User Reviews

by this time its I'm sure you can say dated! I just hope if I ever have kids that they'll watch this instead of Barney!

(haven't watched the DVD again.. but I remember Witchy Poo, the big 'Marshmellow'(sp?) himself, Sigmund the sea monster, the Bugaloos I saw 'Lidsville' on TV land (I'm guessing it was on that.. but someone was just switching through the channels) land of the lost and but there's others I do not remember what it looks like for instance Electra woman & Dynagirl, The Lost Saucer & Far out Space nuts.

Now THAT would be one non 'scary' Halloween costume I wouldn't mind! but I do somewhat agree with who said its a sick show....

What were they showing us in the 70s!? (yes some if from late 60s but all the same to me) Oh yeah anyone remember the Banana Splits? is there any DvDs of that?

I find it hard to believe that H.R. Pufnstuf only had a 17 episode run. It seemed like it was in syndication for years on Saturday morning.

Sid and Marty Kroft were geniuses and Pufnstuf was a great creation, maybe their greatest. The premise was young Jack Wild got into a boat with his talking magic flute Freddie. It was all part of a nefarious scheme by the resident villain Witchiepoo to gain the flute. And after Pufnstuf rescues Wild and gives him sanctuary every week we were treated to Witchiepoo's latest schemes to obtain Freddie and how Pufnstuf and Wild foiled them each week. Witchiepoo and Hamilton Burger had a lot in common.

For adults I found it interesting that the various characters on Living Island seemed to resemble TV and film personalities. Billie Hayes was hilarious as Witchiepoo and she followed in the great tradition of Margaret Hamilton. Dr. Blinky sounded like Ed Wynn, who else would play the West Wind but a John Wayne imitator, and Ludicrous Lion sounded like WC Fields.

As for Pufnstuf, his was the familiar television voice of an Andy Griffith soundalike. Made it a bit fun for an older generation who knew who these folks were.

Great children's entertainment

I have tried to find the serious answer to what H.R. Pufnstuf's initials stand for. But i can't find it anywhere. Does ANYBODY have the answer to this? (aside from the "home rolled"). Also, does anyone know if Jimmy ever got home? I remember watching the show when i was a kid (born in 1962), i hated it, but for some reason i would always watch it. I'm not sure as to why i watched it, i just did. Some of the Sid and Marty Krofts later shows i really liked. Such as "ELECTROWOMAN AND DYNAGIRL" (probably because i was a early teen male and pretty women in tights definitely kept my attention), and the other was called "DR. SHRINKER". And there was one more called "LIDDSVILLE" (i think). Probably because i thought that Charles Nelson Riley was a riot. Does anyone else remember any of these along with of course H.R. Pufnstuf? I feel like a kid again just talking bout these shows. Thanks.

Anyone who didn't grow up in the 70's who sees this show just sits there in stunned amazement. But, if you saw this show back in its heyday, you probably loved it.

The Kroft shows were a surreal breed. They were puppeteers, but the puppets in these shows were, generally, people in elaborate costumes. The colors were bright and psychedelic. The names were a mixture of puns and silly jokes. There were plenty of songs and hijinxs galore. The stories were silly and lame, but they had a spirit and warmth to them. Loyalty and honesty were always at the heart of the characters and good values always triumphed.

Jack Wild made a name for himself in Oliver and stared as Jimmy. He is marooned on the Living Island by Witchipoo, who covets his Magic Flute. Jimmy is rescued by the mayor of Living Island, H.R. Pufnstuf. Each week, Witchiepoo would concoct another wild scheme to steal Magic Flute; and, each week, her scheme would backfire, thanks to her inept henchmen and her own stupidity.

The one thing that cemented a love of this show, for me, was Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo. Billie was a great comedian and gave her all to Witchiepoo. I was easily scared as a kid, but she was never frightening. Witchiepoo was too much of a screw-up to pose a real threat. She had a charm that made you want to come back. Plus, she had a cool, souped-up broom! And, from all accounts, she was a heck of a nice lady.

I've heard the drug jokes about this and other shows (i.e. H.R. Pufnstuf Hand Rolled Pufnstuf) from the Krofts. Yeah, they're weird and look like the product of a demented or medicated mind, but the writers weren't that young and were pretty straight-laced. Maybe it was just something in the air back then.

