H.R. Pufnstuf Online

Original Title :: H.R. Pufnstuf
Genre :: TV Series / Adventure / Family / Fantasy
Cast :: Jack Wild,Billie Hayes,Lennie Weinrib
Type :: TV Series
Time :: 30min
Rating :: 7.5/10

H.R. Pufnstuf Online

A young boy named Jimmy has in his possession a magic flute named Freddie that can talk and play tunes on its own. One day he gets on a magic talking boat that promises to take him on an adventure. The boat happens to belong to a wicked witch named Witchiepoo, who uses the boat to kidnap Jimmy and take him to her home base on Living Island, where she hopes to steal Freddie for her own selfish needs. Fortunately Jimmy is rescued by the island's mayor, a six foot dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf. After Jimmy is rescued by Pufnstuf and his two deputies, Kling and Klang, his adventures begin as well as his attempts to get back home.

Series cast summary:
	Jack Wild	-	Jimmy 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Billie Hayes	-	Witchiepoo 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Lennie Weinrib	-	H.R. Pufnstuf / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Joan Gerber	-	Freddy the Flute / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Walker Edmiston	-	Dr. Blinkey / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Sharon Baird	-	Lady Boyd / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Roberto Gamonet	-	H.R. Pufnstuf 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Joy Campbell	-	Cling / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Angelo Rossitto	-	Clang / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Johnny Silver	-	Ludicrous Lion / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Harry Monty	-	Various Characters 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Jon Linton	-	Various Characters 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Andy Ratoucheff	-	Various Characters 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Scutter McKay	-	Various Characters 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Robin Roper	-	Various Characters 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Jerry Landon	-	Living Island Tree 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	Felix Silla	-	Polka Dotted Horse / - 17 episodes, 1969-1970

	The Krofft Puppets	-	Clang / - 16 episodes, 1969-1970

Marty Krofft accepted guardianship of Jack Wild while the teenage boy was in America filming the show. Krofft had 2 teenage daughters, and said later that Wild "made my life Hell."

Paul Simon successfully sued the Krofft brothers for plagiarizing his song, "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." As a result, Simon got a writing credit for the series theme song.

The H.R. Pufnstuf character was originally created for the HemisFair '68 world's fair in 1968, where the Kroffts produced a show called Kaleidescope for the Coca-Cola pavilion headlined by a dragon named Luther, who became the year's symbol of the fair. The Kroffts overhauled the design and changed his colors, with plans to name the show "Lutherland" until a friend suggested "Pufnstuf," which he derived from the recent hit song "Puff the Magic Dragon."

The Kroffts sued McDonalds for copyright infringement because Mayor McCheese and Big Mac bore a strong resemblance to H. R. Pufnstuf. They also noted similarities between the living trees and apple pie trees.

After Sid Kroft watched a rough cut of "Oliver" upon a request from his friend Lionel Bart, he immediately decided to ask Jack Wild for the lead role in this show.

In spite of the show's seeming drug imagery (the psychedelic landscape, an episode prominently involving magic mushrooms, a character whose name is basically "Puffin' Stuff") creators Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft vehemently deny any drug connection.

Only two actresses auditioned to play Witchiepoo. Penny Marshall was first, but they felt that she wasn't right for the part. Stage veteran Billie Hayes came in next, let out a maniacal cackle, and hopped up on a desk. She got the part on the spot.

Many of the characters/voices are celebrity impersonations. These include H.R Pufnstuf (Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle), Ludicrous Lion (W.C. Fields), Dr. Blinky (Ed Wynn), Grandmother Clock (Zsa Zsa Gabor), Pop Lolly (Jack Benny), Judy Frog (Judy Garland), Orson the Vulture (Frank Nelson), Charlie Book (Richard Haydn), the Evil Trees (Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre), the big-lipped tree (Charo), the talking Skull (Boris Karloff), the West Wind (John Wayne) and Max Von Toadenoff (Boris Badenov from "Rocky & Bullwinkle").

