4 days ago
5
Sid Krofft - who is best known for creating classic television shows including Land of the Lost and H.R. Pufnstuf - has died at 96.
The television pioneer died in his sleep of natural causes on Friday, April 10.
A spokesperson told People that Krofft 'passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, April 10 at the home of his friend and business partner Kelly Killian.'
The producer started production company Sid and Marty Pictures with his brother Marty Krofft in 1969.
They created and developed H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Donnie & Marie, and many other programs from the 1960s to 2010s.
Land of the Lost was also adapted into a 2009 film starring Will Ferrell.
Sid Krofft (pictured right in February 2020) - who is best known for creating classic television shows including Land of the Lost and H.R. Pufnstuf - has died at 96 as he is seen with brother and business partner Marty Krofft
In the statement to People, business partner Killian said that she 'loved Sid with my whole heart' and that he 'taught me more than I could ever put into words.'
The statement continued: '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.'
Sid and Marty produced colorful, fantasy-themed children's shows that also included Lidsville and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, as well as The Brady Bunch Hour.
The duo were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2018 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.
With a career spanning over 50 years, Sid produced multiple shows and quality family entertainment.
Sid was born in Montreal on July 30, 1929 and immigrated to the US in 1938.
That is where he bought his first puppet at 10-years-old as he performed on the street and went on to perform in vaudeville and burlesque shows in addition to circuses Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey by age 16.
They created and developed H.R. Pufnstuf (pictured), Land of the Lost, Donnie & Marie, and many other programs from the 1960s to 2010s
The brothers also created and developed Donnie & Marie; Sid, Marie Osmond, Marty, and Donny Osmond are seen left to right in 1975
Sid's brother Marty (pictured center in April 2009) died aged 86 in November 2023 due to kidney failure
Marty Krofft, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, H.R. Pufnstuf and Sid Krofft (seen left to right in February 2004)
Land of the Lost was also adapted into a 2009 film starring Will Ferrell
In 1957, Sid and brother Marty finally began working together as they developed Les Poupées de Paris, a puppet show sporting mature themes.
Sid and Marty also created the syndicated series D.C. Follies, which starred Fred Willard.
In 2008, the Los Angeles Times described the brothers' dynamic way of making In the 1980s, television, writing: 'Marty had joined the act by the late 1950s, and from then on the two puppeteers were locked in a contest to prove who was really pulling the strings.
'Sid was the creative force, but Marty was the one who made sure the act actually made it to the stage.'
Sid's brother Marty died aged 86 in November 2023 due to kidney failure.
English (US) ·