Bob Denver being always and forever Gilligan, the gag about he and pals being stranded someplace and struggling to get home makes the sort of 8-yo common sense that appeals to that group of writers. And their audience.
It’s not that uncommon of a theme.
Loosely speaking (prior to the Krofts):
The Odyssey
Robinson Crusoe
Lord of the Flies
Stranger in a Strange Land
Wizard of Oz
That’s quickly off the top if my head. I’m sure people can come up with more.
Spirited Away
I was limiting my list to before the Krofts got started. There have also been a ton since then like The Martian, Castaway, Blue Lagoon…
Also Swiss Family Robinson and Lost in Space as more earlier examples.
Of course, the “stranded” theme is common in fiction. But, as was pointed out, a substantial portion of the Kroffts’ 1970s shows used it.
I tried to watch Land of the Lost, but it seems like the UHF channel in DC played the syndicated episodes in random order and interspersed with episodes from other shows.
I will say that an episode of Electro-Woman and Dyna-Girl was the first time that I ever thought about watching the ladies rather than the show itself.
They went with what worked and what the viewers want because that was what has worked for millenia. Anyway, let’s end this hijack (which I started).
I’d also say that it worked well for the types of stories/shows they created in that era, most of which had fantasy/sci-fi/magical elements, as a way to put “normal” people into such worlds.
Because the ladies were that attractive, because the show was that bad, or both?
Enquiring minds and all that.
It’s cheaper to tape a fantasy land on a set than it is to film in the real world.
My first crush was Joy on The Bugaloos.
Paging SDMB poster @sleestak
Oh yeah. She was one damned cute butterfly.
Exactly.
I was like 10 and 11 years old when Lidsville was on and I thought it was completely fucked up. As was Land of the Lost and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. Not on psychedelic drugs my ass.
Oh, wait. Speed Racer was weird as fuck too. International spies and auto racing through a volcano? And a race car the size of a freight train?
The late 60’s/early 70’s kids shows were insane. I’m so lucky to have experienced them first hand!!!
I think Sid & Marty just stumbled into the psychedelic zeitgeist with the Banana Splits and HR Pufnstuf, but with Lidsville, they were definitely leaning into it on purpose. Every kid in the country knew what a “lid” was, and it wasn’t a hat.