My children will watch anything on television as long as it’s a cartoon or looks like it was made for kids. So when I came across the new Banana Splits I decided to put them to the ultimate test. The group is made up of four animal mascots named Snorky, Bingo, Fleegle and Drooper who make music videos and have an interactive website.

Turns out these guys were actually created by Sid and Marty Krofft back in 1968 for The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Back then, the furry costumed rock band lived in a psychedelic funhouse and were on the cutting edge of whacked-out children’s television created to capitalize on the hippie counterculture. The original Banana Splits LPs are hot collectibles for people reared on the show.

The Splits returned in 2000 and again in 2008. But the new incarnation just isn’t as much fun. The production value is lacking and the songs seem uninspired. So I’m asking you, the public, with kids of your own, am I missing something here with the new Banana Splits? Then again, I never understood the appeal of a big purple dinosaur named Barney and he seemed to catch on.