H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series

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!

Bought as a gift. It was a huge hit!!!!

My kids love this set A+

First and foremost, it was delivered in fantastic condition. I buy old Saturday morning shows for the nostalgia. This show as odd and weird as it is was fun in its own way. Great purchase.

I was thrilled when the complete (17-episode) series of H.R. Pufnstuf was finally released on DVD. I watched this program as a child, and with it re-running repeatedly seemed like it was on the air for several years. As I watch it again as an adult, I "get" the adult references in some episodes which makes me love it all the more. There's nothing on television for kids of today that resemble this show full of clean comedy, a dragon, a silly witch, and a talking flute. Those were the days.....

I think the first thing that fans of the H.R. Pufnstuf series might find surprising is that there were only 17 episodes produced, and one of those is what amounts to a "clip" show. When the series first aired, it seemed to go on forever. That was in the days of one episode a Saturday, every Saturday. Somehow, kids didn't quite catch on that it was the same eps over and over.But the show itself was pretty revolutionary for its time. A Dragon with a heart of gold, a witch with an eye for gold and a kid with a golden flute in the middle.But that's typical of Sid and Marty Krofft, who provided a gentle touch, a bit of slapstick, some wild sets and costumes and a stellar star in the form of Jack Wild, just off his Artful Dodger turn in the Best Picture Oscar winning "Oliver!" at the time.If you're a fan of the series, you will like what you see here. As advertised, every episode is presented (though one of them is in rather washed out shape in comparison to the rest for some reason). But even more notable are the special features you get here.It's rare to get a sit down interview with the Kroffts themselves, but you get to hear them both tell their stories about the days of their childhood careers, and what led them to create their collection of programs. THAT is worth the price of the DVD, because you get to find out a lot about the psychology of these two guys through their candid comments: Sid, who was the Vaudeville star, and Marty, who copied his world famous sibling doing his same act. The interaction between these two could be the most amusing thing in this collection and MUST NOT BE MISSED!They also slip you a couple of episodes of an early program titled "Irving" about a circus lion and his adventures in and around the Big Top.Billie Hayes, who played antagonist Witchiepoo, does a wonderful interview at a convention, with people walking by in the background of a hotel ballroom, and that in itself is amusing.But the toughest thing for me to see was Jack Wild's interview. It's clear that the guy has been through a very tough time in his life and every last bit of it shows quite clearly in his face. He nearly looks as old as his witch counterpart! However, to his credit, he still has the youth in his eyes and is still quite expressive.If I have any advice, I'd suggest you view all the special features before you see any of the episodes. It sets them up a bit better and give you a better sense of the people involved and the timing of everything. But it's really a great package, good for kids from the 1970s, or maybe even their kids!Highly recommended.

The product came in great condition and I really love the series.

I LOVED this TV Show as a child and only recently leaned that they only made 16 episodes the year I was born because the Kroft brothers fought hen asked by the studio to down-size the lavish sets. This collection is better than the movie they made after the show went off thr air by Universal. The music is great but remember it is the 60's so it has a different feel Jack Wild Sings great. Billie Hayes best known by many a decade later as introducing us to Robert Scorpio on ABC'S General Hospital pulls in a memorable iconic role as Witchiepoo who wanted the boy's talking flute Freddie

You don't need to be high to love this show ... Sid & Marty are just that good ... my wife was all about this as a kid so I got it for her and ... well... even more magic ensued !!!

Alright, so I'm 27 - so I was obviously not around when this was on TV, my parents and other family members have never mentioned this ... so what drove me to buy this DVD, I really have no idea ... but I seem to have missed out. Big time.I love it! I've just finished watching the entire 17 episodes AND the film ... and, to be honest, I'm going to sit and watch them all again when I can because I was really disappointed when I got to the end. *sad*I'm quite mad about puppetry and 'surrealism' and this has got to be one of the more quirky programmes I've ever seen. The only way I can describe it is a bit like 'The Banana Splits' meets 'The Wizard of Oz' with a bit of 'Charlie Chalk' thrown in (though C.C. came afterwards, so I wonder if that was inspired by Pufnstuf.)Although it's a kids' programme, it's not all that wholesome, which I think is where today's kids' programmes go wrong. I mean, I'm 27 and I don't find it patronising at all and it doesn't underestimate its potentially young audience. If you look at things like Fraggle Rock, Dangermouse and several other Children's Cult Programmes of the past, there's a reason why adults still embrace and enjoy watching them and I think it's a shame that things like 'Pufnstuf' have been replaced by the horrors of Boobahs, Tellytubbies and the monstrosity of CGI Fireman Sam (it's almost a crime - do not watch it - stick to the original).Pufnstuf is very well made, it doesn't take itself too seriously, you can see that everyone is having a whale of a time and I think that's partly why it works so well. The acting is very good and, besides acting, there's a lot of other talents in there - there's dance, music and, of course, the lovely art of puppetry. I picked up on a few recognisable voices in there, which I kept looking up. Each character, although they might be stereotypical (for want of a better word), I can't really think of one character I don't like or any particularly weak characters. Freddy annoyed me a little bit at first, but now I'm used to him. I love Jack Wild in 'Oliver!' and it was nice to see him in something else and, to be honest, as good as he is in 'Oliver!', I think he outshines himself in this. Cling and Clang remind me of Lemmings and of course you've got the two contrasting characters of Witchiepoo and Pufnstuf himself.Kids today should be allowed to enjoy things like this. In fact, if you love children's programmes or a good trip down memory lane or have kids of your own - get this on DVD because it's excellent. It really is and I, for one, am extremely happy to welcome it into my collection.