The idea of Living Island using buttons as currency came from Sid Krofft's childhood. As a kid he'd charged friends buttons, not pennies, to view puppet shows in his back yard.

Ranked #22 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Top Cult Shows Ever!" (30 May 2004 issue).

Coral Kerr created many characters for Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft's films and television series, and for numerous other live action and animation productions since 1966. She created the idea for what became "Freddie the flute" after she was asked to come up with a sort of conscience for Jimmy. She found out 35 years later that Sid and the two male members of the art department were concerned that it would appear too phallic for a television show.

In a 2005 interview for Rhino's "Saturday Mornings with Sid & Marty Krofft" DVD compilation, producer Si Rose took the credit and blame for the inclusion of a laugh track. He remarked that the Krofft brothers were apprehensive, but due to his extensive work in prime-time sitcoms, Rose was able to convince them that audiences would be less receptive to jokes that weren't accompanied by canned laughter.

Holds the distinction of being the only Krofft show that was shot on film. This series was a financial disaster for the Kroffts, who switched to videotape with "The Bugaloos" both in an attempt to keep costs down and to take advantage of the recent blue-screen technology which was becoming prevalent on television.

Although he was playing a 12-year-old, Jack Wild was actually 16 at the time of filming.

The creators made a sponsorship deal with Kellogg's Cereal, which released tie-in giveaway items including bike pennants, stickers, rings, a replica of Freddy the Flute, and a soundtrack album featuring 11 songs from the show.

In 1970, Kellogg's Cereal teamed with Krofft productions and Capitol Records for a soundtrack album which was available as a mail-order premium. The small 45 was shipped in an ornate yellow box with Pufnstuf's picture on it, and the fold-out album sleeve featured a lyric sheet for the 11 included songs. The whereabouts of the original recordings are unknown, so the versions included in subsequent Krofft compilation CD releases were sourced from a record.

The show was an immediate hit, so NBC renewed it for a second season, but it had become such an overwhelming money pit for the producers that they declined and the network was forced to air reruns.

This was not Jack Wild's first time appearing alongside a dragon puppet. He had previously starred in the 10-part British serial Danny the Dragon (1967).

The first feature film that creator Sid Krofft saw was Волшебник страны Оз (1939), which the then-10-year-old caught during its original theatrical run. He has frequently cited it as his favorite movie and the primary inspiration for this series.

Creator Sid Krofft had just gotten a green-light for the show when his friend, writer Lionel Bart, asked for input on a rough cut of the forthcoming hit Оливер! (1968). Krofft was dazzled by the performance of Jack Wild and quickly concluded that the boy was the perfect choice to play Jimmy. No other actors were considered for the role.

In 1970, Remco released a series of hand puppets, which included Jimmy, Pufnstuf, Witchiepoo, Dr. Blinky, Cling, Clang, Orson Vulture and Seymour Spider.

One of the evil trees regularly references Joyce Kilmer's 1913 poem "Trees," always beginning with the line, "I think that I shall never see..."

User reviews

Doktilar

Anyone who didn't grow up in the 70's who sees this show just sits there in stunned amazement. But, if you saw this show back in its heyday, you probably loved it.

The Kroft shows were a surreal breed. They were puppeteers, but the puppets in these shows were, generally, people in elaborate costumes. The colors were bright and psychedelic. The names were a mixture of puns and silly jokes. There were plenty of songs and hijinxs galore. The stories were silly and lame, but they had a spirit and warmth to them. Loyalty and honesty were always at the heart of the characters and good values always triumphed.

Jack Wild made a name for himself in Oliver and stared as Jimmy. He is marooned on the Living Island by Witchipoo, who covets his Magic Flute. Jimmy is rescued by the mayor of Living Island, H.R. Pufnstuf. Each week, Witchiepoo would concoct another wild scheme to steal Magic Flute; and, each week, her scheme would backfire, thanks to her inept henchmen and her own stupidity.

