''H.R. Pufnstuf'' is an American children's television series created by

Sid and Marty Krofft Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (April 9, 1937 – November 25, 2023), known as The Krofft Brothers and born as Cydus and Moshopopoulos Yolas, were a Canadian sibling team of television creators, writers and puppeteers. Through ...

. It was the first independent live-action, life-sized-puppet program, following on from their work with

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

's program ''

The Banana Splits Adventure Hour ''The Banana Splits'' is an American children's television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red helmets with yellow crests. ...

''.CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records The seventeen episodes were originally broadcast Saturday from September 6, 1969, to December 27, 1969. The broadcasts were successful enough that

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

kept it on the schedule as reruns until September 4, 1971. The show was shot at

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio i ...

and its opening was shot at

Big Bear Lake, California Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located in the San Bernardino Mountains along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The city is about northeast of the city of San ...

. Reruns of the show returned on ABC Saturday morning from September 2, 1972, to September 8, 1973, and on Sunday mornings in some markets from September 16, 1973, to September 8, 1974. It was syndicated by itself from September 1974 to June 1978 and in a package with six other Krofft series under the banner ''Krofft Superstars'' from 1978 to 1985. Reruns of the show were featured on

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division's MTV Entertainment Group. It was originally launched as Nick at Nite’s TV Land as a spinoff of Nick at Nite programing block consisting e ...

in 1999 as part of its Super Retrovision Saturdaze Saturday morning-related overnight prime programming block and in the summer of 2004 as part of its TV Land Kitschen weekend late-night prime programming block, and it was later shown on

MeTV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television progra ...

from 2014 until 2016. In 2004 and 2007, ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' was ranked #22 and #27 respectively on ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

''s Top Cult Shows Ever.TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever - Today's News: Our Take

: June 29, 2007

Fast food Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...

chain

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

later emulated aspects of the series for its long-running advertising campaign McDonaldland, and the company was successfully sued by the Krofft brothers for

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...

.'' Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. v. McDonald's Corporation'', 562 F.2d 1157 (9th Cir. 1977).

Overview

The Kroffts created the H.R. Pufnstuf character for the HemisFair '68 World's Fair, where they produced a show called ''Kaleidoscope'' for the

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

pavilion. The character's name was Luther, and he became a mascot for the fair. ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' introduced the Kroffts' most-used plot scenario of a fairy tale of good versus evil, as well as their second plot scenario of the stranger in a strange land. The show centered on a shipwrecked boy named Jimmy, portrayed by teenage actor

Jack Wild Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at t ...

. He is 11 years old when he arrives on the island and turns 12 in the episode called "The Birthday Party." Jimmy and a talking flute named Freddy take a ride on a mysterious boat, but the boat is actually owned by a wicked witch named Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo (portrayed by Billie Hayes) who rides on a broomstick-vehicle called the Vroom Broom. She uses the boat to lure Jimmy and Freddy to her castle on Living Island, where she intends to take Jimmy prisoner and steal Freddy for her own purposes. The Mayor of Living Island is a friendly and helpful anthropomorphic dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf, performed by Roberto Gamonet and voiced by the show's writer Lennie Weinrib, who also voiced many of the other characters. The dragon rescues Jimmy and protects him from Witchiepoo, as his cave is the only place where her magic has no effect. All of the characters on Living Island were realized by large, cumbersome costumes or puppetry of anthropomorphic animals and objects. Everything was alive on the island, including houses, boats, clocks, candles, and so forth; virtually any part of the Living Island sets could become a character, usually voiced in a parody of a famous film star such as

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

, Edward G. Robinson, or

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

Characters

Main

* Jimmy (portrayed by

) – A young English human who was lured to Living Island by an enchanted boat. Witchiepoo controlled the boat with the aim of stealing Jimmy's magic talking flute named Freddy. * H.R. Pufnstuf (performed by Roberto Gamonet, voiced by Lennie Weinrib ) – A friendly

dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

who is the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Living Island. * Freddy the

Flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

(voiced by

Joan Gerber Joan Gerber (July 29, 1935 – August 22, 2011) was an American voice actress who provided voices for a variety of cartoons. Her most challenging voice role was "all the children in a Japanese train wreck" for a ''Godzilla'' television episode ...

