Bigfoot and Wildboy

The intro to Bigfoot and Wildboy (1976-1979), spun-off from the Krofft Supershow. 'Nuff said.

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

MORE: Entertainment

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

Anonymous

My best friend’s dad, who is also Neil Diamond’s longtime pianist, got to do all the synthesizer sound effects on that show. There were a lot of them too, like everytime somebody ran or jumped in slow motion.

Nice to see mention of Ark II in the earlier comment. I know I’m being old, but man, those were some cheezy/magnificent shows.
- knoxblox
  
  Well, I could have mentioned many more shows than ARK II, but I was trying to stick to shows that I’m pretty sure utilized that same stretch of wooded property at one time or another.
  
  I may be wrong, but I think they even used those woods for Robert Vaughn’s movie Teenage Cave Man?
Anonymous

Old geek commentators are old! It’s all good!
Stefan Jones

For a good chunk of the 1970s, stuff like this (and the Six Million Dollar Man) were the only game in town when it came to SF on TV.

It was a bad, bad time to be a geek.

After the success of Star Wars there was more of it, but it didn’t get any better.
- Donald Petersen
  
  Space:1999? Planet of the Apes? Damnation Alley (eventually)? Land of the Lost? Star Trek reruns? Twilight Zone reruns?
  
  Aw, it weren’t so bad. At least we had to spend a little time playing with our action figures out in the fresh air and sunshine.
Spookyland

Ahmacrom,

Actually, I was under the impression that Bigfoot on The Six Million Dollar Man was played by the pretty large Ted Cassidy (sp?), who appeared as Lurch on The Addams Family.

It’s more fun if we don’t look it up right away. Anyone else?

Mr. Spooky
gber

When I was young, my parents would not let me watch Saturday morning TV. I’d catch glimpses of what I was missing when we popped into stores with TV displays. In older age, I’ve come to realize that what I was missing was truly as awesome as I thought it was as a kid… Rock On Bigfoot & Wildboy! Rock on!
Godfree

Pfft. “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl” was waaaaay cooler.
- Malic
  
  Judy Strangis aka DynaGirl! Mmmmmmm!
Anonymous

Am I the only one who watches that and thinks how hot that bigfoot costume must have been?
Anonymous

This is NOT an introduction from the Krofft Supershow.

The “Bigfoot and Wildboy” production actually spun-off and ran on its own. These are the show’s opening credits.

Why do I know this?

I had a TV and was 10-12 between 1977-1979.

Enjoy.
- David Pescovitz
  
  Correct. Thanks.
Editz

I’m unclear on the backstory…Bigfoot taught Wildboy to sew clothes?
- Anonymous
  
  Did he give him that swell haircut too?
Anonymous

With filmed proof such as this, can anyone ever again doubt the existence of the northern Pacific Yeti? I think not.
gwailo_joe

Wow. Just. . .wow.

This show aired. . .for three years!?!

And judging from how American pop culture continues to eat its own regurgitation (so to speak), I see no reason why this hilarious idea shouldn’t be ‘reimagined’ at some point…
Vic333

Holly crap, I remember now! How could I have forgotten that Bigfoot and Wildboy existed? Ok, now I need to track down some episodes.
jfrancis

I DO remember Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, though. Those 4 red push buttons on their wrist thingies were standard issue Radio Shack.
pjcamp

I remember that show.

Sid and Marty did a f**k of a lot of acid.
bklynchris

A transitional show where you transitioned to either Shazam OR Space:1999 and that delicious summer of Night Gallery.

Can’t wait to show my kid who is totally geeking on cartoon history timeline and has asked every vacation this summer examples of cartoons/kid shows I watched at his age.
Nicky G

:-O

Omfg… that is probably the most awesome goddamn thing I’ve ever seen!!!

Is this on DVD? If not, Can we make it be?!?!?!?!?

I, I, I……. I can’t express how dumbfounded I am at this moment. There was simply way, way too much awesome packed into that intro to possibly wrap my head around….
Snig

This was the same year Star Wars came out. Easy to see how our young brains melted watching Star Wars.
jnordb

I was always partial to Doctor Shrinker myself….
Nash Rambler

TV just isn’t as awesome as it used to be, is it.
mudpup

I can not believe I never saw that show. Hum… 1976 I was 20 that spring, I remember now… Well I think I remember some of the next decade.
yupgiboy

The Kids From C.A.P.E.R, FTW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XuJJ1SqkqA
knoxblox

I’m surprised that my 12-year old mind couldn’t fathom the possibility of Bigfoot & Wildboy, the crew of the ARK II, Jamie Sommers and Steve Austin, Run Joe Run, Logan, the Dukes of Hazzard, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mitchell, and who knows else all running into each other in the same stretch of California woods at some point in time.
Bionicrat2

Funny how similar the bigfoot action moves are to the Six Million Dollar Man bigfoot episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA2mVIVCDtE
Donald Petersen

Good God Almighty, I’d completely forgotten that one. I remember Electra Woman and Dyna Girl and Wonderbug (and certainly Land of the Lost, which was my all-time favorite Krofft show), but I didn’t recognize this one at all… until I played it.

I’ve rediscovered a lost corner of my youth.

Is that a Ford LTD about to break the double nickel? Daaaaammmnn!
- technomonk13
  
  Dear Donald,
  I believe were are related.
  
  I say this, because judging from your childhood viewing habits, we obviously are brothers (or clones) that somehow became seperated early in life…
  - Donald Petersen
    
    we obviously are brothers
    
    Ah, if only it were true! I could have used a brother at the time to help me outvote my sister, who always wanted to change the channel over to Isis, or American Bandstand, or The Ghost Busters.
    
    I really gotta wonder if Wonderbug is better or worse than Bigfoot and Wildboy. I now know (to my sorrow) that Land of the Lost doesn’t hold up (especially the second and third seasons). Maybe I shouldn’t try to investigate anything else from the era, and further tarnish my glittering memories, such as they are.
Jackasimov

In the world of live-action kids shows, Lucan could take out Wildboy and Ray Young http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=66808 in a monkey suit couldn’t do shit but watch.
chris lee

I remember that show! And yes Bionicrat2 it looks like they were trying to get as much mileage out of that bigfoot suit as they could.
Teller

Suddenly, that beef jerky campaign makes sense.
Tristan Eldtritch

Man, just watch the Bigfoot leap starting at 0.35. Masterpiece of continuity.
Anonymous

Watch a little of one of the episodes just for the thrill of wild boy’s SoCal accent. This trailer has been wildly popular at our house for the last year or so. My sons think it’s hilarious but are also really amazed at what was put on t.v. Oh, also note the incredibly slow pacing of the show( and all shows of that era). Maybe slow pacing of bad kids t.v. Meant less ADD back then. Just a thought.
juepucta

To this day, whenever jumping a big stream/gap/whathave (which admittedly is not very often) in my head i hear the 6 mill dollar man’s tatatatatatatata sfx and have to contain myself from going “KAYAMPAAAAAAAA” (or whatever it is that the beast is really supposed to say).

I had forgotten how much funkitude that theme song possesses.

-G.
jfrancis

I’m surprised this doesn’t ring a bell at all for me.
franko

i have an iron-on for this show somewhere. i should probably bust it out. i used to love this show for some reason…
Anonymous

Now there’s a candidate for a Big Screen remake if ever I saw one.
ahmacrom

I remember this show. Good times. The Six Million Dollar Man bigfoot was Andre the Giant. Wow. Thanks for the nostalgia for the ones born in the seventies.