Live Action Kids Shows of the 1970s

Did you grow up waiting for the Krofft Supershow every Saturday morning? Did you watch the original Captain Marvel in The Shazam!/Isis Hour? Do you remember every kid show of the 1970s having a chimpanzee? Then you’ve come to the right place to reminisce about live action kids shows of the 1970s.

While Shannon was on vacation, I invited my sister, Tonya, to take a jog down the psychedelic memory lane that included live action kids shows where someone was inevitably transported to a “strange land” where they had to fight a mysterious evil.

The graphics were bad. The acting was bad. The plot line was bad. And yet… we loved it. It just goes to show that kids simply need to be entertained.

Episode 44: Live Action Kids Shows of the 1970s

Maybe you’re a child of the 70s. If so, we know you’re going to nod along as we reminisce about what once passed for entertainment mostly on Saturday mornings. But if you’re a child of the 80s, 90s, or, um, later, I’m happy to report that most of this nonsense is available on YouTube and welcome you to go down that rabbit hole.

Sid & Marty Krofft

Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft are a Greek Canadian sibling team of television creators and puppeteers who were influential in children’s television and variety show programs and the founders of their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures in the U.S., particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

• Hanna Barbera – The Banana Splits (Krofft brothers worked on this show)
• Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
• Curiosity Shop – Sponsored by the Kellogg’s cereal company and created as a commercial answer to Sesame Street, three inquisitive children (two boys and a girl) who each week visited a shop populated with various puppets and gadgets, discovering interesting things about science, nature and history.

• HR Pufnstuf

• The Bugaloos
• Lidsville
• Land of the Lost
• Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
• Far Out Space Nuts
• The Lost Saucer

• The Krofft Supershow
  • Dr. Shrinker (1976)
  • Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976)
  • Kaptain Kool and the Kongs (1976) – hosts
  • Wonderbug (1976)
  • Bigfoot and Wildboy (1977)
  • Magic Mongo (1977)

Filmation

• The Shazam!/Isis Hour
  • Shazam!
  • Isis (The Secrets of Isis)
• Space Academy (1977)
• Ark II
• The Ghost Busters

Educational shows

• Wonderama – the show was three hours long for most of its run on Sunday mornings
• Big Blue Marble
• Hodgepodge Lodge – A Maryland PBS show distributed on the East Coast; sadly (or not-so-sadly) the master tapes were recorded over so most episodes are lost

Others

• Big John, Little John (starring Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch!)
• The Red Hand Gang (with Albert from Little House)
• New Zoo Revue
• Ultraman

• Mickey Mouse Club/Mouseketeers

What Do You Remember?

Surely there’s a show that you remember that we missed. Or maybe you only remember hints of it. Let us know and we’ll do our best to track it down.

Even better, if you want to share your memories with us, leave a message at 315-STING-TV (315-784-6488) and we’ll play it on our next episode!