"The Banana Splits Adventure Hour" Episode Guide
"The Banana Splits Adventure Hour" Episode Guide
About this episode guide
The following episode guide has been assembled from a variety of sources. Following the sequential number of each episode are the original airdate and subsequent repeat airdates, when known (based on TV Guide listings), followed by brief episode summaries, also from TV Guide listings. For Season 1 episodes (1968-1969), rundowns of each show (which follow the brief TV Guide descriptions) are based on the shows themselves. The only tape copies available for review originate from rebroadcasts during the 1969-1970 season. These revised prints are identified by the suffix REV in the official episode numbers (for instance, Show #K-01 REV). Show openings, closings, bumpers and sponsor billboards in Season 1 shows were replaced for subsequent NBC reruns to match Season 2 shows (some of the bumpers featured the Season 2 Splits with the blue-and-yellow-vested Snorky, and Goofy Gopher, who was only seen in Season 2); any other changes made to the episodes for subsequent Saturday morning reruns are indicated if known. (See the original Season 1 "Banana Splits Adventure Hour" opening here.) "Banana Vac Gags" from Season 2 also were edited into the NBC Season 1 reruns. Also note that the TV Guide descriptions are transcribed verbatim; in some instances, titles given in TV Guide descriptions are working titles, or listings sometimes are otherwise incorrect. In Season 1, the series featured the cartoon segments “Arabian Knights,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Micro-Venture,” and the live-action cliffhanger “Danger Island.” For Season 2, “The Hillbilly Bears” replaced “The Three Musketeers.” Synopses of the “Arabian Knights,” “Danger Island” and “Three Musketeers” segments are transcribed verbatim (except for corrections of spelling and punctuation) from information provided by the show’s syndicator (Worldvision Enterprises) to local television stations that aired the series. In the half-hour syndicated version of the show, the 18 “Danger Island” serial chapters were cut in half, with the first half of a chapter in one episode and the second half in the next. In the Worldvision episode summary list, the “Danger Island” segments are numbered 1 through 36; that number system has been retained in this episode guide. A number in parentheses after a description of a segment indicates the half-hour syndicated episode in which that segment appeared. If a description of a segment is not followed by a number in parentheses, then that segment was not included in the syndicated series. For Season 2 episodes (1969-1970), the only descriptions available are from TV Guide listings. All shows aired Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. (Central time) on NBC, except for the fall 1968 preview show, “Meet The Banana Splits."
Season 1 (1968-1969) (Click on a show for details)
- Meet The Banana Splits (Original airdate: 9/6/68)
- A half-hour preview of "The Banana Splits Adventure Hour." The Splits are four zany rock musicians costumed as a dog (Fleegle), a lion (Drooper), a gorilla (Bingo) and a baby elephant (Snorky), who play "Loving End" and introduce the show's other regular features, the live-action serial "Danger Island," and two animated series, "The Arabian Knights" and "The Three Musketeers." The show debuts at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow on Ch. 5. "Tarzan" will not be seen tonight. (TV Guide description)
- Show #1 (K-01 REV) (Original airdate: 9/7/68)
- Show #2 (K-02 REV) (Original airdate: 9/14/68)
- Show #3 (K-03 REV) (Original airdate: 9/21/68)
- Show #4 (K-04 REV) (Original airdate: 9/28/68)
- Show #5 (K-05 REV) (Original airdate: 10/5/68)
- Show #6 (K-06 REV) (Original airdate: 10/12/68)
- Show #7 (K-07 REV) (Original airdate: 10/19/68)
- Show #8 (K-08 REV) (Original airdate: 10/26/68)
- Show #9 (K-09 REV) (Original airdate: 11/2/68)
- Show #10 (K-10 REV) (Original airdate: 11/9/68)
- Show #11 (K-11 REV) (Original airdate: 11/16/68)
- Show #12 (K-12 REV) (Original airdate: 11/23/68)
- Show #13 (K-13 REV) (Original airdate:11/30/68)
- Show #14 (K-14 REV) (Original airdate: 12/7/68)
- Show #15 (K-15 REV) (Original airdate: 12/14/68)
- Show #16 (K-16 REV) (Original airdate: 12/21/68) (?)
- Show #17 (K-17 REV) (Original airdate: 12/28/68) (?)
