does this show remind anyone else of e.t.?

kids hide a mysterious creature from adults.
there's even a halloween episode where
sigmund goes trick or treating in a sheet/
ghost costume in much the same manner
that e.t. would. coincidence?

i realize that's pretty much where the similarity ends.
sigmund doesn't have e.t.'s powers nor are e.t.'s
parents (or even his kind) pursuing him as with
sigmund. but the parts where they do match up
are somewhat spot on.

considering how much the kroffts plundered
the wizard of oz with pufnstuf, i wouldn't be
surprised that both krofft and spielberg got
their central premise from another source
that i don't know about.

but i always thought sigmund was just pufnstuf
turned on its head, with the fantasy character
trying to survive in the "real world" with the help
of this friends, friends, friends...