| "Cha-Ka" | |
|---|---|
| Land of the Lost episode | |
 Will teaches Cha-Ka to drink from a canteen | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Dennis Steinmetz |
| Written by | David Gerrold |
| Production code | B002B7G87Y |
| Original air date | September 7, 1974 |
"Cha-Ka" is the first episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost . Written by David Gerrold and directed by Dennis Steinmetz, it first aired in the United States on September 7, 1974 on NBC.
An earthquake plunges Rick, Will, and Holly Marshall to the Land of the Lost while river-rafting. When their raft washes ashore, they are met with a tyrannosaur they soon dub "Grumpy", who chases them till they reach a homely cave located up a steep cliff.
The next day, the Marshalls explore the jungle, where they discover a large, metallic "pylon" which emits a high-pitched whirring sound and observe three manlike simians attempting to create a fire while chanting an invocation in their native language.
The creatures are interrupted in their ritual by Grumpy, who wounds the leg of the smallest of the creatures. Will carries him back to their hiding place, where they discover that the creature's name is Cha-Ka and that his people are called "Pakuni". They mend Cha-Ka's leg and share their dinner with him.
The next morning, Cha-Ka gives them a feast of native fruits. The Marshalls conclude that Cha-Ka has become their friend.
The online review site Premium Hollywood described the episode in 2009 as "really a very boring start for the series", adding that it was likely toned down to avoid frightening its young viewership. [1]
In Sid and Marty Krofft: A Critical Study of Saturday Morning Children's Television, 1969-1993, film and television historian Hal Erickson praises Land of the Lost for not revealing all the details of the show's premise in the first episode, instead spreading out plot revelations throughout the first season. In "Cha-ka", only the dinosaurs and Pakuni are revealed; later episodes would introduce the Sleestak and other elements of the program's mythology. Erickson contrasts this with "standard operating procedure in the 1970s ... to lay all the cards on the table in the opening episode", and lauds the show's creators Sid and Marty Krofft for "having enough confidence in [their] young audience to unfold [the] series' exposition over a matter of weeks rather than minutes". [2]
Land of the Lost is a children's adventure television series created by David Gerrold and produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, who co-developed the series with Allan Foshko. It is a live-action show mixed with stop-motion animated dinosaurs, originally aired on Saturday mornings from 1974 to 1976, on the NBC television network. CBS used it as a summer replacement series from 22 June 1985 – 28 December 1985 and 20 June 1987 – 5 September 1987. It has since become a 1970s American cult classic. Krofft Productions remade the series in 1991, and adapted it into a feature film in 2009.
Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft are a Canadian sibling team of television creators and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they have made numerous children's television and variety show programs in the U.S., particularly in the 1970s, including H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. Their fantasy programs often feature large-headed puppets, high-concept plots, and extensive use of low-budget special effects.
H.R. Pufnstuf is a children's television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in the United States. It was the first Krofft live-action, life-sized-puppet program. The seventeen episodes were originally broadcast Saturday mornings from September 6, 1969, to December 27, 1969. The broadcasts were successful enough that NBC kept it on the schedule until August 1972. The show was shot at Paramount Studios and its opening was shot at Big Bear Lake, California. Reruns of the show aired on ABC Saturday morning from September 2, 1972, to September 8, 1973, and on Sunday mornings in some markets from September 16, 1973, to September 8, 1974. It was syndicated by itself from September 1974 to June 1978 and in a package with six other Krofft series under the banner Krofft Superstars from 1978 to 1985. Reruns of the show were featured on TV Land in 1999 as part of its Super Retrovision Saturdaze Saturday morning-related overnight prime programming block and in the summer of 2004 as part of its TV Land Kitschen weekend late-night prime programming block, and it was later shown on MeTV from 2014 until 2016.
Land of the Lost is a half-hour Saturday-morning children's television series that debuted on ABC in the fall of 1991, a remake of the original series of the same name which ran from 1974 to 1976. Re-runs were later picked up by Nickelodeon from 1995 to 1997. Tiger Toys received the license to produce a toyline based on the series, which included regular and "talking" action figures, several dinosaurs and playsets, an electronic "Crystal Sword", as well as an electronic LCD game and a board game.
Far Out Space Nuts is a Sid and Marty Krofft children's television series that aired in 1975 for one season, and produced 15 episodes. It was one of only two Krofft series produced exclusively for CBS. Reruns of the show aired in daily syndication from 1978 to 1985 as part of the "Krofft Superstars" package with six other Krofft series.
Wayne Laryea is a British musician and television actor. Laryea is best known to American audiences for his role as the bumblebee Harmony in The Bugaloos (1970), and to British viewers as Johnny in Pipkins (1973). In 1978, Laryea featured in the BBC's first black drama series, Empire Road, and in Crown Court the same year as Bryon Whittaker.
Wonderbug is a segment of the first and second season of the American television series The Krofft Supershow, from 1976 to 1978. It was shot in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The show was rerun as part of ABC's Sunday morning series.
Land of the Lost is a 2009 American science fiction adventure comedy film directed by Brad Silberling, written by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas and starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel, loosely based on the 1974 Sid and Marty Krofft television series of the same name. The film was theatrically released on June 5, 2009 by Universal Pictures.
Joan Gerber was an American voice actress who provided voices for a variety of cartoons.
The Krofft Superstar Hour is a Saturday morning children's variety show, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. After eight episodes, the show was renamed The Bay City Rollers Show. It aired for one season from September 9, 1978 to January 27, 1979 on NBC. NBC also ran other repeat Krofft shows in an unrelated umbrella titled slot, Krofft Superstars, from 1978 to 1985.
Judy Ann Strangis is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in two ABC television series Room 222 (1969–1974) and Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976–1977).
Les Poupées de Paris was a musical puppet show created, produced and directed by Sid and Marty Krofft, that toured the United States throughout the 1960s.
"The Sleestak God" is the second episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by David Gerrold and directed by Dennis Steinmetz, it first aired in the United States on September 14, 1974 on NBC.
"Downstream" is the fourth episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Larry Niven and directed by Dennis Steinmetz, it first aired in the United States on September 28, 1974 on NBC. The episode guest stars Walker Edmiston.
"Tag-Team" is the fifth episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Norman Spinrad and directed by Dennis Steinmetz, it first aired in the United States on October 5, 1974 on NBC.
"The Stranger" is the sixth episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Walter Koenig and directed by Bob Lally, it first aired in the United States on October 12, 1974 on NBC. The episode guest stars Walker Edmiston.
"Album" is the seventh episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Dick Morgan and directed by Bob Lally, it was first broadcast in the United States on October 19, 1974, on NBC. The episode guest stars Erica Hagen.
"Skylons" is the eighth episode of the first season of the 1974 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Dick Morgan and directed by Bob Lally, it first aired in the United States on October 26, 1974 on NBC.
"Tar Pit" is the first episode of the second season of the 1975 American television series Land of the Lost. Written by Margaret Armen and directed by Gordon Wiles, it first aired in the United States on September 6, 1975 on NBC.