The one thing that cemented a love of this show, for me, was Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo. Billie was a great comedian and gave her all to Witchiepoo. I was easily scared as a kid, but she was never frightening. Witchiepoo was too much of a screw-up to pose a real threat. She had a charm that made you want to come back. Plus, she had a cool, souped-up broom! And, from all accounts, she was a heck of a nice lady.

I've heard the drug jokes about this and other shows (i.e. H.R. Pufnstuf Hand Rolled Pufnstuf) from the Krofts. Yeah, they're weird and look like the product of a demented or medicated mind, but the writers weren't that young and were pretty straight-laced. Maybe it was just something in the air back then.

Cherry The Countess

For any adult born after 1970, this series (and the movie that was made from it) will make little sense, if any. Wild, raucous colors, dancing, singing, and an island where everything - yes, EVERYTHING - is alive.

Little Jimmy, coaxed to Living Island by the evil machinations of Witchy-Poo (the heavy of the series) finds himself in possession of a magic, talking flute, and trapped on an island of talking hats and dragons and witches, all of which he can barely comprehend. To an adult of today, the show simply makes little sense...

Ah, but if you saw it as a child, as I did, the show makes perfect sense. First, it's *FUN*. That, indeed, was one of the main points of the show - having fun. Yet, each show attempted to impart (as is typical for children's programming) a moral message. In general, the most common message of the entire series was "Perseverance". Keep trying, because though you may fail, if you keep trying, you may succeed in the end. Other lessons imparted by the show include 'Don't steal', 'Don't Lie', and 'Don't be Mean (despite how much fun it may be, you end up hurting others, and that isn't nice).'

Adults today look at the show, searching for depth, perhaps hidden meanings. Well, there *AREN'T* any - what you see is what you get. Cling and Clang have no "Hidden Meanings" - they are simply Cling and Clang. The talking flute is just a talking flute, and Jimmy is just a boy who wants to go home.

Alas, the networks decided to cancel the show. In an era where even the most critically acclaimed shows often died due to a slip of a point or two in the Nielsens, H.R. Pufnstuf was not the smash hit the network demanded. Adults of the time simply shook their heads as their children laughed and clapped and sang along with the simple songs, for parents of the time understood the show about as well as they understood the dark side of the moon.

Yet, I understood it as a child, as did all my friends of that time. Yes, we sang along with the theme song (which I can still sing today, word for word - it was mercifully short), laughed at the antics of the Living Islanders, booed the evil Witchy-Poo, and deeply felt for Little Jimmy, who sometimes wept for his heartfelt desire to go home. As a child, however, I often found I was jealous, even angry with little Jimmy. Living Island was, in the end, a fantasy paradise (despite Witchy-Poo), and for each moment Jimmy sighed and wished he could go home, I sighed and wished I could be there, on Living Island, instead of in the world of 1969, with it's turmoil and strife that were far beyond the comprehension of a little boy.

Akinohn

Attention: If her charms are completely lost on you, read no further!

As someone who's never smoked the wacky tobacky, I do my best to ignore the alleged reference in H(appy).R(elaxing). Pufnstuf. Anyway, my story...

I was just a little too young to watch the show when it first aired. Today, having first seen it on TV Land quite recently, I would easily dismiss it as silly crap if it weren't for one thing: Witchiepoo, the resident villain. This little witch, as played by Billie Hayes, is irresistibly cute and utterly entertaining. She more than makes up for everything the show may lack. Kudos, though, to the rest of the cast, mostly puppeteers.

True, Witchiepoo may seem like a total rip-off of the Wicked Witches in "The Wizard of Oz", but I have yet to fall madly in love with Margaret Hamilton's green-faced ghoul, as excellent as she was in that role. It is a testament to Billie Hayes' talent that, through all the ugly make-up, she can be so wonderfully charming and adorable. Witchiepoo proves that a witch need not be pretty (Samantha, Sabrina) to be lovable. And I defy you to hear that sweet laugh of hers and not instantly fall under her spell!