- Show #18 (K-18 REV) (Original airdate: 1/11/69)
Right: Jack Wild of "H.R. Pufnstuf" with the Banana Splits from NBC's 1969 fall preview show, "The Banana Splits And Friends"
Season 2 (1969-1970) (Descriptions are from TV Guide listings)
- The Banana Splits And Friends (Original airdate: 8/30/69)
(Click here for text of 1969 NBC-TV press release; click here to see and read a cover story from the Hollywood, California Citizen-News TV Week, July 26-August 1, 1969) - The Banana Splits present leading characters from five new series debuting Sept. 6 on NBC: Jack Wild (of the movie "Oliver!") in "H.R. Pufnstuf;" Marshall Thompson ("Daktari"), host of the animal series "Jambo;" the animated Grump, Pink Panther, and wiseacre magpies Heckle and Jeckle. (Note: This “fall preview” of NBC Saturday morning series aired in the show’s regular timeslot. It was produced by Don Sandburg for the NBC network, as opposed to Hanna-Barbera, and was actually filmed after the rest of the Season 2 material had been completed, though aired first.)
- Show #19 (Original airdate: 9/6/69; repeated 1/17/70)
- (9/6/69 listing) The Splits romp into their second season with Fleegle as a magician, Bingo as a coach and Drooper as a cowardly lion. A new cartoon series is "Hillbilly Bears."
- (1/17/70 listing) The Splits engage in a geographical spelling bee.
- Show #20 (Original airdate: 9/13/69; repeated 1/24/70)
- Show #21 (Original airdate: 9/20/69; repeated 1/31/70)
- Introduced: a grabby animated dresser-drawer, and Goofy Gopher the puppet.
- Show #22 (Original airdate: 9/27/69; repeated 2/14/70)
- Show #23 (Original airdate: 10/4/69; repeated 2/7/70)
- Super Drooper gets on the trail of the Steam Roller Sneak.
- Show #24 (Original airdate: 10/11/69; repeated 2/21/70)
- Fleegle opens a unique barbershop; Super Drooper goes to bat.
- Show #25 (Original airdate: 10/18/69; repeated 2/28/70)
- The Great Fleegali's magic trick backfires; and Super Drooper meets a fish-net nabber.
- Show #26 (Original airdate: 10/25/69; repeated 3/7/70)
- Show #27 (Original airdate: 11/1/69; repeated 3/14/70)
- Fleegle finds a surprise in the mailbox.
- Show #28 (Original airdate: 11/8/69; repeated 3/21/70)
- The Great Fleegali gives a new twist to the old rope trick. The Splits try a tug of war.
- Show #29 (Original airdate: 11/15/69; repeated 3/28/70)
- The mailbox holds a musical surprise for Fleegle.
- Show #30 (Original airdate: 11/22/69; repeated 4/4/70)
- Fleegle celebrates his birthday; Coach Bingo teaches his players the "clean sweep."
- Show #31 (Original airdate: 11/29/69; repeated 4/11/70)
- Fleegle gives a new twist to an old nursery rhyme; Super Drooper meets the masked impersonator. (Note: This is the last original episode of the series. Since only 13 shows were produced for Season 2, the next five shows aired were repeated from Season 1, and most likely were re-edited to include the last five chapters of “Danger Island.”)
- (12/6/69) Reruns begin with episodes from last season.
- (12/13/69) Tunes: "Wait Till Tomorrow" and "I'd Be A Millionaire." (This most likely was a repeat of show #6 with the “Danger Island” segments substituted from show #15.)
- (12/20/69) (No description)
- (12/27/69) (Pre-empted)
- (1/3/70) (No description)
- (1/10/70) On film: A policeman directs traffic with a rock and roll twist. (This was a rerun of either show #4 or show #9, with the “Danger Island“ segment from show #18. It is possible that shows #5 through #9 were repeated in the weeks following the first run of the 13 Season 2 shows, with the "Danger Island" chapters from shows #14 through #18 substituted for the original segments to maintain continuity.)
(TV Guide listings included no descriptions for 4/18/70 and 5/2/70 through 9/5/70. The 4/25/70 show was pre-empted. September 5, 1970 was the final airdate for the series.)
Season 2 segment list (Presumably not complete, this list is based on original scripts.)
