Sid Krofft has died at the age of 96.
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The legendary children's television producer created the shows The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, H.R. Pufnstuf, and Land of the Lost. A spokesperson confirmed to Entertainment Weekly yesterday that the Emmy-award-winning puppeteer died of natural causes on Friday, April 10.
Who is Sid Krofft?
Krofft was born Cydus Yolas in Montreal, Quebec, on July 30, 1929. He began working as a puppeteer with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Then, as a teenager, he created his own one-man puppet show and changed his name to Sid Krofft.
Building on his early experience, in 1957, Sid and his brother, Marty, created an adult puppet show titled Les Poupées de Paris. But their big breakthrough came when they were featured on the premiere episode of The Dean Martin Show in 1965.
Three years later, the Krofft brothers designed the costumes for the live-action segments for The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. However, it was their furry creations, Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snorky, that became hits.
After the Banana Splits ended in 1970, the Krofft brothers continued innovating with the beloved Saturday morning show H.R. Pufnstuf. It only lasted one season, but it led to other shows, including The Bugaloos, Lidsville, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.
Their creativity did not stop there. Land of the Lost, which ran from 1974 through 1976, inspired a comedy film starring Will Ferrell. The Kroffts also created several live-action variety shows, including The Brady Bunch Hour, The Donny & Marie Show, The Bay City Rollers Show, and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.
Sid Krofft Continued to Create
In recognition of their decades of contributions, the Kroffts received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2018 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.
Marty preceded Sid in death in 2023. He died of kidney failure at the age of 86. Sid is survived by his three nieces: Deanna, Kristina, and Kendra.
Sid continued to create throughout his later years, hosting a weekly Instagram show called Sundays with Sid, which featured guests such as Paul Reubens, Dita Von Teese, Joel Grey, and Josh Holloway.
Kelly Killian, a friend and business partner of Sid, shared a tribute to him on his Instagram page.
"I loved Sid with my whole heart. The last six years of my life were devoted to him, and his to me," she wrote. "In that time, he taught me more than I could ever put into words — about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage, and the depth and complexity of human nature."
