View source for Lidsville

{{Short description|Television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Lidsville 71.jpg
| caption              = 
| creator              = [[Sid and Marty Krofft]]
| starring             = [[Butch Patrick]]<br />[[Charles Nelson Reilly]]<br />[[Billie Hayes]]
| voices               = [[Lennie Weinrib]]<br />[[Joan Gerber]]<br />[[Walker Edmiston]]
| country              = United States
| num_episodes         = 17
| producer             = [[Sid and Marty Krofft]]
| runtime              = 25 minutes (per episode)
| company              = [[Sid and Marty Krofft|Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions]]
| network              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1971|9|11}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1973|9|2}}
}}
'''''Lidsville''''' is an American television show created by brothers [[Sid and Marty Krofft]]. It was their third series, following ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' (1969) and ''[[The Bugaloos]]'' (1970). As did its predecessors, ''Lidsville'' combined two types of characters: conventional actors in makeup alongside performers in full mascot costumes, whose voices were dubbed in post-production. Seventeen episodes aired on Saturday mornings on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] during 1971&ndash;1973.<ref name=Daytime>{{cite book |last1=Hyatt |first1=Wesley |title=The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television |date=1997 |publisher=Watson-Guptill Publications |isbn=978-0823083152 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat/page/260/mode/2up|access-date=22 March 2020|page=261}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The page seems to indicate that some of the years are repeats and not the original run. It also  does not mention the season number|date=December 2023}} The show was rebroadcast on NBC Saturday mornings the following season.

The opening was shot at [[Six Flags Over Texas]]. Otherwise, the show was shot at [[Paramount Pictures]] film studio in Los Angeles.

==Production==
Like predecessors ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' and ''[[The Bugaloos]]'', ''Lidsville'' ran for only one season (1971–1972), with reruns airing the following year (1972–1973).

Like most children's television shows of its era, ''Lidsville'' contained a [[laugh track]].

==Plot==
The show involved a teenage boy named Mark (portrayed by [[Butch Patrick]]) who fell into the [[top hat]] of Merlo the [[Magic (illusion)|Magician]] (portrayed by [[Charles Nelson Reilly]]) (HooDoo's [[alter ego]]), following Merlo's show at [[Six Flags Over Texas]]. Inside the hat, he arrived in Lidsville, a land of living hats that are depicted as having the same characteristics as the humans who would normally wear them. For example, a [[cowboy]] hat would act and speak like a cowboy. The characters' houses were also hat-shaped.

[[File:Lidsville Butch Patrick 1971.jpg|thumb|left|275px|Mark ([[Butch Patrick]]) helps the hats defeat HooDoo.]]
The villain of the show was magician Horatio J. HooDoo (also portrayed by Reilly). The vain, short-tempered, but somewhat naive HooDoo flew around in his Hatamaran, blasting the good citizens of Lidsville with bolts of magic (referred to as "zapping") and keeping them in fear, demanding that they pay him their Hat Tax. Mark was seen as a suspected spy against HooDoo on behalf of the good hat people and was captured at Derby Dunes by HooDoo's minions the Bad Hats the moment he had fallen into the world of Lidsville. He escapes from his clutches alongside a [[Jinn|genie]] named Weenie ([[Billie Hayes]]). Mark helped the good hats resist as he attempted to find a way back home. HooDoo, trying to reclaim control of Weenie the Genie from Mark, often enlisted the services of four Bad Hats.

In his high hat home, HooDoo was constantly besieged by the taunting music of his Hat Band, as well as all of his talking knickknacks ([[Parrot]], Mr. [[Skull]], mounted [[alligator]] head, the [[Sawing a woman in half|sawed-in-half lady]], etc.). HooDoo also experienced further aggravation at the hands of his aides, the dimwitted Raunchy Rabbit and his two-faced card guard Jack of Clubs. HooDoo watched the action going on in downtown Lidsville from his hat home by using his Evil Eye, a device similar to a TV set that resembled an eyeball. He also had a hot chatline phone. The show relied on an endless array of puns based on hats. One such pun was "Derby Dunes", an area in Lidsville which sand dunes were shaped like derby hats.

Many of the episodes were about Mark trying to get back home, but the evil HooDoo prevented him from leaving. Weenie, being a nervous bumbler, was in fact a genie, but many of the tricks and spells did not work correctly after having been HooDoo's captive for so long.

In the show's final episode, scenes from some of the past episodes were featured as HooDoo's mother (portrayed by an uncredited [[Muriel Landers]]) had paid a visit to find out what has been going on in Lidsville while making sure that her son is still bad.

As the show only ran one season of original episodes, Mark never returned home—his fate remained unresolved.

Music was also a part of the show, with songs being performed by the characters in several episodes.