"Club Opening" segments
-
- C. O. #2 (Oak leaf)
- C. O. #3 (Balloons)
- C. O. #4 (Pin)
- C. O. #5 (Duck call)
- C. O. #6 (Paper)
- C. O. #7 (Ring)
- C. O. #8 (Flower)
- C. O. #9 (Pocket)
- C. O. #10 (Bounce)
- C. O. #11 (Cotton)
- C. O. #12 (Foam)
- C. O. #13 (Funny)
"Club Closing" segments
-
- C. C. #1 (A good note)
- C. C. #2 (Banana with wheels)
- C. C. #3 (A motion)
- C. C. #4 (In good taste)
- C. C. #5 (Running late)
- C. C. #6 (Lost gavel)
- C. C. #7 (Wind up)
- C. C. #8 (Rousing cheer)
- C. C. #9 (Let's hear it)
- C. C. #10 (Say "something")
- C. C. #11 (Salute)
- C. C. #12 (A little order)
- C. C. #13 (Cards & letters)
"Cuckoo Clock" segments
-
- C. U. C. #1 (Sixteen o'clock)
- C. U. C. #2 (Tea time)
- C. U. C. #3 (Tickle time)
- C. U. C. #4 (Silly time)
- C. U. C. #5 (Nap time)
- C. U. C. #6 (Hop on one foot)
- C. U. C. #7 (Fall on your face)
- C. U. C. #8 (Headache time)
- C. U. C. #9 (Jumping time)
- C. U. C. #10 (Running time)
- C. U. C. #11 ("Muggy")
- C. U. C. #12 (Bandage your nose)
- C. U. C. #13 (Time to get up)
- C. U. C. #14 (Time to go to bed)
- C. U. C. #15 (Four gongs)
"Dresser Drawer" segments
-
- D. D. #1 (Nail the drawer)
- D. D. #2 (Tail caught)
- D. D. #3 (Alternating drawers and long drawer)
- D. D. #4 (Flying towel)
- D. D. #5 (The camping trip -- long drawer)
- D. D. #6 (Rubber ball)
- D. D. #7 (Ping pong)
- D. D. #8 (The magic knobs)
- D. D. #9 (Stacked towels)
- D. D. #10 (Out the window)
- D. D. #11 (Serpent)
"Exercising" segments
"Fan Letters" segments
-
- F. L. #1 (Training wheels)
- F. L. #2 (Fall down)
- F. L. #3 (One of the bunch)
- F. L. #4 (Skate key)
- F. L. #5 (Snorky blows bubbles)
- F. L. #6 (Banana peelings)
- F. L. #7 (Little Kong)
- F. L. #8 (Fanletter)
- F. L. #9 (Trunk of bananas)
- F. L. #10 (Favorite Banana Split) (Show #26)
- F. L. #11 (Zipper banana)
- F. L. #12 (Drooper's tail)
- F. L. #13 (Who can rap the gavel)
- F. L. #14 (Snorky's peanuts)
"Fan Letters To Super Drooper" segments
"The Great Fleegali" segments
-
- G. F. #1 (Disappearing cloth)
- G. F. #2 (Pocket watch) (Show #22)
- G. F. #3 (Tablecloth pull) (This segment is the source of the short redubbed clip used to introduce the "Secret Squirrel" cartoons on the syndicated "Banana Splits And Friends Show")
- G. F. #4 (Handcuffs)
- G. F. #5 (Rope escape)
- G. F. #6 (Magic goldfish)
- G. F. #7 (Magic rope) (Show #28)
- G. F. #8 (Change heads)
- G. F. #9 (The mind reader)
- G. F. #10 (The bunny rabbit)
- G. F. #11 (Magic bananas)
- G. F. #12 (Colored silks)
- G. F. #13 (Milk bottle)
"Mailbox" segments
-
- M. B. #1 (Gavel) (This segment is the source of the short redubbed clip used to introduce the "Adventure Of Gulliver" cartoons on the syndicated "Banana Splits And Friends Show")
- M. B. #2 (Long handle gavel)
- M. B. #3 (Serpent)
- M. B. #4 (Bowling ball)
- M. B. #5 (Birthday) (Show #30)
- M. B. #6 (Moby Dick)
- M. B. #7 (Phono record) (Show #29)
- M. B. #8 (Chain letter)
- M. B. #9 (Boxing lessons)
- M. B. #10 (Ski lessons)
- M. B. #11 (Cream pie)
"Miscellaneous Gags" segments
"Nursery Rhymes" segments
-
- NR #1 (Hickory dickory dock)
- NR #2 (Four & twenty blackbirds)
- NR #3 (Peter Peter pumpkin eater)
"The Radio" segments
-
- RAD. #1 (The home run)
- RAD. #2 (Weather report)
- RAD. #3 (Newscast)
"Safety Hints" segments
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- S. H. #1 (Swing)
- S. H. #2 (Hammer and nail)
- S. H. #3 (The ladder)
"School Time" segments
-
- S. T. #1 (Hippopatamus) (sic)
- S. T. #2 (The train)
- S. T. #3 (Mississippi)
- S. T. #4 (Distance between L. A. and N. Y.)
