Bananas in Pyjamas is an Australian children's television series that first aired on 20 July 1992 on ABC. It has since been syndicated in many countries and dubbed into other languages. In the United States, the "Pyjamas" in the title was modified to reflect the American spelling pajamas. It aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997 as a half-hour series, then became a 15-minute show paired with a short-lived 15-minute series The Crayon Box, under a 30-minute block produced by Sachs Family Entertainment titled Bananas in Pajamas & The Crayon Box. Additionally, the characters and a scene from the show were featured in the Kids for Character sequel titled Kids for Character: Choices Count. The pilot episode was Pink Mug.
20 July 1992 (1992-07-20) – 14 December 2001 (2001-12-14)
The concept was inspired by the success of the song Bananas in Pyjamas, written by Carey Blyton in 1967, on Play School.[1][2] 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 as a CGI animated series created by Southern Star Entertainment.
The main characters are two anthropomorphic bananas named B1 and B2. Other characters include the three teddy bears 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". The bananas live next to the beach and serve as beach patrol. The teddies live next to and look after the park. Rat in a Hat works and lives at the community store. The characters enjoy eating "munchy honeycakes" and "yellow jelly".
Production
Inspiration
The characters were inspired by a 1969 song written for children by British composer Carey Blyton (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.
Filming
Creator, producer and showrunner Helena Harris devised the content of the ABC program at ABC Studios. Two of the bear characters, Amy and Morgan, are named after Helena Harris' children.[3] The show was performed using human actors in elaborate costumes, in the style of the British Tweenies and Teletubbies. 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 wore 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.
2 May 2011 (2011-05-02) – 3 July 2013 (2013-07-03)
On 2 May 2011, a new version of Bananas in Pyjamas, produced by Southern Star Entertainment in full CGI, was premiered on ABC2 in Australia; it was 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.[4][5]
Characters
Main characters
B1 the Banana: Duncan Wass (1992), Ken Radley (1992–2001), Michael James (2001), and then Stephen Shanahan (2011–13),[6]Richard McCourt (2011–13)
Lulu the Teddy Bear: Taylor Owynns (1992–2001), Monica Trapaga (Bananas in Pyjamas (album release)),[7]Sandie Lillingston (Bumping and a-Jumping) and then Ines Vaz de Sousa (2011–13)
In 2017, the Royal Australian Mint produced a commemorative set containing five-cent and 20-cent coins to mark the 25th anniversary of Bananas in Pyjamas. The five-cent coin, which is coloured for the first time, depicts Rat-in-a-Hat, while the twenty-cent coin depicts B1 and B2.[17]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bananas in Pyjamas.
^. Plus Licens Ab. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^. Bananas in Pyjamas. ABC Television. Archived from the original on 19 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^Wood, Patrick (20 July 2017). "Bananas in Pyjamas creator and original stars reflect on 25 years of chasing teddies". Australia: ABC News. from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
^Valecha, Amrita (15 March 2011). . AnimationXpress AsiaPacific. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Stephen Shanahan Bio". RMK Voices. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^"BANANA TIME!". The Canberra Times. 13 March 1994. p. 1 (Junior Times). Retrieved 14 July 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Filmography by year for Troy Planet". IMDB. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^"Troy Planet's Page". Voiceover Universe. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^. Your BlahVoice. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^"Filmography by year for John Leary". IMDB. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^"Eliza Logan Resume". AFTRS. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^"Anthony O'Donohue profile". LinkedIn. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 70.
^"Bananas in Pyjamas". Australian Television Memorabilia Guide. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
^Travers, Penny (4 June 2017). "Bananas in Pyjamas: Royal Australian Mint celebrates 25 years of chasing teddies with new coins". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
^. Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
