Sid Krofft, Co-Creator of Iconic Kids Shows H.R. Pufnstuf & Land of the Lost, Dies at 96

Sid Krofft, the eldest of the iconic Krofft Brothers who pioneered children’s television in the ’60s and ’70s, has passed away. News of his death comes via friend and business partner Kelly Killian, who confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that Krofft passed away on Friday. He was 96.

“I loved Sid with my whole heart. He taught me more than I could ever put into words — about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage and the depth and complexity of human nature,” Killian wrote in a statement. “I didn’t know Sid for his shows — I only knew the man who created them. And that man was extraordinary. I wish so very much that I had more time with him. I will miss his big blue eyes, his cheerful smile with his dimples and the warmth that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.”

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Sid and his late brother Marty quickly made names for themselves as puppeteers, working in the art form across the 1940s and ’50s before it eventually landed them work on television. The Krofft brothers were hired by Hanna-Barbera to design the characters and sets for The Banana Splits, the psychedelic comedy series that would include Fleegle the beagle, Snorky the elephant, Bingo the orangutan, and Drooper the lion, among others. It marked their first foray into TV and quickly earned them a foot in the door to continue pioneering the format with new ideas.

Sid Krofft Dies at 96

Following the success of The Banana Splits, the Krofft brothers were given the chance to pitch a new series, which led to the development and release of their most iconic series, H.R. Pufnstuf. Though the show only lasted seventeen episodes, it would prove to be a cult hit with decades-long staying power, spurred by the outlandish character designs that were created by the Krofft brothers. A feature film based on the series, Pufnstuf, arrived quickly after production on the first season had begun as well.

“After Pufnstuf all three networks trusted us,” Sid Krofft previously told the Television Academy in an interview. “Because we delivered such a spectacular show for fifty-four thousand dollars an episode, and it became such a huge hit, so then each network would say, ‘Well, what else do you have?’ So whatever we coughed up, they would buy…One thing about Marty and myself is we put everything up on the screen and very very little in our pocket.”

After the success of H.R. Pufnstuf, Sid and Marty Krofft released multiple new shows throughout the 1970s, including Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, Far Out Space Nuts, The Lost Saucer, and The Krofft Supershow. Though many of their shows would only last a season or two, their influence proved to be a great one on pop culture, as the likes of Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost have remained pop culture mainstays despite much fewer episodes than fans realize. The pair were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February of 2020.

Sid is preceded in death by his brother Marty, who died in November 2023.