Marty Krofft

With his brother and co-producer Sid, Marty Krofft is one-half of the imaginative team responsible for most of the live-action programs on Saturday morning during the 1970s. Born in Canada, Krofft toured with the circus while still a young boy. During the '50s, he and his brother put together a traveling show called "Les Poupee de Paris," and, by 1960, they had started making puppets and other creatures in their San Francisco studio. Their first series was H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971), a live-action children's show on NBC. It involved a boy named Jimmy who tried to get away from the evil Witchypoo, a villain who just wanted his magic flute. With a psychedelic color scheme and seemingly obvious drug references, the show was a hit with Saturday morning audiences. Giant-headed monsters and other strangely proportioned creatures became something of a visual trademark for the Kroffts, and they brought a similar style to their next offering, the Monkees-like series The Bugaloos (1970-1971). Next up was Lidsville (1971-1973), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-1975), Land of the Lost (1974-1977), and Far Out Space Nuts (1975-1976). In the late '70s, they started The Krofft Supershow, which gave rise to a whole universe of characters, included the beloved ElectraWoman and DynaGirl. They even briefly ran an amusement park, The World of Sid & Marty Krofft, in Atlanta, GA.
By 1976, the Kroffts had moved from Saturday morning to prime time, producing such variety shows as The Donny & Marie Show and The Brady Bunch Hour. During the '80s, they produced a wide array of TV shows, specials, and feature films. In 1995, Nick at Nite began airing '70s cartoons and eventually broadcast a marathon called "Krofft-fest." This led to a revival for Krofft-related shows and merchandise. The Kroffts earned a Life Career Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror in 2003.

~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide