The online video series Krofft Kwikies presents another funny episode of H.R. Pufnstuf. In this video clip, Living Island becomes the set of a major movie, and Jimmy and Freddie his Magic Flute are cast as Witchiepoo. But when the real Witchiepoo sneaks on set, will Jimmy and Pufnstuf be able to sneak into her castle and steal the Vroom Broom in time?

Features the classic original theme songs and music! You can watch more classic Krofft Kwikies on Myspace . com/Krofft and revisit Saturday Mornings any day of the week!

The online video series Krofft Kwikies presents another exciting classic episode of Bugaloos. In this video clip Benita Bizarre (Martha Raye) kidnaps the Bugaloos to force them to record a “hit” single with her; but Sparky the Firefly (Billy Barty) helps them escape and becomes their new friend.

Features the classic original theme music! You can watch more classic Krofft Kwikies on Myspace . com/Krofft and revisit Saturday Mornings any day of the week!

I’ve been worried about the upcoming “Land of the Lost” movie starring Wil Ferrell. Afraid that it would be more “Talladega Nights” and less “Jurassic Park“. An article by screenwriter Diablo Cody has given me hope:

Take heart, geeks — [the director] Silberling is a bona fide LOTL fanboy. He’s also an incredibly Zen dude; on the day of my visit, Silberling is months into a complicated shoot, and yet he’s still grinning behind the monitor. Tonally, this Land has more of a comedy bent than the original series. You can’t put Ferrell, Danny McBride (Will), and Jorma Taccone (Chaka the Pakuni) on a set, allow them to riff freely, and not expect hilarity to ensue. The brothers Krofft are fixtures on the set. In an age of crass, unfaithful remakes, it’s great to see the original creators being involved as producers and treated with respect.

I like Will Ferrell, but many of his last few movies have been so over the top…they’ve bordered on the completely stupid. I did not want my LOTL to be just ‘another Will Ferrell comedy’. I didn’t want this Rick Marshall to be anything like Marshall Willenholly. Hopefully with Sid and Marty on set every day, “fanboy” Silberling feels a sense of responsibility or their legacy.

I admire Sid and Marty Krofft, and hope that “Land of the Lost” becomes one of the great movies of the year. Both them, and their fans, deserve the best movie possible.

Former “Dawson’s Creek” star, Katie Holmes, is returning to television this fall for an episode of “Eli Stone”. Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello has:

In arguably the biggest piece of stunt casting since How I Met Your Mother lassoed Britney Spears, sources confirm to me exclusively that Katie Holmes is returning to the small screen this fall on ABC’s sophomore drama, Eli Stone. A spokesperson for the show declined to comment, but I’m told Suri’s mama is on board for one episode.

I’m not a fan at all of Katie Holmes; I’ve never liked her performance (except for maybe “Ice Storm”). But, this is where stunt-casting could actually be good for the show. “Eli Stone” is one of the great dramas currently on television, but hasn’t gotten the viewership it needs. Hopefully Katie’s single episode will bring in new viewers, and they’ll stay.

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SNL’s Amy Poehler is lined up to star in what was originally rumored as a spinoff to NBC’s “The Office”. The report from AintItCool is:

The long-planned NBC sitcom from “Office” writer-producers Greg Daniels and Mike “Mose” Schur will not share characters with the Steve Carell series, but will still get the post-“Office” timeslot early next year.

Poehler will star in the new series alongside fellow sketch-show vet Aziz Ansari (“Human Giant”) in the not-spinoff.

Although I don’t like some of the roles that Amy has taken over the years, I do find her talented and very funny. She is one of the very few bright spots left on “Saturday Night Live”, and her departure would hurt the late night show. I believe I’d enjoy the mix of Office writers and Amy Poehler. How about you?

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The biggest post-Seinfeld TV success, Larry David, has decided to return for a seventh season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. TVCrunch has:

Good news for Curb Your Enthusiasm fans – Larry David will bring the HBO series back for a seventh season! The bad news? We’ll have to wait until early 2009 to see it.

The last season of Curb Your Enthusiasm ended in November 2007.

Curb is my absolute favorite television comedy. Larry David shows his genius and always has the greatest supporting cast. Larry almost quit after season 5, but decided to return for, what appeared to be, a series ending 6th season.

I’m very curious how this new season will play out. I’ll stay away from spoilers, but for those who saw the final episode of last season, you know what I am talking about. Cheryl Hines was a great part of the show, and I wonder what her involvement in a 7th season will be, if any. I didn’t think Larry could come back from an end like that, but that’s what makes him so great.

Are you glad Curb is coming back? Will it be as good without Cheryl?