This is the stuff great memories are made of! At 40 I have not only fallen in love with Jack Wild again, but I adore the entire series even more as an adult. Perhaps it is because Witchipoo and all of the other characters were directed toward adults. As adults we now know the old movie actors they were portraying like John Wayne, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, W.C. Fields, Jimmy Cagney, Peter Lorre and Edward G. Robinson just to name a few. My daughters have also fallen in love with Jack Wild and adore the series too. They love it when Jack sings and dances because they loved him in Oliver. We only wished that the musical numbers Jack did were longer!! We could watch an entire half hour of nothing but Jack Wild singing and dancing. "How Lucky I Am" to have grown up with Jack Wild and now he is a second generation idol to my daughters. What other actors do you know have this lasting charm? May Jack sing and dance for eternity. We love you Jack!!

Jimmy has a talking flute. Witchiepoo wants the talking flute. There is the underlying premise for a camp romp for children and adults alike.

Witchiepoo steals the show as she seeks to overcome all sorts of obstacles including her bumbling sidekicks to steal the talking flute. All sorts of supporting characters abound in this costume comedy - Kling and Klang (the policemen); HR Pufnstuf (the Mayor); the North and South Winds; and many more.

It was a wonderful adventure and lots of fun when growing up; and still is. A timeless classic that defies the challenges of the hi-tech era. Definitely worth a look!

I absolutely loved the show when I was extremely young. Luckily, I have a very good memory. Throughout my life I would talk about HR Puf N' Stuff. Sometimes people knew it and of course younger people did not. I had tried for years to get copies, which proved extremely difficult. Actually impossible. I am pleased to say, at the tender age of 41, I have managed to get the whole series. I watch it whenever I can. I am amazed at how much I remember. And the bits I don't are a joy. It is great fun, colourful, hilarious and just the best thing. I am looking forward to introducing it to my niece and nephew and my twins which will be born this summer. Thank you Jack Wild, HR, Billie Hayes and the whole crew. You are fantastic. Totally fantastic.

P.S. One of my favourite lines is when Freddie is swallowed by the 'Horse With The Golden Throat'. Jimmie asks if he's OK. He replies 'Get me out of here. I'm surrounded by carrots'. Mark. XX.

He's your friend when things get rough? Well he was nowhere to be seen that time I got drunk and wrapped my car round a telegraph pole.

I remember thinking it was a weird sort of Sesame Street and I thought the creatures and characters were odd and off putting and really rather pointless. I was a child of the seventies in America and saw this show on TV in syndication but remember dodging it. So glad to see there are some people who thought this show was creepy, too. It sort of reminds me of that Creepy Pasta about Candle Cove, currently being made into a show by the SyFy Channel as Channel Zero. When I saw the show online, I thought immediately about HR Pufnstuf. Especially with the talking skull and Witchy Poo. I guess it was supposed to appeal to the more "hippy" parent who wanted an alternative to the Sesame Street Urban setting. In retrospect, HR Pufnstuf looks like what Sesame Street would be like if one dropped acid.

Attention: If her charms are completely lost on you, read no further!

As someone who's never smoked the wacky tobacky, I do my best to ignore the alleged reference in H(appy).R(elaxing). Pufnstuf. Anyway, my story...

I was just a little too young to watch the show when it first aired. Today, having first seen it on TV Land quite recently, I would easily dismiss it as silly crap if it weren't for one thing: Witchiepoo, the resident villain. This little witch, as played by Billie Hayes, is irresistibly cute and utterly entertaining. She more than makes up for everything the show may lack. Kudos, though, to the rest of the cast, mostly puppeteers.

True, Witchiepoo may seem like a total rip-off of the Wicked Witches in "The Wizard of Oz", but I have yet to fall madly in love with Margaret Hamilton's green-faced ghoul, as excellent as she was in that role. It is a testament to Billie Hayes' talent that, through all the ugly make-up, she can be so wonderfully charming and adorable. Witchiepoo proves that a witch need not be pretty (Samantha, Sabrina) to be lovable. And I defy you to hear that sweet laugh of hers and not instantly fall under her spell!

Witchiepoo is the antithesis of so much sleazy TV programming today, and that's why I don't feel as silly as I could've about proclaiming my deep affection for this sweet and enchanting character. Thirty-five years since Witchiepoo first arrived, and it'll be a long time before I fall for another fictional character the way I've fallen for Witchiepoo. I am truly bewitched.

My name is Andrew Leitch. I live in Melbourne, Australia.

I hadn't seen this show for 25 years until today and it sent chills through me.

Our local TV station aired it today (channel 2,abc) Australia. I was very young when this first came out and grew up on the series. I know that my young niece would love this type of film. She has just turned three. Could someone please tell me how to purchase a copy of this movie in a converted DVD copy or in original video format. I have been on the internet and every response has been very vague. Can someone please help? Thank you!

