Splash, Too
Sequel to Splash, first broadcast on ABC in 1988.
Splash, Too, a made-for-television sequel to the 1984 film *Splash*, aired on ABC in two parts on May 1 and May 8, 1988, as part of *The Disney Sunday Movie*. Produced by Walt Disney Television, it was directed by Greg Antonacci and written by Bruce Franklin Singer, with Todd Waring and Amy Yasbeck taking over the roles of Allen and Madison Bauer.
The story picks up four years after the original. Allen and Madison, a mermaid, have been living on a remote island. Missing New York and his brother Freddie, Allen is shown by Madison—who can see images in water—how things are going back home. Freddie is struggling with the family business, Bauer Produce, so Madison agrees to return to New York so Allen can help. They are welcomed back, and Allen lands a potential client, wealthy Karl Hooten, who values family. To impress him, Allen and Madison pose as a typical happy couple, moving into a rundown suburban house they fix up. Madison tries to be a housewife and keep her mermaid identity secret, especially from nosy neighbor Mrs. Needler. But as Allen’s work pulls him away, their relationship suffers. Madison finds support from Karl’s wife, Fern. At an aquarium event, Madison discovers her dolphin friend Salty is trapped in a tank, separated from his mate. She asks Karl to free him, causing tension with Allen, who fears upsetting the client. Madison leaves, swimming into the ocean. Allen later apologizes, and they reconcile. With Fern’s help, they sneak into the aquarium, free Salty, and release him into the ocean. Allen asks how mermaids have babies; Madison smiles and says, “You’ll see.”
The film was the first shot at the new Disney-MGM Studios complex, with a budget of $3.3 million. Producers struggled to cast Madison until Amy Yasbeck screen-tested for director Antonacci and was cast in early 1988. She wore a blonde wig over her red hair, which was cut to shoulder length. She underwent crash-course scuba training and physical preparation for underwater swimming in a mermaid tail. The original tail from *Splash*—designed by Robert Short and built by Thom Shouse—didn’t fit Yasbeck, so new form-fitted tails with zippers were made for her and her stunt double, Arlene Klein. It still took three people to zip Yasbeck into the tail and lift her into the water. She was instructed to swim using only the tail, keeping her arms at her sides, and spent up to an hour under
- Release year
- 1988
- Format
- Made-for-television film
- Director
- Greg Antonacci
- Writer
- Bruce Franklin Singer
- Network
- ABC
- Production budget
- $3.3 million
- Notable production detail
- First film shot at the then-new Disney-MGM Studios complex
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Fantasy-comedy
- Director
- Greg Antonacci
- Producer
- Mark H. Ovitz
- Writer
- Bruce Franklin Singer
- Based On
- Splash · Bruce Jay Friedman
- Starring
- Todd Waring / Amy Yasbeck
- Music
- Joel McNeely
- Cinematography
- Fred J. Koenekamp
- Company
- Walt Disney Television
- Network
- ABC
- First Aired
- 1988-05-01
- Last Aired
- 1988-05-08
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Set four years after the events of the first film, Allen Bauer and his wife Madison, a mermaid, have been living on a deserted island hideaway. Allen misses New York City and his brother Freddie, and Madison uses her magical ability to view images in water to show him what is happening back in New York. The family business, Bauer Produce, is in trouble, so Madison agrees to return to New York so Allen can help his brother. They must present themselves as a typical happily married couple to impress a wealthy potential customer, Karl Hooten, while Madison keeps her mermaid identity secret from their neighbor Mrs. Needler. Tensions arise when Allen breaks promises to Madison, and she finds comfort with Karl's wife Fern. At a business event at an aquarium, Madison sees her dolphin friend Salty in a tank and asks Karl to release him, causing friction with Allen. Madison leaves, swimming into the ocean, but later returns and reconciles with Allen. They sneak into the aquarium and, with Fern's help, free Salty back to the ocean. The film ends with Madison and Allen embracing and Madison hinting at how mermaids have babies.
Reader's Guide
Splash, Too is notable as the first film shot at the then-new Disney-MGM Studios complex, with a production budget of $3.3 million. The film was almost entirely recast from the original 1984 Splash, with Dody Goodman as the only returning cast member. Amy Yasbeck, cast as Madison after a screen test, wore a blonde wig over her red hair and underwent scuba diving training and physical preparation for underwater swimming. New form-fitted mermaid tails were made for her and her stunt double because she could not fit into Daryl Hannah's original tail. The film has had no official home entertainment release in North America on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray, though it was released on VHS in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Australia. Its legacy is primarily as a lesser-known television sequel that introduced a new cast and was produced during a transitional period for Disney television productions.
Did You Know?
- Splash, Too was the first film to be filmed at the then-new Disney-MGM Studios complex.
- Amy Yasbeck could not fit into Daryl Hannah's original mermaid tail from Splash, so new form-fitted tails were made for her and her stunt double.
- The film was almost entirely recast from the 1984 original, with Dody Goodman as the only returning cast member.
- There has been no official home entertainment release of Splash, Too in North America.
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