The Banana Splits Adventure Hour

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.

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)!

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 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.