Bugaloos!

During the 70's there's no doubt that Sid and Marty Krofft Productions ruled the Saturday morning scene with shows like H.R. Pufunstuff, Lidsville, Sigmund and the Seamonsters, and my favorite Land of the Lost. And then there's The Bugaloos. An attempt to recreate The Monkees phenomenon, this ill-fated conundrum of a show offered up four fresh-faced Brits who gyred and gimbled on the tube with an easy aplomb and dreadful costumes which purported to make them resemble insects who live in..ahem... "Tranquility Forest".

I.Q., Courage, Harmony, and Joy

The obligatory girl "Joy" was a butterfly, "Harmony" was a bumblebee, "I.Q." was a grasshopper and most weirdly (or not really I guess) "Courage" was a ladybug.  And then there was "Sparky", a nasty looking little firefly critter, and one of the few Krofft creations which I truly found repulsive. This gang are pursued (as was de rigueur in Krofft shows) by a cruel "Benita Bizarre" played to the usual hilt by Martha Raye. Somehow Charlton got the comic book rights to his series and kicked out four issues. The talent is unidentified save for Frank Roberge who signed the debut cover. Alas The Bugaloos was a low point for the Krofft brothers as well as Charlton. Like many productions of this era, it's possible it might work better if you're high, though I've never tried that approach.

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