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Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (born April 9, 1937) are a
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
sibling team of television creators and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they have made numerous children's television and variety show programs in the U.S., particularly in the 1970s, including '' H.R. Pufnstuf'' , '' Land of the Lost'' and ''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters ''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'' is an American children's television series that ran from September 8, 1973 to October 18, 1975, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and aired on Saturday mornings. It was syndicated by itself from December 1975 to ...
'' . Their fantasy programs often feature large-headed puppets, high-concept plots, and extensive use of low-budget special effects.


Early years

The Krofft brothers, Sid and Marty, were born in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
, Canada on July 30, 1929, and April 9, 1937. They are of Greek and Hungarian descent, with their original surname being Yolas. For years, they claimed to have been the fifth generation of puppeteers in their family, but revealed in 2008 that this story was invented by a publicist in the 1940s. Their father Peter was a clock salesman who moved from Canada to
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
, and then to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Sid Krofft became a noted
puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden fr ...
who worked in
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
and was a featured player with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. In the 1940s, Sid created a one-man puppet show, "The Unusual Artistry of Sid Krofft", and performed it throughout the world. His father joined him on tour in Paris while Marty stayed in New York, where he started using his older brother's puppets to earn money by staging performances. By the 1950s, the Krofft brothers were working together, and in 1957, they developed '' Les Poupées de Paris'', a puppet show with more mature themes.


Television productions

After designing the characters and sets for
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
's ''
The Banana Splits ''The Banana Splits'' is an American 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 marching band hats with yellow plumes. ...
'' (NBC, 1968–1970), the Krofft's' producing career began in 1969 with the landmark children's television series '' H.R. Pufnstuf''. The series introduced the team's trademark style of large-scale, colorful design, puppetry, and special effects. Featuring a boy who has been lured into an alternate fantasy world and can never escape, the team also established a storytelling formula to which they would return often. Some people suggested that the Krofft brothers were influenced by
marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
and LSD, although they have always denied these claims. In a 2005 interview with ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', Marty Krofft said, "No drugs involved. You can't do drugs when you're making shows. Maybe after, but not during. We're bizarre, that's all." Referring to the alleged LSD use, Marty said in another interview, "That was our look, those were the colors, everything we did had vivid colors, but there was no acid involved. That scared me. I'm no goody two-shoes, but you can't create this stuff stoned." The Kroffts also favoured quirky superhero stories, often with children involved as the heroes or part of a hero team. Particularly visionary and popular Krofft productions have included '' The Bugaloos'' (1970), '' Lidsville'' (1971), ''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters ''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'' is an American children's television series that ran from September 8, 1973 to October 18, 1975, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and aired on Saturday mornings. It was syndicated by itself from December 1975 to ...
'' (1973-1975), '' Land of the Lost'' (1974-1976), '' The Lost Saucer'' (1975), '' Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' (1976), and '' Wonderbug'' (1976-1978).


The World of Sid and Marty Krofft

In 1976, a developer asked the Kroffts to develop an amusement park for the new Omni International complex in downtown
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
. The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was an indoor amusement park, but due to poor attendance it was closed after six months. The Omni International building that contained the amusement park was renamed the
CNN Center The CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is the international headquarters of the Cable News Network ( CNN). The main newsrooms and studios for several of CNN's news channels are located in the building. The facility's commercial office space is occ ...
when the site was converted to the present CNN headquarters.


Achievements

The Kroffts' children's programs have developed a wide and enduring following, largely among adults who watched the shows as children. They were also responsible for a large number of prime time music and variety programs. These shows also tended to employ a reliable formula, in this case featuring a celebrity host or team of hosts, weekly celebrity guest performers, flashy and colorful sets, and frequent interludes of scripted banter and gag-driven, "corny," good-natured sketch comedy. The Kroffts are often acknowledged for the ambitious vision and creativity of their projects. In addition to their colorful and hyper-kinetic programs, they often created children's shows with complex stories, unusual protagonists, uniquely modern sensibilities, or with darker or more action-themed tones than most children's shows. Their "camp" popularity stems largely from their shows' low-budget production values, the often surrealistic feel of many of the programs and the uniquely "70s" style of music and design.


Later years

The Kroffts have occasionally departed from their formula while making new programs further on, such as on '' Pryor's Place'' (1984) and the political puppet satire show ''
D.C. Follies ''D.C. Follies'' is a syndicated sitcom which aired from 1987–1989. The show was set in a Washington, D.C. bar, where a bartender played by Fred Willard would welcome puppet caricatures of politicians and popular culture figures. Synopsis The s ...
'' (1987). The team has attempted to update some of their classic series for a younger generation, including new versions of '' Land of the Lost'', ''Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'', ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' and ''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters''. A new original series, '' Mutt & Stuff'', aired on
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
from 2015 to 2017. In 2018, the Kroffts were awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys. In 2020, the Kroffts were honoured with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
for their contributions in television. In May 2022, the Kroffts participated in the first Krofft Kon, a convention held in
Orinda, California Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents. History Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados ...
. They were joined by some of the actors from their television series.


