Witchiepoo Returns! Sid & Marty Krofft Are Getting Their Own TV Channel
Sea monsters who hang out with kids. Dragons that talk with magic flutes. A crazy villain named Witchiepoo. Those are some of the beloved characters in the children’s shows H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, that are coming back to TV in their original glory. All of these series were created by brothers and puppeteers Sid & Marty Krofft. While they first began working with puppets in the ’40s and ’50s, it wasn’t until The Dean Martin Show in 1965 that they got more exposure. They designed characters and sets for The Banana Splits and began producing the children’s television show H.R. Pufnstuf in 1969.
Their zany and fun programming developed a large following among both adults and children. While some believe that the brothers were under the influence of drugs while creating these shows, they both have denied those claims over the years. Marty once said, “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.”
Everett Collection
Just three years after the Kroffts were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Feb. 13, 2020), they are now getting their own channel in collaboration with Cineverse (formerly Cinedigm). Cineverse will manage and operate the channel that will remaster the content library and make it available on digital platforms for the first time. [The channel is available online and through streaming platforms like Roku, Google TV, AmazonFire, and more.]
Marty said about the new channel, “Making this happen is a big commitment to our fans, and we are delivering! For more than 50 years, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures has produced and delivered shows that have passed the test of time, and we are just getting started. With executives like CEO Chris McGurk, CCO Yolanda Macias, CSO Erick Opeka and EVP Marc Rashba, we are confident that Cineverse is the right partner to deliver our classic library back into the hearts and minds of our fans around the world.”
Ralph Nelson/Universal/Everett Collection
The siblings are hoping to bring back the shows for nostalgic viewers and have a chance to reach new fans. Many of the shows have not been broadcast since the ’70s and several uncut versions of shows such as Wonderbug and Magic Mongo will be available, as well. Which show are you most excited to watch again?
Kid Stuff
June 2018
Unleash your inner child by reliving your favorite kids TV shows, cartoons, toys and more!
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