- D.C. Follies
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D.C. Follies 
Genre Comedy Created by Sid & Marty Krofft Written by Larry Arnstein
Steve BarkerDirected by Rick Locke Presented by Fred Willard Country of origin 
United StatesLanguage(s) English No. of seasons 2 No. of episodes 33 (List of episodes) Production Producer(s) Sid & Marty Krofft Running time 30 minutes Production company(s) Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures
Cannon Films (1988-1989)
Negative Entertainment (1987-1988)Distributor Access Syndication (1987-1988)
Raymond Horn Syndication (1988-1989)Broadcast Original channel Syndication Original run 26 September 1987 – 1 September 1989 D.C. Follies is a syndicated sitcom which aired from 1987–1989 and was set in a Washington, D.C. bar, where bartender Fred Willard would welcome puppet caricatures of that day's politicians and celebrities. The humor tended to be on the satirical side, often taking potshots at politicians and the political process. Although Willard was the only live actor appearing regularly, each episode brought a celebrity guest into the bar, such as Martin Mull, Robin Leach, Bob Uecker, and Betty White. In one episode, Robert Englund showed up as his Freddie Kruger character, and in a special Christmas episode an un-billed actor played Santa Claus. Another episode had Mike Tyson confront his own puppet character.
The show was believed to be inspired by the British series Spitting Image. It was syndicated in many markets, although it often aired at odd hours (7:30 pm in Los Angeles, but 1:30 am in Washington, D.C.), making it difficult for the show to build a following. It was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft.
Frequently appearing puppet characters included:
- Former Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and then-President Ronald Reagan and Vice-President George H. W. Bush. When Bush was elected President in 1988, Vice-President Dan Quayle also became a regular. The former and current presidents were portrayed as having a special Presidents' Table, where they sat together.
- First Ladies Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush; and Marilyn Quayle.
- Woody Allen
- Jim Bakker and his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker
- Sam Donaldson
- Senator Robert Dole
- Governor Michael Dukakis
- Katharine Hepburn
- Rev. Jesse Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Don King
- Ted Koppel
- Madonna
- Edwin Meese
- Oliver North
- Tip O'Neil
- John Poindexter
- Dan Rather
- Geraldo Rivera
- Pat Robertson
- Sylvester Stallone
- Oprah Winfrey
- British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth II
- Prince Charles and his then-wife, Princess Diana
- Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
- Pope John Paul II
- Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeni
Video releases
A series of three "Best of D. C. Follies" VHS tapes were released, each volume containing two episodes.
The show has been made available via video on demand at Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and iTunes.
External links
Sid and Marty Krofft Television shows H.R. Pufnstuf (1969) · The Bugaloos (1970) · Lidsville (1971) · Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973) · Land of the Lost (1974) · Far Out Space Nuts (1975) · The Lost Saucer (1975) · Donny & Marie (1976) · The Krofft Supershow (1976) · The Brady Bunch Hour (1977) · The Krofft Superstar Hour (1978) · Pink Lady and Jeff (1980) · Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters (1980) · Pryor's Place (1984) · D.C. Follies (1987) · Land of the Lost (1991) · Family Affair (2002)
Krofft Supershow Segments Dr. Shrinker (1976) · Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976) · Kaptain Kool and the Kongs (1976) · Wonderbug (1976) · Magic Mongo (1977) · Bigfoot and Wildboy (1977)
Krofft Puppets appeared in The Dean Martin Show (1965) · The Banana Splits (1968) · The Great Space Coaster (1981)
Pilots and TV specials Here's Irving (1957) · Fol-de-Rol (1972) · The World of Sid & Marty Krofft at the Hollywood Bowl (1973) · Really Raquel (1974) · Jimmy Osmond Presents ABC's Saturday Sneak Peek (1976) · The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976) · The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (1976) · Kaptain Kool and the Kongs Present ABC All-Star Saturday (1977) · The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars (1978) · The Krofft Komedy Hour (1978) · Bobby Vinton's Rock 'n' Rollers (1978) · Anson & Lorrie (1981) · Saturday's the Place (1984) · The Cracker Brothers (1985) · Rock 'n' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular (1985) · The Patti LaBelle Show (1985) · Sid & Marty Krofft's Red Eye Express (1988) · Krofft Late Night (1991) · Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (2001)
Films Pufnstuf (1970) · Harry Tracy, Desperado (1980) · Middle Age Crazy (1980) · Side Show (1981) · Land of the Lost (2009)
Theme park Live shows Howdy, Mr. Ice of 1950 (1949) · Les Poupées de Paris (1961) · Circus (1966) · Funny World (1966) · Kaleidescope (1968) · Fol-de-Rol (1968) · Comedy Kings (1988)
Categories:- American television series based on British television series
- Television programs featuring puppetry
- 1980s American television series
- American television sitcoms
- 1987 television series debuts
- 1989 television series endings
- First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
- Television series by Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions
- Television shows set in Washington, D.C.
- Television series by MGM Television
- Comedy television series stubs
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