Pufnstuf, oh Pufnstuf, You're our mate when things get rough You'll never run out of puff Even when the fans say you're smoking stuff You're our favourite dragon-like thing When we see you our hearts go 'ping' You're more legendary than Sting Bling bling bling, ching ching ching, Rah rah rah, blah blah blah. Witchipoo is a little brat, She's a notorious version of The Cat in The Hat, But you'll squash her in ten seconds flat, But I guess I'll do better since I'm really fat. Jimmy, Jimmy, my darling Jimmy, I would kiss you in a jiffy, I can't think of any more words to bloody well rhyme with this poem.

Oh, 10 out of 10.

To settle an argument I really need to know some information about HR PUFNSTUF in Australia, in particular in relation to the original and any subsequent TV broadcasts of the the series on Australian TV. Any information or help that can be provided will be most appreciated. Does anyone actually know or remember which TV channel HR PUFNSTUF was broadcast on in Australia? Everyone I ask seems to have a different recollection of this, so I'm hoping to get a definitive answer from someone who may know. Was it originally on the ABC or one of the commercial networks? Also, did it ever screen on the ABC? Please post any answers on this Message Board or email me at mikeys1967@hotmail.com I look forward to hearing from anyone on this. Thanks

This hateful production showcases all of the most negative emotions as the feature entertainment.

The poor lighting only added a creepy sinister element to this series and the genuine fear that most of the characters portrayed toward the bully arch villain as a result of ongoing intimidation. The impact seems to be to promote fear and deep seated loathing in the minds of sensitive kids who watch it.

Show this to kids and you are guaranteed to screw them up. And its legal! Do not be surprised if there is a class action when those kids realise the subliminal damage done by watching this program all those years ago.

For any adult born after 1970, this series (and the movie that was made from it) will make little sense, if any. Wild, raucous colors, dancing, singing, and an island where everything - yes, EVERYTHING - is alive.

Little Jimmy, coaxed to Living Island by the evil machinations of Witchy-Poo (the heavy of the series) finds himself in possession of a magic, talking flute, and trapped on an island of talking hats and dragons and witches, all of which he can barely comprehend. To an adult of today, the show simply makes little sense...

Ah, but if you saw it as a child, as I did, the show makes perfect sense. First, it's *FUN*. That, indeed, was one of the main points of the show - having fun. Yet, each show attempted to impart (as is typical for children's programming) a moral message. In general, the most common message of the entire series was "Perseverance". Keep trying, because though you may fail, if you keep trying, you may succeed in the end. Other lessons imparted by the show include 'Don't steal', 'Don't Lie', and 'Don't be Mean (despite how much fun it may be, you end up hurting others, and that isn't nice).'

Adults today look at the show, searching for depth, perhaps hidden meanings. Well, there *AREN'T* any - what you see is what you get. Cling and Clang have no "Hidden Meanings" - they are simply Cling and Clang. The talking flute is just a talking flute, and Jimmy is just a boy who wants to go home.

Alas, the networks decided to cancel the show. In an era where even the most critically acclaimed shows often died due to a slip of a point or two in the Nielsens, H.R. Pufnstuf was not the smash hit the network demanded. Adults of the time simply shook their heads as their children laughed and clapped and sang along with the simple songs, for parents of the time understood the show about as well as they understood the dark side of the moon.

Yet, I understood it as a child, as did all my friends of that time. Yes, we sang along with the theme song (which I can still sing today, word for word - it was mercifully short), laughed at the antics of the Living Islanders, booed the evil Witchy-Poo, and deeply felt for Little Jimmy, who sometimes wept for his heartfelt desire to go home. As a child, however, I often found I was jealous, even angry with little Jimmy. Living Island was, in the end, a fantasy paradise (despite Witchy-Poo), and for each moment Jimmy sighed and wished he could go home, I sighed and wished I could be there, on Living Island, instead of in the world of 1969, with it's turmoil and strife that were far beyond the comprehension of a little boy.

I'm 32 and watched these when we had them on VHS. Always loved witchie-poo. The lion is WC Fields back from the dead. Love the castle and evil trees like the Lugosi one. Always liked the song & dark boat. The flute is annoying and don't care much for the kid. Too bad wasn't on longer.