- S. T. #5 (Spell Saskatchewan) (Show #19)
- S. T. #6 (Patrick Henry)
- S. T. #7 (Subtracting apples)
- S. T. #8 (Joplin-Chicago-North Pole)
"Super Drooper" segments
-
- S. D. #1 (Innertube inflater)
- S. D. #2 (Trash tipper) (Show #22)
- S. D. #3 (Blasts)
- S. D. #4 (Steam roller sneak) (Show #23)
- S. D. #5 (Banana bandit)
- S. D. #6 (Feather filcher)
- S. D. #7 (Fish net nabber) (Show #25)
- S. D. #8 (The home run) (Show #24)
- S. D. #9 (Window slammer)
- S. D. #10 (Pickle puncher)
- S. D. #11 (Clothes clutcher) (Show #21)
- S. D. #12 (Rodeo roper)
- S. D. #13 (Two Super Droopers) (Show #31)
"Wall Gags" segments (73)
Season 2 credits
Directed by Tom Boutross
Danger Island sequence directed by Richard Donner
Written by Jack Hanrahan, Jimmie Young, Ellis Kadison and Anthony Spinner
Associate Producer: Don Sandburg
Cast: Frank Aletter, Kahana, Rockne Tarkington, Ronne Troup, Michael Vincent, Jeffrey Brock, Terrence Henry, Daniel Owen, Robert Towers
Voices: Henry Corden, Paul Frees, Frank Gerstle, Shari Lewis, Don Messick, Jay North, Jean Vander Pyl (These voice credits apply to the animated segments)
Voices: Daws Butler, Rick Lancelot, Jay Larremore, Allan Melvin, Thomas Poole, Paul Winchell (These voice credits apply to the live-action segments)
Directors of Photography: John Stephens, Winton Hoch, Robert Hauser
Supervising Film Editor: Warner Leighton
Film Editors: Lee Gilbert, Bud Warner, Larry Cowan, Tony Milch, Bob Phillips, Rex Lipton
Locations by Fouad Said
Costumes and sets created by Krofft Enterprises
Amusement Park Photography: Coney Island, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Six Flags Over Texas
Wardrobe by Judy Savalas
Associate Animation Producers: Alex Lovy, Lew Marshall, Art Scott
Animation Director: Charles A. Nichols
Production Design: Iwao Takamoto
Production Coordinator: Victor O. Schipek
Animation stories by Neal Barbera, Walter Black, Tom Dagenais, Bill Lutz, Joe Ruby, Ken Spears, Dalton Sandifer
Layouts: Lou Appet, Alvaro Arce, Mike Arens, Dale Barnhart, Jerry Eisenberg, Mo Gollub, Paul Gruwell, Alex Ignatiev, Willie Ito, Homer Jonas, Herb Johnson, Earl Klein, Lewis Ott, Bill Perez, Mike Royer, Tony Sgroi, Bob Singer, George Wheeler
Backgrounds: Walt Peregoy, Fernando Arce, Cathy Clark, Ron Dias, Marsha Gertenbach, David High, Bob Inman, Richard Khim, Rolando Oliva, John Park, Curtis Perkins, Tony Rizzo, Thelma Witmer
Titles: Bob Schaefer
Animation: Vicente Bassols, Rudy Cataldi, Oliver E. Callahan, Charles Downs, Zdenko Gasparovic, Robert Goe, Alan Green, Harry Holt, Maria Jursic, Bill Kelly, Ed Love, George Nicholas, Bill Nunes, George Rowley, Jay Sarbry, Hank Smith, Ken Southworth, John Sparey
Music: Ted Nichols, David Mook
Musical Arrangement: Jack Eskew
“The Tra La La Song” by Ritchie Adams and Mark Barkan
Production Manager: Bill Faralla
Assistant Director: Gary Grillo
Sound Supervisor: Richard Olson
Animation Photography: Frank Paiker, Bill Kotler, Roy Wade, Charles Fiekal, Frank Parrish, Clarence Wogatzke
(Note: The Season 2 credits are transcribed from the syndicated "Banana Splits And Friends Show" end credits. While there is a credit for Don Sandburg as "Associate Producer," there is no credit for just plain "Producer." The "Producer" credit appeared in the opening titles of the syndicated shows, assigned to Edward J. Rosen, who was indeed the Season 1 producer but did not work on Season 2. Joseph Barbera and William Hanna are credited as "Executive Producers," also in the opening titles. Since the actual Season 2 shows themselves are unavailable for viewing, it is unknown who, if anyone, was credited as "Producer" for Season 2. Regardless of who is or isn't credited, we have been assured that Don Sandburg actually did all the work!)
