Lidsville Episode Guide
1. World in a Hat
After discovering a strange new world inside the magician's hat, Mark is mistaken for a spy by the tyrannical Hoo Doo and his cohorts, including a seemingly-bad but good-natured genie named Weenie.
NOTE: One of the good hat people proclaims that, "There is no world outside of Lidsville!" However, in "The Great Brain Robbery," Hoo Doo makes plans to take over Coatville and Pantsville.
*This episode was adapted in the first issue of the Lidsville comic book.
SONG: * "Welcome, Welcome, Welcome" performed by The Hat Band
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2. Show Me the Way to Go Home
Colonel Poom leads Mark and Weenie to The Golden Ladder, but their plans are put on hold when they discover Lidsville is being terrorized by a giant Hoo Doo.
NOTE: The trees in the hair forest are redressed puppets from H.R. Pufnstuf.
Goof: As the camera zooms in on Hoo Doo when he declares that "those poor schnooks" wandered into The Hair Forest, a microphone goes sailing past the upper right side of the screen.
SONG: "Up There" performed by Billie Hayes (Weenie) and Butch Patrick (Mark)
*"Hurry, Hurry, Hurry" performed by The Hat Band
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3. Fly Now, Vacuum Later
When Mark attempts a getaway via magic carpet, Hoo Doo summons a giant vacuum cleaner to swallow the boy, so it's up to Weenie to save the day!
SONGS: "It's So Much Fun Being Rotten" performed by Charles Nelson Reilly (Hoo-Doo)
* "Goody, Goody, Goody" performed by the Hat Band
NOTE: *During one scene, Nursie runs straight into a wall. Actress Joy Campbell did not intentionally run into the wall (her costume was constricting and difficult to see out of), but everyone thought it was so funny that the moment was left in the episode.
*The line "I'll let my fingers do the talking" is in reference to the famous Yellow Pages phone book slogan, "Let your fingers do the walking." In those days, nobody had cell phones offering instant access to information (odd as that may seem today), and not everyone had cars, so without a phone book you might actually have to walk somewhere. How times change.
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4. Weenie, Weenie, Where's Our Genie?
When Weenie runs away, Hoo Doo kidnaps Nursie and Scorchy and holds them for ransom until the genie is returned.
SONGS: "I'll Show 'Em" performed by Billie Hayes (Weenie)
*"Fire, Fire, Fire" and "Hoo Doo wants the Eyewash" performed by The Hat Band.
WATCH FOR: *The shadow of a boom mic descends from the sky soon after the pepper bomb is launched.
*Charles Nelson Reilly declares that his full name is Horatio J. Hoodoo.
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5. Let's Hear It for Whizzo
When Hoodoo evicts the residents of Lidsville, Mark disguises himself as a rival wizard and challenges Hoo Doo to a duel.
NOTE: It's kinda hard not to notice that Butch Patrick's Wizzo makeup bears a striking resemblance to an adult Eddie Munster's. Just saying.
SONG: "Hoo Doo Is the Greatest" performed by The Hat Band
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6. Is There a Mayor in the House?
When Hoo Doo hears that the residents of Lidsville are holding an election for mayor, he nominates Mr. Big and rigs the election.
SONG: "Mr. Big" performed by Charles Nelson Reilly (Hoo Doo)
*"Mayor, Mayor, Mayor" performed by The Hat Band
NOTE: This episode is a complete and total retread of the "H.R. Pufnstuf" episode "The Almost Election of Witchiepoo." Yes, the Kroffts recycled everything from puppets to jokes to stories.
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7. Take Me To Your Rabbit
Raunchy Rabbit obtains Hoo Doo's magic powers after the pair are struck by lightning, so Hoo Doo masquerades as a female bunny and tries to get his "zap" back.
WATCH FOR: Bunny drag and Weenie the genie cackling like Witchiepoo.
GOOF: After escorting Nursie to the dungeon, Hoodoo takes notice of a spider. In one shot his arm is raised, in the next he's tickling the spider.
SONGS: "Carrot, Carrot, Carrot," "Alone, Alone, Alone" and "Zapper, Zapper, Zapper" performed by The Hat Band.
