Customer Reviews

Lidsville - Complete Series

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My handsome fiancee introduced me to the oddball world of Sid and Marty Krofft just a few years ago, and for my last birthday he had gotten me the box set of "HR Pufnstuf." No doubt I will enjoy watching that for years to come, but out of all the nostalgic Krofft shows created, "Lidsville" is the one I love the most. This kooky program debuted on Saturday morning television way back in 1972, visually becoming a predecessor for the off-the-wall jokes and puppetry of "Pee Wee's Playhouse." However, unlike "HR Pufnstuf" and "The Bugaloos," "Lidsville" was specifically intended to entertain an older audience. I must warn all Moms and Dads that some of the imagery and dialogue in the 17 episodes may be a little too disturbing for small children.
Ex-Munsters child star Butch Patrick plays Mark, an ordinary all-American teenager who becomes mesmerized by a magic show performed at a Six Flags amusement park. Determined to uncover the secrets behind Merlo's sleight-of-hand illusions, he sneaks into a dressing room and accidentally falls through a gigantic top hat. Bewildered beyond his wildest imagination, he gets stranded in the heart of Lidsville, a strange and psychedelic town populated by talking hats. With the help of a clumsy but loveable Genie named Weenie (played by Pufnstuf's Billie Hayes), Mark is forced to dodge the clutches of Horatio J. Hoodoo (Charles Nelson Reily), a powerful and diabolical green-faced magician who is clearly the star in the cast. Time and time again, Hoodoo uses his most wicked tactics to imprision Mark in his dungeon, enslave Weenie, and force Lidville's Good Hat people to pay their taxes. Prepare to be shocked and amazed upon witnessing The Great Hoodoo's tricks, which range from Devil worship (Weenie, Weenie, Where's Our Genie?) to giant robots (Show Me the Way to Go Home) to making obedient servants via a homemade brainwashing machine (The Great Brain Robbery). Horatio even attempts to conjure up snow, ice, and lightning from a Weather Bureau (World in a Hat) and forms a zap happy relationship with a cackling Wichipoo (Have I Got a Girl for Hoodoo!). On many other occasions, he has to rely on a team of bumbling goons to do his dirty work: a dimwitted stuffed rabbit named Raunchy and four Bad Hats (a sneaky Gangster, a bloodsucking Vampire, a sword-weilding Pirate, and a demented Executioner who waves a sharp hatchet). In my opinion, what truly makes "Lidsville" a cult favorite among college grads and acid trippers is how it juxtaposes hyperactive variety show humor with bizarre scenery, ultra-cheesy special effects (including a large injection of Chroma Key), and an entire cast of heavily costumed midgets. Indeed, the episodes have the potential of becoming the perfect fodder for drinking games and Rocky Horror-style shouting matches. And let's not forget how Hoodoo's character inspired the early incarnation of shock rocker Marilyn Manson, who borrowed some of the pilot episode's audio footage for the Spooky Kids song "Dope Hat."
So, why am I giving the box set just four stars? Well, there are a few reasons. While most of the dialogue is both awful and laughable, the musical numbers are unbearably kitchy. Despite being written by Les Szarvas (who composed alot of songs for Sid and Marty Krofft over the years), the cute melodies are just not as memorable as the ones sung by Jack Wild and Billie Hayes on "Pufnstuf." Also, some of the aforementioned program's props were recycled as part of "Lidsville's" low-budget production. Keep an eye out for the talking books and grinning skull in Hoodoo's laboratory and the twisted walking trees in the Hair Forest (I think that I shall never see a tree that is as hairy as me!). But what bothered me the most about the episodes is how they seem completely mixed up thanks to their broadcast. If you wish to bring some order to the colorful chaos (particularly with the plotlines and the characters' actions), I recommend you watch the DVDs in the following title sequence:

1. World in a Hat
2. Turn in Your Turban...You're Through!
3. Weenie, Weenie, Where's Our Genie?
4. Take Me to Your Rabbit
5. Show Me the Way to Go Home
6. Let's Hear it for Whizzo
7. A Little Hoodoo Goes a Long Way
8. Oh, Brother!
9. Hoodoo, Who?
10. Alias, the Imperial Wizard
11. Fly Now, Vacuum Later!
12. The Great Brain Robbery
13. The Old Hat Home
14. Is There a Mayor in the House?
15. Have I Got a Girl for Hoodoo!
16. Mommy Hoodoo
17. Mark and the Beanstalk

Seriously, if you are a disenchanted horror, sci-fi, or cartoon lover who longs for something completely different, please give "Lidsville" a try. I can guarantee that it's downright WEIRD!!

