America Goes Bananaz

America Goes Bananaz
Michael Young hosting the show.
Also known asColumbus Goes Bananaz
GenreVariety show
Created byBurt Dubrow
Developed by
  • Burt Dubrow
  • Nyhl Henson
Presented by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerBurt Dubrow
Production locations
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time45 minutes
Production companyWarner-Amex Satellite Entertainment
Original release
Network
ReleaseDecember 1, 1977 (1977-12-01) –
1980 (1980)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

America Goes Bananaz is a teenager-oriented variety show presented by Michael Young and Randy Hamilton. It premiered locally on QUBE's C-1 channel in 1977, with the title Columbus Goes Bananaz. The series was renamed America Goes Bananaz in preparation for a move to then-upcoming youth-oriented national network Nickelodeon; all episodes aired from January 19, 1979, onward used this title.[1][2]

Early episodes of the show were broadcast live from the Westland Mall in Columbus, Ohio.[3] Some episodes incorporated the QUBE system's interactivity, having viewers decide which events they would like to see.[4] The series' interactive element was discontinued as the show went national, and episodes were taped in advance from 1979 until the show ended. Notable guest stars included Arnold Schwarzenegger,[5] Chuck Jones, Todd Rundgren,[5] the Sanford-Townsend Band,[5] Andy Kaufman,[6] and Bob Zmuda.[6]

  1. ^ Dutton, William H. (May 1, 1987). Blumler, Jay; Kraemer, Kenneth (eds.). Wired Cities: Shaping the Future of Communications. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall & Co. p. 83. ISBN 0816118515.
  2. ^ "Karate Goes Bananaz". Black Belt. Vol. 17, no. 6. Active Interest Media. June 1979.
  3. ^ Alford, Bernard (1978). "Columbus Goes Bananaz: The QUBE Experiment in Ohio". The Great Lakes Review. Vol. 5. Northeastern Illinois University.
  4. ^ "Warner Cable's Qube: Exploring the outer reaches of two-way TV" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 47. NewBay Media. July 31, 1978.
  5. ^ a b c Young, Michael; Dubrow, Burt (2010). "Interview with Michael Young and Burt Dubrow about QUBE, pt. 3" (Interview).
  6. ^ a b "A Look Back at Andy Kaufman". Open Culture. January 29, 2013.