Weenie
(Billie Hayes) materializes a magic bean while attempting to help Mark (Butch
Patrick) escape from Lidsville. The bean sprouts a bean stalk stretching high
into the sky, and Mark attempts to climb it.
Hoo-Doo
(Charles Nelson Reilly), however, intercepts the young man and decides that he wants to
see the real world for himself.
Hoo-Doo decides to climb
the bean-stalk, and enter the world beyond.
A fascinating event occurs in this week’s episode of Lidsville (1971-1973).
Hoo-Doo climbs a giant bean-stalk and leaves the “World of Hats.”
What does he see as he reaches the brim of
the hat? New York City!
In
particular, we see an aerial view of the city, and The Empire State
Building. So now we know that there is a
way to escape Lidsville. Furthermore, we know where Mark would end up upon leaving: The Big Apple.
Unfortunately, after introducing this successful escape route, Lidsville proceeds to ignore it in upcoming episodes.
Another intriguing aspect of the series follows-up on matters I have written about before. In
particular, Hoo-Doo is not just a typical bad guy, but an evil landlord of
sorts, one beholden to a bureaucracy.
This week, he complains that he has gone bankrupt because the “dead beats”
of Lidsville haven’t paid their back taxes. He climbs the bean-stalk, in fact,
to find Mark’s parents and blackmail them regarding their son's future. If they pay him, he will release the boy.
Once
more, the specter of taxpaying is specifically raised. This is the third time in the series
it’s happened. But on the other hand,
Hoo-Doo never again attempts this particular plan to earn more cash.
Next
week: “Turn in Your Turban, You’re Through.”
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