Shows You Loved at one time - Page 2

Gary OS · 10-13-2006, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Hug

Gary, great quote!!! I'm a comrade-in-arms (with a few exceptions in the 90s).

Thanks Bob. I have to admit, there are one or two shows from the 90's that I enjoyed. For instance, I thought the Animated Batman series was fantastic. But for the most part I'd still say, for me, the statement holds true.

Gary "dang - there are still so many untapped goldmines from the 50's and 60's" O.

HowardPaul · 10-14-2006, 12:27 AM

There is a show that aired in the early 1960s and/or late 1950s. I THINK it was on Saturday nights. (It might have been Friday) The host was a guy dressed up much like a vampire from what I recall and he played classic old horror films. I loved the show and found the hosts comments entertaining.
Sadly, I've forgotten the name of the program.
Does anyone remember?
How

David Von Pein · 10-14-2006, 01:47 AM

Quote:

There is a show that aired in the early 1960s and/or late 1950s. I THINK it was on Saturday nights. (It might have been Friday) The host was a guy dressed up much like a vampire from what I recall and he played classic old horror films.

Sounds like the late-night "Shock Theatre" host on WTTV in Indianapolis -- "Sammy Terry".

There was also this "Shock Theatre" as well (1957-1959):

http://imdb.com/title/tt0390768/

Steve Meil · 10-14-2006, 04:55 AM

This is a great topic as I have a number of shows that didn't hold up.
1. Lost in Space- bought Season 1 and have only watched about 14 episodes
2.The A Team-one of my favorite shhows of the 80's. I barely got through the first season
3.Moonlighting Season 1 + 2 Got to about 8 episodes
4. Wonder Woman- Bought the entire series. Still somewhere at the beginning of season 2
5.Remmington Steele. Can't get past the first few episodes of Season 1
6.Earth 2
7.War of the Worlds
8. The Early Avenger Epidodes
9.Charlies Angels- Got bored in the middle of Season 2
I'm sure I could think of a few others but really have to take a look before commiting to any shows, for example shows that I passed on
1. Knight Rider
2. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
3. Starsky + Hutch
4. Dallas

Joseph DeMartino · 10-14-2006, 10:49 AM

Quote:

There is a show that aired in the early 1960s and/or late 1950s. I THINK it was on Saturday nights. (It might have been Friday) The host was a guy dressed up much like a vampire from what I recall and he played classic old horror films.

There was a show (or a couple of shows) like that in pretty much every major television market starting in the 50s and early 60s and in some cases running into the 70s. If tell us where you grew up, chances are someone will be able to tell you which one you watched. Or you might find your guy pictured here.

Quote:

MICHAEL WELDON: For the most part, the horror -- the TV horror movie host phenomenon started in the late '50s. The reason that happened was that packages of old horror movies were released to local stations all over the country, and they decided to create horror movie hosts, locally, and Zacherly by far was the most famous and most successful of the late '50s horror hosts. -- NPR "On the Media" Interview with Zacherly, "Doing the Scary Laugh Week After Week" (Transcript)

John Zacherley's show ran on WABC Channel 7, the ABC owned-and-operated station in New York, in off-network hours. He had at least one local competitor and a great many imitators across the country. Like many such shows it was a kind of early MST2K except that the host goofed on the movies (and indulged a taste for horrid puns) in the breaks instead of talking over the films themsevles. There was a lot of schlock in those packages that the local stations bought, as well as many films that couldn't remotely be considered horror, unless you were talking about the quality of the film-making.

In addition to Sammy Terry in Indianapolis, there were hosts with names like Jeepers Creepers, Sir Graves Ghastly and Dr. Shock in other parts of the country, not all of them men. Vampira in Los Angeles is an acknowledged inspiration for Elvira and may have influenced Warren comics Vampirella, who began as a host who introduced stories in an anthology magazine, much like Uncle Eerie and Cousin Creepy (both frankly modelled on the Crypt-Keeper and other characters from EC's 50s horror comics) did in the Warren mags named for them. She only became a character within the stories when fans demanded to see more of her - as it were.