Witchiepoo is the antithesis of so much sleazy TV programming today, and that's why I don't feel as silly as I could've about proclaiming my deep affection for this sweet and enchanting character. Thirty-five years since Witchiepoo first arrived, and it'll be a long time before I fall for another fictional character the way I've fallen for Witchiepoo. I am truly bewitched.

Delagamand

This show, and many other Krofft programs (i.e. Lidsville and Land of the Lost), scared the hell out of me. In 1979 HR was deep in syndication, but that didn't stop a 4 year old from finding it. You'd sit down and watch, allured by the surreality, the "stranger in a strange land" themes and the larger than life puppet-like characters. You'd expect a benign Sesame Street-like program full of soft freindly characters. But in the land of Krofft all things are slightly twisted, mysterious, surreal. Just look at the expressions they've sewn into the faces of the characters. Dark man, dark. You'd be a little tense for the first 15 minutes, but then Freddy the Flute would bite Witchiepoo on the finger or some hitherto inanimate object would turn around and talk and freak the hell out of you, push you right over the cliff into full throttle terror... I remember crying hysterically and trying explain to my grandmother the freaky stuff that just went down on TV. She probably thought I was crazy. This stuff permeated my dreams and nightmares for years. I deeply repressed all things Krofft and then around age 20 learned that this show actually existed. Boy was I relieved, I hadn't made it all up. Absolutely priceless program, I've got some on tape.

Remember the sleestak? Enik? Chaka? That's a whole nother source of Freudian terror.

Tyler Is Not Here

This is a strange,scary,freaky demented show. All I can remember is a screaming, living flute, bizarro McDonaldland characters and "Withchy-Poo", by far the scariest villian ever on T.V. The thought of seeing this show again sends shivers up my spine. Therefore I have no choice but to give it a "10"

NI_Rak

This was one psychedelic children's show. In all,it was a memorable fantasy-musical adventure fiasco of a series that was filmed on a Hollywood studio lot-at Paramount Studios,and in turn was the first of several Sid and Marty Krofft Productions to be produced for Saturday Mornings. The executive producers were Sid and Marty Krofft themselves along with producer Si Rose,who was also the head writer for several episodes and also the producer-writer for several classic television shows which included "McHale's Navy","The Ghost and Mrs. Muir","F-Troop","My Three Sons","The Doris Day Show",and later with "The Dukes Of Hazzard".

The children fantasy-adventure series "H.R. Pufnstuf" had all the standard tricks associated with the production company,including fantastic costumes,brightly colored and outrageous noisy comedy. The action centered on prepubescent Jimmy,the only human seen on the show,who sail out one day with his talking flute Freddy in his shirt pocket. The evil and menacing and ugly Witchiepoo,however,who coveted the magic flute puts a spell on Jimmy's boat causing it to crash on Living Island. Once there,Jimmy is rescued by the island's leading citizen,an amiable dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf and is adopted by the other adorable denizens of the island including Blinky the wise owl,Cling and Clang,the midget cops,and Four Winds,a breeze with a human visage. All of them worked to keep Jimmy and his high-pitched nervous flute out of the clutches of the evil and diabolical Witchiepoo. However,Witchiepoo's plans constantly ran afoul of her incompetent help. On the plus side was her Vroom-Broom,a gandy contraption featuring a umbrella-shaded seat for the witch and a bathtub sidecar for her goofy vulture sidekick Orson. Unfortunately,Orson was part of Witchiepoo's problem as were Seymour the yellow spider and Stupid Bat. The fearsome(and sometimes frightening)looking Evil Trees and the Mushrooms were supposed to be the scary part of the show,but in turn was very effective in producing a scare tactic not only for little kids,but older teenagers in mind who were watching the show.

