The Lost Generation

Every once in awhile, I’ll mention the children’s show, Lidsville, which ran from 1971-1973. I’ve never met anyone who remembers it. When I describe it, they look at me like I’m high. Lidsville was a Sid and Mary Krofft show, joining the reality based H.R. Pufnstuf, and The Bugaloos. The plot involved a teenager who wanders into a giant hat (yes, it’s odd) and falls into a land filled with living hats. The hat people also lived in hats. Too add to the bizarre story, Charles Nelson Reilly was the villain — not Charles Nelson Reilly the person, but the character he played. I think Lidsville was slang for the marijuana term “lid.” Why this was aimed at pre-teens is beyond me.

I recall watching Lidsville, very concerned that the main character, Mark, wouldn't get home. I didn’t question the symbolism or meaning of the hat world. It seemed perfectly sane. In the end Mark didn’t escape Lidsville and return to the normal world. I thought about this quite a bit growing up. It was like Gilligan’s Island before they were rescued in the tragic sequels. These loose ends, these lost souls, damaged my generation and caused severe emotional trauma.