The Banana Splits and Friends Show

TV review by Deirdre Sheppard, Common Sense Media
The Banana Splits and Friends Show Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 4+

Classic kids' show mixes cartoons and music.

Boomerang Kids Musical TV 1968
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Parents say

age 4+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 4+

Based on 12 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this fun, zany classic kids' series doesn't pretend to have any educational objectives -- it's all about entertainment. Overall, the characters are enjoyable, and there's not really any offensive content, but the show lacks structure.

Community Reviews

NeversideFaerie
NeversideFaerie Adult
September 3, 2017
age 6+

Harmless and very entertaining!

This is a fun, witty and immensely enjoyable anthology show for young children, featuring lots of toe-tapping tunes, colourful imagery and cartoon action. The characters of Fleegle, Drooper, Bingo and Snorky have a lot of kid-appeal and their silly antics are bound to tickle young viewers. As for the cartoon/live-action segments, Danger Island is very campy and features some stereotypes, but the Three Musketeers and the Arabian Nights are well-written with great characters and humour. There is some mild violence in them but it's very comical and does not undermine the messages of teamwork and friendship. This show was also my introduction to the aesthetic and style of the 1960s and as a result I've been a fan of the 60s ever since!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Metal Daddy
Metal Daddy Adult
July 24, 2011
age 2+

Mindless fun

This is just clean, mindless fun for youngsters. There are live action skits between the cartoons and kids will love it. I watched it when I was a kid and now my kids watch it and they range in age from 2 to 13. Sid and Marty Kroft had their hands in this and any child of the '70s know those folks. This is much better than some of the stuff being pumped out today.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE BANANA SPLITS AND FRIENDS SHOW is a very '60s mix of live action and animation. During their original TV run from 1968-1970, the four wacky Splits -- Fleegle, a beagle (voiced by Paul Winchell); Bingo, a gorilla (Daws Butler); Drooper, a lion (Allan Melvin); and Snorky, an elephant (Don Messick) -- were considered The Beatles (or maybe The Monkees...) of kids' TV, with hits like "The Tra La La Song," "Wait Till Tomorrow," and "Long Live Love." When the Splits aren't singing, they're often driving around in go-carts and challenging their rivals, The Sour Grapes. They also take breaks to show some cartoons -- popular segments included Danger Island and The Arabian Nights.

Is It Any Good?

This series is no Baby Einstein, but it's a lot of fun, and it does expose kids to music -- which is always a good thing. In fact, one of the show's most endearing elements is its music. All of the songs are optimistic; many are about love. Kids will want to jam to the bubblegum pop, and parents will appreciate the late-'60s hippie flavor. It's worth noting that the show does have a rather psychedelic backdrop, and the influences of the late '60 are very evident.

Since it has so many different segments, the show changes gears all the time, which sometimes makes it feel a little unstructured. And the energy level is extremely high -- great for pumping a kid up before a soccer game, but less-than-ideal for pre-nap viewing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about being silly and enjoying life. Why is it important to laugh and be silly sometimes? Do the Banana Splits enjoy life? Why is having fun such an important part of life?

TV Details

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Themes & Topics

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