Bananas in Pyjamas
Encyclopedia
Bananas in Pyjamas is an Australian children's television show that premiered in July 1992 on ABC Television
. It has since become syndicated
in many different countries, and dubbed
into other languages. In the United States
, the "Pyjamas" in the title was modified to reflect the American spelling pajamas. The pilot episode was Pink Mug.
The concept was inspired by the success of the song Bananas in Pyjamas, written by Carey Blyton
in 1967, on Play School
. This song, which had become a regular item on Play School, became the theme of the new series.
The series was revamped in May 2011, now as a CGI series created by Southern Star Entertainment.
are two humanoid banana
s named B1 and B2. Other characters include three teddy bear
s named Amy, Lulu and Morgan, and Rat in a Hat. The bananas, the teddies and Rat in a Hat all live in the same neighbourhood, a cul-de-sac called "Cuddles Avenue".
(nephew of renowned children's author Enid Blyton
). The jaunty song describes (an unspecified number of) bananas in pyjamas chasing teddy bears, with a slight twist at the end where a musical sting emphasises that the bananas like to "catch them unawares". The song was shown on the Australian version of Play School
for many years accompanied by an animation depicting pairs of bananas in blue-and-white striped pyjamas. This led to a "banana" plush toy being created as part of the "toy cast", which formed the basis of the physical appearance of B1 and B2.
or Tweenies
. In the show's early days, the voices of the bananas were provided by the same actors as were inside the costume, but the original actors eventually gave up that aspect of the show and substitutes manned the hot, stuffy costumes. The show aired new episodes from its 1992 debut to its eventual run in syndication in 2002. The show aired approximately three hundred episodes as well as four specials. Its debut in the United States was in 1995. It made videos and other media from 1995 to 1999. A toy line, developed by TOMY
, debuted in 1996.
B2
Amy
Lulu
Morgan
Rat-in-a-Hat
Narrator
Mal Heap
David Collins
Aria Awards
Best Children's Album:
Best Original Cast/Show Recording:
, was premiered on ABC-2 in Australia; it will be shown in other countries soon after that date. It contains new songs, stories, and characters, including Topsy the cheeky kangaroo, Charlie the inventive monkey and Bernard the wise old dog. Development of the new series commenced in 2009, and production started in early 2010. The new series contains 104 12-minute episodes.
Given the age of the target audience, chasing teddy bears is not usually a plotline for the show itself, and when it is depicted, it is usually in a playful manner. More often, the bananas engage in activities in singing, dancing, and playing with the other characters, and bantering with each other.
.
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
. It has since become syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
in many different countries, and dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
into other languages. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the "Pyjamas" in the title was modified to reflect the American spelling pajamas. The pilot episode was Pink Mug.
The concept was inspired by the success of the song Bananas in Pyjamas, written by Carey Blyton
Carey Blyton
Carey Blyton was a British composer and writer best known for his song Bananas In Pyjamas which later became an Australian children's television series, and for his work on Doctor Who....
in 1967, on Play School
Play School (Australia)
Play School is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is the longest-running children's show in Australia, and the second longest running childrens show in the world. An estimated 80% of pre-school children under six watch the...
. This song, which had become a regular item on Play School, became the theme of the new series.
The series was revamped in May 2011, now as a CGI series created by Southern Star Entertainment.
Premises
The main charactersFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
are two humanoid banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s named B1 and B2. Other characters include three teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s named Amy, Lulu and Morgan, and Rat in a Hat. The bananas, the teddies and Rat in a Hat all live in the same neighbourhood, a cul-de-sac called "Cuddles Avenue".
Inspiration
The characters were inspired by a 1967 song written for children by British composer Carey BlytonCarey Blyton
Carey Blyton was a British composer and writer best known for his song Bananas In Pyjamas which later became an Australian children's television series, and for his work on Doctor Who....