) – A magic talking flute that is owned by Jimmy. He is often targeted by Witchiepoo. * Cling and Clang (performed by Joy Campbell and Angelo Rossitto) – Two short mute

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

s who work for H.R. Pufnstuf as his Rescue Racer Crew. Cling wears red and Clang wears green. Although they appear vaguely animal-like with their beaked faces, and furry three-toed feet, the Kroffts have said they are actually bells, hence their names, but there are police officers in Pippi Longstocking named Cling and Clang as well. * Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo (portrayed by Billie Hayes) – The primary

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Margaret Hamilton's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West. Witchiepoo is a wicked but ineffective

witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...

who has been targeting Freddy the Flute. She rides a large rocket-powered broom with a steering wheel called the Vroom Broom. She is cruel to everyone around her, even her henchmen, whom she constantly whacks with her wand. Yet when faced with failure, Witchiepoo usually starts to pity herself by asking "Why me"? ** Orson

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

(performed by Joy Campbell, voiced by Lennie Weinrib, imitating Frank Nelson) – A stuffy, somewhat inept vulture who is one of Witchiepoo's henchmen. As her favorite flunky, he multitasks as her sounding board operator,

butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

, and co-pilot on her Vroom Broom. Orson once made the mistake of asking what the W. in his boss's name stood for. The answer: WHACK! ** Seymour

Spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

(performed by Angelo Rossitto, voiced by

Walker Edmiston Walker Robert Edmiston (February 6, 1926 – February 15, 2007) was an American actor and puppeteer. Early years Walker Edmiston was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 6, 1926, to William Sherman Edmiston (1894–1976) and Anna Edmiston ( ...

) – A dim-witted "spider" (appearance as a furry orange

ogre An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...

with eight limbs) who is another of Witchiepoo's henchmen. As her second favorite flunky, he primarily serves her as her hairdresser and an alternative sounding board operator when Orson was busy. ** Stupid

Bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

(performed by

Sharon Baird Sharon Baird, born August 16, 1943 in Seattle, Washington, is an American actress, voice actress, singer, dancer and puppeteer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer. Early life She has one younger brother, Jimmy, also a former chi ...

, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A bat who is the least favorite and least seen of Witchiepoo's henchmen. He mainly serves as her messenger. As his name implies, Stupid Bat is not very bright and his messages are usually delivered one second too late. **

Skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of most animals. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the endoskeleton, a rigid internal fra ...

Guards – Two skeletons who guard Witchiepoo's castle. They are easily spooked and will often run from danger in a flash, but not before their armor and capes fly off in a cartoonish fashion.

Others

* Dr. Blinky (performed by Johnny Silver, voiced by Walker Edmiston impersonating

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show ...

) – An

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

who is Living Island's local

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and

scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...

. Dr. Blinky is also the head of H.R. Pufnstuf's "Anti-Smog, Pollution, and Witch Committee". Other characters (including Polka-Dotted Horse) fear his medical incompetence and are terrified at the prospect of being treated by him. * Judy

Frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

(performed by

, voiced by

) – A singing, dancing frog who is one of H.R. Pufnstuf's friends and the resident entertainer. Judy is based on

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

, whom Sid Krofft had previously toured with and opened for. * Pop Lolly (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A living

lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...

who makes and sells candy and other sweet goods. ** Cheese Guards – Two guards that are living pieces of

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

who work for Pop Lolly. They would often help Pop Lolly fend off a group of Hippie Ants who want to have free candy. * Ludicrous

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

(performed by Johnny Silver, voiced by Walker Edmiston impersonating W. C. Fields) – A lion who works as a

peddler A peddler (American English) or pedlar (British English) is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of good (economics), goods. In 19th-century United States the word "drummer" was often used to refer to a peddler or traveling salesman; as exem ...

and owns a horse-drawn wagon. He is quite cunning and not always so honest when it comes to money. Although slightly shady and greedy, he is officially one of the Good Guys since he would often help to thwart Witchiepoo's plots. ** Polka-Dotted

Horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

(performed by Felix Silla, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A good-natured but dim-witted horse who works for Ludicrous Lion. * Tick Tock (performed by Andy Ratoucheff, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A mobile

alarm clock An alarm clock or alarm is a clock that is designed to alert an individual or group of people at a specified time. The primary function of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they can sometimes be used for o ...

that warns the good characters when Witchiepoo is coming and informs them of various other dangers. *

Grandfather Clock A grandfather clock (also a longcase clock, tall-case clock, grandfather's clock, hall clock or floor clock) is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock, with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. Clocks of this styl ...

(voiced by Walker Edmiston) – A mobile grandfather clock who is married to Grandmother Clock. * Grandmother Clock (voiced by Joan Gerber) – A mobile grandmother clock who is married to Grandfather Clock. * Miss Wristwatch (voiced by Joan Gerber impersonating

Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor ( , ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian Americans, Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were socialites and actresses Eva Gabor and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the ...

) – A glamorous rich mobile human-sized

wristwatch A watch is a timepiece carried or worn by a person. It is designed to maintain a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or another type of ...

. * Hippie Ants - A group of

ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...

s that would try to have free candy from Pop Lolly. * The Boyds - A bunch of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s that serve as Living Island's residential band. The Boyds are based on

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

. ** Lady Boyd (performed by Sharon Baird, voiced by Joan Gerber) – A blue

who is the lead singer of The Boyds. She was often seen singing the end theme to this show. * Shirlee Pufnstuf (performed by Sharon Baird, voiced by Joan Gerber impersonating a younger

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

) – A

who is H.R. Pufnstuf's sister and a famous actress. * Max von Toadenoff the Great (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A monocled

toad Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...

who works as a

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

. Max von Toadenoff the Great is based on

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim, ; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...

, but named for

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a pr ...

. * The Good

Tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s – Several walking, talking trees who always help out H.R. Pufnstuf and the good guys. In the film ''Pufnstuf'', the song "Living Island" described them as the "Hippie Trees of Peace and Love". They consist of: ** Hippie Tree (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A tree with sunglasses and dreadlocks who often speaks in hippie slang. ** Madame Willow (voiced by Joan Gerber) – Also known as the Dowager Tree, Madame Willow is an older,

elitist Elitism is the notion that individuals who form an elite — a select group with desirable qualities such as intellect, wealth, power, physical attractiveness, notability, special skills, experience, lineage — are more likely to be construct ...

female tree with a

lorgnette A lorgnette () is a pair of glasses, spectacles with a handle, used to hold them in place, rather than fitting over the ears or nose. The word ''lorgnette'' is derived from the French ''lorgner'', to take a sidelong look at, and Middle French, f ...

. ** Chief Redwood (voiced by Walker Edmiston) – Also known as the Indian Tree, Chief Redwood dons a feathered headdress and speaks in the fashion of a stereotypical melodramatic Native American. ** There is an older, male tree who may or may not be the husband of Madame Willow. ** There is another female tree whose lips are always in the shape of an "O". ** There is a baby tree. * The Evil

s – Three trees on Witchiepoo's side that speak in a

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

n accent. **Evil Tree #1 – (voiced by Lennie Weinrib impersonating Béla Lugosi) – The leader of the Evil Trees. ** Evil Tree #2 (voiced by Walker Edminston impersonating

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. Known for his timidly devious characters, his appearance, and accented vo ...

) –. ** Evil Tree #3 (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A tree that always speaks in rhyme. * The

Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

s – A group of talking mushrooms on Witchiepoo's side that turn whoever touches them into mushrooms. The mushroom leader smokes a

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...

and speaks like

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

. * The Crustaceans – They are shown in several episodes as well as the closing theme song, some

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

-like characters who are never named or introduced. There is a family of them, much like the living clocks and the living trees. They almost never say anything, but one of them has a couple of brief lines in "The Almost Election of Witchiepoo." * Witchiepoo's

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

– A talking, living entity that is home to Witchiepoo and her minions. There is also a door inside the castle that is a separate living entity as well as living pillars. * Dr. Blinky's

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

– A broken down house, propped up with crutches with a bandage on one side and an ice pack atop its chimney. It suffers from explosive sneezing that it has no control over. This usually sends Pufnstuf and friends running for cover, although it has been occasionally used to thwart Witchiepoo's plans enough for her to tell the house to cover its door when it sneezes. It houses several other inanimate talking characters such as

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design. ...

