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As eager audiences await Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake on the big screen this July, word arrives from Hollywood that a plethora of science fiction initiatives for TV and the silver screen—all based on classic 1960s and 1970s video programming—are also coming down the pike. Producers Sid and Marty Krofft are at the vanguard of this "retro" invasion.

"We must have done something right," jokes Krofft, who (along with brother Sid) created such classic Saturday morning fare as H.R. PufNStuf (1969-74), The Bugaloos (1970-72), The Lost Saucer (1975-76), Land of the Lost (1974-76), Bigfoot and Little Boy (1977-1979), Dr. Shrinker (1976-77) and Liddsville (1971-73). "We got lucky with a lot of our shows because many of them are still popular, and we're getting the chance to remake them."

First out of the gate for the Kroffts is a 21st century update of ElectraWoman and DynaGirl. This 1976-77 Saturday morning superhero series headlined Deirdre Hall as a distaff Batman-style character who opposed malicious super villains (such as Ali Baba, the Spider Lady, the Pharaoh, and the Empress of Evil) with a wrist-band weapon called "electrocomps."

"We're remaking it for the WB as a prime-time series." Krofft confides. "We're pulling the series together right now, and it's the same concept as before: two women superheroes fighting evil." The difference this time is that the series will be an adult re-imagining of the old concept. Look out, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dark Angel: the Electrabase is back in business!

Then there's Land of the Lost, the story of a typical American family (the Marshalls) thrust into a prehistoric universe of dinosaurs and lizard men called Sleestak. This series, which ran for three seasons on NBC, featured stories by luminaries such as Ben Bova, Walter Koenig, David Gerrold, Dorothy Fontana, Sam Roeca, and Dick Morgan. It's currently being developed as a big-budget motion picture.

"First, we had a deal at Disney, then we got that back, and now we're doing it at Sony. It's not a hundred million dollar plus film, but we're creating some exciting new characters, and not abandoning the old ones." Krofft assures the fans.

Like the ElectraWoman TV remake, the feature film of this popular prehistoric drama will feature an all-new cast in the familiar roles. "Unless we kept the Marshalls on ice, it had to be a new cast." Krofft laughs. The script for this "update" of Land of the Lost has been written by Teddy Tenenbaum, a self-described fan of the series who watched it "religiously" when it aired in the 1970s.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark is our model as far as pacing is concerned, but the tone will be different," Tenenbaum relates. "Because we have a family dynamic, Land of the Lost will be a little more serious. But, you have to give modern audiences credit for knowing all the movie cliches, so when we can't actually feature elements of the TV series, there are humorous references to them."

Fans of the series who remember the eerie villains, the Sleestak, won't be disappointed with their appearance in the new film. "I love the original Sleestak," the writer enthuses. "They were my favorite characters on the original show. They'll look similar to the way they did in the series, because I think they were horrifying. They were nocturnal and had these giant round eyes. My feeling is that they will sound very similar too, and I wrote it into the script that they still make that hissing sound."

Even beyond Land of the Lost, the world of Krofft remakes is proliferating. "Puf'n'Stuf is still alive, Sigmund the Sea Monster is still alive, and if it's up to me, you'll see Dr. Shrinker again too," Marty Krofft comments. " I loved that show."

Elsewhere in Tinsel Town, producer Majel Roddenberry is also busily pursuing various genre scenarios first imagined by her late husband, the revered Great Bird of the Galaxy himself, more than two decades ago. We've all seen Earth: Final Conflict (1995-2001), now entering its fifth season, and this fall, the industry has witnessed the ascent of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, starring Kevin Sorbo as Captain Dylan Hunt. If Roddenberry has her say, at least one of these franchises may someday find itself on the big screen.

"An Andromedafilm is a possibility, but not Earth: Final Conflict," Roddenberry reveals. "We just got our five-year pick-up, and that's the end of it. We've been told to just forget it...that there is no sixth year."

Still, that directive isn't stopping a productive Roddenberry from actively considering other options, and other properties. An animated venture, Gene Roddenberry's Starship, is forthcoming soon, and other programs—failed '70s pilots all—may be likely "remake" targets on her production roster.

In 1977, for instance, there was Spectre, a two-hour pilot written by Gene Roddenberry and Samuel L. Peeples. It starred Gig Young and Robert Culp as investigators who ran afoul of the supernatural (personified by demons such as Asmodeus, the Prince of Evil). John Hurt portrayed the villain, a Druid cult leader/European playboy, and Majel Roddenberry herself essayed the role of Culp's mysterious housekeeper/witch.

Roddenberry thinks the premise and characters of Spectre still offer possibilities. "I would love to see it," she affirms of a remake. "I've always loved gothic horror, and we could really have some fun with it today. Of course, you have The X-Files there too, so you'd have to make it different from that."

And what about the other fan favorite from that era, The Questor Tapes (1974)? Starring Robert Foxworthy and Mike Farrell, this Richard Colla-directed sci-fi pilot was the pre-Lt. Data story of an android seeking his creator...and his humanity.

"It might look very old if we put it on right now, but I think we could update it, and get a really great response," suggests Roddenberry, of this premise.

For Marty Krofft, there is a specific reason why so many of these series and pilots are continuing to generate enthusiasm and fostering remakes, sometimes 25 years after cancellation.

"I think it's happening because they had great characters on these shows. Charlie's Angels had great characters, and is more popular than ever. Logan's Run is coming back, and it has great characters. Look at Land of the Lost... it had that too."

Indeed, looking back at video ventures such as Land of the Lost (now available on DVD courtesy of Rhino Video), or Roddenberry pilots like Spectre, Genesis II, and The Questor Tapes, one has to wonder why these productions were cancelled, abandoned, or otherwise derailed in the first place. Add to that list Space: 1999 (1975-77) ,Battlestar Galactica (1978-79), and Chris Carter's Millennium (1996-1999) three beloved and highly ambitious genre series that never got a fair shake—for vastly different reasons—but around which there continues to swirl massive fan support. Now word has come that X-Men director Bryan Singer is bringing Battlestar Galactica back.

While it is undeniably rewarding that Hollywood is heeding the sci-fi fan's call for revivals, remakes and sequels, now the industry must put on a hearing aide again. It must listen to the enthusiast's fervent desire to see logical, and faithful, renderings of beloved, classic programming. If studios keep forcing viewers to endure cynical, uninspired, faithful-in-name-only dramas like 1998's Lost in Space or 1999's Wild Wild West, the old-TV-show-to-hit-movie-franchise trend may be shorter-lived than Harsh Realm. My advice to Bryan Singer as he updates that "rag-tag fleet?" Seek out Richard Hatch to join forces on the new Galactica. He's been working to build momentum for a revival since the mid-90s, and he understands the fan's need to be heard and respected. Including Hatch would be a sign of good faith in a franchise that was already damaged once, by the dreadful Galactica: 1980.

At least with the Kroffts and Roddenberry at the helm of various new TV and film enterprises, we see dependable names we can trust. In the end, that may make all the difference. Will Singer also be on that short list? Time will tell.