I was one of those people who saw the teaser trailer for this pilot at the 2017 Krofft Panel at San Diego's Comic Con because of a live stream from Sid & Marty Krofft's Facebook page. When I first saw this pilot teaser I screamed and cried. I was very attached to the original Bugaloos because this was my late father's favorite show growing up so of course I was going to have resentment of the Krofft Brothers for creating a reboot. However nearly two years after this pilot teaser premiered and the fact this has since been scrapped I just want to say this wasn't that bad. I've never seen the actual pilot since it's remained unaired after Nickelodeon didn't pick it up, but this review is based of that short teaser trailer from Comic Con
Visually the scenery was stunning, it has breathtaking views of giant trees, mushrooms and flowers which made it feel like you were really in Tranquility Forest. The kids playing the Bugaloos are American children this time and they were cute, and looked to be around ten to thirteen year old kids. Courage is now a girl, and there are two boys and two girls this time instead of three boys and one girl. Sparky's design looked more like a hand puppet this time around, but I thought he looked adorable anyways and gave it a pass, Joy now plays the keyboard and IQ and Harmony play guitar and bass. Benita Bizarre now lives in a video jukebox and Woofer and Tweeter were given cool new upgrades, they now look like robots instead of stereo equipment. Lise Simms played Benita Bizarre in the pilot and there were two brief clips of her in the teaser trailer one tossing her boa and the other with her shrieking The Bugaloos. I really felt they paid tribute to the late Martha Raye in a good way.
I'm taking one star out due to Funky Rat's design, he looked terrible and nothing like the original Funky Rat. But other than that negative all I can add is that I really wish this pilot was picked up, I totally understand how people felt when they showed this teaser because I was like them, It's not terrible, it's just different and they actually did a good job trying to pay tribute to the original show. Lise Simms were just wonderful, the children playing The Bugaloos were cute and the song they were singing was well, different. I will always be more of a fan toward the original show, nothing will replace that but I felt they at least tried to pay tribute to the original Bugaloos.
In closure I wanted to say they did a great job, the visual were breathtaking, the kids cute and Sparky was just adorable. Lise Simms was just fantastic as rock n roll witch Benita Bizarre. Had this pilot been picked up I would have seen this as a good now version of The Bugaloos.
9/10 stars
Visually the scenery was stunning, it has breathtaking views of giant trees, mushrooms and flowers which made it feel like you were really in Tranquility Forest. The kids playing the Bugaloos are American children this time and they were cute, and looked to be around ten to thirteen year old kids. Courage is now a girl, and there are two boys and two girls this time instead of three boys and one girl. Sparky's design looked more like a hand puppet this time around, but I thought he looked adorable anyways and gave it a pass, Joy now plays the keyboard and IQ and Harmony play guitar and bass. Benita Bizarre now lives in a video jukebox and Woofer and Tweeter were given cool new upgrades, they now look like robots instead of stereo equipment. Lise Simms played Benita Bizarre in the pilot and there were two brief clips of her in the teaser trailer one tossing her boa and the other with her shrieking The Bugaloos. I really felt they paid tribute to the late Martha Raye in a good way.
I'm taking one star out due to Funky Rat's design, he looked terrible and nothing like the original Funky Rat. But other than that negative all I can add is that I really wish this pilot was picked up, I totally understand how people felt when they showed this teaser because I was like them, It's not terrible, it's just different and they actually did a good job trying to pay tribute to the original show. Lise Simms were just wonderful, the children playing The Bugaloos were cute and the song they were singing was well, different. I will always be more of a fan toward the original show, nothing will replace that but I felt they at least tried to pay tribute to the original Bugaloos.
In closure I wanted to say they did a great job, the visual were breathtaking, the kids cute and Sparky was just adorable. Lise Simms was just fantastic as rock n roll witch Benita Bizarre. Had this pilot been picked up I would have seen this as a good now version of The Bugaloos.
9/10 stars
