You remember the song. Even if you didn't grow up in the late sixties or early seventies, that "Tra La La" earworm has probably rattled around your brain at some point. It’s infectious. It’s upbeat. It’s also the gateway to one of the most bizarre fever dreams in the history of Saturday morning television.
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour wasn't just a show. It was a chaotic, psychedelic collision of costumed mascots, bubblegum pop, and live-action serials that somehow made sense to a generation of kids fueled by sugary cereal. Launched in 1968, it was Hanna-Barbera’s big swing at a live-action variety show. They didn't just want to compete with Disney; they wanted to out-cool the Monkees. And for a while, they actually did.
The show featured four main characters: Fleegle the beagle, Bingo the gorilla, Drooper the lion, and Snorky the elephant. They lived in the Banana Pad. They drove Banana Buggies. They looked like something straight out of a San Francisco head shop, which makes sense when you realize that the costumes were designed by none other than Sid and Marty Krofft. If those names sound familiar, they should. These are the same guys who later gave us H.R. Pufnstuf and Lidsville. They were the kings of "wait, what am I watching?" television.
The Hanna-Barbera Experiment That Changed Everything
Before the Splits arrived, Hanna-Barbera was basically an animation factory. Think The Flintstones or Yogi Bear. But by 1968, the landscape was shifting. The "British Invasion" had happened. Rock and roll was everywhere. NBC wanted something high-energy.
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera took a massive gamble. They hired the Krofft brothers to bring a tactile, three-dimensional madness to the screen. It worked. The show premiered on September 7, 1968, and it was an immediate hit. It felt modern. It felt messy. Unlike the polished animation of the era, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour had a frantic, almost documentary-style energy to its live-action segments.
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One of the weirdest things looking back? The laugh track. It’s relentless. It’s layered over guys in giant foam suits who can't move their mouths. It creates this eerie, surreal atmosphere that feels almost Lynchian today. You have Bingo, voiced by Daws Butler (the voice of Yogi Bear), cracking jokes while looking like a giant felt nightmare. It’s brilliant.
It Wasn't Just About the Costumes
People forget that the show was a "variety" hour in the truest sense. It was a framing device for other segments. You had The Three Musketeers (animated), Micro Ventures (educational animation), and the fan-favorite Danger Island.
Danger Island was directed by Richard Donner. Yeah, that Richard Donner. The guy who went on to direct Superman and Lethal Weapon. It was a live-action serial filled with pirates, cannibals, and "Uh-oh, Chongo!" It was surprisingly gritty for a kid's show. Kids would sit through the goofy "Tra La La" song just to get to the cliffhanger where someone was about to get tossed into a volcano.
The music was another beast entirely. The Banana Splits weren't just characters; they were a "band." The studio brought in heavy hitters like Jeff Barry, who co-wrote "Be My Baby" and "Sugar, Sugar." The theme song, "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)," actually hit number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s a genuine piece of pop history.
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The 2019 Horror Pivot: A Strange Legacy
In 2019, something happened that no one saw coming. Warner Bros. released The Banana Splits Movie. It wasn't a reboot. It was a R-rated slasher film.
Imagine Fleegle and Bingo going on a murderous rampage with chainsaws and fire. For many fans of the original show, this was a slap in the face. For others, it was an acknowledgment of the inherent creepiness that had always flickered beneath the surface of the original 1960s show. The uncanny valley is real, and the Splits live right in the middle of it.
Honestly, the horror movie worked because the original designs are inherently unsettling to a modern eye. Those vacant, unblinking eyes. The stiff, jerky movements. It turns out that the line between "fun mascot" and "nightmare fuel" is incredibly thin.
Why We Are Still Talking About It
So, why does The Banana Splits Adventure Hour still matter? Why hasn't it faded into the bargain bin of history like The Skatebirds?
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It’s about the vibe. The show captured a very specific moment in 1960s pop culture where the lines between "kid stuff" and "counter-culture" were blurred. It was bright, loud, and weird. It didn't talk down to kids; it just invited them into a clubhouse where everything was nonsensical.
It also pioneered the "hosted" format that would later influence everything from Pee-wee's Playhouse to Yo Gabba Gabba!. It proved that you could build a brand around characters that didn't just exist in 2D. They were "real." They did "live" concerts. They were celebrities.
Actionable Steps for the Nostalgic Fan
If you're looking to dive back into the world of Fleegle and the gang, don't just search for clips on YouTube. You've got to do it right.
- Track down the "We're The Banana Splits" album. The 1968 vinyl is a collector's item, but most of the tracks are on streaming services. It’s genuinely good bubblegum pop.
- Watch "Danger Island" in isolation. If you can find the serial segments, watch them back-to-back. It's a fascinating look at early Richard Donner and has a completely different tone than the rest of the show.
- Compare the costumes. Look at the 1968 originals versus the 2019 horror versions. You'll notice that the horror designers barely had to change anything to make the characters look terrifying.
- Check out the Krofft connection. If you like the Splits, go watch H.R. Pufnstuf. You'll see the exact evolution of the design language that started with the Banana Pad.
The show remains a landmark of television history. It was a bridge between the old-school animation of the 50s and the experimental, live-action madness of the 70s. Whether you see them as lovable mascots or the stuff of nightmares, there's no denying that the Banana Splits left a footprint on the psyche of pop culture that isn't going away anytime soon.
Go listen to the song one more time. You know you want to. Tra la la, la la la la...