Farewell to Sid Krofft (1929-2026).
He spent decades as a puppeteer — including opening for stars like Judy Garland — before he and brother Marty (1937-2023) created + produced some of the most memorable kids shows of the 1970s.
“I get a dream, and Marty gets it done,” Sid said of their partnership.
Marty Krofft (1937-2023) was born on this date.
With brother Sid — center, still with us at 96 — he created memorably trippy kids shows like H.R. PUFNSTUF, SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS, LAND OF THE LOST and more.
The 1970s was a great time to be a kid, and these guys were a big part of why.
James Garner made his debut as Jim Rockford on this date in 1974.
“He was a role model for me,” said Lindsay Wagner, who co-starred in THE ROCKFORD FILES pilot movie. “Observing who he was while working and being around the crew, I saw him treat everyone the same. He was just a real stellar man.”
"I'm Just A Bill" debuted on this date in 1976.
The SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK classic was written by Dave Frishberg and performed by Jack Sheldon (with Sheldon's son John as the voice of the boy).
All the #SchoolHouseRock shorts are on Internet Archive, relics of a simpler time:
https://archive.org/details/schoolhouse-rock-30th #OTD #ClassicTV #1970sTV
Lucille Ball and Dinah Shore in TV: THE FABULOUS FIFTIES which debuted on NBC #OTD in 1978.
This retrospective of early television featured a history of each genre, hosted by its icons.
A treasure trove of rare clips! On YouTube:
TRILOGY OF TERROR debuted on the ABC Movie of the Week on this date in 1975.
DARK SHADOWS mastermind Dan Curtis directed Karen Black (and a doll that gave a generation nightmares).
"The Zuni doll was a little hand puppet, but it worked," Curtis said. "I did it all with smoke and mirrors."
THE BRADY BUNCH house in North Hollywood is now a protected historic landmark.
So, if you break Mom's vase, it's now a felony.
The 1970s hit its pop culture zenith on this date in 1977 when Farrah Fawcett went undercover as a Disco dancer on CHARLIE'S ANGELS.
AN AMERICAN FAMILY (1973, PBS) isn't streaming legitimately, but all episodes and two follow-up documentaries are on Internet Archive.
https://archive.org/details/an-american-family-1973 #ClassicTV #1970sTV #AnAmericanFamily
Will McKinley
Retro Librarian