Sid Krofft, the co-creator of Land of the Lost and HR Pufnstuf, died of natural causes at his home on Friday, April 10, 2026. He was 96 years old.

Krofft spent his career in children’s television as a producer, puppeteer, and show creator. He and his brother, Marty Krofft, were the creative forces and producers behind the shows mentioned above and The Donny and Marie Show, among others of the 1960s through the mid-2010s.

He was born on July 30, 1929, in Montreal, Canada and then he immigrated to the United States in 1938. At the age of 10, he bought his first puppet and performed for crowds on the street. Krofft performed in vaudeville shows, burlesque acts, and was a part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus all by the age of 16.

Throughout the ‘50s, Krofft toured Europe with his marionette act, which included opening for Judy Garland. Sid and Marty Krofft created live acts that were performed at Worlds Fairs in New York, Seattle, and San Antonio.

Then they opened the Showbusiness Factory and started creating and producing children’s television shows like The Banana Splits, Lidsville, The Krofft Supershow, The Brady Bunch Hour, Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters, D.C. Follies, and Mutt & Stuff.

They produced television specials like Fol-de-Rol, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs Present ABC All-Star Saturday, Saturday’s the Place, Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Saturday Spectacular, and Sid & Marty Krofft’s Red Eye Express. Their films included Pufnstuf, Middle Age Crazy, and Land of the Lost.

Together, the Krofft brothers were given a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2018. Sid continued entertaining viewers later in life by hosting Sundays with Sid, an Instagram live show that welcomed guests like Paul Reubens and Joel Gray. He was working on books about his life and career at the time of his death.