Something Disturbing...Kinda

Steel Tiger

Steel Tiger

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
2,412
Reaction score
78
Location
Canberra, Australia
The other day I was minding my own business watching a bit of TV when what do I find? It was an old movie, the HR Pufnstuf. Whoa!!! I know the inventors (Sid and Marty Krofft) have often claimed there are no drug references and I can see why. Its just one big trip! And this was marketed as a kids program.

I have to admit it was a truly bizarre trip back to my childhood. Witchiepoo was much more entertaining this time around. Honestly though, it was like watching a training film designed to prepare someone for a psychedelic experience. It always surprises me what animators, whether live action or cartoon, can get away with. The BBC also produced a bunch of stuff for kids that was out and out trippy - The Magic Roundabout (technically French but eh), Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men (possibly the most whacked out of the lot). It looks like there is some sort of connection here. I wonder what it could be?

Does anyone else remember these TV shows. Back then we got a lot more from Britain than the US, so maybe you guys saw some stuff we didn't. Were they really so trippy or am I just imagining it?
 
Steel Tiger said:
The other day I was minding my own business watching a bit of TV when what do I find? It was an old movie, the HR Pufnstuf. Whoa!!! I know the inventors (Sid and Marty Krofft) have often claimed there are no drug references and I can see why. Its just one big trip! And this was marketed as a kids program.

I have to admit it was a truly bizarre trip back to my childhood. Witchiepoo was much more entertaining this time around. Honestly though, it was like watching a training film designed to prepare someone for a psychedelic experience. It always surprises me what animators, whether live action or cartoon, can get away with. The BBC also produced a bunch of stuff for kids that was out and out trippy - The Magic Roundabout (technically French but eh), Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men (possibly the most whacked out of the lot). It looks like there is some sort of connection here. I wonder what it could be?

Does anyone else remember these TV shows. Back then we got a lot more from Britain than the US, so maybe you guys saw some stuff we didn't. Were they really so trippy or am I just imagining it?
Click to expand...
I remember H.R. Pufnstuf with an older Jack Wild (starred in the delightful Oliver! musical) but grew out of it, or it went off the air before I discovered the wonderful world of drugs and alcohol (sarcastically spoken, because later I got clean and sober).
Love to find them again, I wasted some hours of the occasional rainy day watching them. I can probably still hum the tune if not the actual lyrics.
Drug references? Heh... like wow, the name says it all man!

Edit: Found the YouTube :uhyeah:
[yt]JA3FFT54Ehs[/yt]
 
MA-Caver said:
Love to find them again, I wasted some hours of the occasional rainy day watching them. I can probably still hum the tune if not the actual lyrics.
Drug references? Heh... like wow, the name says it all man!
Click to expand...

Well they are all available on DVD, all 17 episodes and the movie.

There's no doubt that the name is a dead give away. The movie also had Mama Cass in it. How much more of an advertisement for the psychodelic drug culture could you get.
 
Wow. Yeah, I remember those shows. It would be wild to see them now as an adult. Witchiepoo...heh.
 
Ah, the great days of childrens TV:

Magic Roundabout
The Herbs
Andy Pandy
Flower Pot Men
Woodentops
Trumpton
Chigley
Camberwick Green

Fabulous one and all.

A bit later we had "Mary, Mungo and Midge", "Mr Ben" and "Bagpuss".

Then it seems that childrens TV writers stopped taking soft-drugs and flipped out onto either crack or cold-turkey. Either way the programs turned to un-imaginative clap-trap.
 
Sukerkin said:
Then it seems that childrens TV writers stopped taking soft-drugs and flipped out onto either crack or cold-turkey. Either way the programs turned to un-imaginative clap-trap.
Click to expand...

We didn't get all those offerings, just the cream apparently.

I also noticed this downward spiral with Warner Brothers cartoons when they transitioned from the cinema to TV. Its like someone came to the conclusion that children would watch any old thing so there was no need to try so hard. Bugs Bunny has three Academy Awards from the '40s and '50s, but now he wouldn't even get an invite to look at an invite to the awards.
 
Steel Tiger said:
The other day I was minding my own business watching a bit of TV when what do I find? It was an old movie, the HR Pufnstuf. Whoa!!! I know the inventors (Sid and Marty Krofft) have often claimed there are no drug references and I can see why. Its just one big trip! And this was marketed as a kids program.

I have to admit it was a truly bizarre trip back to my childhood. Witchiepoo was much more entertaining this time around. Honestly though, it was like watching a training film designed to prepare someone for a psychedelic experience. It always surprises me what animators, whether live action or cartoon, can get away with. The BBC also produced a bunch of stuff for kids that was out and out trippy - The Magic Roundabout (technically French but eh), Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men (possibly the most whacked out of the lot). It looks like there is some sort of connection here. I wonder what it could be?