(who speaks like Edward G. Robinson), a

test tube A test tube, also known as a culture tube or sample tube, is a common piece of laboratory glassware consisting of a finger-like length of glass or clear plastic tubing, open at the top and closed at the bottom. Test tubes are usually placed in s ...

(voiced by Walker Edmiston) and a candle (voiced by Walker Edmiston). There is a talking

human skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominen ...

(who speaks like

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

) and a few talking

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

s, one of which is named Charlie (voiced by Lennie Weinrib). Charlie's brother, an evil black book of spells, is kept on Witchiepoo's nightstand. * The

Wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

s – The Winds of Living Island are often called upon by H.R. Pufnstuf to blow Witchiepoo out of the sky. They consist of the

North Wind A north wind originates in the north and blows in a southward direction. The wind has had historical and literary significance, since it often signals cold weather and seasonal change in the Northern hemisphere. Mythology *In Greek mythology, ...

(voiced by Walker Edmiston in a shivering voice), the

South Wind The south wind is the wind that originates from the south and blows north. South Wind may also refer to: * ''South Wind'' (film), 2018 Serbian film * ''South Wind'' (TV series), 2020 Serbian TV series * , 2021 Serbian film * , 2022 Serbian TV s ...

(voiced by

in a southern belle voice), the

East Wind An east wind is a wind that originates in the east and blows in a westward direction. This wind is referenced as symbolism in culture, mythology, poetry, and literature. In culture and mythology In Islam, the east wind Saba holds religious signi ...

(voiced by Walker Edmiston in a Chinese accent), and the

West Wind A west wind is a wind that originates in the west and blows in an eastward direction. Mythology and literature In European tradition, it has usually been considered the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds. In ancient Greek ...

(voiced by Lennie Weinrib impersonating

Production

After creating costumes for characters in the live-action portion of ''

'', Sid and Marty Krofft were asked to develop their own Saturday morning children's series for

. The plot was recycled from ''Kaleidoscope'', a live puppet show the Kroffts had staged in the

pavilion of the HemisFair '68 World's Fair. It included several key characters from this show, such as Luther the dragon and a silly witch.Sid Krofft and Marty Interview Part 1 of 5
at YouTube. Retrieved January 16, 2009. Other ideas were cultivated from Sid's life. As a child, he had charged friends buttons, not pennies, to view puppet shows in his back yard;Sid Krofft Interview Part One of One
at YouTube. Retrieved January 16, 2009. buttons were standard currency on Living Island. Sid and Marty had toured with their puppets as the opening act for Judy Garland, and they based Judy the Frog on her.Sid and Marty Krofft Interview Part Two
at YouTube. Retrieved January 16, 2009. Ludicrous Lion bears more than a passing resemblance to Irving, the eponymous lion in a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

they had made in 1957 called ''Here's Irving''. Sid's friend

Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was an English writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...

asked him to view a rough cut of the movie adaptation of ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'' Sid took notice of young actor Jack Wild and immediately decided that he was the kid whom he wanted to play the lead in his television series.''E! True Hollywood Story: The Weird World of Sid and Marty Krofft'' Only two actresses auditioned to play Witchiepoo. The first was then-unknown

Penny Marshall Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for ...

. Stage veteran Billie Hayes came in next, set into a maniacal cackle and hopped up on a desk. She was given the part on the spot. For Marty Krofft, the production was a particular headache. Marty accepted guardianship of

while the teenage boy was in the United States filming the show. He later described bringing Wild into his home as a mistake, considering that he already had his hands full with two young daughters. Like most children's television shows of the era, ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' contained a

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is an audio recording consisting of laughter (and other audience reactions) usually used as a separate soundtrack for comedy productions. The laugh track may contain live audience reactions or artificial laught ...