These episodes are the funniest ever by the Sid and Marty Krofft group, almost singlehandedly by the evil magician Hoodoo, played by Charles Nelson Reilly. Also Raunchy Rabbit (move back flunkie). I used to crack up watching Match Game from Reilly's comments but never knew why. He is hilarious without even trying. Lidsville is a bland silly show that is perfect to watch when your either staying ay home sick, or if your under the influence. "I could just scream."

Okay, Let get this outta the way first. Lidsville is pure Krofft Brothers family fare. It is clear family entertain in a Disney like vein. It is pure Saturday Morning TV from the 1970's. So, If you like H.R. Puffnstuf or Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, you will love this.

Mark (Butch Patrick aka Eddie Munster)watches a magician at a show. He goes back stage and is sucked into the magician top hat. He enter a bizzarre world of talking hats and its overlord Hoo Doo (Charles Nelsen Relly). He is aided in his survival by Genie (Billy Haynes AKA Witchy-Poo from PuffnStuff)

There are a few commentary from the Krofft Brothers, Butch Patrick and Billy Hayes on some episodes. also there is interviews with all three leads. Too Bad Charles Nelson Relly didn't do a commentary

this complete series, These 17 episodes, are well done for 1970's kid fare. The DVD masters are cleaner than most 1970's stuff (see my Lancelot Link Secret Chimp review). So if you are a fan of the Krofft Stuff or 1970 SATURDAY MORNING FARE, Go get it, it worth it..if you aren't, don't !

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Wanted to comment about the special features, as they aren't described by any reviewers here. They are pretty cool.

There are three interviews in this set: Butch Patrick, Charles Nelson Reilly and the Genie (her name escapes me now). Charles is still quite funny with his self-depricating view of his role in this series. All interviews are on the third disk.

Sid and Marty Krofft also do some commentaries on the pilot episode and others, while Butch Patrick and Reilly do as well. They provide some interesting tidbits about the show and it's impact.

It was great to see these old Lidsville episodes again - it brought back so many memories of my childhood in the 70's... (and it also proves to everyone that this unique show really *did* exist...! :-).

My kids love the show (5 & 7), and often beg to watch another of the 17 episodes included in this set. It's a great show about people working together to solve problems, and accepting a wide range of diversity with all the different "hat personalities"...

Hoo-Doo is a "perfectly evil" character, and sometimes I feel a bit uncomfortable laughing at his blatant pleasure at being evil, and I cringe at the harsh language to his cronies, the "bad hats" (I guess it's a kinder gentler kids' TV world these days... no one is "stupid" any more... :).

Butch Patrick is a good role model, and of course "Weenie the Genie" is fantastic (though it still freaks me out whenever they call her "him"... :-). (In fact, I think I heard Charles Nelson-Reilly slip up once and call him/her a her/him...! :-)

I highly recommend this set to anyone who watched the show, and for anyone who wants to expand the imagination and creativity of their kids. Go "Ra Ra"! :-D

Out of all the Saturday morning shows I watched growing up, Lidsville was one of my favorites. After the show's short run in the early 70's I never heard much about it after that. I always remembered it though. I was shopping the other day and saw the DVD set for Lidsville and immediately bought it. The show brought back great memories and it is still pretty cool even now. I love it when HooDoo throws his top hat up in the air and it turns into his flying hat. Sid & Marty Krofft had the best shows, and I am glad they are being released on dvd so kids today can experience them. HR Puffnstuff, Land of the Lost, and of course Lidsville were such a part of my childhood. Glad these shows haven't been forgotten. Now how is that for a topper???

