The Banana Splits! (partially found pilot for cancelled "Banana Splits" reboot; 2016)
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The pilot's logo, done by Parker Jacobs.
Status: Partially found
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour was a live-action-animated hybrid series created by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired on NBC from September 7th, 1968, to November 29th, 1969. The series is named for its hosts, an animal band consisting of Fleegle the Beagle, Bingo the Gorilla, Drooper the Lion, and Snorky the Elephant. The Splits appeared in no animated segments of their own and instead appeared in song and comedy sketches in between the show's segments. After the show's cancellation, there have been many attempts by Warner Bros. to reboot the series, such as in 2016, when Warner Bros. teamed up with Christian Jacobs (best known for Yo Gabba Gabba! and The Aquabats! Super Show! fame) to make a pilot for an attempted revival of the show.
Production/Development
The filming for the pilot commenced from October 18, 2016, to October 22, 2016. During the filming process, as well as the Pre-Production phases of the pilot, Parker Jacobs, an artist who worked on the pilot, teased the project multiple times through his daily doodles online.
According to Cuchillo Lope, a gaffer on the pilot, he mentioned how it was stated to be super fun and stayed true to capture the spirit of the original "Banana Splits" show, but was also a perfect update for today's kids. Warner Bros. loved the pilot that was made and was stoked for it, they even went as far as saying that it was "probably better than the original" show.
However, despite the pilot being completed, Warner Bros. decided to just pass off and shelve the pilot, never to see the light of day again. Multiple crew members were disappointed at this decision, especially after all the hard work that was put into production for the pilot.
Availability
While the pilot was never fully shown to the public, clips and photos have resurfaced. A seven-second clip from the pilot was added as part of the 2017 Awesome Forces! production reel, which can be located on Vimeo.
Footage
Gallery
Photo of "The Banana Splits" drums used in the pilot.
Behind the scenes photo, which showcases Bingo The Gorilla.
