News

Marty Krofft, the savvy businessman who partnered with his older brother Sid to amass an entertainment empire fueled by such mind-blowing kids TV shows as The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, died Saturday. He was 86.

Eight years younger than Sid, Marty Krofft died Saturday in Los Angeles of kidney failure, his family announced.

“There’s nobody better on this planet,” Sid said of his brother in a 2000 interview for the Archive of American Television website. “I get a dream, and Marty gets it done.”

The pair already were well-known theatrical puppeteers when they were recruited in 1968 to design the costumes for the live-action portion of NBC’s The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.

Their four furry animal characters (Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky), members of a rock band, were an instant hit on the Saturday morning show, which ran from Sept. 7, 1968, to Sept. 5, 1970 (and in...

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 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.

The Kroffts were proudly...

Billie Hayes, the actor who portrayed Witchiepoo on NBC’s “H.R. Pufnstuf,” has died. She was 96.

Hayes’ death was announced on her official website.

Hayes is best known for her portrayal of the comical witch Witchiepoo on Sid and Marty Krofft’s show “H.R. Pufnstuf” from 1969 to 1970. From there, Hayes reappeared as Witchiepoo on “The Paul Lynde Halloween Special” and the series finale of “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.” Hayes also appeared as a witch in several other shows, including “Bewitched,” “Weenie the Genie,” “The Monkees” and “Lidsville.”

Marty Krofft paid tribute to Hayes in a statement to Variety: “In addition to being a very talented and special person, Margret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West/’Wizard of Oz’) once told me that Witchiepoo was the best witch ever. And as far as I’m concerned, there was no one better than Billie Hayes. She was a home run for us and ‘H.

She also voiced Mrs. Neederlander on “Transformers: Rescue Bots”

Billie Hayes, an actress who starred as the wacky villain Witchiepoo on the beloved 1969-70 children’s series “H.R. Pufnstuf,” died Thursday at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. She was 96.

Hayes’ family announced her death on Monday.

By the time she was squaring off with a psychedelic dragon over a talking flute on “H.R. Pufnstuf,” Hayes was already an established comic actress. She made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the ensemble cast of the aptly titled “New Faces of 1956,” which also featured a young Maggie Smith. That same year, Hayes originated the role of Mammy Yokum in the musical “Li’l Abner” and went on to star in the show’s 1961 film version.

However, it was Hayes’ cackling, conniving performance as Witchiepoo (short for Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo) that captured the imaginations of children across the country. Just 44 at the time of shooting,...

Bingo, Fleegle, Drooper and Snorky, the zany collective better known as The Banana Splits, are coming back with a vengeance — and with a body count?

As revivals go, this one may be as audacious as it is unexpected: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Syfy are bringing back the Banana Splits, the trippy-dippy characters introduced back in 1968 as the anthropomorphic hosts of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour variety program. This time around, however, the Banana Splits are being served up in a horror thriller.

The original movie will premiere this year from Blue Ribbon Content, Warner Bros Television Group’s digital studio, via a Warner Bros. Home Entertainment release that will be followed by the television debut on Syfy. The official synopsis: “In the upcoming horror thriller, a boy named Harley and his family attend a taping of The Banana Splits TV show, which...

Sid and Marty Krofft have often said that, through their programming, they “messed with kids’ minds.” But that has proven not to be a negative thing, as their programs not only entertained but inspired future content creators.

“Instead of trying to capture grounded reality with their puppetry, [Sid and Marty] celebrated the absurd and embraced the cartoon sensibility,” says Dan Milano, creator of “Greg the Bunny,” who later worked with the Kroffts on a feature adaptation of “H.R. Pufnstuf.”

“They understand a child’s imagination and how fragmented and sweet — but with an edge of darkness — it can be.”

Milano discovered at an early age that it was entirely feasible to grow up and become a paid creator by watching Krofft productions.

“It made it so that I didn’t feel it was unusual at all that I would draw silly pictures, do silly voices, put on puppet shows, make them talk, and...

Sid and Marty Krofft created memorable, magical Saturday morning live-action television shows including “H.R. Pufnstuf,” “Land of the Lost” and “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl,” but their success extends far beyond sea monsters, magic flutes and Vroom Brooms. They’ve entertained millions, employed thousands and inspired many of today’s content creators — they’re still in production today with “Mutt & Stuff,” which airs on Nickelodeon. Recently, a revival of “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” appeared on Amazon. Now, the dynamic duo is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

“It’s not easy to be in the business with your relatives,” says Marty Krofft. “But we’ve lasted longer than most marriages in the world.”

