Bananas in Pyjamas is a delightful Australian pre-school TV series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for 0-5 year olds with a theme song of the same name written by Carey Blyton in 1967 and published in the form of a book entitled 'A Book of Nonsense'.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation adopted the song for the children's pre-school program 'Play School'. The song and subsequent animation were so popular it was decided to create 'Bananas In Pyjamas' the television program.

Bananas in Pyjamas, B1 and B2, are mischievous twins who cannot resist playing tricks on their Teddy Bear friends Amy, Lulu and Morgan. Just down the street is Rat in a Hat, whose shop is visited regularly by the Bananas and Teddies. The series has a mixture of narration and dialogue, complimented by specially composed music and songs. Each delightful story features fun, adventures and good humour aimed at the pre-schooler.

In July 1992, the first episode of Bananas in Pyjamas was broadcast in Australia on ABC TV. Bananas in Pyjamas has since become one of the most popular and enduring children's TV programs with pre-schoolers in Australia.

Bananas in Pyjamas is now captivating 70 countries around the world with approximately 100 million viewers, with the Bananas speaking anything from Japanese to Portuguese. They have 299 episodes plus four specials under their belt.

They have travelled the world, visited the White House where they met the President of the United States and appeared on Oprah. They are regarded as one of Australia's greatest exports - up there with the likes of Greg Norman and Kylie, and have been the subject of an Archibald Prize entry. To top it off, the Bananas in Pyjamas were included in the closing ceremony parade at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. You don't get any bigger than that!

Carey Blyton

Carey Blyton, the composer of the nonsense song Bananas in Pyjamas, wrote a great number of works - from piano solos, works for saxophone quartets, choral works, folk song arrangements, Christmas carols and orchestral pieces through to his works for children - songs, orchestral works including chamber music, and Victorian melodramas.

His career as a composer and musician took him from the prestigious Trinity College of Music in London to life as a respected composer and music editor. Amongst the great many awards and scholarships his work earnt him, Carey Blyton was also presented with a Gold Manuscript Award by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2002 to mark the success of Bananas In Pyjamas.

For more information on Carey Blyton you can visit the Carey Blyton website.

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