As for the show itself,the series "H.R. Pufnstuf" made a superstar out of British actor Jack Wild--who in turn before his television debut was see as the "Artful Dodger",who in turn was magnificent in his singing and acting talents in Carol Reed's 1968 Oscar-winning musical "Oliver",based on the characters from Charles Dickens' great novel. On the show however,you got to see some of the great musical talent that Jack Wild had and it shows with his singing and dancing abilities as well as his acting techniques. Not bad for a child actor though. Also mentioned here is the talents of Billie Hayes as the evil Witchiepoo. Her character was not only menacing but absolutely hilarious to boot,and it shows in some of the episodes. One funny lady. Bit of trivia about the show--"H.R. Pufnstuf"-only actors Jack Wild and Billie Hayes were the only human characters on the show--the rest of them were actors in costumes and their acting abilities were supplied by voice characterizations namely from the talents of Lennie Weinrib(who was one of the head writers for the show),Walker Edminston and Frank Welker.

When "H.R. Pufnstuf",made its premiere on NBC-TV on September 6,1969, the show became an immediate hit with not only with kids,but adults as well. The series lasted three seasons on the network until the final episode on September 4, 1971. Only the first season had original episodes. Seasons two and three were repeated episodes from the first season. During the height of the 1969-1970 season,"H.R. Pufnstuf", was a ratings winner and a smash hit with its audience--mainly with the audiences that consisted of children and its connection with the Saturday Morning audience. The show scored the highest ratings ever in the history of the network,and ousted the competition of other shows airing in the same slot on ABC and CBS. "H.R. Pufnstuf",was the most successful Saturday Morning series on NBC,and the only show besides the animated "The Pink Panther Show" and the live-action adventure series "Skippy:The Bush Kangaroo",to do so during the 1969-1970 season.

Only 21 episodes were produced for this series. After the phenomenal success of the show,Sid and Marty Krofft took "H.R. Pufnstuf",to the next level,and in 1970 Universal Pictures produced a feature length film version called "Pufnstuf",with Jack Wild,Billie Hayes,and Cass Elliott. After the show was cancelled in 1971,repeated episodes of the series were shown on Saturday Mornings on ABC-TV from September 16,1972 to September 1,1973 and from there moved to Sunday Mornings from September 9,1973 until the last repeated telecast on September 1,1974.

After the success of the show,actor Jack Wild went into oblivion never to be heard from since,with a exception for several appearances of children's shows during the remainder of the 1970's and 1980's. He is longer with us. A great talent on a great show.

Nern

Jimmy has a talking flute. Witchiepoo wants the talking flute. There is the underlying premise for a camp romp for children and adults alike.

Witchiepoo steals the show as she seeks to overcome all sorts of obstacles including her bumbling sidekicks to steal the talking flute. All sorts of supporting characters abound in this costume comedy - Kling and Klang (the policemen); HR Pufnstuf (the Mayor); the North and South Winds; and many more.

It was a wonderful adventure and lots of fun when growing up; and still is. A timeless classic that defies the challenges of the hi-tech era. Definitely worth a look!

Vikus

This show rates a solid 10 because I watched this when it first aired and I remember the impression that flute had in my brain at the age of 5. This was possibly my favorite show at that time, Captain Kangaroo was great also, as where Kookla, Fran, and Ollie when they did their foreign film show on CBS. HR Pufnstuf I cant believe was only a 17 episode long show, I guess thats all you really needed as the stories are pretty much all the same, bad witch wants to steal the flute, HR gets captured and it's up to Jimmy to save the day or vice versa. Hey, its a show for 5 year olds so if your an adult watching this for the first time take that into account. You've got to admit that compared to what todays kids have there is nothing like the stuff Sid and Marty put out. After HR went away, I would watch Sigmond and the Sea Monsters where the kids were surprisingly now my age (a pre teen), it's like Sid and Marty made TV shows specifically for my age whenever they first aired, you gotta like that. I also caught Liddsville on Nick at Night and you want to talk about a strange cool show, that was right up there with HR, just no magic talking flutes (but a funny Charles Nelson Reilly). I never had nightmares watching this show as a 5 year old, I thought it rocked! I did try to play the flute though (my mom forced me into music), man did I suck at that (piano too!)! I never caught the Pufnstuf name suggestion till today, you'll have to excuse me, I'm usually the last one to catch on. 10 of 10 for HR, Jimmy and his talking flute!

