Customer Reviews

The World of Sid & Marty Krofft - The Bugaloos Complete Series

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Man, does this take me back! The Bugaloos, a creation of Sid & Marty Krofft, are 4 teenage musical bugs who live in a surreal, psychedelic place called Tranquility Forest (along with their friend Sparky the Firefly) and are always prepared to fly to the aid of a friend in trouble.

I.Q., Harmony, Courage and (my favorite) Joy always seem to be at odds with the evil (but hilarious) Benita Bizarre, whose main goal is to become a famous rock singer. Benita stops at nothing to achieve fame, from kidnapping the Bugaloos to stealing their voices and even their wings! Though she and her flunkies bungle through every attempt, the Bugaloos always find a way to foil her plans.

With every episode, the Bugaloos treat you to a musical performance (a la Partridge Family style). With dreamy vocal harmonies and catchy pop/rock hooks, songs like "The Senses Of Our World", "I'm As Happy As Can Be" and "It's New To You" don't miss. These songs and more can be found on the Bugaloos Video Jukebox featured in this DVD set.

All 17 episodes of this show were restored brilliantly by Rhino. I haven't seen the Bugaloos since my VERY early childhood so this DVD set is a rare find a real treat! I can enjoy them now as I did when I was a kid.

Growing up as a child in the 80's sometimes I would stay up late at night and catch H.R. Puff N Stuff or The Bugaloos on television. The next morning I would often think that the shows were a figment of my imagination. The beloved and cult Sid & Marty Kroft series The Bugaloos-The Complete Series is now available on DVD for the very first time.

The show is very much in its own place and time. It's very surreal. The Bugaloos is about four human actors who portray bugs (Courage, Harmony, I.Q., Joy) who live in Tranquility Forest. They also share their world with villains Benita Bizarre who really steals the show sometimes.

What makes the show truly unique besides the setting is the music. The characters sing great songs and The Bugaloos is considered a factor when discussing the British music invasion.

The Bugaloos-The Complete Series all 17 episodes of the show on three discs. The set also includes brand new special features which include cast interviews and commentary with Sid Kroft and show director Tony Chamoli among other features.

If you remember this show as a kid and never got it out of your mind after all these years, you just have to get it. Not only is it a wonderful trip down memory lane, but introducing little relatives to Tranquility Forest will also be a pleasure for you as you watch a new generation learn important lessons like being able to do anything if you set your mind to it and learning the value of true friends.

I missed this short-lived series for so many years after the rare reruns on UHF and TVLand, so this DVD set is a genuine treasure for both myself and anyone else who ever loved this great cleancut show. All 17 episodes are here in blaringly irresistible color, right along with the great songs and the four English teenage bugs who won our hearts as children. My favorite episode is Benita's Double Trouble, in which IQ dresses up as Benita Bizaare in an attempt to rescue Peter Platter, and does a great impersonation of her. I always had a crush on "Big John" so maybe I'm prejudiced, but Little John Philpot (Courage) was no slouch either, and I always wanted to be Joy (Caroline Ellis). This was one of Sid and Marty Krofft's best Saturday morning shows; magical, colorful, imaginative, and full of great music, it's a shame there weren't more episodes. Still, we have to be grateful for what we got. Let's also give credit to our great villain, the late Martha Raye whose outfits and makeup alone were just a trip in themselves, and Billy Barty who played the cute little neurotic Sparky Firefly.

There are some really great extras in this box set as well, including interviews with Big John, Little John, and Caroline Ellis, as well as a trivia game, a video jukebox, and commentary on some of the episodes. Unfortunately Wayne Laryea (Harmony) is not included in any of these, which is surprising since he and Caroline are still quite close. For more on the Bugaloos, check out the Tranquility Forest website. It is closed down right now, but you can still view all the great stuff on it, and maybe create enough interest to get the webmaster roused into action again.

I discoverd the Kroffts and their wacky brand of TV, a few years ago on TV Land. I had always heard about it from a friend back east, when I was in high school.

It all began with Pufnstuf, when I saw it. I didn't know what to think, it was quite unlike anything I had seen on TV. But a few years past, and eventually Pufnstuf came out on DVD.