bananas, pyjamas, australian, children, television, series, that, first, aired, july, 1992, since, been, syndicated, many, countries, dubbed, into, other, languages, united, states, pyjamas, title, modified, reflect, american, spelling, pajamas, aired, syndica. Bananas in Pyjamas is an Australian children s television series that first aired on 20 July 1992 on ABC It has since been syndicated in many countries and dubbed into other languages In the United States the Pyjamas in the title was modified to reflect the American spelling pajamas It aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997 as a half hour series then became a 15 minute show paired with a short lived 15 minute series The Crayon Box under a 30 minute block produced by Sachs Family Entertainment titled Bananas in Pajamas amp The Crayon Box Additionally the characters and a scene from the show were featured in the Kids for Character sequel titled Kids for Character Choices Count The pilot episode was Pink Mug Bananas in PyjamasCreated byHelena HarrisDirected byRoger BayleySophia TurkiewiczTony TilseDi DrewDavid CaesarPaul FaintKarin KreicersIan MunroMichael AilwoodVarcha SidwellDavid EvansRichard WalkerStarringBenjamin BaylockMary Ann HenshawMichael JamesSandie LillingstonShane McNamaraNicholas OpolskiTaylor OwynnsKen RadleyJeremy ScrivenerDuncan WassNarrated byKarina KellyTheme music composerCarey BlytonOpening themeBananas in Pyjamas by Trapaga Vocal GroupEnding themeBananas in Pyjamas instrumental ComposersChris Harriott 1992 99 Peter Dasent 2001 Country of originAustraliaOriginal languageEnglishNo of series6No of episodes304 list of episodes ProductionExecutive producersClaire Henderson 1992 94 Mark Barnard 1996 Virginia Lumsden 1999 2001 ProducersHelena Harris showrunner 1992 94 Tammy Burnstock 1994 Virginia Lumsden 1996 Mark Barnard 1999 Sophie Emtage 2001 Production locationABC StudiosRunning time5 minutesProduction companyAustralian Broadcasting CorporationReleaseOriginal networkABC TVPicture formatPALAudio formatStereoOriginal release20 July 1992 1992 07 20 14 December 2001 2001 12 14 The concept was inspired by the success of the song Bananas in Pyjamas written by Carey Blyton in 1967 on Play School 1 2 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 as a CGI animated series created by Southern Star Entertainment Contents 1 Summary 2 Production 2 1 Inspiration 2 2 Filming 3 Animated version 4 Characters 4 1 Main characters 4 2 Recurring characters 4 3 Farm animals 5 Episodes 6 Home video releases 7 Discography 7 1 Charting singles 8 Cultural impact 9 Awards and nominations 9 1 APRA Music Awards 9 2 ARIA Music Awards 9 3 British Academy Children s Awards 9 4 Logie Awards 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksSummaryThe main characters are two anthropomorphic bananas named B1 and B2 Other characters include the three teddy bears 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 The bananas live next to the beach and serve as beach patrol The teddies live next to and look after the park Rat in a Hat works and lives at the community store The characters enjoy eating munchy honeycakes and yellow jelly ProductionInspiration The characters were inspired by a 1969 song written for children by British composer Carey Blyton 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 Filming Creator producer and showrunner Helena Harris devised the content of the ABC program at ABC Studios Two of the bear characters Amy and Morgan are named after Helena Harris children 3 The show was performed using human actors in elaborate costumes in the style of the British Tweenies and Teletubbies 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 wore 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 Animated versionBananas in PyjamasCreated byHelena HarrisWritten byJohn ArmstrongKym GoldsworthyHolly LyonsKevin NemethDirected byCraig HandleyStarringSophie Aldred UK Version Isabella DunwillRichard McCourtShane McNamaraTroy Planet AU Version Stephen ShanahanInes Vaz de SousaDominic WoodDaniel WyllieTheme music composerCarey BlytonOpening themeBananas in Pyjamas by Ellie Kemper and Chantal StrandEnding themeBananas in Pyjamas instrumental Country of originAustraliaOriginal languageEnglishNo of series3No of episodes156 list of episodes ProductionExecutive producersNoel PriceBarbara UeckerProducerJacqueline ChanRunning time12 minutesProduction companySouthern Star GroupReleaseOriginal networkABC2Picture formatHDTV 720pAudio formatStereoOriginal release2 May 2011 2011 05 02 3 July 2013 2013 07 03 On 2 May 2011 a new version of Bananas in Pyjamas produced by Southern Star Entertainment in full CGI was premiered on ABC2 in Australia it was 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 4 5 CharactersMain characters B1 the Banana Duncan Wass 1992 Ken Radley 1992 2001 Michael James 2001 and then Stephen Shanahan 2011 13 6 Richard McCourt 2011 13 B2 the Banana Nicholas Opolski 1992 2001 Benjamin Blaylock 2001 and then Daniel Wyllie Dominic Wood 2011 13 Amy the Teddy Bear Sandie Lillingston 1992 Mary Ann Henshaw 1992 2001 and then Isabella Dunwill 2011 13 Lulu the Teddy Bear Taylor Owynns 1992 2001 Monica Trapaga Bananas in Pyjamas album release 7 Sandie Lillingston Bumping and a Jumping and then Ines Vaz de Sousa 2011 13 Morgan the Teddy Bear Jeremy Scrivener 1992 2001 and then Troy Planet AU Version 8 9 Sophie Aldred UK Version 2011 13 Rat in a Hat the Rat Shane McNamara 1992 2013 10 Recurring characters Bernard the Dog Keith Buckley 2011 13 Charlie the Monkey Matthew Whittet 2011 13 Kevin the Butterfly Mal Heap 1992 2001 Maggie the Magpie Emma De Vries 1994 2001 Mrs Rat the Rat Georgina Symes 2011 13 11 Tolstoy the Tortoise Emma De Vries 1996 2001 and then John Leary 2011 13 12 Tomasina the Turtle David Collins 1999 2001 and then Meaghan Davies 2011 13 Topsy the Kangaroo Roslyn Oades 2011 13 Farm animals Farm Animals puppeteers Mal Heap Terry Ryan amp Emma De Vries 2001 Camembert