Marty Krofft, co-producer of kids' shows with brother Sid, dies age 86

[ifindedout]

Marty Krofft, Colorful Producer of ‘H.R. Pufnstuf,’ ‘Land of the Lost,’ Dies at 86

Marty Krofft, who with his brother Sid produced memorable kids shows 'H.R. Pufnstuf' and 'Land of the Lost,' has died. He was 86.

variety.com

Marty Krofft, who with his brother Sid produced memorable kids shows “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost” — as well as the 2009 feature based on the latter — has died. He was 86.

Krofft died of kidney failure Saturday in Los Angeles, Calif., a family representative told Variety.

Often referred to as the King of Saturday Mornings, Krofft and his brother also produced a number of primetime variety shows, including “Donny and Marie” and “Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.”

Sid and Marty Krofft began their careers producing children’s television with “H.R. Pufnstuf,” a live-action program about a boy (played by British actor Jack Wild) in a fantastic land with a dragon for a friend (H.R. Pufnstuf, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) and a witch — Witchiepoo, played by Billie Hayes — for an enemy; as conceptualized, the show followed the interactions between human actors; actors in colorful, oversized costumes; and life-size puppets with enormous heads.

While H.R. Pufnstuf is far better known, as a kid my favorite Krofft show was Lidsville.

RIP Marty. You and Sid helped make kids want to get up on Saturday mornings.

 

[charminglane]

I wanted to BE Witchiepoo.

Nothing better than a Super 70's Saturday morning, crafted by the Krofft's.

 

[charminglane]

Fun Fact:

At my work we have Binge Boxes.
Staff were allowed to curate a dvd boxed set for checkout of anything they liked.
Mine is called _____'s Super 70's Saturday Morning.
The Bugaloos, Lidsville, Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Dr. Shrinker, Sigmund the Sea Monster, they're all in there.

 

[Laughing]

Fun Fact:

At my work we have Binge Boxes.
Staff were allowed to curate a dvd boxed set for checkout of anything they liked.
Mine is called _____'s Super 70's Saturday Morning.
The Bugaloos, Lidsville, Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Dr. Shrinker, Sigmund the Sea Monster, they're all in there.

What, no material for The Banana Splits available??? Sid & Marty Kroft costumes.

Maybe we need a thread for these....

 

[charminglane]

Believe me, I'm going to get Banana Splits, too!!!

Uh oh, Trongo!

 

[ifindedout]

What, no material for The Banana Splits available??? Sid & Marty Kroft costumes.

Maybe we need a thread for these....

I loved them on the sadly missed WKBS Ch. 48! Over hill and highway the Banana buggies go....
Uh oh, Chongo!

 

[Laughing]

Believe me, I'm going to get Banana Splits, too!!!

Uh oh, Trongo!

The Banana Splits were used at the King's Island amusement park near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Yes, I've seen them live.

Please, no autographs today.

Thanks, Mr. Kroft!

 

[charminglane]

I loved them on the sadly missed WKBS Ch. 48! Over hill and highway the Banana buggies go....
Uh oh, Chongo!

@ifindedout
Did you watch Gene London?

 

[ifindedout]

@ifindedout
Did you watch Gene London?

No, not normally. Not out of dislike or anything, I just didn't.

 

[ifindedout]

Near me (well, sort of) is Six Flags Great Adventure, which opened in 1974 as simply Great Adventure, in Jackson, NJ off I-195. While Great Adventure seems like a logical name for an amusement park, I've wondered if the naming of the park was influenced by Sid and Marty, because the opening theme for Lidsville (see my OP), being first-run on ABC at the same time the park was being mentally conceived (and was itself set inside an amusement park, inside a magician's hat), contains the following lines:

In the middle of the summer, in the middle of a park
There began a great adventure for a boy whose name was Mark....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags_Great_Adventure
Lidsville - Wikipedia

 

[Inthedetails]

I loved H.R. Pufnstuf as a kid. It was wonderfully weird.

Rest in peace, Marty Krofft

 

[arielilane]

Used to watch H.R. Pufnstuf every Saturday morning because of JW. I guess you could say my first big crush! One year I dressed up as Witchy-poo for Halloween. Every year usual costume a witch, but somehow I got a really vibrant red wig that year and decided on being witchy-poo! It was too fun.

The talented Mr. Krofft, rest in love.