For a whole generation of kids in the 1970s, it wasn't Saturday morning without a big bowl of cereal and the hiss of the Sleestaks. "Land of the Lost" was the most popular show created by Sid and Marty Krofft, and it left a lasting impression on its young fans, plus it launched the career of an NBA All-Star (find out who below).

Now, the Krofft's prehistoric adventure is coming to the theaters in a big-budget comedy starring Will Ferrell. The movie is full of callbacks to the original show -- Ferrell even learned how to play the show's theme song on the banjo -- but both the characters and sense of humor are definitely more grown up than before. Here are some things you might not know about the show and the stars of the flick.

1. Sid and Marty Krofft were puppeteers who were approached by the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions to create the costumes for their live-action show, "The Banana Splits," in 1968. The next year, the Kroffts created their first show, "H.R. Pufnstuf," about a young boy who crashes on an island filled with magical creatures (a theme they would return to over and over). Penny Marshall auditioned to play the wicked Witchiepoo seven years before becoming "Laverne."

2. "Land of the Lost" was inspired by the cavemen-and-dinosaur movie "One Million B.C." As the theme song tells you, it's the story of Rick Marshall and his kids, Will and Holly, who are transported to an alternate universe inhabited by exotic creatures. It ran for three seasons with 43 episodes, more than any other of the Kroffts' shows. In comparison, "H.R. Pufnstuff" only had 17 episodes, but each episode aired over 20 times.

3. The show's special effects look dated now, but it was on the forefront of chromakey, or bluescreen, technology. The actors stood in front of the blue-colored backdrop, and the dinosaurs -- hand-puppets in closeups and stop-motion animation in long shots -- were added in later. One time, Spencer Milligan, who played Marshall, threw a spear at the blue screen and it just happened to hit exactly where Grumpy the T. Rex was positioned. But network executives complained that you couldn't have someone injure an animal on a kids' show.

4. One of the most memorable creatures of the show were the lizard-like humanoids called Sleestaks. The scaly green bad guys seemed to be everywhere, but due to the show's budget, only three costumes were ever made. In comparison, the movie had 30 Sleestak suits. The actors inside the suits had to be tall and slender, and one of the early Sleestaks was future Detroit Pistons All-Star Bill Laimbeer, who worked on the show while he was still in high school.

5. In the show Rick Marshall was a park ranger, but in the movie, he is a quantum paleontologist who has been reduced to teaching science to schoolchildren after embarrassing himself on the "Today Show." Will Ferrell plays Marshall with his trademark clueless overconfidence. It's not the first time he's referenced "Land of the Lost" in a movie. In Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," he played Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly (say it out loud).

6. Will Ferrell's quiet, laidback off-screen persona is entirely different than the obnoxious jerks he plays in the movies. So it came as a shock to him when he was named the worst celebrity signer by Autograph magazine in 2007, which they called "a real disappointment considering he used to be so nice to his fans." Ferrell says he's unsure why he's considered the worst, since he does sign many autographs. But he admits that he will jokingly taunt autograph seekers, saying, "They have to earn it."

7. This is a big week for Ferrell beyond his movie opening. He was the first guest on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," where he surprised the new host by riding into the studio on a throne carried by shirtless men in Egyptian makeup. And this Sunday he is up for a "Best Special Theatrical Event" Tony Award for "You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush." He's up against Chinese acrobats, a Russian performance artist, and Liza Minelli.

8. In the show, Holly was Marshall's young daughter. Here, she is his adult research assistant, played by Anna Friel. She never saw the original as a kid growing up in England. She offered to watch the show to prepare, but the director discouraged her because her role was so different. Anna has been acting professionally since she was 13, and a star in the U.K. by age 16 on the nighttime soap "Brookside." Anna will soon be playing another famous Holly -- Holly Golightly in a London stage version of "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

9. Rather than Marshall's son, the character of Will is a backwoods carny played by Danny McBride. McBride first came to Will Ferrell's attention in "The Foot Fist Way," a low-budget comedy starred in and wrote. When no studio would distribute the movie, Ferrell and his "Anchorman" director Adam McKay helped get it into theaters. Even though Danny and Anna don't play siblings, they still fight like they are, and Anna accidentally socked Danny right in the eye on one take.

10. Will Ferrell has another endeavor he's promoting this summer: his own line of sunscreen lotion. The three labels -- "Sexy Hot Tan," "Sunstroke," and "Forbidden Fruit" -- feature Will's likeness and all of the proceeds go to "Cancer for College." It's a scholarship fund to send current and former cancer patients to college started by Craig Pollard, Ferrell's fraternity brother from UCLA. To find out more, go to http://www.cancerforcollege.org/.