Phallozs Dwarfs

I cannot recommend this show highly enough! It is a major reason that I grew up with the wild imagination I still have to this day! Along with Lidsville and Sigmund and the Seamonsters, Pufnstuf was a staple of my Saturday morning. I taught a group of high school kids last year. A few of them somehow found out about the show. We started talking and then one of them came back the next day with the DVD set! He bought all the episodes and a new generation was exposed to the big goofy dinosaur. They loved it! Now I need to show it to some younger kids and get them influenced early by Pufnstuf, Witchiepoo, Freddy, Jimmy, and the rest! HR Pufnstuf is a classic. Pufnstuf even went on stage with the Brady Kids at one of their cheesy concerts at the Hollywood Bowl ! The late 60's early 70's were a great time to be a kid. A big dinosaur puppet became a teen idol !

Ishnllador

This is a weird, weird, weird show. My friend Tom and I are afraid to watch it because it feels like you are on drugs. Strange muppets, subliminal messages, hypnotic imagery, funky colors are all on parade in this 1969 TV Series about... you know, I have no clue what was going on! I don't know if this would be considered a recommendation, but I must admit, you should see this show once to see how "trippy" it really is.

Thorgaginn

THIS was my single most favorite television show as a child. I waited every Saturday morning for this show and never EVER got enough of it. I loved every character and every premise. Of course, I was not yet old enough for kindergarten, but that's neither here nor there. I have nothing but fond memories of this show, haphazard though it was.

This enchanting Saturday morning children's fare was the high point of my Saturday morning cartoon watching, though this was live action, rather than animation. It very much held my heart, as I have always been a great lover of all things dragon.

"Onions, onions, la la la! Onions, onions, la la la! Onions, onions, la la la! Oooooh! I love onions!

Remember THAT?

10/10 on the "TV" scale, from...

the Fiend :.

Kale

This past Sunday I went to Best Buy and bought the complete series of episodes from this show on DVD. This show has brought back so many great memories... I can still remember waking up every Saturday morning at 6am and sitting in front of the TV until 11am and watching many shows...like the Superfriends, Hong Kong Fooey, Space Ghost, The Lost Saucer...and many others. BUT...this show by far sticks out more in my memories more than any other.

I remember seeing Witchie Poo trying to steal Freddy from Jimmy and PufNStuf and always failing in the end of each show. I remember the Frog with the sparkly pants, the Boyd's band at the end of each show, the Owl Doctor, Cling and Clang, the talking trees, the Vulture who Witchie Poo always hit on the head or nose...the monster with six arms...and many others... All of these creatures and people together put on half an hour of fun and laughs every Saturday morning for me...

If you have young ones, I HIGHLY encourage everyone who reads this to have them watch the series... I have two little boys, one 5 and the other 8, who are addicted to Jimmy Neutron and SpongeBob. This show, for them, has quickly become one of their favorites...as it once was one of mine. Their friends love the show too!!

Hope this helps anyone out there...

playboy

I just wanted to say that you couldn't pull me away from this show when I was a kid.

I LOVED IT.

What child didn't want to be wisked away to a far away place where trees and creatures of all sorts talked with you.

To this day I still love to reminisce about the show with other friends that have seen the show as well.

And to those who said it didn't make sense................WHAT children's show DOES make sense??? They are a make believe fantasy world that kids dream about. A place for them to get away and just have some PLAIN ordinary fun.