This show, and many other Krofft programs (i.e. Lidsville and Land of the Lost), scared the hell out of me. In 1979 HR was deep in syndication, but that didn't stop a 4 year old from finding it. You'd sit down and watch, allured by the surreality, the "stranger in a strange land" themes and the larger than life puppet-like characters. You'd expect a benign Sesame Street-like program full of soft freindly characters. But in the land of Krofft all things are slightly twisted, mysterious, surreal. Just look at the expressions they've sewn into the faces of the characters. Dark man, dark. You'd be a little tense for the first 15 minutes, but then Freddy the Flute would bite Witchiepoo on the finger or some hitherto inanimate object would turn around and talk and freak the hell out of you, push you right over the cliff into full throttle terror... I remember crying hysterically and trying explain to my grandmother the freaky stuff that just went down on TV. She probably thought I was crazy. This stuff permeated my dreams and nightmares for years. I deeply repressed all things Krofft and then around age 20 learned that this show actually existed. Boy was I relieved, I hadn't made it all up. Absolutely priceless program, I've got some on tape.

Remember the sleestak? Enik? Chaka? That's a whole nother source of Freudian terror.

This was one psychedelic children's show. In all,it was a memorable fantasy-musical adventure fiasco of a series that was filmed on a Hollywood studio lot-at Paramount Studios,and in turn was the first of several Sid and Marty Krofft Productions to be produced for Saturday Mornings. The executive producers were Sid and Marty Krofft themselves along with producer Si Rose,who was also the head writer for several episodes and also the producer-writer for several classic television shows which included "McHale's Navy","The Ghost and Mrs. Muir","F-Troop","My Three Sons","The Doris Day Show",and later with "The Dukes Of Hazzard".

The children fantasy-adventure series "H.R. Pufnstuf" had all the standard tricks associated with the production company,including fantastic costumes,brightly colored and outrageous noisy comedy. The action centered on prepubescent Jimmy,the only human seen on the show,who sail out one day with his talking flute Freddy in his shirt pocket. The evil and menacing and ugly Witchiepoo,however,who coveted the magic flute puts a spell on Jimmy's boat causing it to crash on Living Island. Once there,Jimmy is rescued by the island's leading citizen,an amiable dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf and is adopted by the other adorable denizens of the island including Blinky the wise owl,Cling and Clang,the midget cops,and Four Winds,a breeze with a human visage. All of them worked to keep Jimmy and his high-pitched nervous flute out of the clutches of the evil and diabolical Witchiepoo. However,Witchiepoo's plans constantly ran afoul of her incompetent help. On the plus side was her Vroom-Broom,a gandy contraption featuring a umbrella-shaded seat for the witch and a bathtub sidecar for her goofy vulture sidekick Orson. Unfortunately,Orson was part of Witchiepoo's problem as were Seymour the yellow spider and Stupid Bat. The fearsome(and sometimes frightening)looking Evil Trees and the Mushrooms were supposed to be the scary part of the show,but in turn was very effective in producing a scare tactic not only for little kids,but older teenagers in mind who were watching the show.

As for the show itself,the series "H.R. Pufnstuf" made a superstar out of British actor Jack Wild--who in turn before his television debut was see as the "Artful Dodger",who in turn was magnificent in his singing and acting talents in Carol Reed's 1968 Oscar-winning musical "Oliver",based on the characters from Charles Dickens' great novel. On the show however,you got to see some of the great musical talent that Jack Wild had and it shows with his singing and dancing abilities as well as his acting techniques. Not bad for a child actor though. Also mentioned here is the talents of Billie Hayes as the evil Witchiepoo. Her character was not only menacing but absolutely hilarious to boot,and it shows in some of the episodes. One funny lady. Bit of trivia about the show--"H.R. Pufnstuf"-only actors Jack Wild and Billie Hayes were the only human characters on the show--the rest of them were actors in costumes and their acting abilities were supplied by voice characterizations namely from the talents of Lennie Weinrib(who was one of the head writers for the show),Walker Edminston and Frank Welker.

When "H.R. Pufnstuf",made its premiere on NBC-TV on September 6,1969, the show became an immediate hit with not only with kids,but adults as well. The series lasted three seasons on the network until the final episode on September 4, 1971. Only the first season had original episodes. Seasons two and three were repeated episodes from the first season. During the height of the 1969-1970 season,"H.R. Pufnstuf", was a ratings winner and a smash hit with its audience--mainly with the audiences that consisted of children and its connection with the Saturday Morning audience. The show scored the highest ratings ever in the history of the network,and ousted the competition of other shows airing in the same slot on ABC and CBS. "H.R. Pufnstuf",was the most successful Saturday Morning series on NBC,and the only show besides the animated "The Pink Panther Show" and the live-action adventure series "Skippy:The Bush Kangaroo",to do so during the 1969-1970 season.