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In preparation for the upcoming “Land of the Lost” theatrical release, Sid and Marty Krofft have joined MySpace with their ‘first’ Official site on the web! The site has launched with “Krofft Kwikies”, 4 minute videos of their creations. The MySpace press release has:

MYSPACETV PARTNERS WITH SID AND MARTY KROFFT TO BRING NEW AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT TO ONLINE VIEWERS

Branded MySpaceTV Channel Features Archived and Exclusive Content from 70’s Pop Culture Icons, Sid and Marty Krofft

“Krofft Kwikies” from Classic Children’s Shows Including “H.R. Pufnstuf,” “Land of the Lost,” “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” and “The Bugaloos” Available Exclusively on MySpaceTV

LOS ANGELES – July 10, 2008 – MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, today announced the launch of a new exclusive branded channel with Sid and Marty Krofft. Sid and Marty Krofft Pictures, creators of beloved children’s television shows throughout the 1970’s and ’80’s (including “H.R. Pufnstuf,” “Land of the Lost,” “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters,” and “The Bugaloos,”) have made MySpaceTV their official social network and will populate the channel with full-length licensed content, “Krofft Kwikies” (short-form episodes of the original series) along with and highlight clips of favorite Krofft characters and moments. The videos will be viewable by going to the official profile http://www.myspace.com/krofft where Sid and Marty will also regularly communicate with fans through personal videos and introductions. The Krofft channel comes at a time when their properties are having a resurgence including an upcoming film from Universal Pictures based on the Krofft’s famed “Land of the Lost” set for release on July 17, 2009.

“The minds of the Krofft brothers have dazzled people for generations. The resulting works are entertainment institutions,” said Josh Brooks, VP of Marketing for MySpace. “By bringing this content (in short and longform pieces) to MySpaceTV, we are opening their work and legacy to millions of people who may not otherwise been exposed to the mad genius of these iconic creators. It’s another example of how household names are making MySpace their home on the web and taking control and using the community on MySpace for new content options.”

Added Sid and Marty Krofft, “What pleases us most about our relationship with MySpace is that our creations will now have the opportunity to be introduced to a new generation of fans, while still allowing our long-time supporters a one-stop-shop for content from The World of Sid and Marty Krofft.”

This alliance represents a major step in the use of libraries with significant “perennial” characters and stories – the hallmark of Sid and Marty Krofft. The unique content is perfect for the range of new technologies and platforms that were not even contemplated when the characters were originated. MySpace represents the cutting edge of consumer content today; the Sid and Marty Krofft library is particularly well suited to the vignette format which plays so well in this digital space.

The World of Sid and Marty Krofft channel on MySpaceTV will serve as the ultimate destination for those who already know and love the popular shows, as well an introduction to those who are new to the worlds of “H.R. Pufnstuf”, “The Bugaloos,” “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters,” “Lidsville,” and others. The dedicated channel will initially include 3-5 minute condensed episodes from seven of the Krofft series’, highlights from the various series characters and moments, up-to-date news briefs on what’s happening in the world of Sid and Marty Krofft, and of course, the iconic theme music that identifies each series. Both the theme music and short form videos can be embedded into fans’ MySpace profiles. In time, the profile will also feature exclusive interviews with the directors, never-before-seen and behind-the-scenes footage, and hilarious outtakes.

Localized in 29 international territories, MySpaceTV allows users to share and create videos in their own language, discover the most popular and relevant videos in their markets, and connect with other local users. Localized versions of MySpaceTV are available in seven different languages across the France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Latin America, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the United Kingdom.

Sid and Marty Krofft join a roster of partners and original content on MySpaceTV including Special Delivery, Roommates, BBC Worldwide, The Onion News Network, LonelyGirl15, Banzai, Prom Queen, National Geographic, quarterlife, The New York Times, TMZ.com, Atomic Wedgie, HowCast, Expert Village, Sports Illustrated, FOX’s IGN Entertainment, TMZ.com, LX.TV, Octane TV, SiTV, Studio411 and VBS.tv (from the makers of Vice Magazine).

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About Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures

Beginning in 1969, The Kroffts quickly became known for producing the landmark children’s television series “H.R. Pufnstuf”. Characterized by the use of puppetry, large sets and special effects, the Kroffts work quickly gathered followers that would latter on turn them into cult icons of the seventies. Other popular Krofft productions include “Land of the Lost” (1974), “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl” (1976), “Wonderbug” (1976), “The Bugaloos’”(1970), “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” (1973), “Lidsville’”(1971), among many others.

A couple of things about this announcement. First, congratulations to Sid and Marty for finally getting a presence on the web. They tried in the past with the failed Krofftville 8 years ago (the height of their resurgence) but their online presence has been relegated to fan sites and Rhino home video. Hopefully, this is just the start of a long term web strategy.

The downside to this is that MySpace has seemingly peaked in popularity, and has started to loose ground to other media/social networking sites. Many of the users of MySpace have left for FriendFeed, Twitter and others (me included). Although they don’t cancel their accounts which allows them to be still counted as ‘members’. I would have liked to see them partner with a younger company like Pownce or Ning, but at this point (as a fan for the last 35 years) I’ll take what I can get.

Again, congratulations Sid and Marty!

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