Bananas in Pyjamas,
Are coming down the stairs,
Bananas in Pyjamas,
Are coming down in pairs …
These fun and engaging lyrics by British composer and writer Carey Blyton, nephew of 20th-century children’s author Enid Blyton, laid the foundations for the pyjama duo we know and love, B1 and B2. Blyton composed the “Bananas in Pyjamas” rhyme during a car journey in the late 1960s, in an effort to send his son off to sleep. It was eventually published in Blyton’s A Book of Nonsense.
When the song was picked up by Australia’s longest-running children’s television show, Play School, it was so popular with young viewers that an animation was produced to accompany the song. This was followed by a toy banana, before the popular B1 and B2 characters secured their own show on the ABC in 1992, Bananas in Pyjamas, which has now been syndicated to many countries across the world.
For more than two decades, the mischievous bananas have demonstrated confidence, cooperation and a can-do attitude to their young audience, while having lots of fun with their friends on Cuddles Avenue.
In 2017, the show is celebrating its 25 year anniversary. To help the celebrations, Australia Post is releasing a licensed stamp pack and postal numismatic cover (PNC).
This bright and cheerful pack features 20 Balloon stamps from the Love to Celebrate stamp issue, as well as cute and colourful images of B1 and B2 within the stamp tabs.
The Bananas in Pyjamas licensed stamp pack and PNC are available from 20 June 2017, online, at participating Post Offices and via mail order on 1800 331 794, while stocks last.
This article was produced at the time of publication and will not be updated.