(nephew of renowned children's author Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
). The jaunty song describes (an unspecified number of) bananas in pyjamas chasing teddy bears, with a slight twist at the end where a musical sting emphasises that the bananas like to "catch them unawares". The song was shown on the Australian version of Play School
Play School (Australian TV series)
Play School is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is the longest-running children's show in Australia, and the second longest running childrens show in the world. An estimated 80% of pre-school children under six watch the...
for many years accompanied by an animation depicting pairs of bananas in blue-and-white striped pyjamas. This led to a "banana" plush toy being created as part of the "toy cast", which formed the basis of the physical appearance of B1 and B2.
Filming
The show was performed using human actors in elaborate costumes, in the style of the British TeletubbiesTeletubbies
Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was...
or Tweenies
Tweenies
Tweenies was a television programme aimed at young children, broadcast on the BBC's Cbeebies channel.-Overview:The programme was created by Iain Lauchlan and Will Brenton, a pair with a track record of being involved in BBC children's programming...
. In the show's early days, the voices of the bananas were provided by the same actors as were inside the costume, but the original actors eventually gave up that aspect of the show and substitutes manned the hot, stuffy costumes. The show aired new episodes from its 1992 debut to its eventual run in syndication in 2002. The show aired approximately three hundred episodes as well as four specials. Its debut in the United States was in 1995. It made videos and other media from 1995 to 1999. A toy line, developed by TOMY
TOMY
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
, debuted in 1996.
Main characters
B1- Ken Radley
B2
- Nicky OpolskiNicholas OpolskiNicholas Opolski is an Australian actor, who is best known for his role as Evan Hancock on the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 2001–2002. He has also provided the voice of B2, one of the characters in the children's television show Bananas in Pyjamas for the ABC. He also worked as a presenter...
Amy
- Mary-Ann Henshaw
Lulu
- Taylor Owynns
Morgan
- Jeremy ScrivenerJeremy ScrivenerDavid Jeremy Scrivener is an Australian actor. He is best known for his appearances on the television series Bananas in Pyjamas and The Girl from Tomorrow Part II: Tomorrow's End...
Rat-in-a-Hat
- Shane McNamaraShane McNamaraShane McNamara is an Australian television and film actor who is best known for his many appearances in the recurring role of Gino Esposito in the Australian soap opera Neighbours....
Narrator
- Karina Kelly
Recurring characters
Emma De Vries- Maggie the Magpie (1994–2002)
- Tolstoy the Tortoise (1994–2002)
Mal Heap
- Puppeteer - Farm Animals (2001)
- Kevin the Butterfly (1992–1993) (uncredited)
David Collins
The Umbilical Brothers
-History:They met in 1988, at the University of Western Sydney in a jazz class, , where David swung around and broke Shane's nose...
- Puppeteer - Farm Animals (2001)
- Tolstoy's Wife (1999) (uncredited)
Farm animals
- Camembert the Cow (Taylor Sweeney)
- Pedro the Pig (Michael Phillips)
- Gregory the Chicken (Matthew Hudak)
- Peck the Chicken (Aaron Oberst-Horner)
- Dolly the Sheep (Maura McGinley)
- Flash the Cow (Jacob Matta)
Season 1 (1992-1995)
- Pink Mug (20 July 1992)
