Sigmund and the Sea Monsters

infobox television
show_name = Sigmund and the Sea Monsters


format = Children's television series
runtime = 0:25 (per episode)
producer = Sid and Marty Krofft
starring = Billy Barty
Johnny Whitaker
Scott Kolden
Mary Wickes
Joe Higgins
Rip Taylor
Fran Ryan
Fred Spencer
Paul Gale
Van Snowden
Sharon Baird
Sparky Marcus
Margaret Hamilton
voices = Walker Edmiston
Sidney Miller
country = USA
network = NBC
first_aired = September 8, 1973
last_aired = October 18, 1975
num_episodes = 29
imdb_id = 0069632

"Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" was a children's television series that ran from 1973 to 1975. The show was a Sid and Marty Krofft production and was shown on Saturday mornings. There were 29 episodes spanning two seasons.

Its basic premise was that Sigmund (Billy Barty), a friendly (if somewhat cowardly) sea monster who runs away from his comically dysfunctional undersea family, is discovered and befriended by brothers Johnny (Johnny Whitaker) and Scott Stuart (Scott Kolden), who let Sigmund stay in their hideout.

Plotlines were very simple and straightforward, usually some variation on the idea of Sigmund doing something silly to arouse attention and the boys working to prevent him from being found by Sigmund's brothers, Blurp (Bill Germaine, Larry Larsen) and Slurp (Fred Spencer, Paul Gale). The brothers also worked feverishly to hide Sigmund from their overbearing housekeeper Zelda (Mary Wickes), elderly neighbor Mrs. Eldels (Margaret Hamilton) and Sheriff Chuck Bevans (Joe Higgins).

In Season Two, Rip Taylor joined the cast as a magical 'Sea Genie' named Sheldon who lives inside a sea shell.

"Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" was the first Krofft Saturday morning production that was produced for a second season. Previous entries "H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969), "The Bugaloos" (1970), and "Lidsville" (1971) were only in production with new episodes for a single season.

"Sigmund" did not follow the "stranger in a strange land" premise as many of the previous Krofft shows did ("Bugaloos", "Bigfoot and Wildboy" and "Wonderbug" were three other shows that also didn't use that premise).

Trivia

*There were two different themes to the show, both of which were sung by Whitaker. The first season's theme was called "Friends", but was replaced the second season by a song more pertinent to the story line. Their was closing theme song in the first season. In the second season an instrumental version of the 2nd season's respected theme song was used

*Sigmund appears briefly in the music video for the 2000 song "AM Radio" by Everclear.

*In 2004, on the cartoon website Homestar Runner, as part of that year's Halloween cartoon, The Cheat dressed as Sigmund as his Halloween costume.

*In a 2006 episode of "My Name Is Earl", Earl and Randy can be seen watching "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters".

*In the song "Fazers" on the "2003" album "Take Me to Your Leader", "MF Doom" (as "King Geedorah") references the show in a line saying "He been rhymin' longer than sigmund and sea creature been on saturday feature".

*In 2007, on an episode of "The Tonight Show" in which Zach Braff was a guest, Braff brought out a "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters " lunch box.