Land of the Lost: Cha-Ka

Land of the Lost: Cha-Ka
NBC
September 7, 1974
Children's
DVD
B

Premiering an hour after Hong Kong Phooey but on another network, this was a departure for the Krofft Brothers, with no singing, laugh track, or psychedelia.  I don't know if I watched it in first run (though I probably watched HKP) and I don't really remember it as one of my favorites later in the '70s.  Ironically, it seems to have held up better than their other shows.  Yes, the special effects aren't great, although a big improvement over The Bugaloos, but the action and acting are generally solid.  The world-building is about right for a pilot, enough for kids to absorb in one episode, but with room for future complexity.  This is the only episode I have, although I've got two more Krofft pilots left.

Sharon Baird is the only Krofft veteran here, as Sa.  Dennis Steinmetz would also direct a What's Happening!! episode.  Note that the 1970s have now passed the 1960s, with more than half the decade to go.  (And I have a lot of Carter-era shows that are awhile off.)