- Picnic Thieves (27 July 1992)
- Moon Rocket (3 August 1992)
- Night Fright (9 August 1992)
- Lost Shoe (10 August 1992)
- Hide and Seek (16 August 1992)
- Music Box (17 August 1992)
- See Saw (23 August 1992)
- Buried Treasures (24 August 1992)
- Grumpy Wumpy (31 August 1992)
- Paper Chase (7 September 1992)
- The Storm (15 September 1992)
- Quick Grow (3 October 1992)
- The Parcel (3 October 1992)
- Wet Paint (5 October 1992)
- The Robot (23 October 1992)
- Happy Holiday (25 October 1992)
- Decorating (4 November 1992)
- It's Raining (20 November 1992)
- Banana's Birthday Monday (7 December 1992)
- Banana's Birthday Tuesday (8 December 1992)
- Banana's Birthday Wednesday (9 December 1992)
- Banana's Birthday Thursday (10 December 1992)
- Banana's Birthday Friday (11 December 1992)
- Doctor Bananas (18 December 1992)
- The Spider (26 December 1992)
- Amy's Castle (9 January 1993)
- Show Business (22 January 1993)
- Getting Rhythm (24 January 1993)
- Musical Stairs (8 March 1993)
- Swamp Lake (15 March 1993)
- Take One (24 May 1993)
- Video Clip (25 May 1993)
- Cuddles Avenue (8 June 1993)
- Fancy Dress (1 November 1993)
- Chasing Rainbows (8 November 1993)
- Something Fishy (30 January 1994)
- Lulu's Magic (19 February 1994)
- Obstacle Race (20 February 1995)
- Ready, Steady, Go! (15 April 1995)
Season 2 (1995-1997)
- Wibbly Wobbly (15 May 1995)
- Atchoo! (22 May 1995)
- Ratmobile (29 May 1995)
- Cafe Rat (31 May 1995)
- Boo! (3 June 1995)
- Fair Game (20 June 1995)
- Magic Carpet (22 June 1995)
- Stone Soup (23 June 1995)
- Housesitter (25 June 1995)
- Morgan's Cubby (25 June 1995)
- Monster Bananas (7 July 1995)
- Strictly Bananas (8 July 1995)
- Goldilocks Bananas (24 July 1995)
- Banana Magic (24 July 1995)
- Slipper Fairy (2 September 1995)
- Painted Bananas (9 September 1995)
- Lost Voice (9 September 1995)
- Banana Shop (14 September 1995)
- Sun Hats (14 September 1995)
- Wash Day (25 September 1995)
- Banana Hiccups (25 September 1995)
- Dream Time (25 November 1995)
- Wishing Pool (30 November 1995)
- Bananasaurus (22 December 1995)
- Bed Time (14 January 1996)
- Forbidden Fruit (21 January 1996)
- Shadow Painting (22 January 1996)
- Chasing Tuesdays (29 January 1996)
- Shop Shut (23 January 1997)
- Mirror Mirror (23 January 1997)
Season 3 (1997-1999)
- Pyjama Party (11 August 1997)
- Pink Spots (12 August 1997)
- Snow Storm (13 August 1997)
- Scarecrow (18 August 1997)
- Treasure Hunt (19 August 1997)
- Broken Truck (21 August 1997)
- Say Cheese (26 August 1997)
- Car Polish (26 August 1997)
- King Rat (8 September 1997)
- Dancing Shoes (8 September 1997)
- Circus Time (12 September 1997)
- Shiny Things (14 September 1997)
- Rat Wash (15 September 1997)
- Fire! Fire!(17 September 1997)
- Super Bananas (19 September 1997)
- Special Delivery (22 September 1997)
- Model Bananas (27 October 1997)
- Big Parade (1 November 1997)
- Rat Post (3 November 1997)
- Whale Snail (20 November 1997)
- Spring Clean (12 December 1997)
- Play Time (6 January 1998)
- Pony Ride (20 January 1998)
- Gallery Rat (31 January 1998)
- Salon Rat (2 February 1998)
- Sand Palace (9 February 1998)
- Magic Lamp (21 January 1999)
- Rat's Hat (22 January 1999)
- Surf's Up (23 January 1999)
- Help! Help! (28 January 1999)
Season 4 (1999-2001)
- Topsy Turvy (31 October 1999)
- Banana News (1 November 1999)
- Knitting Bananas (4 November 1999)
- Magic Sack (5 November 1999)
- Weather Rat (8 November 1999)
- Busker Bananas (9 November 1999)
- Oops! (14 November 1999)
- Surprise Disguise (15 Novrember 1999)
- Lucky Day (22 November 1999)
