Marty Krofft, producer of ’H.R. Pufnstuf’, dies at 86

rewrite this content and keep HTML tags Breadcrumb Trail LinksTelevisionAuthor of the article:Associated PressJennifer PeltzPublished Nov 26, 2023  •  2 minute read Producer Marty Krofft arrives at the premiere of “Land of the Lost,” at Gramuan’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, May 30, 2009. Krofft, one of the producing pair that put ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’ and the Osmonds on TV, has died at 86, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Photo by Reed Saxon /THE ASSOCIATED PRESSReviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.Article contentNEW YORK (AP) — Marty Krofft, a TV producer known for imaginative children’s shows such as “H.R. Pufnstuf” and primetime hits including “Donny & Marie” in the 1970s, has died in Los Angeles, his publicist said. Krofft was 86.Advertisement 2This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Article contentHe died Saturday of kidney failure, publicist Harlan Boll said.Article contentKrofft and his brother Sid were puppeteers who broke into television and ended up getting stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along the way, they brought a trippy sensibility to children’s TV and brought singling siblings Donny and Marie Osmond and Barbara Mandrell and her sisters to primetime.The Osmonds’ clean-cut variety show, featuring television’s youngest-ever hosts at the time, became a lasting piece of ’70s cultural memorabilia, rebooted as a daytime talk show in the 1990s and a Broadway Christmas show in 2010. The Kroffts followed up with “Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters,” centered on the country music star; it ran from 1980-82.Your Midday SunYour noon-hour look at what’s happening in Toronto and beyond.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 3This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentLike the Osmonds, “H.R. Pufnstuf” proved to have pop culture staying power. Despite totaling just 17 episodes, the surreal show, featuring an island, a witch, a talking flute, a shipwrecked boy and a redheaded, cowboy boot-wearing dragon, came in 27th in a 2007 TV Guide poll ranking of all-time cult favorites.More than 45 years after the show’s 1969 debut, the title character graced an episode of another Krofft brothers success, “Mutt & Stuff,” which ran for multiple seasons on Nickelodeon.“To make another hit at this time in our lives, I’ve got to give ourselves a pat on the back,” Marty Krofft told The Associated Press ahead of the episode’s taping in 2015.Even then, he was still contending with another of the enduring features of “H.R. Pufnstuf” — speculation that it, well, betokened a certain ’60s commitment to altering consciousness. Krofft rebuffed that notion: “If we did the drugs everybody thought we did, we’d be dead today,” he said, adding, “You cannot work stoned.”Advertisement 4This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentBorn in Montreal on April 9, 1937, Krofft got into entertainment via puppetry. He and his brother Sid put together a risque, cabaret-inspired puppet show called “Les Poupées de Paris” in 1960, and its traveling success led to jobs creating puppet shows for amusement parks. The Kroffts eventually opened their own, the short-lived World of Sid & Marty Krofft, in Atlanta in the 1970s.They first made their mark in television with “H.R. Pufnstuf,” which spawned the 1970 feature film “Pufnstuf.” Many more shows for various audiences followed, including “Land of the Lost”; “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl”; “Pryor’s Place,” with comedian Richard Pryor; and “D.C. Follies,” in which puppets gave a satirical take on politics and the news.The pair were honored with a Daytime Emmy for lifetime achievement in 2018. They got their Walk of Fame star two years later.Sid Krofft said on Instagram that he was heartbroken by his younger brother’s death, telling fans, “All of you meant the world to him.”While other producers might have contented themselves with their achievements far earlier, Marty Krofft indicated to The AP in 2015 that he no had interest in stepping back from show business.“What am I gonna do — retire and watch daytime television and be dead in a month?” he asked.Article contentShare this article in your social network

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