“You just make it work,” says Sid Krofft. “We’ve been together professionally for 60 years. We argue, but that’s just part of being Sid and Marty Krofft.

Soap fans are gearing up for daytime's biggest night of the year as the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards approach. And as the gala event nears, we've got answers to all your burning questions about this year’s ceremony! When are the 2018 Daytime Emmys? The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has revealed that the Daytime Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday, April 29. The Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be held two days earlier on Friday, April 27. Where are the Daytime Emmys being held? Both the Daytime Emmy Awards and the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards are being held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, CA. "The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is excited to be moving our signature show to the historic Pasadena Civic Center," said Chuck Dages, Chairman of NATAS, last year. "With its grand lobby and world-class architecture, it is a fitting...

One of the best bonuses to come out of the original streaming explosion is the launch of tons of new content for kids and family, and that includes a few throwback titles, like Amazon‘s Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

The original show first aired when I was about two, and was part of a larger Sid & Marty Krofft world that became an integral part of ’70s culture. While there is much to be said for both incarnations of the wacky, family adventure, the best recommendation you can probably give for either is that the spirit of the Krofft effort is fueled by such a childlike imagination that you’re going to end up with something fun. For good or ill, the new effort feels like transporting yourself back in time, not just because the production isn’t exactly updated, but also because the mindset behind the creation isn’t different.

A forgotten oddity from the early 1970s is Jacques Demy’s English language mounting of The Pied Piper, a rather bleak but mostly unequivocal version of the famed Grimm Bros. fairy tale about a titular piper who infamously lured the children of Hamelin to their assumed deaths after being rebuffed by the townsfolk when he similarly rid the town of plague carrying rats.

Set in the 1300s of northern Germany, this UK production blends bits of Robert Browning’s famed poem of the legend into the film, but the end result is unusually straightforward and unfussy, considering Demy’s predilection for inventive, colorful musicals, such as the classic confections The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort. The stunt casting of Donovan as the piper generates a certain amount of interest, although he’s whittled down to a supporting character amongst a cast of master character actors like Donald Pleasence, John Hurt, Peter Vaughan, and child star Jack Wild.

Notably, The Pied Piper is one of the few Demy films not to be built around a strong, beautiful female lead, which may also explain why there’s no center point in the film. Cathryn Harrison (daughter of Rex, who starred in Louis Malle’s Black Moon) and a gone-to-seed Diana Dors (though not featured as memorably as her swarthy turn in Skolimowski’s Deep End) are the tiny flecks of feminine representation. It was also not Demy’s first English language production, as he’d made a sequel to his New Wave entry Lola (1961) with 1969’s Los Angeles set Model Shop. So what compelled him to make this departure, which premiered in-between two of his most whimsical Catherine Deneuve titles (Donkey Skin; A Slightly Pregnant Man) is perhaps the film’s greatest mystery.

Cultural familiarity with the material tends to work against our expectations. At best, Donovan is a mere supporting accent, popping up to supply mellow, anachronistic music at odd moments before the dramatic catalyst involving his ability to conjure rats with music arrives. Prior to his demeaning, Demy’s focus is mostly on the omnipotent and aggressive power of the corrupting church (Peter Vaughan’s Bishop) and Donald Pleasence’s greedy town leader, whose son (a sniveling John Hurt) is more intent on starting wars and making counterfeit gold to pay his gullible minions than stopping the encroaching plague. Taking the brunt of their violence is the Jewish alchemist, Melius (Michael Hordern), who is wise enough to know the rats have something to do with the spread of the disease. Demy uses his tragic demise to juxtapose the piper’s designs on the children.

While Hurt and Pleasance are entertaining as a toxic father and son, Demy seems estranged from anyone resembling a protagonist. Donovan is instantly forgettable, and the H.R. Pufnstuf and Oliver! child star Jack Wild gets upstaged by a wild mop of hair and a pronounced limp (which explains why he isn’t entranced along with the other children), and the film plays as if Donovan’s role might have been edited down in post. The script was the debut of screenwriters Andrew Birkin (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, 2006) and Mark Peploe (The Passenger, 1975; The Last Emperor, 1987) who would both go on to write a number of offbeat auteur entries.