Only 21 episodes were produced for this series. After the phenomenal success of the show,Sid and Marty Krofft took "H.R. Pufnstuf",to the next level,and in 1970 Universal Pictures produced a feature length film version called "Pufnstuf",with Jack Wild,Billie Hayes,and Cass Elliott. After the show was cancelled in 1971,repeated episodes of the series were shown on Saturday Mornings on ABC-TV from September 16,1972 to September 1,1973 and from there moved to Sunday Mornings from September 9,1973 until the last repeated telecast on September 1,1974.

After the success of the show,actor Jack Wild went into oblivion never to be heard from since,with a exception for several appearances of children's shows during the remainder of the 1970's and 1980's. He is longer with us. A great talent on a great show.

This is a strange,scary,freaky demented show. All I can remember is a screaming, living flute, bizarro McDonaldland characters and "Withchy-Poo", by far the scariest villian ever on T.V. The thought of seeing this show again sends shivers up my spine. Therefore I have no choice but to give it a "10"

This past Sunday I went to Best Buy and bought the complete series of episodes from this show on DVD. This show has brought back so many great memories... I can still remember waking up every Saturday morning at 6am and sitting in front of the TV until 11am and watching many shows...like the Superfriends, Hong Kong Fooey, Space Ghost, The Lost Saucer...and many others. BUT...this show by far sticks out more in my memories more than any other.

I remember seeing Witchie Poo trying to steal Freddy from Jimmy and PufNStuf and always failing in the end of each show. I remember the Frog with the sparkly pants, the Boyd's band at the end of each show, the Owl Doctor, Cling and Clang, the talking trees, the Vulture who Witchie Poo always hit on the head or nose...the monster with six arms...and many others... All of these creatures and people together put on half an hour of fun and laughs every Saturday morning for me...

If you have young ones, I HIGHLY encourage everyone who reads this to have them watch the series... I have two little boys, one 5 and the other 8, who are addicted to Jimmy Neutron and SpongeBob. This show, for them, has quickly become one of their favorites...as it once was one of mine. Their friends love the show too!!

Hope this helps anyone out there...

This is a weird, weird, weird show. My friend Tom and I are afraid to watch it because it feels like you are on drugs. Strange muppets, subliminal messages, hypnotic imagery, funky colors are all on parade in this 1969 TV Series about... you know, I have no clue what was going on! I don't know if this would be considered a recommendation, but I must admit, you should see this show once to see how "trippy" it really is.

I cannot recommend this show highly enough! It is a major reason that I grew up with the wild imagination I still have to this day! Along with Lidsville and Sigmund and the Seamonsters, Pufnstuf was a staple of my Saturday morning. I taught a group of high school kids last year. A few of them somehow found out about the show. We started talking and then one of them came back the next day with the DVD set! He bought all the episodes and a new generation was exposed to the big goofy dinosaur. They loved it! Now I need to show it to some younger kids and get them influenced early by Pufnstuf, Witchiepoo, Freddy, Jimmy, and the rest! HR Pufnstuf is a classic. Pufnstuf even went on stage with the Brady Kids at one of their cheesy concerts at the Hollywood Bowl ! The late 60's early 70's were a great time to be a kid. A big dinosaur puppet became a teen idol !

I just wanted to say that you couldn't pull me away from this show when I was a kid.

I LOVED IT.

What child didn't want to be wisked away to a far away place where trees and creatures of all sorts talked with you.

To this day I still love to reminisce about the show with other friends that have seen the show as well.

And to those who said it didn't make sense................WHAT children's show DOES make sense??? They are a make believe fantasy world that kids dream about. A place for them to get away and just have some PLAIN ordinary fun.

Tiala

THIS was my single most favorite television show as a child. I waited every Saturday morning for this show and never EVER got enough of it. I loved every character and every premise. Of course, I was not yet old enough for kindergarten, but that's neither here nor there. I have nothing but fond memories of this show, haphazard though it was.

This enchanting Saturday morning children's fare was the high point of my Saturday morning cartoon watching, though this was live action, rather than animation. It very much held my heart, as I have always been a great lover of all things dragon.

"Onions, onions, la la la! Onions, onions, la la la! Onions, onions, la la la! Oooooh! I love onions!

Remember THAT?

10/10 on the "TV" scale, from...

the Fiend :.