I've been wandering down memory lane after giving my young nephews a DVD set of the complete series H.R. Pufnstuf. ("The adventures of a boy trapped in a fantastic land with a dragon friend and a witch enemy.") This Saturday-morning series was a huge part of my childhood; I had many fond memories of it, but hadn't seen it for nearly 40 years.
So I thought, what the heck---I went ahead and viewed the discs before giving them as a Christmas gift. And I was surprised at just how well I remembered the show! It all seemed very familiar, despite the many years that had passed since I watched it. A handful of episodes contained musical interludes, and I remembered every single song after hearing just a few notes.
I was also surprised to find that there were only 17 episodes ever produced. It was shot in 1969, and the network just kept repeating these same episodes over and over---it was on television constantly for about five years. The producers definitely wanted to shoot more episodes for additional seasons, but the network was cheap and figured that kids would keep on watching the same ones. It's a shame, because storywise I think a lot more could have been done with the basic premise.
However, the following year the producers (the Krofft brothers) did at least shoot a feature-length film version of the show before the cast was let go and all the sets and costumes put into storage. I'll have to talk more about the film later...
So, how does this series hold up as an adult? Hmmmm.... It definitely has the sheen of nostalgia for me, though watching it now I have to wince a bit about how LOUD and over-the-top it is. And all the very silly slapstick doesn't do much for me; this was intended for a young audience, to be sure. So what's in it for an adult? Well, all the drug references---ha! Man, talk about psychedelic; you have to assume that everyone involved with this show knew their way around a bong (and more).
What I got a kick out of, however, was the fact that all of the costumed characters speak in voices based on classic Hollywood actors. So, it's fun trying to figure out just who everyone is supposed to be. (For instance, the talking skull is Boris Karloff, Judy the frog is Judy Garland, etc., etc....)
Due to the fact that yes, to my aged ears and eyes a fair amount of the show now is slightly annoying, I'm not sure it is something I'd watch over and over, but I would get a kick out of viewing little bits and pieces every now and again...
Oh, in conclusion I'll add that one of the chief pleasures of H.R. Pufnstuf for me was Billie Hayes' over-the-top performance as Witchiepoo. Okay, I'm contradicting myself---I've only now just said that I didn't care for the much-too-loud, much-too-broadly-played antics in this show! But for some reason I feel a great fondness for that character and the actress who played her. She isn't so much a witch as a clown in witch make-up; very silly, not scary.
It's good to know that Billie Hayes, at 82 years of age, is still around. I viewed a few fairly recent videos of her on YouTube---she seems so nice!
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2010
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2008
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2007
Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Fraggle
Blimmin' Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2013Verified Purchase
Binkydaminky
Pufnstuf!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2013Verified Purchase
Mr. S. Atkinson
and the grand kids love it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2017Verified Purchase
babs
Perfect
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2020Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Walk down memory lane
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2018Verified Purchase