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8. Have I Got a Girl for Hoo Doo
Hoo Doo uses a Lonely Hearts Club to land a date... with Witchiepoo. After a rocky start the pair bond, so Mark dresses up like Mae West and tries to cause a rift between them.
SONGS: "I Love You More" performed by Charles Nelson Reilly (Hoo Doo) and Billie Hayes (Witchiepoo)
*"Happy, Happy, Happy" performed by The Hat Band
GOOF: A boom mic drops down the wall as Hoo Doo sits down to compose his letter.
NOTES: Billie Hayes plays duel roles as Weenie the genie and Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo, her character from H.R. Pufnstuf.
*The H.R. Pufnstuf costume is a slightly different costume than was used in the original series.
*This marks the only time that H.R. Pufnstuf rode sidesaddle on Witchiepoo's Vroom Broom.
* The photo that Hoo Doo submitted to The Lonely Hearts Club is, in reality, a photo of series creator/producer Sid Krofft.
*Witchiepoo later repeated essentially this same story for a segment called "Horror Hotel" on an episode of "The Krofft Superstar Hour with the Bay City Rollers." In that episode, she sent away for a mail-order groom and soon found Frankenstein's monster on her doorstep.
WATCH FOR: Butch Patrick as Lovey Dovey, a frightening Mae West impersonator. Decades later on a DVD commentary, Patrick admitted that he really liked that scene and had fun playing it.
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9. Mark and the Bean Stalk
After a magic bean stalk sprouts in Lidsville, Hoo Doo disguises himself as Mark and attempts to escape into the real world.
NOTE: This episode was loosely adapted in the fourth issue of the comic book in a story entitled "The Giant Hat'erpillar." The ending wildly deviates, with Mark, Weenie and Hoo Doo climbing the stalk and encountering a hooded giant... and Hoo Doo wound up turning into a giant caterpillar. Man, Charles Nelson Reilly would have really been ticked if he'd had to squeeze into that costume!
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10. Turn in Your Turban, You're Through
Hoo Doo instills Mark with Weenie's magical powers and uses the boy as his personal servant.
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11. Alias the Imperial Wizard
Hoo Doo crashes Weenie's birthday party and kidnaps several good hat people to plan his party for the Imperial Wizard.
NOTE: Yet again the Kroffts are recycling their own storylines, this one from the "H.R." Pufnstuf" episode "The Visiting Witch."
SONG: "Have a Happy Sweet 1600th" performed by Joan Gerber (Madame Ring-a-Ding)
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12. A Little Hoo Doo Goes a Long Way
The evil hats plot to overthrow Hoo Doo. Meanwhile, Weenie comes down with the Ali Baba Virus.
SONG: "Every Day Is Party Time" performed by Joan Gerber (Madame Ring-a-Ding)
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13. Oh, Brother
Hoo Doo's good-natured twin brother Bruce arrives while he's away and causes confusion amongst all of the inhabitants of Lidsville.
SONG: "Peace Has Come to Lidsville" performed by the cast.
NOTE: *Charles Nelson Reilly appears in duel roles as Horatio and Bruce Hoo Doo.
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14. Hoo Doo Who?
The bad hats run amok and Mark plans an escape when Hoo Doo comes down with amnesia.
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15. The Old Hat Home
Hoo Doo crashes the good hat people's charity event and turns them all into senior citizens.
NOTE: This episode was written by Rita Sedran Rose, wife of producer Si Rose.
SONGS: "Hoo Doo" performed by Charles Nelson Reilly (Hoo Doo)
*"Famous Hats" performed by the cast
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16. The Great Brain Robbery
Hoo Doo emulates the Pied Piper and lures the good hat people into his Brain Wash machine to create an army to conquer the Imperial Wizard.
SONG: "If You Ain't Got You Know What" performed by Billie Hayes (Weenie) and Butch Patrick (Mark)
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17. Mommy Hoo Doo
When Hoo Doo's mother arrives for Mother's Day, all of the local residents try to convince her that he hasn't gone soft.
SONG: "Mommy Blues" performed by Muriel Landers (Mommy Hoo Doo)
NOTE: In an effort to save money (as on "H.R. Pufnstuf" and "The Bugaloos" before it) the finale was a best-of clip show featuring an uncredited Muriel Landers as the titular Mommy Hoo Doo.
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