Disc Review:

Kino Lorber releases this obscurity as part of their Studio Classics label, presented in 1.66:1. Picture and sound quality are serviceable, however, the title would have greatly benefitted from a restoration. Dp Peter Suschitzky’s frames rightly capture the period, including some awesomely creepy frescoes housing Pleasence and son, but the color sometimes seems faded or stripped from some sequences. Kino doesn’t include any extra features.

Final Thoughts:

More of a curio piece for fans of Demy, The Pied Piper mostly seems a missed opportunity of the creepy legend.

Film Review: ★★½/☆☆☆☆☆

Disc Review: ★★★/☆☆☆☆☆

The post The Pied Piper | Blu-ray Review appeared first on Ioncinema.com.

If there’s any moment in “Kubo and the Two Strings” that best demonstrates why it’s been nominated for both animated feature and VFX Oscars, it’s the boat sequence (watch the video below). Monkey not only fights the evil sister, but Kubo and Beetle also get entangled underwater with sea monsters in the Garden of Eyes.

“It’s a distillation of the ambition and the insanity of the entire affair,” director and Laika president Travis Knight told IndieWire. “It’s at the mid-point of the film. There’s a raging storm at sea with a boat made out of hundreds of thousands of leaves — it’s a kinetic martial arts battle with action choreography and dynamic cinematography.”

Read More: ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’: How the Film’s Inventive VFX and Costume Design Became Oscar Contenders

“And then, because we’re masochists, we decided to go underwater as well with this enormous,...

Halloween is a time when regular folk allow themselves to see the world as us horror lovers do – weird and wonderful, sinister mischief with tongue in cheek under (and over) tones. They watch that scary movie they’ve been meaning to get to for the past year, string up skeletons, and parade around at office parties in the latest ironic costumes (expect tons of Trumps and Weiners this year). But for the fearful faithful, this is our workaday; we watch the films daily, display our rooms with terror trinkets, and dress up as our favourite icons at constant conventions around the globe. So what separates the actual day of Halloween from our normal routine? TV viewing, of course.

‘Tis the season when every station trots out horror programming, sometimes for weeks on end leading up to and including the big night. A lot of this is for Johnny and Jane...

Odds are, some of your earliest memories contain images of Big Bird, Kermit the Frog, or the surreal silliness of H.R. Pufnstuf. There are few modern childhoods that don't involve watching TV, but what about you?

What was the first TV show you remember watching? Was it Sesame Street? Was it Alf? Was it perhaps one of Nickelodeon's '90s classics like Rugrats? We want to know.

Tell us the first TV show you remember watching in the comments section below.

Michu Meszaros, the man responsible for physically bringing ’80s TV icon ALF to life, has died. He was 76.

According to TMZ, which also confirmed his passing, Meszaros was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home last week, and spent several days in a coma.

Though the titular alien (voiced by Paul Fusco) was typically only shown from the waist up, allowing for puppeteers to control his movements, certain scenes required Alf’s entire body to be on display — and that’s where Meszaros came in.

Meszaros — who stood at just 33 inches tall — started performing in the circus in his home country of Hungary,...

Nickelodeon is about to make denim shirts and khaki shorts look cool again.

Kirk Fogg, who hosted the network’s game show Legends of the Hidden Temple from 1993 to 1995, will be back for its TV-movie reboot.

RelatedHey Arnold: The Jungle Movie Greenlit at Nickelodeon, Series Creator Confirms

Slated to premiere this fall, the scripted Legends revival will follow three siblings who break away from a ho-hum jungle tour, only to find themselves immersed in a high-stakes series of obstacles that they must complete to stay alive.

Details of Fogg’s character are fuzzy, but he will play a key figure...

Sid and Marty Krofft are no spring chickens, but they’re full of forward-thinking ideas, and as a result, their joint career is taking an interesting turn. Sid, 86, and Marty, 78, are best known for creating 70s television shows like H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and Electra Woman & Dyna Girl. In recent years, the Kroffts have ushered in several reboots and spin-offs of their existing shows, and their multi-platform approach provides a compelling case study for any traditional TV producers who are approaching new media.

The Kroffts have been producing shows together since the 50s, but the most relevant phase of their creative collaboration began in 1969, when they brought H.R. Pufnstuf to NBC. With its colorful puppets and unique characters, Pufnstuf has since endured as a cult favorite, as have several of the other children’s series the Kroffts premiered in the following years. In 2007, for example, TV Guide...

Nickelodeon is staging a major reunion (of sorts) later this month. We just hope the network ordered enough pizza to go around.