Tiala

Wishamac

I absolutely loved the show when I was extremely young. Luckily, I have a very good memory. Throughout my life I would talk about HR Puf N' Stuff. Sometimes people knew it and of course younger people did not. I had tried for years to get copies, which proved extremely difficult. Actually impossible. I am pleased to say, at the tender age of 41, I have managed to get the whole series. I watch it whenever I can. I am amazed at how much I remember. And the bits I don't are a joy. It is great fun, colourful, hilarious and just the best thing. I am looking forward to introducing it to my niece and nephew and my twins which will be born this summer. Thank you Jack Wild, HR, Billie Hayes and the whole crew. You are fantastic. Totally fantastic.

P.S. One of my favourite lines is when Freddie is swallowed by the 'Horse With The Golden Throat'. Jimmie asks if he's OK. He replies 'Get me out of here. I'm surrounded by carrots'. Mark. XX.

Morad

This is the stuff great memories are made of! At 40 I have not only fallen in love with Jack Wild again, but I adore the entire series even more as an adult. Perhaps it is because Witchipoo and all of the other characters were directed toward adults. As adults we now know the old movie actors they were portraying like John Wayne, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, W.C. Fields, Jimmy Cagney, Peter Lorre and Edward G. Robinson just to name a few. My daughters have also fallen in love with Jack Wild and adore the series too. They love it when Jack sings and dances because they loved him in Oliver. We only wished that the musical numbers Jack did were longer!! We could watch an entire half hour of nothing but Jack Wild singing and dancing. "How Lucky I Am" to have grown up with Jack Wild and now he is a second generation idol to my daughters. What other actors do you know have this lasting charm? May Jack sing and dance for eternity. We love you Jack!!

Vit

as children we grew up on this program. the music and themes were great but hey what did we know we were children. i can still sing the h r puffenstuff song 35 years later. all i remember is that we waited every for every Saturday morning to see this program. i never understood the drug reference til i got a lot older.

The show followed a little boy with a magic flute that could talk. witchiepoo was always trying to trap the little boy and steal his flute and she actually did capture him a couple of times but hr puffenstuf saved the day. h r puffenstuff looked like mayor mc cheese and looked like something out of the muppets rather then Saturday morning animation. this guy could have easily done a cameo on the muppets. The show was cheesy however most of the shows for that time period were pretty cheesy but it was junk food for the brain. we simply have to say thanks to Sid and Marty kroft for a great show because it did keep us occupied on those cold Saturday mornings

Ndyardin

For those who were the children of the 1970's and who were up early on Saturday Mornings to catch one of the most psychedelic children shows ever devised,well let me say that it was just a creator's mindbending version of a acid trip through the eyes of its target audience: children. I had the opportunity to catch a feature length version of this,yes a movie version of this was made in 1969 which was recently seen one Saturday Morning(could you believe it)on some local cable channel. Here are the characters: you have a boy who wanders into a "Wizard of Oz" like world with his talking flute,magical characters that include the mayor who looks a franchise figure from some local food chain at McDonald's....hint...Mayor McCheese....and the evil Witchiepoo. Besides that there are lots of subliminal messages here(believe me,there in there!),and lots of funky and way out groovy colors and lots of imagary,including one scene where Jimmy looks like he's stoned on something! Yes,I'm surprise that the feature length version of this is not out anywhere on video,but if you do its worth seeing only once,but I do remember the TV series when I was a kid coming on NBC-TV Saturday Mornings. About the feature length version by the way,please by all means check out a rare guest appearance by Cass Elliott(from the 60's group Mamas and Papas)as one of the witches here who looks like she on some took a trip onto who knows what...see this for yourself!

About it's star Jack Wild by the way...who was a real hot teen idol when this film(and the TV series) came out,and by the end of the show's run, he disappear from sight..never to be heard from again.....Unless you seen him first in "Oliver"(1968) which was his best work.