"Lidsville" is my favorite of Sid and Marty Krofft's classic, live-action Saturday morning shows from the early 1970's. And it is one trippy tale. Fascinated after watching a magic act, Mark ("The Munsters'" Butch Patrick) falls down a giant magician's hat and lands in loopy Lidsville, inhabited by talking hats! Mark is befriended by the Good Hats, including British Col. Poom, Miss Ring-A-Ding (a party hat), Nursy, the chinese Mr. Chow, Tonsolini (an Opera Singing Hat), Mother Wheels (a motorcycle/helmet), Rah-Rah (a football helmet), etc. and Weenie (Billie Hayes), a rather inept but kind-hearted Genie. The versatile Hayes, best known as Witchiepoo on "H.R. Pufnstuff", comments that she was offered the role of Weenie The Genie (a male role) after Billy Barty became ill, although Barty denied that the role was created specifically for him. There are also the Bad Hats, who are the flunkies of the evil magician Horatio Hoo-Doo (Charles Nelson Reilly). Hoo-Doo is furious at the Good Hats for not acknowledging him as their Lord and Master, and not paying him taxes. He also hates "that brat Mark" for continually helping the Good Hats plan revolts against him. He flies in the skies over Lidsville in his Hattermerand, zapping the Good Hats. But, no matter how nasty Hoo-Doo is, he is continually out-witted by Mark, Weenie The Genie, and the Good Hats. Director Tony Charmoli presides over the fantasy/insanity. The episodes usually end with a moral, a song or two (by Les Szvaris and Charles Fox), and Hoo-Doo exclaiming, "I want my Mommy Hoo-Doo!" The rather horrible Mommy Hoo-Doo, who fears her son Horatio is not "rotten" enough, does appear in the final episode.
The Good Hats were, probably, supposed to be the original focus, but there is no question that Charles Nelson Reilly is the star of the show. Reilly, with his larger-than-life performance persona, is deliriously, delightfully over the top (hat pun intended) as Hoo-Doo. Sid Krofft remarks in a commentary that Reilly had more energy than anybody else at the ABC televison network. The best episode, "Have I Got A Girl For Hoo-Doo", is actually a semi-cross-over with "H.R. Pufnstuff." A lovelorn Hoo-Doo writes a letter to a lonely hearts club seeking a girlfriend-- and gets Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes plays both Witchiepoo and Weenie The Genie in this episode). Their initial mutual dislike (Hoo-Doo: You're about as sexy as a plucked vulture." Witchiepoo: "You're too ugly to be good-looking") disappears when they discover they enjoy zapping together and causing chaos for the Good Hats. The Good Hats soon realize they must break up this terrible twosome, so Mark cross-dresses as Lovey-Dovey, a Mae West type female! "I hope I don't catch it from Women's Lib," Mark says afterwards. Billie Hayes and Butch Patrick offer a great, giggly commentary on this episode.
Everything about "Lidsville" is extraordinary; particularly when you consider that the 17 episodes were filmed over an 11 week period. The show itself had a four year network run, on both ABC and NBC. The work hours must have been long and arduous. Charles Nelson Reilly always complained about how hot and miserable he was in Hoo-Doo's make-up and costume. Conditions must have been doubly hot and miserable for Sharon Baird, Joy Campbell, Jerry Maren, Angelo Rositto, Van Snowden, Felix Silla, Buddy Douglas and the Hermine Midgets; the actors inside the Good and Bad Hat costumes. The Good and Bad Hat characters are also superbly voiced by Lennie Weinrib, Joan Gerber, and Walker Edmiston. Sid and Marty Kroft had an extraordinary influence on the generation that grew up watching their shows. Look inside the oversized magician's hat that Hoo-Doo and his flunkies live in and you'll see where Paul Rebuns got his ideas for "Pee-Wee's Playhouse", more than a decade later.
The three DVD "Lidsville" set is loaded with extras; including interviews and selected episode commentary from Sid and Marty Krofft, Butch Patrick, Billie Hayes, and the, sadly, late Charles Nelson Reilly; and excerpts from Butch Patrick's personal scrapbook. Watching "Lidsville" again, after more than twenty years had passed, I frequently thought to myself, "Who the hell thought THIS up?" The extraordinary Krofft brand of creativity and imagination has completely vanished from television today; which perhaps increases appreciation and affection for "Lidsville." Butch Patrick admits he was too young (at ages 17 and 18) to appreciate "Lidsville" at the time, but he seems fond of it now. Even the constantly complaining Charles Nelson Reilly admitted in an audio commentary that "Lidsville" is clever, colorful, and inventive. "Lidsville," like the Kroffts' other shows, should never be discounted as merely a "children's show." Between the visual imagery and verbal puns and humor that go way over children's heads, there is an abundance of adult appeal.
"If you bump into a bonnet
with eyes and ears and nose upon it
Nope, you haven't gone bats-- that's Lidsville!"

I must of ordered a mushroom pizza from the Grateful Dead Diner....

I remember it from the 70's growing up, and it was great to get to see them again. When it comes to Sid and Marty Krofft, it looks like the fans (us kids of the 70's) grew up and are still fans, watching their shows. Look at who buys these in the store, they are parents who grew up with these shows and want their kids to as well. We watch it first, then the kids get to see it.

This show freaked me out as a kid and it's still a bit creepy as an adult. But who can resist the charms of Charles Nelson Riley? Hopefully someday Uncle Croc will come out on DVD.

Contrary to what some people have been saying the Krofft show on DVD are not syndicated version. While primetime shows were 25 minutes in the 70s, Krofft shows were made for Saturday mornings. They were shorter in order to pack in more ads and extra educational shorts. How else did School House Rock fit into a show? Check out the times on H-B's Wacky Races to see what a Saturday morning show runs at.

The image on Lidsville isn't as good as Pufnstuff since the living hats were shot on video.