RelatedDuckTales Revival on Disney Xd: First Photo of Scrooge McDuck’s Team

The March 27 episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (11/10c), titled “Trans-Dimensional Turtles,” finds the famous foursome — Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo — traveling to another dimension, where they encounter alternate versions of themselves from the original 1980s Ninja Turtles cartoon.

Cam Clarke (Leonardo), Rob Paulsen (Raphael), Barry Gordon (Donatello) and Townsend Coleman (Michelangelo) all return to voice their respective turtles, with Pat Fraley also coming back to voice the nefarious Krang.

Blue Barracudas, Purple Parrots and Red Jaguars, listen up!

Nickelodeon is rebooting its classic game show Legends of the Hidden Temple as a TV movie, our sister site Variety reports.

RelatedNickToons Movie to Feature Characters From Rugrats, Rocko and Other Series

To refresh your memory: The original Legends, which was hosted by Kirk Fogg and ran from 1993 to 1995, pitted six pairs of kids against each other as they tackled physical and mental challenges, all in the hopes of making it to the final round, where they ran through the dizzying (and sometimes terrifying) obstacle course that was The Temple.

Similarly,...

The nefarious Witchiepoo and her Vroom Broom are nowhere in sight (whew!), but this first look at H.R. Pufnstuf’s visit to Nickelodeon’s Mutt & Stuff nonetheless will speak to your younger self.

RelatedH.R. Pufnstuf Characters to Make TV Return on Nickelodeon

On Monday, Feb. 15 at 10am Et, Living Island’s dragon mayor — toting Freddy the talking flute and joined by the ever-verbose Cling and Clang on their Rescue Racer — pays a visit to the freshman series’ Calvin and his dog school.

Press play above to get an extended sneak peek at the episode (Pufnstuf and his familiar theme...

Everybody loves The Avengers, right? Ok, now replace Iron Man and the gang with characters from Rugrats, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Angry Beavers and more classic Nickelodeon cartoons. Admit it: You love that idea a lot more.

PhotosAll That Reunion: Nickelodeon Stars Reunite at New York Comic-Con

No, I’m not describing the trip I had last weekend while binging eight hours of DVR’d NickToons; I’m talking about an actual movie in the works at Paramount.

Our sister site Deadline reports that Napoleon Dynamite scribe Jared Hess, along with wife Jarusha, has been tapped to write a...

After spending more than 40 years in journalism — informing generations of adults and children, alike — legendary newswoman Linda Ellerbee is ready to hang up her hat.

Ellerbee on Tuesday announced she will retire after the final broadcast of Nick News With Linda Ellerbee; a one-hour retrospective special titled “Hello, I Must Be Going!” will air Dec. 15 at 8/7c on Nickelodeon.

Before launching Nick News in 1991, Ellerbee anchored and wrote for NBC News Overnight in the early 1980s. Prior to working at NBC, Ellerbee honed her craft as a reporter for the Associated Press in Houston, then as an on-air reporter for CBS.

If Stoop Kid’s looking for another reason to leave his stoop, I think I’ve finally found one.

Nickelodeon is currently developing a made-for-tv Hey Arnold! movie, set shortly after the events of the June 2004 series finale, our sister publication Variety reports.

RelatedH.R. Pufnstuf Characters to Make TV Return in Nickelodeon Special

Though Nickelodeon couldn’t confirm when the movie might air, we do know it will tie up several loose ends, including answering the big mystery surrounding Arnold’s M.I.A. parents. (Update: Arnold’s parents were shown once in the “Parents Day” special in 2000.) The titular character,...

Who's the best witch in all pop culture-dom?

That's a tough question to answer, since movies and TV have offered us all manner of witchy women. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are beautiful (but aren't so nice inside) and some look scary (but are still a lot of fun). In lieu of power ranking the various pop culture spellcasters, we've heralded their individual achievements with yearbook-style superlatives.

1. Most Improved: Mildred Hubble in The Worst Witch

Mildred (Fairuza Balk) is a witchy underdog. No one at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches thinks much of Mildred's potential as master of the supernatural elements,...

“Sesame Street” is introducing its first autistic character to the longtime children’s show in an effort to destigmatize the disorder and reduce bullying. With her big smile and bright orange hair, Julia is part of a new initiative called “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children,” which includes a free app that uses storybooks, videos and other visual media to assist autistic kids and their families with their daily tasks. In the storybook “We’re All Amazing, 1, 2, 3,” Julia explains to her pals Elmo and Abby why she plays a little differently than other kids. Also Read: '...

