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.

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.

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).

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.

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)!