Lidsville - A magical town inhabited with beings that resemble hats of all kinds (Cowboy Hat, Top Hat, Nurse Hat, Party Hat, etc.). Produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, the Saturday morning children's fantasy LIDSVILLE/ABC/1971-73 told the tale of a young boy named Mark (Butch Patrick of MUNSTER's fame) who goes to an amusement park to see Merlino the Magician. After the show Mark stays behind and sneaks into Merlino's dressing room to seek out the magician's secrets. When he picks up the magician's hat, it begins to "grow and grow and grow." Curious to see what's inside, Mark looks over the brim of the hat and accidentally falls inside. Consequently, like Alice who fell to Wonderland, Mark found himself tumbling down into Lidsville, the land of living hats  When Mark arrives, he is thrown into prison where he meets Weenie, a turbaned genie (Billie Hayes). Together, they escape, and then Mark helps Weenie and a group of friendly hats battle the gang of evil hats (executioner's hood, gangster's hat, Raunchy Rabbit Hat etc.) controlled by Horatio J. Hoo Doo, a nasty, green-skinned magician (played by Charles Nelson Reilly) who constantly thwarted Mark attempts to return to his own world. Mark had rescued the inept but well-meaning, Weenie from Hoo Doo by stealing the sorcerer's magic ring which gave the owner (Hoo Doo) the power to control Weenie the Genie as a slave.

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Theme Song Lyrics

In the middle of the summer, in the middle of a park,
There began a great adventure for a boy whose name was Mark
He had come to see the magic man, along with all the children
 and 'twas so began the day that Mark was never to forget

He performed all sorts of miracles, and Mark was so impressed
That when the time arrived to go he lagged behind the rest
Then quietly he did return, the secret of the hat to learn
But everyone had gone away and darkness filled the set

The moment that he touched the hat the room began to glow
And as he put it down and ran the hat began to grow, and grow,
And grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, and grow,
And grow, and grow

He was stunned and he was fascinated, still he had to see
There was something deep inside the hat
What could that something be?
Then cautiously each step he took
He climbed up on the brim to look,
And, all at once the hat began to shake, and rock, lookout

(Sound of evil laughter)

Falling, falling, into the hat he fell,
Spinning, turning, whirling, twirling
Down, down

And when he looked into the skies
He couldn't believe his ears or eyes

Lidsville is the Koo-Koo-Kookiest,
Lidsville is the Ki-Ki-Kickiest,
Lidsville is the Groo-Groo-Grooviest
Lidsville is the living end, friend

If you have a chance to go-go there
You'll be glad you did, 'cause
Everybody who goes to Lidsville really flips his lid

(sound of evil laughter

How's that for a topper?

(Closing)

Everybody there wears a hat
Everybody knows where it's at
In the land of hats
That's Lidsville

You can find it on magic maps
Where the mountains wear mountain caps
Lined with welcome mats
That's Lidsville

I've seen people put on hats
Then they tie or pin 'em
In Lidsville there's no need for that
Because they live right in 'em

So if you bump into a bonnet
With ears and nose and eyes upon it
Nope, you haven't gone bats
That's Lidsville

Lidy-lidy-lidy-ville
Not to be confused with nitty-gritty-ville
The land of living hats
That's Lidsville

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TRIVIA NOTE: According to the satirical weekly publication The Onion (Volume 36, Issue 89, March 9, 2000) In 1999, a team of UCLA psychologists compiled a ranking of "lingering childhood traumas" among Americans between the ages of 30 and 40. They ranked as follows: 1) Oompa-Loompas from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; 2) the nightmarish hats from Lidsville; 3) the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; 4)  and Sigmund & The Sea Monsters (another Krofft program).