"The Banana Splits In Hocus Pocus Park"
After the series ended, one more Banana Splits show was produced: “The Banana Splits In Hocus Pocus Park” aired as an installment of “The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie” on Saturday, November 25, 1972. Intended as a pilot episode for a potential new series, this one-hour show combined live-action and animation, the only time the Banana Splits appeared as cartoon characters. The live-action sequences were filmed at King’s Island in Cincinnati, Ohio. The park was called Hocus Pocus Park in the show. One song was performed, “Doin’ The Banana Split.“ Reportedly, Jeff Winkless (Fleegle) was the only one of the four original costumed actors to perform in this show. All the original voice actors reprised their roles, except for a couple scenes in which Allan Melvin’s Drooper is voiced by Don Messick. Messick also doubles for Howard Morris’ Hocus in a couple scenes (and is officially credited for both voices). After its original broadcast on ABC, this show was repeated on Cinemax and HBO in the 1980s and on Cartoon Network in the 1990s.
Those singing, dancing, zany clowns of merriment match wits with a wicked witch in a contest to win the return of a little girl lost in the Forbidden Forest. The Splits stumble into the enchanted woods, where they meet the witch’s henchmen, Hocus and Pocus. These two bunglers turn the witch’s plans into shambles, and instead they lead the Splits to her castle. Freedom for all is near if the Splits defeat the witch’s mechanical robot knight in a duel to the end. The special offers music and song, along with delightful comedy from four of the exciting stars of Hanna-Barbera’s “The Banana Splits Show.” (Plot summary from Worldvision press material)
Executive Producers: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Cast: Daws Butler (Bingo, Frog, Octopus), Joan Gerber (Witch), Don Messick (Hocus, Pocus, Drooper); Michelle Tobin (Susie), Paul Winchell (Fleagle, Tree) (Note neither Allan Melvin nor Howard Morris are included in the official credits.)
The press package also includes the following more detailed synopsis:
Those zany clowns of fun and merriment, The Banana Splits, involve themselves in a tale of fantasy as they enter the Forbidden Forest in search of a kidnapped child.
The fun starts when the Splits fail as salesmen for their guided tour of an amusement park. In desperation, they reduce the admission price to nothing. Soon, a delightful little child apperas and agrees to take a tour.
Fleegle is now thrilled, and attempts to entertain the little girl right on the spot. However, the young lady, whose name is Susie, is eager to see more than the clowning antics of the Splits. Together, all depart for a tour in their dune buggy.
Meanwhile, a wicked witch spots Susie, and decides she would make a perfect witch’s assistant. Her wizards, Hocus and Pocus, think Susie is too young. The witch plans to keep her until she grows up and can become a wicked witch.
Enticed by the witch’s animated balloon, Susie wanders after it. The Banana Splits follow her through a solid billboard and into the Forbidden Forest. Terrified by all the “Beware” signs, the Banana Splits sing to restore their courage.
Hocus and Pocus capture Susie, but she refuses to believe in them. They try to demonstrate their magic, which works only if they say “Hocus-Pocus” together. Unimpressed, Susie resumes chasing the balloon.
They then go after the Banana Splits, with Hocus disguised as a zebra. But he and Pocus disagree as to whether a zebra should have spots, squares, swirls or stars. Now they dig a pit, only to have the Banana Splits discover it and fill it. Next they set a trap, only to catch themselves. At last, they agree that by saying “Hocus-Pocus,” they’ll send a boulder crashing down on the Banana Splits, but Pocus says “Pocus” too late, and the boulder lands on them.
The Banana Splits free them, and Hocus and Pocus offer to guide them to Susie and lead the way back to Magic Land. The witch has Susie at her castle, which is surrounded by a moat and guarded by a nasty dragon. After the Banana Splits fail to cross with a bridge and a submarine, and Hocus and Pocus fail with their magic, Fleegle decides to use reverse psychology to get into the castle. They persuade the dragon they are not interested in entering the castle, so he opens the drawbridge for them and they confront the witch.
She offers a sporting proposition: if one of them defeats her robot knight mounted on a mechanical horse, the reward will be Susie and safe return to Magic Land. Drooper is the only one dumb enough to face the knight. Assisted by Hocus’s and Pocus’s magic weapons, which backfire, Drooper defeats the knight.
The Banana Splits persuade Hocus and Pocus to return with them, but the witch refuses, even knocking out their magic.
Finally, all escape on the mechanical horse and jump through the billboard and into the amusement park, in time for a Banana Split concert.
The program offers a moral for young audiences regarding the value of assisting their neighbors.
