TV Producer Marty Krofft, Creator of HR Pufnstuf, Dies at 86

TV Producer Marty Krofft, Creator of HR Pufnstuf, Dies at 86
Marty Krofft (C) speaks as he and brother Sid accept a Pop Culture award during their tribute at the taping of the seventh annual TV Land Awards in Los Angeles on April 19, 2009. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)
Reuters
11/26/2023
Updated:
12/21/2023
0:00

Marty Krofft, who created popular children’s television shows such as HR Pufnstuf and The Bugaloos, has died of kidney failure at the age of 86, his publicist Harlan Boll said on Saturday.

Referred to as the “King of Saturday Mornings,” Mr. Krofft rose to prominence for his work on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour before starting Sid and Marty Pictures with his brother Sid Krofft in 1969.

The two brothers produced colorful, fantasy-themed children’s shows that also included Lidsville, Land of the Lost, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, as well as primetime shows such as the D.C. Follies series, the Donny and Marie Show, and The Brady Bunch Hour.

The Krofft brothers’ honors included a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2018 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.