Bigfoot and Wildboy is an American live-action children's television series of the action and adventure genre. It was first realized as a series of 15-minute shorts that were part of The Krofft Supershow package that aired on Saturday mornings on ABC in 1977. The segment received its own series in 1979 and aired for twelve episodes that had a running time of thirty minutes each. Bigfoot and Wildboy starred Ray Young as the monosyllabic Sasquatch known as Bigfoot, with Joseph Butcher as his young human partner, Wildboy. Each week, Bigfoot and Wildboy would travel around the Pacific Northwest, righting wrongs, helping those in need, and stopping those whose efforts would harm others or the environment.
"Bigfoot" is based on an actual North American legend about a hirsute ape-like being known to appear in parts of the American Pacific Northwest and parts of Canada. In cryptozoology, the creature is often referred to as a Sasquatch.
The eight episodes that were included with The Krofft Supershow program aired as two-part episodes.
Bigfoot "adopted" Wildboy around 1969 - eight years before the start of the series.
Actor Ray Young, who portrayed Bigfoot passed away from lung cancer on July 6th, 1999 at the age of 59.
Many of the shots of Bigfoot leaping and running through a wooded area were re-used from episode to episode, likely to save on production costs.
Bigfoot and Wildboy shared a common vocal distress call with one another. Whenever trouble arose, one would shout the word "Bi-yah-bah!", and the other would respond in kind to acknowledge the signal. This phrase was spoken at least six times per episode.
