The Saturday Banana facts for kids

The Saturday Banana was a fun Saturday morning TV show for kids. It was made by Southern Television for ITV. The show's host was Bill Oddie, who was famous from the comedy group The Goodies.

Bill Oddie also wrote and sang the catchy theme song for the show. The first episode aired on July 8, 1978. It ran through the summer and into December, even having a special Christmas episode!

Did you know the show almost had a different name? According to an interview with Bill Oddie, it was meant to be called The Saturday Bonanza. But someone's messy handwriting led to it being misread as "Banana," and the name stuck!

What Was The Saturday Banana?

The Saturday Banana was a children's television show. It was broadcast live from Television Centre, Southampton. Sometimes, pre-recorded video clips were also shown.

The show took over from another kids' program called Our Show. One of the young hosts from Our Show, Susan Tully, joined The Saturday Banana.

Where Could You Watch It?

Many ITV channels across the UK showed The Saturday Banana. These included Anglia, Border, HTV, LWT, STV, Southern, Westward, and Yorkshire.

When the show first started, it was on at the same time as another popular kids' show, Tiswas. So, depending on where you lived, your local ITV station decided which show you got to watch! For its second series in 1979, only Southern and Anglia continued to broadcast The Saturday Banana. Most other regions chose to show Tiswas instead.

Meet the Robot Star

A famous robot character, Metal Mickey, first appeared on The Saturday Banana. He became so popular that he later got his very own TV show! Metal Mickey was a sitcom that ran from 1980 to 1983. After The Saturday Banana, Bill Oddie went back to working with The Goodies.

Behind the Scenes Fun

The presenters on The Saturday Banana wore bright yellow T-shirts. These shirts had the show's banana logo on them.

Special metal badges were given out to guests and the kids in the audience. These children were chosen from local schools.

The Giant Banana

Southern Television built a huge yellow, peeled banana! They placed it right in front of their studios. This giant banana often appeared in the show's opening videos. It was also seen in the background when cameras filmed outside.

The show had about six different opening video sequences. They all featured Bill Oddie's theme song. There was even a special one just for the Christmas episode!

Exciting Show Features

The Saturday Banana had many fun segments for its young viewers.

• Music Chart Rundown: Each week, the show featured a music chart. Guest pop groups would pretend to sing their latest songs. After their performance, they had to slide down part of the main set for an interview!
• Dream Activities: Kids could write to the show with their "dream activities." The show's team would try to make these dreams come true! For example, Bill Oddie once wrestled a small child in a square filled with mud-colored "gunge."

The Runaround Quiz

The show also had its own version of the game show Runaround. This game was well-known because of comedian Mike Reid. But for The Saturday Banana's version, one of the show's researchers, Bill Gamon, hosted the wild quiz.

Special Guests and Moments

The Saturday Banana often had exciting guests and unique moments.

• Hollywood Star Visit: Once, West Side Story star George Chakiris was on the show. He was in a London play called 'Passion of Dracula'. He arrived at the studio in a horse-drawn hearse! He drove across Northam Bridge, which surprised many drivers.
• Steam Train Fun: The very first episode featured a real steam train. It was on the railway tracks that ran through the studio car park. The train was named Bonnie Prince Charlie. It was borrowed from the Didcot Railway Centre.