Sid Krofft, Land of the Lost Creator, Dies at 96

Sid Krofft - who is best known for creating classic television shows including Land of the Lost and H.R. Pufnstuf - has died at 96.

The television pioneer died in his sleep of natural causes on Friday, April 10.

A spokesperson told People that Krofft 'passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, April 10 at the home of his friend and business partner Kelly Killian.'

The producer started production company Sid and Marty Pictures with his brother Marty Krofft in 1969.

They created and developed H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Donnie & Marie, and many other programs from the 1960s to 2010s.

Land of the Lost was also adapted into a 2009 film starring . 

In the statement to People, business partner Killian said that she 'loved Sid with my whole heart' and that he 'taught me more than I could ever put into words.'

The statement continued: 'I didn’t know Sid for his shows — I only knew the man who created them. And that man was extraordinary.

'“I wish so very much that I had more time with him. I will miss his big blue eyes, his cheerful smile with his dimples, and the warmth that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.'

Sid and Marty produced colorful, fantasy-themed children's shows that also included Lidsville and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, as well as The Brady Bunch Hour.

The duo were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2018 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

With a career spanning over 50 years, Sid produced multiple shows and quality family entertainment.

In the 1980s, Sid and Marty, who was born in Montreal, created the syndicated series D.C. Follies, which starred Fred Willard.  

In 1957, Sid, who was a puppeteer, and brother Marty developed Les Poupées de Paris, a puppet show sporting mature themes. 

In 2008, the Los Angeles Times described the brothers' dynamic way of making television, writing: 'Marty had joined the act by the late 1950s, and from then on the two puppeteers were locked in a contest to prove who was really pulling the strings. 

'Sid was the creative force, but Marty was the one who made sure the act actually made it to the stage.'

Sid's brother Marty died aged 86 in November 2023 due to kidney failure.