In addition to showing dreck, these horror hosts gave an generation its first taste of genuine classics like the Universal Frankenstein, Bride and Dracula, which didn't play much on more "mainstream" shows. So we all owe them a debt of gratitude for the part they played in keeping interest in these movies alive.

Regards,

Joe

Steve_Pannell · 10-14-2006, 11:23 AM

Quote:

There is a show that aired in the early 1960s and/or late 1950s. I THINK it was on Saturday nights. (It might have been Friday) The host was a guy dressed up much like a vampire from what I recall and he played classic old horror films. I loved the show and found the hosts comments entertaining.
Sadly, I've forgotten the name of the program.

There was a show on Saturday nights in the Memphis/Mid-South area called Fantastic Features on WHBQ. The host was called Sivad (Davis backwards).

Dan Keefe · 10-14-2006, 11:27 AM

Doogie Howser. I guess when you are a kid its cool to be able to envision yourself in his shoes. When you are 38 you cannot see an ounce of reality in the show.

Joseph DeMartino · 10-14-2006, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Keefe

When you are 38 you cannot see an ounce of reality in the show.

Starting with the title, since there isn't a teenager in America who would still let his parents or anyone else call him "Doogie" in public.

Regards,

Joe

Joseph DeMartino · 10-14-2006, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_Pannell

There was a show on Saturday nights in the Memphis/Mid-South area called Fantastic Features on WHBQ. The host was called Sivad (Davis backwards).

As noted above, pretty much every local market had at least one station featuring a similar show. Tennessee seems to have had more than its share.

In addition to numerous websites devoted to the phenomenon (search "TV horror hosts") there is at least one book that profiles more that sixty ghouls, ghosts and creepy creatures from the days when it was still the style to have a host introduce the show and chat with the viewer after each commercial break.

Regards,

Joe

HowardPaul · 10-14-2006, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino

There was a show (or a couple of shows) like that in pretty much every major television market starting in the 50s and early 60s and in some cases running into the 70s. If tell us where you grew up, chances are someone will be able to tell you which one you watched. Or you might find your guy pictured here.

John Zahcerley's show ran on WABC Channel 7, the ABC owned-and-operated station in New York, in off-network hours. He had at least one local competitor and a great many imitators across the country. Like many such shows it was a kind of early MST2K except that the host goofed on the movies (and indulged a taste for horrid puns) in the breaks instead of talking over the films themsevles. There was a lot o schlock in those packages that the local stations bought, as well as many films that couldn't remote consider horror unless you were talking about the quality of the film-making.

In addition to Sammy Terry in Indianapolis there were hosts with names like Jeepers Creepers, Sir Graves Ghastly and Dr. Shock in other parts of the country, not all of them men. Vampira in Los Angeles is an acknowledge inspiration for Elvira and may have influenced Warren comics Vampirella, who began as host who introduced stories in an anthology magazine, much as Uncle Eerie and Cousin Creepy (both frankly modelled on the Crypt-Keeper and other characters from EC's 50s horror comics.)

In addition to showing dreck, these horror hosts gave an generation its first taste of genuine classics like the Universal Frankenstein, Bride and Dracula, which didn't play much on more "mainstream" shows. So we all owe them a debt of gratitude for the part they played in keeping interest in these movies alive.

Regards,

Joe

OMG! That's him! Zahcerley! (I always thought it was Zackerly)
I remember that name vividly! I loved the guy! And, yes, I grew up in the NYC area.
Thanks so much for the great memory!
How

Lynda-Marie · 10-14-2006, 07:31 PM

The host was a guy dressed up much like a vampire from what I recall and he played classic old horror films. I loved the show and found the hosts comments entertaining.
Sadly, I've forgotten the name of the program.

Howard Paul, where do you live? Here in the Puget Sound area (Seattle, Washington, for those of you not in the know) we had a program called Nightmare Theater every Friday night on channel 7. The host was a local actor named Joseph (Sadly, I have forgotten his last name) who would wear a vampire/Dracula costume, and use the cheesiest Slavic accent you've ever heard. I knew it was cheesy, because my dad was Czech, and he usually just rolled his eyes whenever he would speak. I always called him Joe the Vampire.