The news that beloved characters from classic children’s show “H.R. Pufnstuf”are making a return to television took the Internet by storm earlier this week, and nobody was more surprised about the huge reaction than the show’s co-creator Marty Krofft. “I got up at three in the morning to get a glass of water, and ABC News had a whole thing running across the bottom of the screen that said ‘Pufnstuf’ and I said, ‘My god, it’s the middle of the night. Look at what we created,'” Krofft told TheWrap of his experience over the past two days.

The kids show with the kooky dragon is back! Today, Nickelodeon announced they will be bringing back the popular late '60s children's show, H.R. Pufnstuf, for a special episode in 2016.

Created by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft in 1969, the series centered around the adventures of Jimmy, a shipwrecked boy, who washes up on an island populated with a vibrant cast of puppet characters.

Though the series only ran for 17 episodes on NBC's Saturday morning schedule, the show grew in popularity due to its extensive syndication run in the years following its cancelation.

The new special will air in early 2016 as part of another Krofft brothers series, Mutt & Stuff, which debuted this March.

From Marty Krofft, in a statement:

H.R. Pufnstuf was the first TV show my brother and I created, so it has always held a...

Nickelodeon has greenlighted an additional 20 episodes of Sid and Marty Krofft’s Mutt & Stuff, bringing the total number of episodes to 40 for the first season. Included in the 20-episode order is live-action special H.R. Pufunstuf Comes To Mutt & Stuff!, with beloved characters from the cult classic H.R. Pufnstuf, including Cling and Clang, Freddy the Flute and the Rescue Racer. Production on the special will begin this fall with a premiere date set for early 2016. In H.R…...

H.R. Pufnstuf lives!

The puppet dragon at the center of Sid and Marty Krofft’s late 1960s, live-action children’s series — and some of his friends — will be part of a Mutt & Stuff special on Nickelodeon in early 2016, the network announced Tuesday.

Per the official description of the special, which is part of an additional 20-episode order for the kiddie show: “Stuff’s favorite uncle H.R. Pufnstuf decides to visit him at the canine school. When H.R. Pufnstuf arrives with his friends from Living Island, Stuff goes overboard in an attempt to impress him and make sure everything is perfect.

Nickelodeon is bringing “H.R. Pufnstuf” back for a new televised adventure for the first time in 45 years. The network announced on Tuesday that it has greenlit “H.R. Pufnstuf Comes to Mutt & Stuff!” The special will be part of the network’s order for 20 additional episodes of live-action preschool series “Mutt & Stuff” from Sid and Marty Krofft, the creators of “Pufnstuf.” The beloved character that debuted on NBC in 1969 will return to TV in early 2016, along with friends Cling and Clang, Freddy the Flute and the Rescue Racer. Production on the special is beginning this fall. Also Read: Amazon Developing Reboot of.

Teen Titans Go! The Complete First Seasonnow Available On Blu-rayfrom Warner Archive Collection

First 52 Episodes of Popular Animated Series Arrive Today on Two Blu-Ray Discs

Teen Titans Go!, the popular Warner Bros. Animation television series airing on Cartoon Network, gets the full HD treatment via Warner Archive Collection when Teen Titans Go! The Complete First Season debuts on Blu-rayTM today (April 21). Orders are now available via wbshop.com.

What happens after everyone’s favorite teenage super heroes have saved the planet from total annihilation? Swing by Titans Tower and find out as Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy chill out after a hard day of crime fighting and take on some real challenges like laundry, chores, video games and plain ol' trying to get along! Enjoy the laughs when Beast Boy introduces his new villainous girlfriend, Raven's demonic father stops in for a visit, or Cyborg has his birthday...

Legendary Digital Media and Fullscreen have partnered with YouTube phenoms Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart in an updated version of Sid & Marty Krofft‘s classic 70’s TV series Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, bringing the property to a new generation of viewers. Fullscreen will debut and exhibit Electra Woman and Dyna Girl in the U.S. with Legendary Television Distribution overseeing global distribution. Sid & Marty Krofft will executive produce the project.

The reboot will start internet superstars Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart as the seventies icons (shut up, this is my article). The series, comes on the heels of Helbig’s crossover from YouTube fame to television as the host of a late night talk show for E! which premieres in April. Both Helbig and Hart have large social media followings with a combined total of over 10 million subscribers and followers over all of their YouTube and social media platforms.

