Warner Bros. Revives The Banana Splits

BURBANK, August 15: The
Banana Splits, the classic ’60s TV and music act, are set to make their return
to television with a series of new comedy shorts and music videos airing on
Cartoon Network and Boomerang beginning September 2.

Warner Bros. Consumer
Products is also prepping a range of multiplatform extensions for the brand.
The Banana Splits are a costumed rock band comprised of a dog, a lion, a
gorilla and an elephant, who served as the hosts of The Banana Splits
Adventure Hour, a show created by
Hanna-Barbera that debuted on NBC in 1968.

The new comedy shorts, …The
Banana Splits are here!, will air
on Cartoon Network Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Filled with
kid-focused comedy, the shorts will also appear on Boomerang beginning
September 2.

Universal Records is set
to debut a CD and DVD featuring 13 new Banana Splits pop and rock songs and
music videos. The content will be offered online as well as incorporated into
the shorts.

Warner Bros. Consumer
Products is launching a new Banana Splits website, aimed at boys and girls aged
4 to 7. The online destination will feature the comedy shorts and new music,
along with an area where kids can decode secret messages, attend virtual Banana
Splits Club meetings, hear jokes and play games.

Hard Rock Park previously
announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to produce a live
show and playland, Banana Splitsville. The Banana Splits will also be seen in
concert tours, other live appearances and a wide range of exclusive
merchandise, including toys, games, books and apparel.

"Everything that made
The Banana Splits hugely popular in the '60s is back, including the group's
terrific humor and hit music," said Jordan Sollitto, the executive VP of
new business initiatives and international licensing for Warner Bros. Consumer
Products. "We take great pride in having carefully updated the look and
feel of the original show for today's kids while retaining all of the elements
that made the original Banana Splits such a hit."

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski