Friday, November 9, 2012

Netflix recommends: H.R. Pufnstuf

It's always nice to end a day with a group of friends and an amusing television show; everyone gets a laugh at something, even if the program itself is atrocious, and you come away feeling a bit better about life in general.  A few of us ended up doing just this, skimming through one guy's Netflix recommendations and arguing halfheartedly over what to watch.  You have to admit, there's quite the variety of intriguing television out there to choose from, so it's understandable that each new genre brought more conflict.  Finally, we gave up, flicked the joystick on the Xbox controller a few times, and clicked on what was highlighted to watch: H.R. Pufnstuf.



Not a single one of us had seen nor heard of this before, and I'm not surprised; the show aired from 1969 until 1971, and was apparently targeted at a young audience.  Of the five of us in the room, all in Park, nobody could get past some of the absurdities of Sid and Marty Krofft's world in its early stages, though apparently the siblings used this storyline as a basis for many future adventures (fairy tale, good versus bad approach to each episode's problem).  What really got me were the life sized puppets, the whimsical transitions, and attempts at almost Hanna-Barbera-esqe action.  In comparison to the costuming and effects of today's productions, these look absolutely childish; yet, in their time, this was the sort of thing that led a generation's entertainment.  It's interesting to look at what children's television started with, and how it's evolved into what's seen today.  The basic story remains the same despite the years and technical advances, though, so at it's core, there's always one of the same few starting points for a kids' production.  I'm definitely planning on seeing what else the Kroffts produced, just to find out where they went from this.

Edit: So, I looked into more of the Krofft's work, and you can see the list of productions here.  I'm curious to know, is anyone familiar with any of these titles?

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