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First in a long line of surreal and sometimes disturbing offerings from [[Sid and Marty Krofft Productions]].
To get an idea as to what you're in for, we turn to VH-1's "I Love the '70s" show (never mind that this show was aired in 1969), and their description of ''
{{quote|"So, the deal with ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' is, Sid and Marty Krofft did a lot of drugs back in the '70s when they were given a TV show..."}}
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To say that ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' was disturbing is like saying the ocean is wet. There is just something almost seductively creepy about the whole thing, from Jimmy's constant prancing and the [[Ambiguously Gay|vaguely homoerotic relationship]] between boy, flute, and muppet, to the bizarrely twisted maternal figure of the witch, to the generally drug-induced artistic design of the costumes and sets. [[THC Theater|This is not a show to watch sober.]]
As a historical note, the basic design and characters of McDonald's "McDonaldland" commercials were blatantly plagiarized from ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' in 1971 after the Krofft brothers refused to license the ''Pufnstuf'' characters for use in a McDonald's commercial campaign. The Kroffts sued in 1973, and won the case in 1977. For more information, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20080516091331/http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990827.html this article] at Cecil Adams' ''The Straight Dope'', or [https://web.archive.org/web/20141106000415/http://www.coolcopyright.com/cases/chp5/kroftmcdonalds.htm this one] at coolcopyright.com.
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Crossover]]: Witchiepoo once appeared on ''[[Lidsville]]'' as HooDoo's date.
** The 1973 live stage show "H.R. Pufnstuf & The Brady Kids Live at the Hollywood Bowl"
* [[Crowd Song]]
* [[Dem Bones]]: Witchipoo's guards are armored skeletons. Dr. Blinky also has a talking skull.
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* [[Expository Theme Tune]]
* [[Failure Is the Only Option]]: After all, the show is basically just ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'' on ''even more'' drugs.
* [[Flying Broomstick]]: Witchiepoo's Vroom Broom.
* [[Giant Spider]]: Seymour.
* [[Least Rhymable Word]]: Witchiepoo's [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDoSl-M5tmM song] in "Show Biz Witch".
* [[The Movie]]: Chiefly memorable for Cass Elliot's song, "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZPuISbBZSg Different]," and for her sitting in a bathtub filled with fruit.
* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: Ludicrous Lion is a thinly
* [[Non-Human Sidekick]]
* [[Our Dragons Are Different]]: That's what Pufnstuf was supposed to be, believe it or not.
* [[The Owl-Knowing One]]: Dr. Blinky.
* [[Parental Bonus]]: With a twist: it's not so much a "bonus" as "the show is a whole lot more disturbing if you're an adult."
* [[Spin-Off]]: The Krofft Supershow featured a segment called "Horror Hotel", with Witchiepoo running the titular hotel along with Seymour, Orson, and Stupid Bat, although for some reason, Dr. Blinky (originally one of the good guys), and Hoodoo (the lead villain from [[Lidsville]]) also appeared as well.
* [[Stop Trick]]
* [[Surrounded by Idiots]]: Witchiepoo's bungling henchmen.
* [[Talent Show]]
* [[This Is Your Premise on Drugs]]: It's just a question of which one, really.
* [[Those Wacky Nazis]]: Benita Bizarre (from The Bugaloos) [[Expy]] Boss Witch's (she's even played by [[Martha Raye|the same actress]]) rat henchman, Heinrich (actually Funky Rat, also from the The Bugaloos), who wears a Gestapo-type uniform.
* [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?]]: Believe it or not, [[Urban Legend|it wasn't]], according to [[Word of God|Sid and Marty Krofft themselves]]. At one point they even ''fired'' a crew member for showing up stoned.
* [[Wicked Witch]]: Witchiepoo (who would take it as a compliment).
* [[Wig, Dress, Accent]]: Everyone at some point, but especially Witchiepoo and company as the singing groups "The Three Oranges" and "The Three Lemons".
{{reflist}}
{{TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever}}
[[Category:TV Series]]
[[Category:Live-Action TV of the 1960s]]
[[Category:American Series]]
▲[[Category:H.R. Pufnstuf]]
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