- Rat's Zoo (29 November 1999)
- Banana Rescue (4 December 1999)
- Special Treasures (26 December 1999)
- New Tent (29 December 1999)
- Rat Clean (31 December 1999)
- Amy's Trombone (31 December 1999)
- Tuesday Disguise (31 December 1999)
- Sleeping Teddy (18 January 2000)
- Where's Lulu? (29 January 2000)
- Moving Bananas (30 January 2000)
- Holiday Time (2 April 2000)
- Space Bananas (23 May 2000)
- Tall Morgan (29 May 2000)
- Crab Catchers (1 June 2000)
- Singing Bananas (25 June 2000)
- Sniffles (21 July 2000)
- Talking Trees (30 July 2000)
- Ship Ahoy!(23 August 2000)
- Purple Pencil (4 September 2000)
- Dirty Rat (11 September 2000)
- Vanishing Vegetables (12 September 2000)
- Pretty Maggie (18 September 2000)
- Joy Flight (22 September 2000)
- Golden Eggs (23 September 2000)
- Statues (24 September 2000)
- Goobledy Gook (25 September 2000)
- Rat Suits (7 October 2000)
- Puppy Love (16 October 2000)
- Tangly Trick (1 November 2000)
- Seeing Double (22 March 2001)
- Springtime Party (14 April 2001)
- Banana Day (14 April 2001)
- Home Delivery (3 August 2001)
- Magic Pumpkin (25 October 2001)
- Invisible Bananas (1 November 2001)
- Washing Lines (23 November 2001)
- Stripes (29 November 2001)
- Work Shed (30 November 2001)
- Tall Story (1 December 2001)
- Noisy Night (8 December 2001)
- Lullaby (9 December 2001)
- Wrong Side of Bed (10 January 2002)
- Strange Signs (17 January 2002)
- Juggling Bananas (23 January 2002)
- Teddy Puppets (25 January 2002)
- Billycart (28 January 2002)
- Rescue Practise (29 January 2002)
- Walkie Talkies (30 January 2002)
- Banana Plumbers (31 January 2002)
- Shoe Shine (18 February 2002)
- Yee Hah! (21 February 2002)
- Dinner Party (24 February 2002)
- Adventure Amy (25 February 2002)
- Street Fixers (6 March 2002)
- Taxi Rat (11 March 2002)
- Paw Prints (22 April 2002)
- Silly Strawberry (29 April 2002)
- Farmer Rat (30 April 2002)
- Cuckoo Clock (27 May 2002)
- Odd Socks (11 June 2002)
- Butterflies (30 July 2002)
Animated Series 1 (2011)
- The Magic Trick (27 June 2011)
- Moving (4 July 2011)
- The Little Fish (4 July 2011)
- Glue (5 July 2011)
- Prince Rat (5 July 2011)
- Fluffy Bunny (6 July 2011)
- The Billy Cart Race (6 July 2011)
- Bird Song (7 July 2011)
- The Nursing Bananas (7 July 2011)
- The Collection (8 July 2011)
- Gold Rush (8 July 2011)
- The Very Special Jelly (9 July 2011)
- The Bushwalk (9 July 2011)
- The Genie Bananas (10 July 2011)
- The New Bike (10 July 2011)
- The Gardening Bananas (11 July 2011)
- Pink Pyjamas (11 July 2011)
- The Camera (12 July 2011)
- Rat's Superstore (12 July 2011)
- The Bernard Mystery (13 July 2011)
- Talent Quest (13 July 2011)
- Mystery Noise (14 July 2011)
- Treasure Hunt (14 July 2011)
- Rat's Retreat (15 July 2011)
- The Flowers (15 July 2011)
- The Fix-it Bananas (16 July 2011)
- A Wonderful Day (16 July 2011)
- The Sleepy Snitcher (17 July 2011)
- The Delivery Bananas (17 July 2011)
- Morgan's Cloud (18 July 2011)
- Old Porridge (18 July 2011)
- Bernard's Party (19 July 2011)
- Morgan's Smelly Sneakers (19 July 2011)
- The Trickisaurus (20 July 2011)
- The Little Birds (20 July 2011)
- The Holiday (21 July 2011)
- The Art Show (21 July 2011)
- The Ducklings (22 July 2011)
- Go Robot (22 July 2011)
- The Pie (23 July 2011)
- The Dragon (23 July 2011)
- The Surprise (24 July 2011)
- Amy's Package (24 July 2011)
- Bubbles (25 July 2011)
- Morgan's Cafe (25 July 2011)
- Rat the Banana (26 July 2011)
- Shoo! Scram! (26 July 2011)
- The Birthdays (27 July 2011)
- The Perfect Spot (27 July 2011)