Awards


Works


TV series

* ''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters ''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'' is an American children's television series that ran from September 8, 1973 to October 18, 1975, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and aired on Saturday mornings. It was syndicated by itself from December 1975 to ...
'' (2016) *'' Mutt & Stuff'' (2015) *'' Land of the Lost'' (1991) *''
D.C. Follies ''D.C. Follies'' is a syndicated sitcom which aired from 1987–1989. The show was set in a Washington, D.C. bar, where a bartender played by Fred Willard would welcome puppet caricatures of politicians and popular culture figures. Synopsis The s ...
'' (1987) *'' Pryor's Place'' (1984) *'' Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters'' (1980) *'' Pink Lady and Jeff'' (1980) *'' The Krofft Superstar Hour'' (1978; a.k.a. ''The
Bay City Rollers The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the " tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the B ...
Show'') **'' Horror Hotel'' **'' The Lost Island'' *'' The Brady Bunch Hour'' (1977) *'' The Krofft Supershow'' (1976) **'' Dr. Shrinker'' (1976) **'' Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' (1976) **'' Kaptain Kool and the Kongs'' (1976) **'' Wonderbug'' (1976) **'' Bigfoot and Wildboy'' (1977) **'' Magic Mongo'' (1977) *'' Donny & Marie'' (1976; a.k.a. ''The Osmond Family Show'') *'' The Lost Saucer'' (1975) *''
Far Out Space Nuts ''Far Out Space Nuts'' is a Sid and Marty Krofft children's television series that aired in 1975 for one season, and produced 15 episodes. It was one of only two Krofft series produced exclusively for CBS (the second being 1984's ''Pryor's Plac ...
'' (1975) *'' Land of the Lost'' (1974) *''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters ''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'' is an American children's television series that ran from September 8, 1973 to October 18, 1975, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and aired on Saturday mornings. It was syndicated by itself from December 1975 to ...
'' (1973) *'' Lidsville'' (1971) *'' The Bugaloos'' (1970) *'' H.R. Pufnstuf'' (1969) *''
The Banana Splits ''The Banana Splits'' is an American 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 marching band hats with yellow plumes. ...
'' (1968)


TV specials/pilots

*'' Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' (2001, unaired pilot) *''Krofft Late Night'' (1991) *'' Sid & Marty Krofft's Red Eye Express'' (1988) *''The Patti LaBelle Show'' (1985) *'' Rock 'n' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular'' (1985) *''The Cracker Brothers'' (1985) *'' Saturday's the Place'' (1984) *''Oral Roberts Celebration'' (1981) *'' The CBS Saturday Morning Preview Special'' (1983) *''Anson & Lorrie'' (1981) *''Bobby Vinton's Rock 'n' Rollers'' (1978) *''The Krofft Komedy Hour'' (1978) *'' The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars'' (1978) *'' Kaptain Kool and the Kongs Present ABC All-Star Saturday'' (1977) *'' The Brady Bunch Variety Hour'' (1976) *'' The Paul Lynde Halloween Special'' (1976) - Did not produce, but includes Witchiepoo and other Krofft regulars *'' Jimmy Osmond Presents ABC's Saturday Sneak Peek'' (1976) *'' Really Raquel'' (1974) *''Prevue Revue'' (1974) *'' The World of Sid & Marty Krofft at the Hollywood Bowl'' (1973) *'' Fol-de-Rol'' (1972)


Direct-to-video

*''Wishing Well Willy'' (1995) *'' Toby Terrier and His Video Pals'' (1993-1994) - Created to interact with an electronic toy manufactured by
Tiger Electronics Tiger Electronics Ltd. (also known as Tiger and Tiger Toys) was an independent American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as ''Brain Warp'' and th ...


Films

*'' Land of the Lost'' (2009) *'' Harry Tracy, Desperado'' (1982) *''Side Show'' (1981) *'' Middle Age Crazy'' (1980) *'' Pufnstuf'' (1970)


Live shows

*"Blast" (1991) *''Comedy Kings'' (1988) *''A Broadway Baby'' (1984) *''Fol-de-Rol'' (1968) *''Kaleidescope'' (1968) *''Circus'' (1966) *''Funny World'' (1966) *'' Les Poupées de Paris'' (1961) *''Howdy, Mr. Ice of 1950'' (1949)


Web series

*''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters ''Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'' is an American children's television series that ran from September 8, 1973 to October 18, 1975, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and aired on Saturday mornings. It was syndicated by itself from December 1975 to ...
'' (2017) *'' Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' (2016)


References


External links

* *
The World of Sid and Marty Krofft
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krofft, Sid and Marty Canadian television producers People from Montreal Sibling duos Living people Sibling filmmakers 1929 births 1937 births Hanna-Barbera people