Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Saturday mornings used to be a special time. You see, back from the 60's through to the early 90's - back when there were only three networks to chose from, and no Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon - if you wanted to get the cartoon monkey off your back, Saturday mornings was your pusher. From about 6 in the morning to around noon (depending on what sport season you were currently in the middle of), you had wall-to-wall cartoons, imported anime (that were usually run through the shredder), standard Hanna Barbera offerings of Scooby Doo and Flintstones, and Filmation's pre-He Man offerings. It was done on the cheap, it was sometimes godawful - but it was the only game in town. And so any child worth his weight would get up at the crack of dawn, grab a bowl of whatever sugar coated cereal was on hand, and sit his butt down on the couch - and absorb!

The undisputed kings of Saturday Mornings were the Krofft brothers - Sid and Marty. Coming from a long line of puppeteers - fifth generation puppeteers to be exact - Sid and Marty were well versed at presenting catchy musical numbers, psychedelic color schemes and the blending of flesh and blood actors with life sized puppets long before they set foot one inside a television studio. With their whole lives spent honing their craft, is it any wonder that they would make such an indelible mark on the impressionable youths of the late 60s and early 70's?

The pair fist dipped their toe in the waters of Television production with the help of animation giants William Hanna and Joe Barbera on the Banana Splits. The Kroftts were brought in to design Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork - the four main principal 'cast' of the show. After a redesign of the life size puppets, the two companies parted ways - but the damage was done, the idea had been planted - "Why should they make millions - lets do our own show!" the Krofft's said.

And thus a deal was struck with Larry White, the head of NBC daytime programming. 10 AM, Saturday, September 6, 1969 - HR Pufnstuf (and the Krofft business empire) was born.

Despite not knowing what they were doing, despite sinking every last dollar the brothers had into the production, despite running out of money at the end of the show - somehow, Pufnstuf became an enduring success. Two years on NBC, followed by a year on ABC then two an a half years in syndication ensured that Sid and Marty were not going anywhere. Soon the airwaves would be filled with dinosaurs and Sleestak, shrunken teenagers menaced by Billy Barty, Sea Monsters, and Ruth Buzzie and Jim Nabors and as androids who fought crime while lost in outer space.

But that would all be for the future. The present, as we know it in 1969, was HR Pufnstuf

The show was about the adventures of a boy named Jimmy (Jack Wild, fresh off a stint as Oilver!) and Freddie, his. . ah, magic golden flute, as they try and get off Living Island and return home. The villain of the piece was the extremely over the top Witchiepoo (deliciously played by Billie Hayes) and her two henchmen, who sought to . . . um, steal the boys magic flute and prevent his return home. And of course the third player in our little drama is one H.R. Pufnstuf - a . . . um . . . well, I don't know exactly what he is. Think of a seven-foot tall fluorescent green and orange dragon-ish creature, with a head shaped like an oversized beanbag chair, and who sings and dances and wears gold cowboy boots.

So imagine if you will, the classic Patrick McGoohan series The Prisoner, crossed with The Wizard of Oz after dropping a sheet of acid, and you'll be coming close to the weirdness that is HR Pufnstuf.

While spawning scores of cheap knock-offs and imitators - Sid and Marty successfully sued McDonalds for their shameless theft of Living Island in the form of McDonaldland - only Pufnstuf stands the test of time alone. In fact the only other show in recent memory that even comes close would be perhaps Paul Reubens and his eccentric Pee Wee's Playhouse, with it's undercurrent of ironic humor playing just as well to the adults as the in-your-face comedy did to the youngsters in the audience.

The question then becomes: why? How did the Kroffts capture lightning in a bottle? Pufnstuf is filled with imagination and adventure , it's crammed with catchy songs and dance numbers (Showcasing Jack's run in a musical and Billie's tenure in Lil Abner), and bubbles over with a youthful energy that's hard not get caught up in. In short, good harmless fun for the youngsters (and nostalgic children of the 80's). While the humor is elementary slapstick, the show has a capricious nature that will make even the most hardened of viewers crack a smile from time to time.

At the end of the day, it is still just a low budget children's show. It is not high art, nor is it the best thing that has ever run on television. However HR Pufnstuf still holds a charm for children today and can serve as a wonderful piece of nostalgia for the children of the 80's who refuse to grow up.

THE VIDEO:
This is a 35 year old kiddie television show, and not The Matrix. To expect reference quality material from the set would be just plain silly. However, all things considered, it looks pretty damn good - with one notable exception. The episode Flute, Book and Candle is pretty washed out and shows some flaws in the source material. The strange thing is - the same episode presented in the World of Sid and Marty Krofft boxed set looks pretty good. Although this is a pain in the butt to have the good episode in another set, a true fan of the Krofft shows will probably have this other set anyway.

The sound is also serviceable. It won't blow anyone's socks off, but it will do the job.

THE EXTRAS:
It's not quite the depth of the extras found on the Land of the Lost set, but there is a smattering of goodies to be found here. First up is the commentary from Sid and Marty on the first episode. The pair are laid back and pretty easy going, talking about the show in general more than the episode.

The other extras on disc three include an interview with Sid and Marty touching on their long careers, and rambling on about this and that, and the thinly veiled drug references in the show (and for the record - it stands for Royal Highness backwards and NOT Hand Rolled). Then we get segments with Jack and Billie, recycled from the Best Of disc from a couple of years ago. Then we get an interview with television historian Hal Erickson, running down the Krofft's contribution to Saturday morning television.

Then we get a handful of TV land promo spots - which don’t feature Highness Royal, Witchiepoo or Jimmy at all, which makes them confusing to why they are included (subsidization for the set from Nick at Night, perhaps?)

The last extra is Irving, from the mid-50's. It's a short puppet show from the Sid and Marty archives that shows off their mad puppet skilz even way back then. It's kind of a prototype Pufnstuf of sorts - and it’s intresting to see their roots.

THE LAST WORD:
Not everyone will "get" Pufnstuf, but those that do - or are willing to try new things - are in for a treat. The set, despite it's flaws, is greater than the sum of it's parts. Even I, who was always lukewarm to Pufnstuf (I was more of a Land of the Lost man m'self) find a certain draw to the show. Fans of the show and Sid and Marty's work shouldn’t hesitate to pick up this set.

- Oh, and just for the record. Having been stoned many a time, I've discovered that you cat be creative and put on a TV show like this. Can't be done.

-OTHER KROFFT SHOWS REVIEWED -
* SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS
* PINK LADY AND JEFF
* LIDSVILLE
* HR PUFNSTUF
* THE WORLD OF SID AND MARTY KROFFT
* LAND OF THE LOST SEASON 1
* LAND OF THE LOST SEASON 2
* LAND OF THE LOST SEASON 3
* THE BUGALOOS
* PUFNSTUF AND OTHER STUFF


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4