==Characters==
* '''Mark''' (portrayed by [[Butch Patrick]]) – A teenage boy who serves as the main [[protagonist]] of the series. He fell into the hat of Merlo the Magician and ended up in Lidsville.
* '''Weenie the [[Jinn|Genie]]''' (portrayed by [[Billie Hayes]]) – A genie who befriends Mark. Weenie is an example of Billie Hayes playing a male role.
* '''Horatio J. HooDoo''' (portrayed by [[Charles Nelson Reilly]]) – An evil magician who serves as the primary [[antagonist]] of the series. Most of his plans involve trying to prevent Mark from leaving Lidsville and attempting to reclaim Weenie.
** '''Raunchy [[Rabbit]]''' (performed by [[Sharon Baird]], voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]] impersonating [[Frank Fontaine]]) – A dimwitted rabbit who serves as Horatio J. HooDoo's henchman. Wears a [[Fez (hat)|fez]].
** '''Jack of Clubs''' (voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]] impersonating [[Frank Nelson (actor)|Frank Nelson]]) – A walking deck of [[playing card]]s with a Jack-of Clubs as the face card. Wears a clubbed crown. Both top and bottom heads can talk.
* '''The Bad Hats''' – A group of four hats who work for HooDoo.
** '''Mr. Big''' (performed by [[Angelo Rossitto]], voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]]) – A [[gangster]] [[fedora]] who is the leader of the Bad Hats. Despite his name, he is one of the shortest of the Bad Hats.
** '''Captain Hooknose''' (voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]]) – A [[Piracy|pirate]] hat. Literally has a hook in place of a nose. 
** '''Bela''' (voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]] impersonating [[Béla Lugosi]]) – A [[vampire]] hat. A bat-eared top hat with a fanged brim on top of a [[cowl]]-like body.
** '''Boris''' (performed by [[Jerry Maren]], voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]] impersonating [[Peter Lorre]]) – An [[executioner]]'s [[Hood (headgear)|hood]]. Usually carries an axe. Also referred to as "Eggbert" or "Chauncey" throughout the series.
* '''Imperial Wizard''' (voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]]) – The Imperial Wizard is an evil wizard who is HooDoo's master.
* '''Rah-Rah''' (performed by [[Jerry Maren]], voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]]) – A [[football helmet]]. "Dumb Jock" persona, but often comes through in a pinch.
* '''Madame Ring-a-Ding''' (voiced by [[Joan Gerber]]) – A [[party hat]] with a party favor nose who serves as Lidsville's social director.
* '''Mother Wheels''' (voiced by [[Joan Gerber]]) – An elderly, grey-haired [[motorcycle helmet]] dressed in black leather and usually on a motorcycle. Her catchphrase is "Hiya, Hon-ees".
* '''Nursie''' (performed by Joy Campbell, voiced by [[Joan Gerber]]){{unreliable source?|date=July 2018}} – A bespectacled [[Nursing|nurse]]'s hat who is the closest thing Lidsville has to a doctor.
* '''Twirly''' (performed by Joy Campbell, voiced by [[Joan Gerber]]) – A [[Beanie (North America)|beanie hat]]. Apparently the youngest member of the cast, he speaks with a little boy voice and can use his propeller to fly.
* '''Colonel Poom''' (performed by [[Felix Silla]], voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]] in a British accent) – A [[pith helmet]] who is the unofficial leader of the good hats. Colonel Poom is an old hunter/explorer.
* '''Mr. Chow''' (voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]] in a Chinese accent) – A [[chef]]'s [[toque#Culinary|toque]] with a long Manchurian moustache. Lidsville's top cook/baker.
* '''Pierre LeSewer''' (voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]] in a French accent) – One of the few good hats who is human. Lives in the Lidsville sewers and pops his head out from under the manhole covers which resemble French berets. It was never explained why he cannot leave the sewers.
* '''Scorchy''' (voiced by [[Joan Gerber]]) – A talking, walking, fire hydrant with a long hose for a nose who wears a [[firefighter]]'s hat. He serves as Lidsville's warning system.
* '''Tex''' (voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]] impersonating [[John Wayne]]) – A [[cowboy hat]].
* '''Tonsilini''' (performed by [[Van Snowden]], voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]]) – An opera-singing hat. Sings every line of his dialogue.
* '''Hiram''' (voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]]) – A [[farmer]]'s straw hat.
** '''Little Ben''' (voiced by [[Joan Gerber]]) – A talking piglet that is usually carried by Hiram.
* '''Admiral Scuttlebutt''' (voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]]) – A green admiral's [[bicorne]]. Talks in old naval cliches.
* '''Big Chief Sitting Duck''' (voiced by [[Walker Edmiston]]) – A feathered [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] [[Tribal chief|chief]]'s hat. His body is covered by a thick Indian blanket.
* '''Bruce HooDoo''' (portrayed by Charles Nelson Reilly) – is the twin brother of Horatio J. HooDoo.
* '''Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo''' (portrayed by Billie Hayes) – The primary antagonist of the series [[H.R. Pufnstuf]].
* '''Mommy HooDoo''' (portrayed by [[Muriel Landers]]) - HooDoo's mother who comes to visit in the finale.
* '''H.R. Pufnstuf''' (portrayed by [[Van Snowden]], voiced by [[Lennie Weinrib]]) - The titular protagonist of the series [[H.R. Pufnstuf]].