Lo◘Ve

I remember thinking it was a weird sort of Sesame Street and I thought the creatures and characters were odd and off putting and really rather pointless. I was a child of the seventies in America and saw this show on TV in syndication but remember dodging it. So glad to see there are some people who thought this show was creepy, too. It sort of reminds me of that Creepy Pasta about Candle Cove, currently being made into a show by the SyFy Channel as Channel Zero. When I saw the show online, I thought immediately about HR Pufnstuf. Especially with the talking skull and Witchy Poo. I guess it was supposed to appeal to the more "hippy" parent who wanted an alternative to the Sesame Street Urban setting. In retrospect, HR Pufnstuf looks like what Sesame Street would be like if one dropped acid.

CopamHuk

by this time its I'm sure you can say dated! I just hope if I ever have kids that they'll watch this instead of Barney!

(haven't watched the DVD again.. but I remember Witchy Poo, the big 'Marshmellow'(sp?) himself, Sigmund the sea monster, the Bugaloos I saw 'Lidsville' on TV land (I'm guessing it was on that.. but someone was just switching through the channels) land of the lost and but there's others I do not remember what it looks like for instance Electra woman & Dynagirl, The Lost Saucer & Far out Space nuts.

Now THAT would be one non 'scary' Halloween costume I wouldn't mind! but I do somewhat agree with who said its a sick show....

What were they showing us in the 70s!? (yes some if from late 60s but all the same to me) Oh yeah anyone remember the Banana Splits? is there any DvDs of that?

Buridora

This show was, to put it kindly, totally insane. I can well understand how Jack Wild could become an alcoholic after being associated with this venture in psychedelic entertainment!

I watched a few episodes, but even as a 12 year-old, that was quite enough.

Duzshura

I've seen this on tape and I think it's really great! It's surreal and funny, and any kid who ever had an imaginary playmate would enjoy it.

The people who created this series were obviously given quite a bit of leeway and let their imaginations run (pardon the pun) Wild.

Delan

I have nothing but deep loathing for the anguish and fear that this dark and frightening series created in the young minds of Australian children. Every episode ended with the boy struggling to get away from an evil figure. Isolationism, fear of loss, envy of others, greed, bullying, self loathing and disconnection with normality were the only themes and lessons that the children were provided with at every episode.

The whole series would make children afraid to dream.

It was a waste of one television channel on Saturday morning because we would all stay well clear of this deeply disturbing production.

Dobpota

This had to be one of the trippiest shows ever. This, of course, was the Krofft brothers first series since leaving Hanna-Barbera and it is definitely their most enduring. The Kroffts had a very vivid imagination. In fact it was so vivid that many people through the years accused them of being on drugs when coming up with many of their early shows. This show definitely should be shown in reruns.

felt boot

To settle an argument I really need to know some information about HR PUFNSTUF in Australia, in particular in relation to the original and any subsequent TV broadcasts of the the series on Australian TV. Any information or help that can be provided will be most appreciated. Does anyone actually know or remember which TV channel HR PUFNSTUF was broadcast on in Australia? Everyone I ask seems to have a different recollection of this, so I'm hoping to get a definitive answer from someone who may know. Was it originally on the ABC or one of the commercial networks? Also, did it ever screen on the ABC? Please post any answers on this Message Board or email me at [email protected] I look forward to hearing from anyone on this. Thanks

Brannylv

H.R. Puffenstuff was a favorite of mine and a wonderful memory of my childhood innocence. I also found that it helped to aid me in the formation of a greater creative imagination! This has been helpful in many endeavors such as; some short stories I once wrote, as well as the development and discovery of the possibilities that life holds for us. H.R. Puffenstuff, Jack Wilde, Withchie Poo, etc. are like mythical characters who have appeared at some point in my life and I feel the show gave me inspiration in learning to deal with these types of people/situations, and other challenges in my life. Unlike some who may have disliked the show, I found it to be an entertaining and truly enjoyable part of my young life. Thanks to all for helping me to recover some of the lost memories.

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