Does anyone else remember these TV shows. Back then we got a lot more from Britain than the US, so maybe you guys saw some stuff we didn't. Were they really so trippy or am I just imagining it?
Click to expand...


Dude!

Scooby Dooby Do! ;)
 
The Banana Splits rocked - I think I can still have a stab at the theme song even now :D.

"The Double Deckers" was another good one from those days.
 
Oh Man, you guys are bringing back childhood memories !!

H.R. Pufenstuf - I didn't care for - I didn't understand it. Kind of scared me actually.
The Banana Splits & The Double Deckers - They were all right, I watched them and I think I still remember most of both of their theme songs.

I was actually more of a cartoon guy - Popeye, Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear (come on, Huckleberry Hound was the real talent, not Yogi).

I even remember the eternal question of Quisp vs. Quake (breakfast cereals from a long time ago).

(Just don't ask me what I had for dinner last night - I don't remember LOL).
 
Steel Tiger said:
We didn't get all those offerings, just the cream apparently.

I also noticed this downward spiral with Warner Brothers cartoons when they transitioned from the cinema to TV. Its like someone came to the conclusion that children would watch any old thing so there was no need to try so hard. Bugs Bunny has three Academy Awards from the '40s and '50s, but now he wouldn't even get an invite to look at an invite to the awards.
Click to expand...

Dead on.

I think that was about the same time cartoons became little more than 1/2 hour long commercials for cartoon based merchandise.
 
jks9199 said:
Let's see...

Anyone remember The Banana Splits?

How about Lancelot Link:Secret Chimp


Or The Lost Saucer and The Far Out Space Nuts (with Honk!). Or... who can forget Dr. Shrinker!

(There's a great overview of the very unique world of Sid and Marty Krofft here
)

I'm trying to remember one other... It don't think it was Sigmund the Sea Monster, but it had an ocean monster theme. I think Rip Torn was in it as a bumbling wizard/genie?
Click to expand...
It was Sigmund & The Sea Monsters and you're thinking of Rip Taylor as the wild wacky genie.

But yeah those other shows... Lancelot Link, oh man how they'd pass that off as entertainment, but I remember watching it as a kid. The others ... oh yeah. Wow, thanks for making me feel OLD (ought to neg rep you for that... :lfao: not! )
 
Steel Tiger said:
The other day I was minding my own business watching a bit of TV when what do I find? It was an old movie, the HR Pufnstuf. Whoa!!! I know the inventors (Sid and Marty Krofft) have often claimed there are no drug references and I can see why. Its just one big trip! And this was marketed as a kids program.

I have to admit it was a truly bizarre trip back to my childhood. Witchiepoo was much more entertaining this time around. Honestly though, it was like watching a training film designed to prepare someone for a psychedelic experience. It always surprises me what animators, whether live action or cartoon, can get away with. The BBC also produced a bunch of stuff for kids that was out and out trippy - The Magic Roundabout (technically French but eh), Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men (possibly the most whacked out of the lot). It looks like there is some sort of connection here. I wonder what it could be?

Does anyone else remember these TV shows. Back then we got a lot more from Britain than the US, so maybe you guys saw some stuff we didn't. Were they really so trippy or am I just imagining it?
Click to expand...
Hey don't forget the Bay City Rollers show. I can't; so, neither should you!
Sean
 
I have to admit that I don't know - a little 'Tinternet research might yield an answer tho'.
 
I felt much the same, ST but was too traumatised to post until now :lol:.
 
Sukerkin said:
I felt much the same, ST but was too traumatised to post until now :lol:.
Click to expand...

Its a frightening memory. How can a country with so many cool things have produced them.

I'm going to have to watch a bunch of good old (which is to say bad) kung fu movies to wash my brain clean.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Signing With Your Baby

Previous Thread

Mandatory Briefings

Next Thread

Similar threads

Aikikitty
What TV shows did you grow up watching?
2 3 4
Replies
78
Views
6K
grydth
G
G
question from a karate person
2
Replies
25
Views
3K
Bushi40
B
Xue Sheng
Top Gear
Replies
7
Views
865
Omar B
Omar B
Carol
What is the strangest, or funniest, thing you've seen in the outdoors?
2
Replies
21
Views
4K
Cirdan
Cirdan
Xue Sheng
I really dislike Television – minor rant
2
Replies
29
Views
3K
girlbug2
G

Latest Discussions

Back
Top