==Episodes==
{{Episode table|overall=5 |title=17|airdate=10 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 1
| Title           = World in a Hat
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1971|9|11}}
| ShortSummary    = After falling into the magician's hat and discovering a magical world, Mark is mistaken for a spy by the tyrannical HooDoo and his cohorts including Weenie the good-natured genie.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 2
| Title           = Show Me the Way to Go Home
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = Colonel Poom navigates Mark and Weenie the Genie through the Hair Forest, the Shampoo River, and other exotic locales on their way to find The Golden Ladder. HooDoo and associates scramble to stop them and ultimately unleash Big Daddy HooDoo.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 3
| Title           = Fly Now, Vacuum Later
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = When Mark attempts a getaway by [[Flying carpet|magic carpet]], HooDoo summons a giant vacuum cleaner to swallow the boy, leaving it up to Weenie to mount a rescue.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 4
| Title           = Weenie, Weenie, Where's Our Genie?
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = When Weenie runs away, HooDoo kidnaps Nursie and Scorchy and holds them for ransom until the genie is returned.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 5
| Title           = Let's Hear it for Whizzo
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo evicts the residents of Lidsville, so Mark disguises himself as a rival wizard and challenges HooDoo to a duel.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 6
| Title           = Is There a Mayor in the House?
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = Mark suggests the citizens elect a [[mayor]], so HooDoo goes out of his way to rig the election.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 7
| Title           = Take Me to Your Rabbit
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = Raunchy Rabbit takes control of HooDoo's magical powers after they're struck by lightning.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 8
| Title           = Have I Got a Girl For HooDoo
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo uses a Lonely Hearts Club to land a date with Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo from ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'', so Mark summons his feminine wiles and tries to break them up.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 9
| Title           = Mark and the Beanstalk
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = When a magic beanstalk sprouts in Lidsville, HooDoo disguises himself as Mark and attempts to escape to the real world.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 10
| Title           = Turn in Your Turban, You're Through
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo gives Mark Weenie's magic powers and uses the boy as his personal servant.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 11
| Title           = Alias, the Imperial Wizard
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo crashes Weenie's birthday party and kidnaps several good hat people to plan a party for the Imperial Wizard.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 12
| Title           = A Little HooDoo Goes a Long Way
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = The Bad Hats plot to overthrow Hoo Doo. Meanwhile, Weenie comes down with the Ali Baba Virus.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 13
| Title           = Oh, Brother
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo's good-natured twin brother Bruce arrives while he's away and causes great confusion in Lidsville.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 14
| Title           = HooDoo Who?
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = The Bad Hats run amok when HooDoo comes down with amnesia.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 15
| Title           = The Old Hat Home
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo crashes the good hat people's charity event and turns them all into senior citizens.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 16
| Title           = The Great Brain Robbery
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = HooDoo plays the pied piper and lures the good hat people into his Brain Wash machine to create an army to conquer the Imperial Wizard.
| LineColor       = 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 17
| Title           = Mommy Hoo Doo
| OriginalAirDate = 
| ShortSummary    = In this [[clip show]], Hoo Doo's mother comes to Lidsville while her son is away and all of the inhabitants try to convince her that Hoo Doo is still as bad as he ever was.
| LineColor       = 
}}
}}

==Home media==
A three-disc complete series set was released on [[DVD]] in the United States in January 2005 by [[Rhino Entertainment]]. The set contained all seventeen episodes in digitally remastered, uncut and original broadcast form, plus interviews with [[Charles Nelson Reilly]], [[Butch Patrick]], and [[Billie Hayes]]. They and the Krofft brothers also provided audio commentary on some of the episodes.

==Comics==
[[Gold Key Comics]] published five issues of a ''Lidsville'' comic book. The books were a mix of new stories as well as re-workings of some of the television episodes.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

==Other media==
* Characters from ''Lidsville'' were featured in the [[Ice Capades]] during the early 1970s.
* The show was parodied by [[HBO]] late night comedy program ''[[Mr. Show]]''.
* Several audio samples from Lidsville can be heard in the song "[[Dope Hat]]" on [[Marilyn Manson]]'s 1994 album ''[[Portrait of an American Family]]''.
* At the beginning of "[[Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense|Jose Chung's 'Doomsday Defense']]", an episode of ''[[Millennium (TV series)|Millennium]]'', the writer Chung (played by Charles Nelson Reilly), mentions that he had a part in a "brilliant, award-winning film" as a small clip of HooDoo is played on-screen.
* In the episode "[[Space Race (Archer)|Space Race, Part 2]]" of the [[FX Networks|FX]] comedy [[Archer (2009 TV series)|''Archer'']], Cheryl references the show when Malory retorts that Cheryl is "not fit to be queen of... name a place," Cheryl replies with Lidsville.

===Film===
On January 31, 2011, it was announced that [[DreamWorks Animation]] was adapting ''Lidsville'' to make a [[3-D film|3-D]] animated musical.<ref>{{cite news |last=Itzkoff | first=Dave  |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/hold-on-to-your-hats-lidsville-to-become-animated-movie-for-dreamworks/ |title=Hold On to Your Hats: 'Lidsville' to Become Animated Movie for DreamWorks |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 31, 2011 |access-date=February 1, 2011}}</ref> The feature would be directed by [[Conrad Vernon]], and the music would be composed by [[Alan Menken]], known for composing multiple musical scores for [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] films.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=70804046423924736 |user=AIMenken |title=Off to LA for BMI awards and LIDSVILLE meeting. Excited to be doing my first non-Disney animated musical. Hello DreamWorks! |date=May 18, 2011 |access-date=May 20, 2011 |last=Menken |first=Alan}}</ref> Menken stated that, "The songs will be an homage to '60s psychedelic concept-album rock."<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=128120901911855104 |user=AIMenken |title=LIDSVILLE starting to take shape. The songs will be an homage to '60s psychedelic concept-album rock. It'll be fun doing our "research". |date=October 23, 2011 |access-date=October 30, 2011 |last=Menken |first=Alan}}</ref> In January 2013, he posted on Twitter that "''Lidsville'' is underway... Finally."<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=291754782543192064 |user=AIMenken |title=LIDSVILLE is underway...FINALLY. Back to the 60's. Peace, love and psychedelia! And DreamWorks is pretty great. So many old friends there. |date=January 16, 2013 |access-date=January 18, 2013 |last=Menken |first=Alan}}</ref> The lyrics would be written by [[Glenn Slater]], a frequent Menken collaborator.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Creative Team |url=http://www.deadoralivethemusical.com/The_Creative_Team.html |publisher=Dead or Alive The Musical |access-date=August 28, 2013 |quote=Additional projects include: copyist/transcriber for the new Dreamworks animated film, LIDSVILLE (lyrics by Glenn Slater, music by Alan Menken), and for the new musical, BLACK BEAUTY (Harman & Sommer). |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101123957/http://www.deadoralivethemusical.com/The_Creative_Team.html |archive-date=November 1, 2013 }}</ref> In June 2016, [[Sid Krofft]] said in an interview about the project: "It was going to be like ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'' or ''[[The Who's Tommy|Tommy]]'', a full-blown musical. But they went in a strange direction and it just didn't work."<ref name="TWSJKrofftRevisitBrand">{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Don|title=Sid and Marty Krofft Revisit Their Psychedelic Brand of Kids' TV|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/sid-and-marty-krofft-revisit-their-psychedelic-brand-of-kids-tv-1465319933|access-date=November 25, 2016|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=June 9, 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Hattytown Tales]]'', a 1969 animated British television series whose characters are talking hats

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0066679|title=Lidsville}}
* [http://www.sidandmartykrofft.com/show/lidsville/ Sid & Marty Krofft.com]

===Audio===
* [http://krofft.dementedstuff.com/lids.htm Operation Space Nut – Audio: Clips (WAV)]
* [http://www.stuckinthe70s.com/butchinterview.htm Stuck in the '70s – Audio: Butch Patrick Interview (Embedded in page WAV)]

===Video===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324225150/http://www.robotkid.com/video/lidsville_remix.html Robotkid – Video: Lidsville Remix (QuickTime)]

{{Sid and Marty Krofft}}
{{Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company in the 1970s}}

[[Category:American Broadcasting Company original programming]]
[[Category:1970s American children's comedy television series]]
[[Category:1971 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1973 American television series endings]]
[[Category:Television series by Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions]]
[[Category:Hats in popular culture]]
[[Category:American television shows featuring puppetry]]
[[Category:American children's fantasy television series]]
[[Category:American television series about teenagers]]