The Bugaloos (1970)
The Bugaloos was an American children's television series, produced by brothers Sidney Krofft and Martin Krofft, that aired on NBC on Saturday mornings from 1970 to 1972. The show featured a musical group composed of four British-accented teenagers, who lived in fictional Tranquility Forest. They wore insect-themed outfits with antennae and wings which allowed them to fly, though on occasion, they were shown flying on surfboards. They were constantly beset by the evil machinations of Benita Bizarre, played by comedienne Martha Raye. Bizarre, being untalented and ugly herself, was covetous of the Bugaloos' musical prowess.
Seasons & Episode
Benita kidnaps the Bugaloos, and hold's Joy hostage. She forces the other members to be her backup band and attempts to record a hit song. Sparky the Firefly enters the scene and helps the Bugaloos escape, becoming their new friend. Sparky records a hit single.
Benita wants to live in Tranquility Forest, she thinks it will help her write a song for a radio contest. Benita gets a hold of a phony land deed for Tranquility Forest. The Bugaloos find a way to get her to move out of the Forest and back home.
Benita can't stand her voice anymore, so she kidnaps Joy and uses a voice-switching machine to steal her voice. Joy gets Benita's voice. The rest of the gang get involved, complicating matters by scrambling everyone's voice.
Benita gets rid of all her hired help. Then Courage takes a fall and gets a bout of amnesia. Benita takes advantage of the situation by telling him he is her nephew, and he is responsible for doing the housework.
Benita's determined to fly, so she kidnaps I.Q. and attempts to steal his wings.
Benita adopts Sparky, so the Bugaloos turn themselves invisible to keep an eye on him.
Sparky runs away from home. Meanwhile, Woofer, Tweeter and Funky Rat shrink the Bugaloos and imprison them in Benita Bizarre's broken music box.
Peter Platter is heading off to a "Disc Jock Convention", and asks the Bugaloos to take over his show, in his absence. After a bit of coercing, the Bugaloos accept. Benita, of course, wants to do the show herself, and kidnaps Peter, then forces him to call the Bugaloos and tell them that he's given the job to Benita, instead. The Bugaloos figure out that something is wrong and head off to the jukebox to rescue Peter. I.Q. dresses up as Benita Bizarre, and the rest of the Bugaloos imitate Funky Rat, Woofer and Tweeter!
Sparky gets a job working on Peter Platter's radio show. Meanwhile, Benita schemes to take over the radio station's signal.
"The Amazing Circus" has been cancelled, because Benita Bizarre paid them *not* to come. Since the whole town is now in the dumps, the Bugaloos decide to put on their own circus in place of it! Magico the Magnificent comes to help out and hypnotizes Sparky into thinking that he's the "Bravest Person in the World". Armed with this new bravery, he flies off to pick a fight with Benita Bizarre. He doesn't get very far, but now she thinks that Magico could use hypnosis to make her the "Greatest Singer in the World". She promptly kidnaps him and the Bugaloos plan a scheme to rescue him
It's another exciting day in Rock City when Kook Radio sponsor, "Way Out Wheeler", the "Freaky Wheels Dealer", puts on a big road race: "The Uptown 500". In addition to getting "a lot of loot", the winner also gets to sing all of the "Way Out Wheeler" TV commercial spots. Benita Bizarre, of course, insists on winning. To ensure an easy win, she "takes out" all of the competition, even going to the extent of kidnapping Sparky, to keep the Bugaloos from winning.
Sparky has a crush on "The Flaming Firefly of Rock", a rock star named "Gina Lola-Wattage". Gina, by chance, is an old friend of Joy's. Joy manages to get Gina to stop by and meet Sparky. Gina is scheduled to perform for the Peter Platter show, in town. Benita Bizarre, however, has other plans... Benita kidnaps Gina in order to "fill in" for her, and finally get some stage time. The gang have to rescue Gina and get her back in order to perform the show.
A misunderstanding leads Benita to become convinced that the Bugaloos have access to the fountain of youth.
Benita Bizarre tries to sabotage a rock festival by pumping smog into Tranquility Forest.
Sparky is unhappy because Gina Lola-Wattage has not written him. The Bugaloos insist that she's busy, but Sparky believes it's because she's a big Rock Star, and he's a "nobody". The Bugaloos insist he can be anything he wants to be, so Sparky decides to become a songwriter. With the help of the Bugaloos, Sparky pens a short ditty called "I Really Love You". This information makes it to Benita Bizarre who is told that *Sparky* is the real talent behind the Bugaloos, so she becomes "J.W. Wooster, Hollywood Agent, Extraordinare", and hires Sparky as her new songwriter. She then takes his songs and uses them in Peter Platter's "Big Talent Contest", for which the winner gets a guest shot on Peter's "Big TV Show". The Bugaloos go to retrieve Sparky from her clutches.
Benita rigs a beauty pageant.
Benita Bizarre has decided it's time to get rid of "The Bugaloos", once and for all. So, she sent Funky Rat down to City Hall and bought the Title Deed to Tranquility Forest! As the new owner, she gave The Bugaloos 24 hours to vacate her property. The Bugaloos invent "Madame Tania", a gypsy lady who curses Benita, and tells her the only way to break the curse, is to make friends with all her enemies. Specifically, "The Bugaloos".