Amazon has turned heads with its eye-catching slate of original series, which includes Golden Globe winner Transparent and an upcoming series from Woody Allen. The company's library, however, isn't limited to series for adults; it also distributes a number of original programs for kids, including Annedroids and Tumble Leaf. Now, it's adding to that children's library with a new pilot from cult favorite showrunners Sid and Marty Krofft.

You may need to have reached a certain age in order to recognize those names, but the Krofft brothers endeared themselves to young TV viewers back in the late 60s and early 70s. It was then that they created shows like H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, which have endured as cult favorites for the current adults who watched them as children.

For Amazon, the Krofft brothers will revive one of their classic TV shows: Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, which...

Sid and Marty Krofft with Amazon Studios head Roy Price and Sigmund the Sea Monster

From H.R. Pufnstuf to The Donnie and Marie Show to Pryor’s Place, many of the most colorful and memorable series of the 1970s and 1980s sprang from the imaginations of Sid and Marty Krofft. Their groundbreaking, live-action kids fantasy shows were mainstays of the Saturday morning airwaves, which had previously been the exclusive domain of cartoons.

Now the iconic television producers are working with Amazon Studios to develop a reimagined pilot of classic ‘70s children live action series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

“Sid and Marty are geniuses and we are honored to be working with them to bring to the world a return of what we believe is TV’s most fabulous and funniest sea creature ever,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios, in an announcement about the development deal with the Kroffts.

"H.R. Pufnstuf" and "Land of the Lost" creators Sid and Marty Krofft have signed a development deal with Amazon Studios. Said deal includes the creation of a pilot for a reimagined version of the 1970s children's live action series "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters".

The original show centered on two brothers who discover Sigmund, a friendly young sea monster who had been thrown out by his comically dysfunctional undersea family for refusing to frighten people. The boys hide Sigmund in their clubhouse.

Amazon Studios vp Roy Price says: "Sid and Marty are geniuses and we are honored to be working with them to bring to the world a return of what we believe is TV's most fabulous and funniest sea creature ever."

Marty Krofft says: "Sid found Sigmund swimming in the ocean as seaweed. Boy, are we lucky to re-create Sigmund and the Sea Monsters with Roy Price and Tara Sorensen at Amazon Studios.

Invest in foam rubber futures now, because Amazon Studios has inked a deal with Sid and Marty Krofft to “reimagine” their live-action 1970s kids show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

“Sid and Marty are geniuses,” Amazon Studios VP Roy Price said in announcing the pilot order, “and we are honored to be working with them to bring to the world a return of what we believe is TV’s most fabulous and funniest sea creature ever.”

Related24 Alum Annie Wersching Previews Amazon’s Bosch Series Debut

The Kroffts’ dominion over the Saturday morning TV airwaves/my young life began in...

H.R. Pufnstuf creators Sid and Marty Krofft have signed a development deal with Amazon Studios to create a pilot based on a reimagined version of the '70s children's live action series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. "Sid and Marty are geniuses and we are honored to be working with them to bring to the world a return of what we believe is TV's most fabulous and funniest sea creature ever," Amazon Studios vp Roy Price said in a statement. Read more Amazon Greenlights Its Latest Round of Children's Pilots Marty Krofft added: "Sid found Sigmund swimming in the

read more...

In 1976, Sid and Marty Krofft ("H.R. Pufnstuf") created Electra Woman and Dyna Girl for their series The Krofft Supershow. There were sixteen 12-minute segments, that featured Deidre Hall ("Days of Our Lives") as Electra Woman (played by ) and Judy Strangis ("Room 222") as her sidekick Dyna Girl. For whatever reason, Warner Bros. commissioned a new version in 2001 with Markie Post ("Night Court") as Electra Woman and Anne Stedman ("That '70s Show") as Dyna Girl. Where the original version was a spoof on the 60's Batman & Robin television series, this new version was a cynical take on superheroes. Markie Post's Electra Woman is portrayed as former superhero who has become trailer park trash. She's hooked on booze, and has a mighty chip on her shoulder because her original Dyna Girl stole her husband. Watch the pilot above and be on the lookout for brief appearances by The Flash...

Here’s another installment featuring Joe Dante’s reviews from his stint as a critic for Film Bulletin circa 1969-1974. Our thanks to Video Watchdog and Tim Lucas for his editorial embellishments!