, the inclusion of which the Kroffts were initially against. Sid Krofft commented "We were sort of against that, but Si Rose — being in sitcoms — he felt that when the show was put together that the children would not know when to laugh." Marty Krofft added "the bottom line — it's sad — you gotta tell them when it's funny. And the laugh track, (Si) was right. It was necessary, as much as we were always looking to have a ''real'' laugh track, ''a real'' audience. In comedies, if you don't have them (laugh track), you're in big trouble, because if you don't hear a laugh track, it's not funny. And that's the way the audience (at home) was programmed to view these shows." H.R. Pufnstuf appeared in a segment of '' Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'', and along with Witchiepoo in the '' Lidsville'' episode "Have I Got a Girl For Hoo Doo", where Hoo Doo conjures Pufnstuf as Witchiepoo's date for a witches' dance. '' The Krofft Superstar Hour'' also involved characters in two segments ''The Lost Island'' (which H.R. Pufnstuf was in) and ''Horror Hotel'' (in which Witchiepoo, Orson Vulture, Seymour Spider, and Stupid Bat are featured with Hoodoo). The Kroffts also loaned out the character, with Hayes reprising her role, for '' The Paul Lynde Halloween Special'', in which she appears as the sister of the Wicked Witch of the West (portrayed by Margaret Hamilton).

Theme song

The show's theme song, titled "H.R. Pufnstuf", was written by Les Szarvas but is also credited to

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

. Simon's credit was added when he successfully sued The Kroffts, claiming that the theme too closely mimicked his song "

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" is a song by folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon and originally released on their 1966 album ''Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme''. ''Cash Box'' called it a "sparkling, spirited li ...

". He is credited as the song's co-writer in TeeVee Tunes's ''Television's Greatest Hits Volume 5: In Living Color''. A cover of the show's theme song, performed by

The Murmurs The Murmurs were an American alternative pop music duo composed of singer-songwriters Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody. History The Murmurs and Gush Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody (Reid) began performing as The Murmurs in 1991 while the duo we ...

, is included on the 1995

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

'' Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits'', produced by

Ralph Sall Ralph Sall is an American record producer, music supervisor, composer, songwriter and screenwriter. He is the president of Bulletproof Entertainment, a company involved in several facets of the entertainment industry, including film, televisio ...

for

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

Episodes

''All episodes were directed by Hollingsworth Morse and written by Lennie Weinrib and Paul Harrison. (Robert Ridolphi also co-wrote Episode 1 "The Magic Path".) ''

Cast

– Jimmy * Billie Hayes – Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo

Krofft puppets

Voice characterizations

* Lennie Weinrib – H.R. Pufnstuf, Bela Lugosi Tree, Dr. Blinky's Talking Book, Stupid Bat, Pop Lolly, West Wind, Akim Toadenoff the Great, Orson Vulture, Polka Dotted Horse, Hippie Tree, Alarm Clock, Jimmy as Movie Villain *

– Dr. Blinky, Peter Lorre Tree, Dr. Blinky's Candle, East Wind, Grandfather Clock, North Wind, Chief Redwood, Dr. Blinky's Test Tube, Ludicrous Lion, Seymour Spider *

– Freddy the Flute, Grandmother Clock, Judy the Frog, Madame Willow, South Wind, Lady Boyd, Shirley Pufnstuf

Film

While the television series was still in production, the Kroffts were approached to do a film adaptation.Sid & Marty Krofft Interview
on YouTube. Retrieved January 18, 2009. A joint venture between

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

and the show's sponsor Kellogg's Cereal,Passing Show, The Bridgeport Post, January 22, 1970 p. 21 the 1970 film retained most of the cast and crew from the series and featured guest appearances by

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Cass Elliot, was an American singer. She was also known as "Mama Cass", a name she reportedly disliked. Elliot was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the P ...

as Witch Hazel and

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including on Broadway. She was hono ...

as Boss Witch. The movie was finally released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

in 2001 by Universal Home Video as part of its Universal Treasures Collection and on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

on May 19, 2009. The film also included Googy Gopher, Orville Pelican, and Boss Witch's chauffeur Heinrich Rat, who were exclusive to the movie. A difference in the film is that the characters that had been voiced by Lennie Weinrib were each voiced by Allan Melvin and

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered voice roles include Scooby-Doo; Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ''The Flintsto ...