the Cow Taylor Sweeney and then Eliza Logan 2011 2013 13 Pedro the Pig Michael Phillips and then Anthony O Donohue 2011 2013 14 Gregory the Chicken Matthew Hudak Peck the Duck Aaron Oberst Horner Dolly the Sheep Maura McGinley and then Olivia Pigeot 2011 2013 Flash the Fish Jacob MattaEpisodesMain article List of Bananas in Pyjamas episodesHome video releasesThe series has been released to home video originally for VHS later also for DVD Birthday Special 1992 Show Business 1993 Hiccups 1993 Monster Bananas 1994 Big Parade 1994 Special Delivery 1994 Surf s Up 1995 Wish Fairies 1995 It s Music Time 1996 Singing Time 1997 Dress Ups 1997 Bumping and a Jumping 1998 Holiday Time 1998 Fun Time 1999 Surprise Party 1999 It s Games Time 2000 Story Time 2000 Rock A Bye Bananas 2001 Summertime 2001 Dancing Daze 2002 Celebration 2002 Farm Adventure 2003 Beat Box 2003 DiscographyBananas in Pyjamas 1993 Live on Stage 1994 Are You Thinking What I m Thinking Mix 1994 It s Singing Time 1996 Bumping and a Jumping 1997 Cuddles Avenue Christmas 1997 It s Show Time 1998 Get Up and Dance 2000 Banana Split Mix 2002 The Fun Collection 2002 Sing and Be Happy 2004 Welcome to Cuddlestown 2011 Playtime 2012 Best Of Classic 2015 50 Best Songs 25 Years 2017 Charting singles List of singles with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positionsAUS 15 Bananas in Pyjamas 1998 82Cultural impactThe Bananas in Pyjamas were featured among other famous Australians during the parade of the 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony 16 In 2017 the Royal Australian Mint produced a commemorative set containing five cent and 20 cent coins to mark the 25th anniversary of Bananas in Pyjamas The five cent coin which is coloured for the first time depicts Rat in a Hat while the twenty cent coin depicts B1 and B2 17 Awards and nominationsAPRA Music Awards Year Nominated works Award Result Ref1995 We Like Wearing Pyjamas Franciscus Antheunis p k a Franciscus Henri Most Performed Children s Work Nominated 18 ARIA Music Awards Year Nominated works Award Result Ref1994 Bananas in Pyjamas Best Children s Album Nominated 19 1996 It s Singing Time Nominated1999 It s Show Time Best Original Cast Show Recording Nominated 20 2005 Sing And Be Happy Best Children s Album Nominated 19 2012 Playtime NominatedBritish Academy Children s Awards Year Nominated works Award Result Ref1998 International Bananas in Pyjamas Special Nominated 21 Logie Awards Year Nominated works Award Result1996 Bananas in Pyjamas Most Popular Children s Program Nominated2000 Most Outstanding Children s Program NominatedSee also Television portal Australia portalList of longest running Australian television seriesReferences Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bananas in Pyjamas Bananas in Pyjamas Plus Licens Ab Archived from the original on 18 August 2010 Retrieved 8 May 2010 About Bananas in Pyjamas ABC Television Archived from the original on 19 May 2010 Retrieved 8 May 2010 Wood Patrick 20 July 2017 Bananas in Pyjamas creator and original stars reflect on 25 years of chasing teddies Australia ABC News Archived from the original on 6 October 2017 Retrieved 2 October 2017 Bananas in Pyjamas ABC for Kids ABC Television Archived from the original on 12 May 2011 Retrieved 29 April 2011 failed verification Valecha Amrita 15 March 2011 Southern Star and ABC Australia to launch Bananas in Pyjamas in May 2011 AnimationXpress AsiaPacific Archived from the original on 20 March 2011 Retrieved 29 April 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Stephen Shanahan Bio RMK Voices Retrieved 20 May 2013 BANANA TIME The Canberra Times 13 March 1994 p 1 Junior Times Retrieved 14 July 2019 via National Library of Australia Filmography by year for Troy Planet IMDB Retrieved 20 May 2013 Troy Planet s Page Voiceover Universe Retrieved 20 May 2013 Shane McNamara at IMDb Retrieved 4 June 2013 Georgina Symes Your BlahVoice Archived from the original on 10 April 2013 Retrieved 20 May 2013 Filmography by year for John Leary IMDB Retrieved 20 May 2013 Eliza Logan Resume AFTRS Archived from the original on 15 June 2013 Retrieved 20 May 2013 Anthony O Donohue profile LinkedIn Archived from the original on 16 June 2013 Retrieved 20 May 2013 Ryan Gavin 2011 Australia s Music Charts 1988 2010 PDF ed Mt Martha Victoria Australia Moonlight Publishing p 70 Bananas in Pyjamas Australian Television Memorabilia Guide Retrieved 17 November 2013 Travers Penny 4 June 2017 Bananas in Pyjamas Royal Australian Mint celebrates 25 years of chasing teddies with new coins ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 4 June 2017 Nominations 1995 Australasian Performing Right Association APRA Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society AMCOS Archived from the original on 8 March 2011 Retrieved 10 September 2018 a b Best Children s Album ARIA Best Original Soundtrack Cast or Show Album ARIA Children s in 1998 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Retrieved 19 February 2023 External linksBananas in Pyjamas Original website Bananas in Pyjamas ABC TV Bananas in Pyjamas TV Series 1992 2001 at IMDb Bananas in Pyjamas TV Series 2011 at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bananas in Pyjamas amp oldid 1147401745, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
