Bananas (TV show)
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Bananas |
| Country of production | Germany |
| Year (s) | 1981-1984 |
| Production company |
WDR |
| length | 45 minutes |
| Episodes | 28 in 4 seasons ( list ) |
| Broadcasting cycle |
monthly on Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. |
| genre | music show |
| Theme music | " Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot " by the Swedish group Caramba (from episode 7 in the credits), or a cover version of it |
| Director | Rolf Spinrads |
| idea | Rolf Spinrads |
| music | Lonzo Westphal , Caramba |
| Moderation | Hans Herbert , Herbert Fux , Gerd Leienbach , Olivia Pascal and Frank Zander |
| First broadcast | March 24th, 1981 on Das Erste |
.jpg)
Bananas was a music and comedy show of the WDR , which ran from March 1981 to November 1984 in the first program of the ARD .
title
The title Bananas is derived from the English expression going bananas for having fun . In the opening credits there was a cartoon sequence with an airship whose float was a banana and which dropped bananas from its gondola.
Theme song
The theme melody used for all episodes was composed by Lonzo Westphal . In the credits from episode 7, the title "Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot" by the Swedish group Caramba was used, which was produced in a fictional language - initially in the original, later in a cover version by Gerd Leienbach.
recording
Bananas preceded the plate kitchen :
"For me the plate kitchen was the delivery room in Bananas."
Again Rolf Spinrads had the idea for the show. The innovation was that Klaudi Fröhlich was no longer directing:
"The change was, of course, that Spinrads decided to direct itself, so he was an editor and director, which was unique at WDR."
In terms of content, the biggest difference was that musical performances and skits followed one another, i.e. the music was no longer interrupted by skits.
“Basically, Bananas is based on its kind of plate kitchen. Record kitchen was even more anarchy. "
The production took place unchanged at Bavaria Film , but there was no longer the same studio decoration from one row to the next, but a decoration adapted to the music title. The skits were self-contained and played in their own decoration that matched the theme. In addition, there were now a lot of outdoor shots, most of which were shot outside the Bavaria site.
actor
The actors did not have fixed roles like in the record kitchen, but played someone else in each sketch and sometimes themselves.
Frank Zander
Frank Zander was the only actor that Spinrads had taken over from the record kitchen. But he only appeared in the six episodes of 1981, because he then switched to ZDF, where he presented caution, music :
"I would have liked to continue with him, I say quite frankly, because we are both a bit on a steamer too."
Olivia Pascal
Olivia Pascal had already worked as an actress in several films, she was Bravo Girl of the Year and the only woman among the actors.
“Olivia was of course the sunshine, also for Rolf, he always adored beautiful women! When she was in the studio, he always made sure that she was doing very well. "
Olivia was particularly popular in the team for love scenes:
"I also had a few skits with her, I guess somewhere in bed and every time I thought:
beautiful girl!"
Herbert Fux
Herbert Fux was primarily intended to play villains like bank robbers. Like Olivia Pascal, he came from the cinema.
Gerd Leienbach
Gerd Leienbach came from the radio. He helped build the SWF3 program and invented the Black Forest elk.
Hans Herbert Boehrs
Hans Herbert Böhrs only introduced himself to Hans Herbert on the show, he came to the show through a mutual friend of his and the director:
“I'm still very close friends with Otto Waalkes . And then Spinrads had filmed the first Otto shows. And then Spinrads said to Otto's manager: What kind of freak is this here, he's really funny. We want to do a new show there, can't he even come to Düsseldorf ?
And then I was cast in the following way:
There was a bar on one corner on one side that only had top-fermented beers, there was a pre-fermentation, and then Spinrads went with me to the other bar and there was it about 480 brandies and liqueurs. Four hours later I passed the exam and was accepted. "
Böhrs did not manage to find a friend with Bananas:
“Back then there was a person with whom I have been friends for a long time and whom I have known for a long time and who always had great ideas and also had skits and was very funny and who said:
Get in touch with Rolf Spinrads , maybe I can take part. And then I made contact and after three hours we all broke up again and then Rolf said to me:
No, that somehow doesn't fit!
I said: why?
Yes, he doesn't drink anything. He doesn't drink Alhohl!
That was Olli Dittrich ! "
music
The music selection corresponded to that of the record kitchen, there were unchanged German and international performers, whereby Rolf Spinrads again ensured that Italian and Dutch artists were of increased importance.
In the 11th episode, Joseph Beuys performed for the first time as a singer with the title Sun instead of Reagan .
Some music tracks were shot as video clips, which was new on European television at the time. Often the employees appeared as extras, for example the mixer, the production assistant and the wife of Rolf Spinrads disguised as nuns with alcohol from Herbert Grönemeyer . There were also tracks recorded far away from the studio as an outside recording:
“A lot of people were always amazed because we had such great backdrops where some groups really didn't really belong. Then suddenly Depeche Mode had chickens in its arms. "
The same way of working applied as for shooting the comedy contributions:
"With Rolf Spinrads it was just like this: zack turned, he liked it, off to the pub!"
running time
- March 24, 1981 to November 19, 1984 ("Best of")
- Follow-up series with the same director: Kangaroo
Web links
- Bananas in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- tv wish list
- List of episodes with date of broadcast and list of all artists / titles
- End credits of the series. Flight of the members on a banana over Cologne
Television documentary
Laughing stories - Bananas, a film by Winni Gahlen, 45 min., WDR, 2013
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Hans Herbert Böhrs in laughing stories - Bananas
- ^ Rüdiger Pohl, production manager in Laughing Stories - Bananas
- ^ A b Karin Zahn, assistant director in Laughing Stories - Bananas
- ↑ Thilo Spinrads, son of Rolf Spinrads in Laughing Stories - Bananas
- ^ Frank Zander in Laughing Stories - Bananas
- ^ Inge Spinrads, wife of Rolf Spinrads in Laughing Stories - Bananas