. The Kroffts have long had plans for a new ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' film. Sony first attempted a remake in 2000, but dropped the project. Eight years later, Sony again announced development on the project, but there has been no news since.

Tours

A number of stage show tours were run in the United States starring the characters from the show. The most prominent of these was "H.R. Pufnstuf & The Brady Kids Live at the Hollywood Bowl", which was performed and recorded in 1973. This performance was released on VHS in 1997. In 1970, H.R. Pufnstuf was featured in a float at the

Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New ...

in Pasadena, featuring the cast from the show. Pufroses1

An elaborate H.R. Pufnstuf puppet show was featured at The Sid and Marty Krofft Puppet Theater at Six Flags Over Mid-Missouri in 1971. H.R. Pufnstuf and his pals Cling and Clang also made life-size appearances at the park. A section of the 1971 Six Flags Over Mid-Missouri map shows the location of the theater near entrance to the park's Sky-Way Ride.

Home media releases

In 2004,

Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company (formerly Rhino Records Inc.) is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded ...

/Rhino Retrovision released ''H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series'', featuring all 17 episodes on three discs, remastered and uncut, accompanied by interviews with Sid & Marty Krofft, Billie Hayes, and Jack Wild. ''Pufnstuf'', a major motion picture released in 1970, was also released on May 19, 2009, by

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

. SMK and Vivendi Entertainment has obtained the home video rights to the series and released the complete series on January 11, 2011. Two versions of the release exist; one is a traditional complete series set, while the other is a collector's set, featuring a bobble-head of H.R. Pufnstuf. The series is also available in Digital media format at iTunes Store. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, during 1986, Channel 5 Video released the opening three episodes of the television series on VHS.

McDonaldland lawsuit

The show was the subject of a successful U.S. federal

lawsuit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...

brought by the Kroffts against the

fast food Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...

restaurant

, whose McDonaldland characters were found to have infringed the show's

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, ...

. The case, '' Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions Inc. v. McDonald's Corp.'', 562 F.2d 1157, was decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1977.

Claims of drug references

The Krofft brothers have responded in several interviews to popular beliefs that subtle

recreational drug Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an Sub ...

references exist in the show.Owen, Rob. "'H.R. Pufnstuf' leads TV Land's foray into 'retrovision, ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'', April 1, 1999, p.D1.Boas, Liz. "When giant puppets walked the Earth, Sid and Marty Krofft creations like 'H.R. Pufnstuf' once roamed wild on kids' TV – now they're invading again: A Sid and Marty Krofft Primer", ''Austin American-Statesman'', December 12, 1996, XL Entertainment section, p. 38.Clodfelter, Tim. "Revival: the fantastic worlds of Sid and Marty Krofft are back in vogue again", ''

Winston-Salem Journal The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina. The paper is owned by Lee Enterprises. ''The Journ ...

'' (

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

), August 17, 2000, p.E1. For example, the title character's name ''Pufnstuf'' has been interpreted as a reference to smoking hand-rolled (H.R.)

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

(puffin' stuff);Triplett, Ward. "Who's your friend?" (Etc. column), ''

The Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...

'', February 2, 2004, p.D3.Finney, Daniel P. "Creators are clear: 'Pufnstuf' was definitely an acid trip", ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', February 17, 2004, p.D3.Walker, Kevin. "Masters of puppets", ''

The Tampa Tribune ''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area. The newspaper also published a ''St. P ...