Modest, lively juvenile fantasy‑with‑music from the TV series combines live actors and life‑sized puppet characters in broad slapstick. Ok for matinee and family trade. Rating: G.

Economically expanded from Sid and Marty Krofft’s Saturday morning NBC‑TV kiddie show, Pufnstuf is lively and flashy enough to hold the attention of the kids for whom it was designed, although the fantasy has a plastic aura which prevents it from attaining a much higher level than that of cardboard whimsy. A smart merchandising deal with TV sponsor Kellogg, a ready‑made audience, and its G‑rated comic nature will enable the Universal release to score in family situations and kiddie matinees, though it definitely requires a...

“Original” isn’t a word often used in association with found footage films. Dull, repetitive, monotonous and generic are the adjectives you’re more likely to see used as descriptors for the sub-genre. There are stand-outs of course including the first two [Rec] films that rise above the tedium, but more often than not you know exactly what you’re going to get. Frankenstein’s Army isn’t interested in playing the typical game though. Instead of being set in a haunted house populated with ghosts or zombies it moves the action to World War II. Even better, the monsters at the heart of this Pov nightmare are man-made monstrosities that resemble the twisted love children of H.R. Pufnstuf and the Saw franchise. It’s late in the war, and Hitler’s desperation is growing. Russian soldiers pushing deep into enemy territory discover a secret lab housing an array of experiments. Sergei...

Here's an awesome series of limited edition poster art that will be available as Comic-Con exclusives this year! They include radical designs for The Aquabats, Land of the Lost, Yo Gabba Gabba. and H.R. Pufnstuf. Thanks to our friends at /Film for these!

Talented Artists Dave Perillo, Tom Whalen, and Tim Doyle were commissioned by Huckleberry/Toddland. Again the posters are exclusive to Comic-Con, and will be available for purchase at booth #3449.

As a fan of The Aquabats I really love the posters here that were created for the band. Check out the posters and let know what your favoite is!

Dave Perillo’s The Aquabats! print

- regular edition of 150 pcs, $25.00

- variant (The Sandfleas!) edition of 40 pcs, $35.00

Tom Whalen’s Land of the Lost print

- regular edition (green) of 125 pcs, $60

- variant edition (purple) of 75 pcs $85

Tim Doyle’s Yo Gabba Gabba Muno print

- 1st in...

With Emmy nominations right around the corner, Revenge executive producer Mike Kelley indulges our nosiest TV questions, including where he’d really like to see Emily Thorne and Victoria Grayson duke it out. Read the latest in Vulture's Showrunner Survey series to hear his thoughts on the cardinal sin most teen dramas commit, and which dead soap opera character he misses most.What's the first TV show you remember being obsessed with?That’s a tough one. The Six Million Dollar Man? Charlie’s Angels? Fantasy Island? Eight Is Enough? Think it’s too close to call in the nighttime drama category, so l’ll go with the 1970s Saturday morning classic Sid and Marty Krofft’s H.R. Pufnstuf. Years ago, I actually had a chance to meet Puff co-creator Sid Krofft. He’s as delightfully oddball, spacey and brilliant as the kooky masterpiece he and his brother dreamed up.

In a New York living room, sometime in the early 1970s, a young boy is sitting in front of his television (possibly watching an episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus) and playing with plastic toy figures of Earth’s mightiest heroes. He smashes The Hulk into Thor, zooms Iron Man around at incredible speed and makes Captain America leap over an H.R. Pufnstuf doll. Because, you know, he’s got one of those too. Forty some odd years later, that same little boy named Joss Whedon got a chance to slam those toys together again, and he achieved something that’s made up equally of the magic of childhood and the craftsmanship of a seasoned filmmaker. It was an impossible dream, a crazy call-out to the far left field bleachers, but The Avengers is the best movie that Marvel has made. The premise is uncomplicated, but maybe that’s only if you already know all the...

In the late 60s and early 70s, the sibling team of Sid and Marty Krofft produced a number of strange yet imaginative children’s shows. These shows featured bizarre puppets and low-budget special effects. Their vivid and colorful programs (The Banana Splits, H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost) entertained young ones while at the same time, prompting parents to ask “Were the makers of these shows high when they made them?” Sigmund and the Sea Monsters is another fine example of the Krofft brothers’ zany style. The first season is now available on DVD and perhaps you too will ask that very same question.

Read more...

