It's been a year-and-a-half since Hal Erickson's "Sid and Marty Krofft" was published...too long for this reader, as Mr. Erickson is quickly becoming as vital to the world of TV history as Brooks and Marsh. The bulk of "From Beautiful Downtown Burbank" recaps the origin, growth, and ultimate demise of "Laugh-In" with Mr. Erickson's trademark savvy enthusiasm, the kind that comes only aftermonths of research and interviews. What's more, the book's appendix isn't to be missed, since you'd be hard pressed to find a more thorough "Laugh-In" episode guide anywhere (it even includes the never-been-syndicated sixth season). The lack of photographs is completely made up for by Mr. Erickson's gifted ability to recreate the show's backstage atmosphere. Can't ask for more than that in a history book... Perhaps the only question the book doesn't answer: why Ian Bernard replaced the program'soriginal theme song in the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th season, only to resurrect it in the 5th. Asking that is pure hairsplitting, though, and shouldn't dissuade anybody from doing themselves the favor of purchasing this book,a gripping read from a multi-talented writer. So until Columbia House or Rhino immortalize "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" (heck, even after they do), "From Beautiful Downtown Burbank" is the definitive tribute to a marvelous and groundbreaking program.

A very worthwhile piece of literature which belongs in any library of comedy or television. It chronicals the history of one of the best and most inventive events in TV history. The book is more the history of the show than the humor but it does contain lots of the wit and the flavor.. Now I want a book of the jokes with photos. Good work.. Buy it.

A thorough history of a legendary television classic. The book paints a picture of the popular culture of a time that will surely not be repeated. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to learn about a fascinating era or just simply wants to revisit a phenomenon long gone.

This is one of those spectacular books that comes along every few years. It's complete, well-written, doesn't take itself too seriously (after all, it IS about cartoons!), & offers an expert's personal point of view (the author's) in addition to presenting all the factual details. My only complaint is that I wish the author had included entries for movie cartoon characters as well. Some of the cartoon characters included here originated in the movies (for example, Popeye, Woody Woodpecker), but are included here for various reasons that the author explains. Other movie characters, such as my personal favorite (Betty Boop) are omitted because the don't meet the criterion for inclusion. Mr. Erickson, please follow-up on this great book by writing one about the movie cartoon characters that are omitted here!

It's a very good book. But if you want a book with all of today's cartoons you wouldn't find many here. A must-read if you have lived under a rock since 12/31/93(the book's cuttoff date).

I am 25 years old and I loved being a kid. I remember waking up at 6:00 on Saturday morning and leaving the TV set at noon. This book is a great release for everyone who remembers watching fun shows as a kid. The book is basically an encyclopedia of all alphabetized cartoons from 1949- 1993. The book gives precise times, character names, summaries, and even name of the actual voices.The book brings you to the world of Scooby, Fred & Barney, Yogi, Lion-O, He-man, & Optimus Prime. This book is definitely a nostalgic journey to your youth. Buy it!

The catalog of North Carolina publishers McFarland and Company is a veritable goldmine of works on often neglected corners of history and popular culture. Despite their no-frills design and the sometimes variable quality of the writing therein, the characteristic thoroughness, ambition and enthusiasm of McFarland's publications typically makes them worth their understandably (for a small publisher printing small editions of highly specialized texts) steep prices. Hal Erickson's Sid and Marty Krofft: A Critical Study of Saturday Morning Children's Television, 1969-1993 is no exception. While Erickson's subtitle rather oversteps the actual content of the book--it is strictly limited to "Saturday Morning Children's Televison" Krofft style, and a truly "critical study" of the Krofft oeuvre wouldn't skip so gingerly over the relationship of "H.R. Pufnstuf" to Vietnam-era drug culture, or ignore entirely, say, the peculiar sexual politics of "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" (Sigmund being seduced by his brother in drag? A camp genie shacking up with a runaway sea monster and a half-naked "nephew," both underage?) or the Kroffts' general subversion of the mythic American nuclear family (aunts, babysitters, robots, even, but where are the parents? Marshall disappeared after a season of "Land of the Lost," Big Daddy and Sweet Mama were just plain abusive)--it is nonetheless an invaluable source of information and insight for any Krofft fan. David Martindale's Pufnstuff and Other Stuff: The Weird and Wonderful World of Sid and Marty Krofft (q.v.) may be less pretentious (Erickson hasn't quite mastered the academic pop culture studies style he attempts to mimic, and is prone to annoying Britishisms), and, certainly, better-illustrated (apparently, McFarland either couldn't or wouldn't print even a single llustration in its offering), but Erickson's book more than complements it in its attention to the details, contexts, and significance of the Wonderful World of Sid and Marty Krofft. An extra star for effort ...