'', June 18, 1999, Friday Extra! section, p.20. Marty Krofft has said the initials ''H.R.'' actually stand for "Royal Highness" backwards. The show's theme song lyric "he can't do a little, 'cause he can't do enough" has been read as referring to the addictive nature of drugs. Pufnstuf has quotes like "Whoa, dude!" and other "hippie" slang words. Lennie Weinrib, the show's head writer and the voice of Pufnstuf, has said, "I think fans gave it a kind of mysterious code-like meaning, like 'Ah, was Pufnstuf puffing stuff? Like grass?' Was it psychedelic? Was it drug oriented? Not to us, it wasn't." In a 2000 interview, Marty Krofft answered the question by saying, "The Krofft look has a lot of color, but there were no drug connotations in the show." He addressed the topic at length in an interview with the ''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...

'' in 2004, in response to the question, "OK, let's get this right out in the open. Is ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' just one giant drug reference?": Authors of books on the show and its contemporaries, however, have not always accepted the Kroffts' alternative explanations for apparent references to drugs. David Martindale, author of ''Pufnstuf & Other Stuff'', maintains that the Kroffts' desire to attract an audience who are now parents of impressionable children pushes them to downplay the

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

s: "But to deny it, the shows lose some of their mystique. The Kroffts prefer to remain playfully vague." Martindale said in another interview that he fully believes Marty Krofft's insistence that he did not use drugs, especially given that Marty's focus was that of a businessman, but Martindale describes Sid Krofft as "a big kid" and "a hippy", saying, "His comment when I told him we were going to do this book was—and I quote—'Oh, far out.' He says these shows didn't come from smoking just a little pot, and you could say, 'Oh, yeah. It comes from smoking a lot of pot.' But I think he was very deliberately doing double meanings so the show could amuse people on different levels."Silva, Elda. "Head back in time with David Martindale's 'Reruns' column", ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 1865. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the sta ...

'', April 20, 1998, p.1C. Kevin Burke, co-author of ''Saturday Morning Fever: Growing Up with Cartoon Culture'', argues that the "consistency of thought" in the rumors of drug references has a basis, although his co-author and brother Timothy Burke, a history professor at

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the e ...

, insists "human beings are capable of achieving hallucinatory heights without chemical assistance." Contradicting his own position, Marty Krofft has neither admitted nor hinted in occasional interviews that the references were made knowingly; in one case, a writer reported that when pressed as to the connotation of "

lid A lid or cover is part of a container, and serves as the closure (container), closure or Seal (mechanical), seal, usually one that completely closes the object. Lids can be placed on small containers such as Tub (container), tubs as well as large ...

s" in the title '' Lidsville'', "Well, maybe we just had a good sense of humor", Krofft said, laughing. His comments to another interviewer were more direct; in a ''Times Union'' profile whose author observed, "Watching the shows today, it's hard to imagine a show with more wink-and-nod allusions to pot culture, short of something featuring characters named Spliffy and Bong-O", Krofft conceded that the show's title had been an intentional marijuana reference, as had ''Lidsville'', but "that was just a prank to see if they could get them past clueless NBC executives".McGuire, Mark. "Hey kids, it's Wink and Nod: Sid and Marty Krofft (mostly) made the '60s counterculture safe for Saturday morning television", '' The Times Union'' (

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

), February 13, 2004, p.D1.

Parodies and tributes

*H.R. Pufnstuf appears in the eighth episode of the first-season of ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

'', titled "Green Thumb Burglars", with his voice reprised by Lennie Weinrib. He is pulled over by Ponch ( Erik Estrada) and Jon ( Larry Wilcox) on one of Los Angeles' numerous freeways. Though he was referred to by name, while Jon maintained a sense of decorum about the actor inside the Pufnstuf suit, he let the good Mayor Pufnstuf off with a warning. Ponch later declared himself a "big overgrown kid", in reference to the kids' show. *One of the most notable parodies of ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' was "The Altered State of Druggachusetts", a segment on the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

comedy series '' Mr. Show with Bob and David''. The sketch consists of a failed

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

for a kids' show introduced by "Sam and Criminy Craffft" (portrayed by

Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, comedian, and producer. He started his career as a comedian and comedy writer before expanding his career by acting in dramatic works. His List of awards and no ...

and David Cross). The show itself is similar to ''H.R. Pufnstuf'', with drug references made humorously overt. Instead of a talking flute, the boy carries a talking

bong A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the smoke flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right ...