Right now, the official description of Paramount’s Adventures of Tin-Tin presentation at Comic-Con simply reads “Tba.” Which we assume stands for Two Big A-listers — namely director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson, who will whip fanboys into a frenzy if they show up in Hall H at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 22. Not that Comic-Con’s second day is lacking in excitement otherwise — notably a swing-by from Spidey himself (a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield). Check out a few highlights below:

- 12:15-1:15 Relativity Media offers sneak peeks of Raven, starring John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe,...

It seems like San Diego Comic-Con 2011 is right around the corner, and it's going to be one hell of a glorious weekend of geek awesomeness. Comic-Con International has unleashed the full schedule for Friday July 22nd, once again we have a full day of fun and excitement. There's so much I want to see here, including The Amazing Spider-Man, The Walking Dead, Total Recal, Batman: Year One, Locke & Key, Haywire, Raven and more!

I've gone through the list and put exclamation points next to all of the events that we want to cover. Let us know what panels and events you would like to know about and we will try and get them covered for you! If you are actually going to be at the con, what will you be checking out?

GeekTyrant will once again be at Comic-Con in full force this year, bringing you the best maximum super rad coverage.

This exclusive was dropped in my hat and seemed just too bizarre not to report. On Friday, July 22, former Sly Stallone squeeze Angie Everhart will moderate a Sigmund and the Sea Monsters-centric panel down at San Diego's Comic-Con. Angie will grill the show's creators, Sid and Marty Krofft, about all things Sigmund — including the Sept. 6 DVD release of the first season of the psychedelic 1973-75 kiddie show. "Now that Angie has a young son, she is very aware of kids' programming and she is a huge H.R. Pufnstuf fan," explains Marty. "I thought she would be great to host our panel at Comic-Con this year, so I asked her and here she is."...

Read More >...

Who's your friend when things get rough?

The strange, strange world of H.R. Pufnstuf is now out on DVD! Every episode is there with every character you may (or may not) remember, including lead boy Jimmy, his sparkly talking flute Freddy (who can crawl around like an inchworm), Mayor H.R. Pufnstuf (who is some sort of overweight bureaucratic flightless dragon), and the dread Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo, her mean vulture sidekick, and her wild Vroom Broom.

There are just not many shows that reflect the times of the early 70's with as much eerie strength as H.R. Pufnstuf. This is the first 'live action' puppet show created by the infamous duo Sid and Marty Krofft, and it was successful enough that it ran for three full seasons before shuffling off the puppeteer coil.

Included in this new release is, of course, every single episode of the series. As an extra, they've...

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Fred Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Fred by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)

While I don’t think it was one of their better seasons, there was still much to enjoy in South Park: The Complete Fourteenth Season (Paramount, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$57.99 Srp), and even more so as both Trey & Matt return for their patented mini-commentaries on all of the episodes, deleted scenes, and a bonus episode.

If you’re in to Diy and want to extend it to your electronic devices,...

Lidsville -Sid Krofft talked to me over the phone. That’s almost as wild and weird as the shows he created with his brother Marty that dominated the ’70s. Their live action Saturday morning series mixed puppets and people went perfect with the sugar rush from a fresh bowl of Count Chocula. This was like a weird childhood dream as I had so many questions that had puzzled me since childhood. Krofft was eager to give answers.

He was excited about Vivendi Entertainment’s recent release of H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series Collector’s Edition. There’s also a normal H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series. What’s the difference? A cool bobblehead of H.R. Pufnstuf. I’ve had little contact with the bobblehead since my two year-old has turned it into her new best friend. I told Sid Krofft how another generation has embraced the lizard hero of my youth.

Filed under: Features, TV Shows on DVD

What is it about kids' shows? They're the trippiest things on TV. Remember that ghastly Baby Sun from 'The Teletubbies'? That was weird, but nothing compares to 'H.R. Pufnstuf,' the show that made America wonder, "What they hell were they smoking when they made this!? And where in San Francisco can I get some?"

Sid and Marty Krofft's first live-action, giant puppet series premiered in 1969 and held the nation's children in its colorful, hallucinogenic grip for three seasons as part of NBC's Saturday morning lineup. Now you can relive the long, strange trip with 'H.R. Pufnstuf' The Complete Series and Collector's Edition, released today on DVD.

The three-disc package is pretty much a re-release of the Complete Series box that came out a few years ago, but the newer set features an H.R. Pufnstuf Bobblehead plus a rare...