Daniel Robert Epstein: Marty Krofft

Okay, this is a GREAT interview, and Marty Kroft is a great subject! I have a weird personal connection to him, too:

When I was a kid in Atlanta back in the 70s my dad was kind of a "mover and shaker" (he was a successful business dick: friends / drinking buddies with the likes of Ted Turner, worked for Carter's Presidential campaign, ran for the Senate, etc) and he also knew the Krofts casually / socially, too, due to the fact that they built this indoor psychedelic amusement park called "Sid and Marty Kroft World" inside of an office tower and he had some business connection to the guys whose building it was or something. Anyway, it had rides and all kinds of wacky stuff like you would expect from these cats, and it was SERIOUSLY fucked up. We got to be part of some "previews" of the place when they were sorting it all out where we would ride / experience the various attractions and give our two cents' worth to help them refine the park, and let me tell you: my head was never right since. It opened but didn't last long as I recall, most likely because it was just too damn weird and intense for children, and caused too many flashbacks in the adults accompanying us.

Still not sure I believe the "we didn't do drugs" party line but I can see it as a possibility: the Krofts probably didn't need to DO acid because, clearly, they WERE acid.


[Edited on May 23, 2006 by Cineman]

When do I get my Dr. Shrinker DVDs, dagnabbit?

I don't really get the attitude that anybody who creates something weirdly psychedelic must have been high to do it. The fact that Frank Zappa was straight indicates there are some people who just naturally have a bizarrely creative mindset.

not anybody, the kroffts!

I absolutely LOVED all the Sid & Marty Krofft stuff and (sadly enough) I'm old enough to remember them when they were on regular TV and not just retro cable stations. I haven't thought about the Bugaloos or the Banana Splits in ages. Lidsville rocked my world. Such a trip down memory lane....

(....DAMN, I'm old! )

[Edited on May 23, 2006 by dmac]

ok, all us old folks trippin' on this one

I can believe these guys weren't on drugs to do that - never touched the stuff myself and most everybody I know swears I must be high to think of some of the stuff I come up with .

At some point there was an album(!) of Banana Splits cover songs... I've never been able to find it on CD but there was a DJ around here that'd play the reggae cover of the theme song

Anyway - to quote dmac - damn I'm old!

Not one mention of Sigmund and the Sea Monsters? Darn.

What'd be great is if Lancelot Link* and Mata Hairy went to The Land of the Lost.

Lidsville is handsdown my favorite Kids show of all time.

It's like if all of a drunken drug addled haberdasher's dreams/nightmares came to life starring Eddie Munster.

Literally.

[Edited on May 26, 2006 by JoshHF]

Great interview! I'm another oldie, and I interviewed Sid back in 1991 when that awful remake of Land of the Lost was on ABC. It is one of my happiest memories, getting to talk with one of the people whose programs had such a happy and positive impact on my life!

The detail and originality from productions such as those from Sid and Marty Croft are gone. I may be older now, but I'll never forget the influence their passion had on my early life. Thank you.

Great interview!
I too am old enough to remember all these shows when they first aired.
Saturday mornings weren't Saturday mornings with out Sid and Marty.
They're a huge part of my childhood.

Marshall, Will and Holly
on a routine expedition...

Great interview. I loved the Bugaloos so much.