When I was a kid, my favorite show was, by far, The Banana Splits - a Saturday morning mix of cartoons, music, and guys in furry animal costumes.I loved the Splits so much, I begged my parents to take me to see "Fleagle" (my least favorite) when he did a meet-and-greet at "Two Guys" (a defunct 60's variation on Target) in Glenolden (circa '69).
In retrospect, the segments from the show featuring the actual Banana Splits were pretty dismal - just actors horsing around in Phanatic costumes, with dubbed-over voices from Paul Winchell, Alan Melvin, and such. But the cartoons - such as today's YouTube of the very first Arabian Knights episode - were the proverbial cat's ass.
The premise of Arabian Knights is simple - boy, girl, donkey, magician, strongman, and a guy who shouts "Size of an Elephant!" That's pretty much it. If you pull the donkey's tail - he turns into a tornado. Oh, and there are flying carpets.
All the characters are good, but the "Size of an Elephant!" guy is where it's at. He can turn into any animal just by saying the magic words - "Size of an Ostrich!", "Size of a Alpaca!" You get the idea. I occasionally still shout "Size of an Elephant!" to this day for no apparent reason.
I defy you not to enjoy it.