I was amazed how well made these shows were, and this was true psychadelia. The Kroffts took you to lands where trees talked, hats walked, and sea monsters lived with boys. So, when I heard the Bugaloos was coming to DVD, I was over joyed.

The Bugaloos is about 4 teenage bugs that live in the forest. The show itself, has a very fantastical asthetic to it that is missing in many of the "head" aspects of our culture today. This is the live action equivilent of "The Beatles: Yellow Submarine". But the appeal goes way beyond there, the main villain in the show is Benita Bizzare(Martha Raye) who resembles a drag queen.

But I certainly recommend this show, for any fans of Head films...Psychadelia...Or just wants to remember simpler times before technology killed magic.

If you like this show, I also recommend picking up the rest of the Krofft catalog.

I loved watching this program when I was little - these DVDs are crystal clear and so colorful it seems more vibrant than I remember. My two little ones ages 4 and 2 love it too!

This 3 disc box set is beautifully packaged and provides any fan of the Bugaloos/ S&M Krofft with every episode to emerge from Tranquillity forest. My 9 and 5 year old daughters were feeling the Christmas spirit when this appeared from `Santa'. Bonus material includes commentary from the actors and from the Kroffts, as well as a groovy photo gallery with candid shots of the gang and images of original Bugaloos merchandise.....very cool!!!

This was one of my favorite shows as a kid, along with all of the other Sid and Marty Kroft shows. I had some old VHS tapes with one of these episodes on it, and my 3 year old daughter watched it and loved it, so I had to buy this. I enjoy watching the show as it brings back lots of memories of my childhood, and to have my daughter enjoy it now too is just a priceless thing.

I was being born when this first aired in 1970, so I didn't know about this until after I saw all the the other Krofft shows when I was a kid,. So it was about Land of the Lost ,and Lidsville for me , until 1978-1979, when they aired Krofft superstars in the after noon, I was 8 going on 9. So that is when I first saw the Bugaloos , and when I first saw her, the first T.V. girl I ever fell in love with ,who can that be you say?. A beautiful english Bugaloo with a pretty smile, and a hell of a set of legs(lol) who's went by the name of Joy. (aka Caroline Ellis)I loved listening to them sing and when I watch her perform , hearts of love would pop and circle around my head like you would see in cartoons. Then the years went by, and I forgot about her , until one night in 1995, when Nick at Nite was pufapolooza from 6 pm until 5 am, the I saw her again the lost love (fantasy wise that is)and at the age of 25 I still looked at her like I did when I was a kid. Now I finally have this collection, of great songs , fond memories , and of course Joy. You will never have show like this ever and Krofft were the kings of Saturday Mornings in the 70's. Definitly reminds me if a time of innocence an I still enjoy listening and singing these songs, to Caroline even now you are older ,you still have that beauty, and it is weird now when I think about it and how they all have grown old and so have I (39). But that youthful spirit will always be fresh and timelesss when I watch this over and over again. It still brings a smile to my face, but yet it makes me sad how those youthful days have gone.

I loved this show when I was a little girl. I have many happy memories. How I enjoyed dancing in front of my mirror with my hair brush microphone, pretending that I was Joy, the pink Bugaloo! (admit it, if you were a girl, I bet you did that too!) If you enjoyed this as a child, you really should get it and share it with your own children or dare I say grandchildren. Saturday mornings use to be so special. Now with cable and 24 hour cartoon channels, video games and such, it is nice to have something to remember our childhoods by. Those of us raised in the 70's were given a much more innocent view of the world, one that our young minds could grasp. The Bugaloos were a part of that, as were all of the Sid and Marty Kroft shows.

I love the Bugaloos. Have ever since I was 6 years old in 1970, and I will love them until I die. Sounds stupid and mawkish, but I am not kidding. Oh, for a pair of pink wings and to be surrounded by hot young British dudes...I never could make up my mind if I liked IQ or Courage best. We got everything with this magical show. Great songs, good moral lessons, trippy psychedelic influenced sets, and the power to believe anything could happen so long as you knew Tranquility Forest existed. In short, and at the very essence of this thing, welcome to your childhood. This is the best place you could ever come! Nobody appreciates this box set more than yours truly. Pass it on. You will make somebody else smile when they're in need of friends indeed.