, and all of the residents in Druggachusetts take or are living incarnations of various drugs.Richard Leiby. "Wham! Right on the funny bone: the high low comedy of 'Mr. Show, ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', October 23, 1997, p.B1. * Nike made a skateboarding shoe for their SB Dunk line named after the show, with the colors of the shoe resembling those of Pufnstuf. * Todd Kauffman, animator and director of the ''

Total Drama ''Total Drama'' (often shortened as ''TD'') is a Canadian animated sitcom created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis that premiered on Teletoon (now the Canadian version of Cartoon Network (Canadian TV channel), Cartoon Network) in Canada on ...

'' series, initially made a pitch for an animated adaptation of H.R. Pufnstuf in 2005 complete with a
animated opening sequence
wit
the theme song
covered and performed by

Finger Eleven Finger Eleven is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1990. They have released seven studio albums (six as Finger Eleven and one as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), with their album ''The Greyest of Blue Skies'' bringing th ...

, but option rights costs led the project to be disbanded. Kauffman however, was later inquired to do the cover for the DVD release, "Sid & Marty Kroffts Saturday Morning Hits". Pufnstuf 4

*H.R. Pufnstuf appears in the fifth episode of season 3 of ''

My Name Is Earl ''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia (producer), Greg Garcia for NBC. It aired for four seasons from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, with a total of List of My Name Is Earl episodes, 96 episodes. It wa ...

'' titled "Creative Writing". In a fantasy sequence based on a story written by Randy ( Ethan Suplee), H.R. Pufnstuf is the sidekick to Randy's secret agent character. *In 2016, H.R. Pufnstuf, Cling, Clang, and Freddy the Flute appear in a crossover episode of '' Mutt & Stuff'' titled "H.R. Pufnstuf Comes to Mutt & Stuff!" with H.R. Pufnstuf voiced by Randy Credico with Mary Karcz providing the in-suit performance and Donna Kimball providing the face performance, Freddy the Flute performed by Kimball, and Cling and Clang performed by Arturo Gil and Joseph S. Griffo. H.R. Pufnstuf is depicted as the uncle of Stuff. *In 2017, professor of religion

Jeffrey Kripal Jeffrey John Kripal (born 1962) is an American college professor. He is the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University in Houston, Texas. While chairman of the Religion Department at Rice, he helped found their ...

wrote in his book ''Secret Body'' of the show's impact on his young life. "Disturbing," he recalled. "Who wrote this stuff? And puff'n on what stuff?"Jeffrey Kripal, ''Secret Body: Erotic and Esoteric Currents in the History of Religions'', University of Chicago Press, p. 25. *In 2018, reference to ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' is made in Season 2 of the Amazon Original show ''

Goliath Goliath ( ) was a Philistines, Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's giant, immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challen ...

''. In the show, criminal billionaire Tom Wyatt (

Mark Duplass Mark David Duplass (born December 7, 1976) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and musician. With his brother Jay Duplass, he started the film production company Duplass Brothers Productions in 1996, for which they wrote and directed ''The ...

) recreates his own erotic memories/fantasies from his childhood while the intro to ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' is playing on the TV. Duplass' character on the show is fixated on individuals, male and female, who have lost their limbs. While having ties to the "La Mano Cartel" on the show, the head of the cartel, removes limbs, heads, etc., and sends these people to Wyatt to use in his fantasies. Each time before Duplass' character reverts to his fantasies, he says "H.R. Pufnstuf, who's your friend when things get rough?"

References

External links

70s Live Action Kid Vid
- "Was McDonaldland plagiarized from the old "H.R. Pufnstuf" kids' TV show?"
DVD Verdict – Region 1 DVD reviewDVD Times – Region 0 DVD review
* * {{Sid and Marty Krofft 1960s American children's comedy television series 1969 American television series debuts 1969 American television series endings Pufnstuf, H.R. NBC original programming American Broadcasting Company original programming American television shows featuring puppetry Television series by Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Universal Television Television series about children Television series about dragons Television series set on fictional islands Television series about talking trees