- Banana Phones (28 July 2011)
- The Banana Truck (28 July 2011)
- Cuddlestown Records (29 July 2011)
Awards
Logie Awards- 1996Logie Awards of 1996The 38th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday 21 April 1996 at Melbourne Park Centre and broadcast on the Nine Network. Daryl Somers from Hey Hey It's Saturday was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening...
(Lost to Agro's Cartoon ConnectionAgro's Cartoon ConnectionAgro's Cartoon Connection was an Australian children's television show that aired on the Seven Network from 1989 to 1997. Shown on weekday mornings, it was primarily hosted by Agro, a puppet played by comedian Jamie Dunn...
)
Aria Awards
Best Children's Album:
- 1994ARIA Music Awards of 1994The Eighth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 30 March 1994 at the State Theatre in Sydney...
Bananas In Pyjamas (Lost to Mic Conway Whoopee) - 1996ARIA Music Awards of 1996The 10th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 30 September 1996 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre...
It's Singing Time (Lost to The WigglesThe WigglesThe Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
Wake up JeffWake up JeffWake Up Jeff is The Wiggles' sixth album released in 1996. This album won the 1996 Aria Award for Best Children's Album.-Tracklist:# We Like to Say Hello - 1:58# Henry's Underwater Big Band - 2:31# Statue - 0:09# Everybody is Clever - 2:03...
) - 2005ARIA Music Awards of 2005The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the previous year's innovation of televising the awards on Sunday evening...
Sing And Be Happy (Lost to The WigglesThe WigglesThe Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
Live Hot Potatoes)
Best Original Cast/Show Recording:
- 1999ARIA Music Awards of 1999The 13th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 12 October 1999 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre...
It's Showtime (Lost to Judi ConnelliJudi ConnelliJudi Connelli AM is an award-winning singer and actress.She is best known for her career in opera and stage musicals...
and Suzanne Johnston Perfect Strangers)
2011 revamp
On 2 May 2011, a new series of Bananas in Pyjamas, produced by Southern Star Entertainment in full CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, was premiered on ABC-2 in Australia; it will be shown in other countries soon after that date. It contains new songs, stories, and characters, including Topsy the cheeky kangaroo, Charlie the inventive monkey and Bernard the wise old dog. Development of the new series commenced in 2009, and production started in early 2010. The new series contains 104 12-minute episodes.
Catchphrase
The bananas are noted for their common catchphrase, often said when the duo get an idea: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, B1?" "I think I am, B2!". Rat in a Hat also has two catchphrases, "Oh, cheese and whiskers!", usually stated when he has not succeeded at a task; and "I'm a rat, I'm a rat, I'm a clever clever rat", which he sings when he thinks of a good idea.Given the age of the target audience, chasing teddy bears is not usually a plotline for the show itself, and when it is depicted, it is usually in a playful manner. More often, the bananas engage in activities in singing, dancing, and playing with the other characters, and bantering with each other.
Sydney Olympics
The Bananas in Pyjamas were featured among other famous Australians during the parade of the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.