Lidsville

This show, like most of the Krofft brothers shows, is basically one wild experience. They claim that they never were on drugs while they were creating these shows, but I doubt that very seriously. This show basically is one long LSD trip and it basically is the same theme as the Krofft's other big creation H.R. Pufinstuff. Also, the songs that provided the musical interludes had to be some of the corniest ever written.

If you thought H.R. Pufinstuf was tripped out, Lidsville really upped the ante big time! Teen-ager Mark (Butch Patrick, a/k/a Eddie Munster) is captivated by a magic show at an amusement park and decides to stay behind after the show to see if he can discover any of the magician's secrets. He touches the top hat, which grows to an enormous size, then climbs up top to have a look and falls into the hat, spiraling into the trippy land known as Lidsville. This parallel universe is inhabited by life-size versions of almost every type of headgear imaginable, plus a benevolent Weenie the Genie and the deliciously evil Hoo-Doo the magician. Episodes revolve around Hoo-Doo's efforts to retrieve a magic ring in Mark's possession and Mark's efforts to return home to the real world. As an 8-year-old child, this was fun, colorful and visually stimulating, but in retrospect how can you NOT think psychedelics played a major role in bringing this show to life? As a side note, I remember Lidsville was the feature attraction of the 1973 Ice Capades, and seeing all those hats on skates, gliding on the ice at the Chicago Stadium is indelibly etched into my memory 30 years later!!!

They recently had a special on the e-channel about Sid and Marty Croft and the wonderfully imaginative shows they made like Pufnstuff. They were very original and creative and made wonderful shows for kids and I sure remember this one. Butch Patrick, Eddie on the Munsters, plays a boy named Mark who falls into a magician's hat into a land of talking hats. Its like The Wizard Of Oz on LSD thats the best way to describe it. Charles Nelson Reilly stole the show as a wizard named Hoodoo. He was hilariously hammy. Billie Burke was also very good on this show. It was good clean kids entertainment, how much of that do you see anymore? They ought to consider making this one into a full-length feature like they did with Harry Potter. With special effects the way they are today it would be a blast! I can just picture Jim Carrey or Robin Williams as Hoodoo.

I can't necessarily tell you why specifically I liked certain shows in the 70s because I was 3 to 12 years old during that decade, but in general they must have hit me someplace where they stuck.

I didn't realize all these shows were Kroft . . . but I had strong opinions on them. Sigmund and the Sea Monster I couldn't stand, uggh. Who was the redheaded kid on that? Man he was like lame city-- Danny Bonaducci meets whoever played Jody on Family Affair.

But anyway, I loved Lidsville and Land of the Lost both! I remember the latter just a little bit better but wow, those shows made impressions on me. Pufnstuf I would say I liked better than Sigmund but not as much as Lidsville or Land of the Lost.

I think I had a thing about hats anyway as a kid because I remember an activity book that my mom got me and it had hats you cut out and that fascinated me too. Maybe hats are combinations of symbolic vaginas and also of masks/identities. Wow dude no wonder Lidsville is so tripped out! Remember the hat plays largely in Alice in Wonderland too -- the mad hatter. Yes I think hats must definitely mean more to us than adornment or weatherproofing.

The Kroffts were very imaginative,creative guys. I think they designed a mascot for the 1968 World's Fair or something like that. HR Puff-n-Stuff,Sigmond +the sea monsters are 2 other good tv examples of their work. One common thread in all their stuff is great costumes and sets,they are all original and interesting. (I think the Kroffts successfully sued McDonalds for taking their work in the early 70's and using it in commercials and advertising.I was very young but I remember the hamburglar,grimace, the French fry guys,etc did indeed disappear). Now onto this show... Lidsville is a great show for kids and adults alike,both will like it. It is silly and pretty funny. Charles Nelson Riley is clearly having a ball as the villian,he is able to cut loose and have fun,and I think he is hilarious. The affable young man that plays 'Mark' is none other than Butch Patrick,the actor that was 'Eddie Munster' ! Patrick plays a good part without over-doing it. Some may recognize the 'Weenie the Genie" actress from another role on HR Puff-n-Stuff,she plays an energetic fun part with style. The main puppet characters are hats,and it is funny as well,eg the cowboy hat talks like John Wayne,another hat talks a Frenchman,etc. Ya gotta see it! As for people that imply that the Kroffts were using drugs or that they were endorsing drug use (with a wink and a nod) on their shows,I'd say that is in the eye of the beholder. The show is very different and unusual,for sure,but I don't see anything that even hints at drugs. Even watching with the idea of trying to spot possible drug references or implications comes up empty. I highly recommend this show.