Television series
Bananaman
Bananaman is five minutes of gloriously deadpan nonsense: schoolboy Eric eats a banana, becomes a musclebound superhero with the wit of a plank, and blunders through crimes committed by villains considerably smarter than him. Voiced by two-thirds of The Goodies, it's dry, silly, and unmistakably British — a superhero spoof that never once takes itself seriously, perfect for kids and nostalgic adults alike.
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Danger Mouse1981
Same era, same droll British madness — DM and Penfold outwit villains with a wink at spy thrillers exactly as Bananaman winks at superheroes. Closest cousin in tone and pedigree.
But The spy-parody plots move faster and lean on gadget gags, so it feels a touch cleverer and less purely daft.
SuperTed1983no page yet
Made the exact same year by Welsh animators with the same instinct that British telly loves a rubbish superhero — Ted's just as clumsy, just as endearing, just as likely to hit a wall.
But Slightly more earnest morals baked into each episode; less total commitment to pure absurdist chaos.
Count Duckula1988
Cosgrove Hall's other gem — a vegetarian vampire duck who'd rather sing showtunes than bite anyone. Same gleeful silliness, same short, punchy episode structure that never overstays its welcome.
But Vampire spoof rather than superhero spoof, so the specific joke machinery differs even as the spirit rhymes closely.
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Batman1966
Both take the superhero genre completely seriously in form while being total jokes in content — the comedy comes from commitment, not mockery, decades apart.
Adam West's Batman treats crimefighting with the exact straight-faced seriousness Bananaman gives banana-eating — pure camp delivered utterly deadpan, proof the superhero spoof was never just a kids' trick.
But Feature-length pacing and genuine plotting make it a slower burn than five minutes of instant nonsense.
More like this (8)
Kim Possible2002no page yet
American cousin to Eric — ordinary teenager, secret double life, saving the world between homework assignments. Same kid-hero engine, just glossier and more plot-driven.
But Slicker Disney Channel production and season-long arcs feel a world away from Bananaman's disposable five-minute gags.
Teen Titans Go!2013no page yet
Superheroes behaving like idiots, treated as pure comedy rather than drama — short chaotic bursts where competence is optional and jokes always come first. Bananaman's philosophy, Cartoon Network style.
But Louder, faster, more meta and pop-culture-obsessed; some of that deadpan Britishness gets traded for manic American energy.
The Amazing World of Gumball2011no page yet
Total tonal anarchy and mixed-media weirdness where logic is optional and every episode reinvents its own rules — a kindred spirit for anyone who loved Bananaman's refusal to explain itself.
But Less specifically about superheroes; the connection here is spirit and absurdity rather than shared premise.
My Hero2000no page yet
A grown-up, live-action riff on the same joke — a hapless superhero hiding among ordinary suburban life, played by actual humans for actual adults, but with the same gentle silliness.
But Studio-audience sitcom pacing and adult humour are a big leap from five-minute kids' cartoons; broader, slower, talkier.
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja2012no page yet
Another schoolboy secretly saving the day via magical transformation while hiding it from mates and teachers — Eric's exact predicament, just with ninja suits instead of banana peels.
But Longer episodes with real serialised plotting lose some of Bananaman's anything-goes, blackout-sketch structure.
The Tick1994no page yet
Deadpan superhero parody animation for slightly older kids — a dim-witted, invincible hero blundering through crimefighting with total unearned confidence. Bananaman's spiritual American sibling.
But Denser dialogue and more ongoing character work make it less bite-sized than Bananaman's blink-and-it's-over episodes.
Bananas!*2009no page yet
Same fruit, opposite universe — Bananaman's banana grants instant power at no cost, while this film shows the real human cost behind the object played purely for laughs elsewhere.
A real documentary about banana plantation workers suing a major fruit corporation over pesticide poisoning — the fruit that makes Eric a hero turns out to have a genuinely dark global supply chain.
But There's nothing funny here at all; it's a sober, occasionally distressing look at corporate power and worker exploitation.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty2013no page yet
Both hinge on the fantasy of an unremarkable person becoming heroic, but one plays it as absurdist comedy and the other as earnest self-discovery.
An overlooked, ordinary man fantasises about becoming someone extraordinary and eventually gets to live a version of that fantasy — Eric's transformation daydream, stretched into a wistful, grown-up feature.
But Sincere and melancholic where Bananaman is gag-a-minute silly; anyone wanting jokes will find this quiet and reflective instead.