Eight Trippy 70s and 80s TV Mainstays That Make You Go “Hmmmm”
I was born in September of 1970, which means I was lucky in certain ways. For example, had I been born just a few years earlier, I would have most certainly been dressed in bell bottoms and wide collared shirts. Had I been born later, I would have missed the subtle ( and not so subtle ) TV Shows which paid homage to the marijuana fueled 60s. As you (hopefully) peruse this list, keep in mind that the creators of these shows must have been laughing their asses of at the innuendos they infused into them, and the joke was clearly lost on 70–80s educators who frequently showed some of these to us IN SCHOOL! With no more fanfare, let’s get to the list:
- Looney Tunes “Hair Raising Hare”:
Ok this originally aired in 1946, so sue me! The story revolves around a “mad scientist” who creates a monster named Gossamer. Bugs of course defeats Gossamer, but the episode ends with a clearly drugged Bugs running away from the scientist. Both Bugs and his pursuer are, to quote Bill Murray in “Caddyshack” “Stoned to the begeezuz belt” from the 3:50 mark on. They float, slur their speech, have droopy eyes, and move in slow motion. Although this was created way earlier than 1970, it was a staple on TV when I was a child, so I grandfathered it in!
2. “The Last of the Curlews” 1972.
This old gem is actually a film adaptation of a very successful children’s book. It relates the plight of a male Curlew who thinks he is the only one of his kind left. He lives in Alaska and waits as long as possible to find others of his kind to begin his treacherous winter migration with, but he is eventually forced to give up and join other types of birds. Ultimately, he finds a female curlew, and I don’t want to ruin the ending because it really is well done and touching. That being said, there is undeniably some drug references in there, one of which is cleverly camouflaged in a song that repeats the lyrics “Fly to the Sun” over and over and over. For some high flying, check out 29:21, 37:12, 41:00, and 45:50. This one is more than just silly entertainment though. This brilliantly scripted cartoon, produced by Hanna-Barbera, is poignant and educational too. Enjoy.
3. “Free to Be You and Me”- 1974
“Free to Be You and Me” started as a record album which Marlo Thomas created in order to teach her young niece about equity and fairness in life. The project absolutely exploded and so it became a TV show featuring many heavy hitting stars such as Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, Harry Belafonte, Mel Brooks, Rita COolidge, Dustin Hoffman, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Smothers, Dionne Warwick, Michael Jackson, and even more. It’s little lessons made it perfect as a time killer for 70s elementary school teachers who wanted to convey wholesome lessons to their students in an engaging manner. Yet, even so , many were trippy as hell and that image of Michael Jackson hardly seems an accident!
4. Scooby Doo 1969–1978
Ok, I don’t think that anyone REALLY needs me to explain the plot of Scooby Doo ! In fact, this one is so obvious that you may think it unworthy of being mentioned. BUT, paranoid guys (Scooby and Shaggy) who are always hungry and generally paranoid? Come on now !
5. Wonderbug 1976–1978
This show, created by pro smart asses Sid and Marty Krofft (they make the list twice), is about a junker car that magically transforms into a flying Dune Buggy and carries three teens around as they fight crime. I think they are engaged in crime too! Hallucinations anyone?
6. The Witch’s Sister- 1979
This movie was another adaptation of a YT novel. The story is about a young girl, Lynn, who becomes convinced that her older sister , Judith, is a witch. She and her friend, Mouse (played by a young Dara Brown, who is now a news anchor on MSNBC ) , seek to disrupt what they believe to be a plot to corrupt Lynn and Judith’s younger brother, Stevie. The “head witch” is an old lady named Mrs. Tuggle who the girls believe is spearheading the plot to get Stevie. I watched this in school in like third grade and I remember thinking “We shouldn’t be watching this” and I vividly remember the nervous looks on our teacher’s face as the plot unraveled. Bizarre music, really strange plot lines, and a healthy dollop of the supernatural make this trippy “educational” movie a must watch in certain mind frames.
7. What are Friends For? 1980
I guess the early 80s had a thing for witchcraft, because this Afterschool Special, like “The Witch’s Sister” , incorporates a ton of supernatural references. The plot line follows Amy Warner, played by Melora Hardin who played Jan on “The Office”, as she tries to overcome a traumatic divorce between her mother and father. The divorce makes it hard for Amy to trust anyone, but eventually she befriends Michelle Mudd, a neighbor who is also the product of a divorced household. The opening theme song and imagery is bizarre as hell, as are the scenes in which Michelle conjures spirits to break up the romance between her father and his new fiance. Bizarre yet fascinating, it won’t fail to impress.
8. H.R. Pufnstuf 1974–1978
Sid and Marty Krofft are back on the list with this truly bizarre and very thinly veiled show. First of all, let’s think about the name “puff and stuff” — the Krofft’s swear it wasn’t drug related. Hmmm. I suppose then that it is just a coincidence that the star of the show, a boy named Jimmy, has a talking, magical flute that his nemesis, Witchiepoo, yet another witch, is constantly trying to steal. It’s weird, weird, weird, but it made TV Guide’s list of Top Cult Shows Ever, probably because stoners sit there and stare at it endlessly. There are colors, weird creatures, a witch, strange music…it’s like a freak buffet! In fact, the show had such a hold for a while that McDonald’s straight up ripped it off in creating its McDonaldland characters. The Krofft’s filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s for the copyright violations and won. I’ll bet I know how they celebrated their win!
In 1981, First Lady Nancy Reagan launched her war on drugs with the “Just Say No” campaign, and when you look at these shows and movies geared towards kids, I think we can see why!
There were more shows and movies- such as “Great Space Coaster” and “labyrinth”- that I was going to put on the list, but I am too lazy to do it right now. Plus, I have the munchies !