- Sid Krofft, co-creator of ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’ and ‘Land of the Lost,’ died April 10 at age 96.
- He and his brother Marty Krofft shaped 1970s children’s TV with imaginative, puppet-driven fantasy shows.
- His career spanned decades, earning a Lifetime Achievement Emmy and a lasting influence on Saturday morning television.
Sid Krofft, the puppeteer and television producer who co-created H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, died on April 10 at the age of 96. It has been reported that he passed away peacefully in his sleep at the home of his business partner Kelly Killian in Los Angeles.
He was one half of the Krofft Brothers, working alongside his younger brother Marty Krofft, who died in 2023. Together, they built a distinctive brand of children’s television in the late 1960s and 1970s that combined live actors, large-scale puppets, and elaborate fantasy settings.
Puppetteering a lasting impact on TV
Krofft’s career began long before television, performing puppetry as a child and later touring with the circus and appearing in live productions. His early work included adult-oriented puppet shows and appearances on programs like The Dean Martin Show in the 1960s, which helped bring his style to a national audience.
His breakthrough came with H.R. Pufnstuf in 1969, a series that ran only 17 original episodes but became a cult favorite through reruns and syndication. He and his brother followed it with a string of shows including The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, and Land of the Lost, which became one of the most recognizable Saturday morning programs of the 1970s.
Mourning the loss of Sid Krofft
Beyond children’s programming, the Kroffts expanded into variety television with shows like Donny & Marie and even opened an indoor amusement park, The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, in Atlanta in 1976, though it closed within months. Their influence extended across decades, including later projects and revivals, and they remained active in entertainment well into the 21st century.
Sid Krofft’s work earned industry recognition, including a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2018 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. Even in his later years, he stayed connected to fans through projects like his “Sundays with Sid” livestream, continuing to engage audiences decades after his original shows first aired.
