Curse of the Black Widow, ABC TV, September 16, 1977

 

Hello again, and welcome back for the first full-fledged post of my 2026 Countdown to Halloween. As it's a Friday, I usually present a long-form program to watch, and to kick off the first October weekend, I present the 1977 made-for-TV horror film Curse Of The Black Widow!

As the movie opens, Los Angeles has been perplexed by a series of bizarre murders in which men are drained of their bodily fluids (yuck) through large wounds in their chests and in place is found spider venom. A police detective teams up with a private investigator to find out what's going on, which leads them to three unusual women, two of which are twins. Weird stuff ensues.

Made-for-TV horror movies are a mixed bag in quality, but I love coming across them because I'm always surprised they were even attempted due to the restrictions on what can be shown on broadcast TV back then--but they were attempted more often than I first realized! Several have even become horror classics (Trilogy of Terror, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, for starters). Is this one a classic? I'll let you decide for yourself.

I will say this--look at that cast! Donna Mills, Patty Duke, Vic Morrow, June Lockhart, June Allyson, Max Gail (Wojo from Barney Miller!), Roz Kelly (Pinky Tuscadero!)--Sid Freakin' Caesar! A cavalcade of stars!

The movie is also produced and directed by Dan Curtis, the creator of Dark Shadows, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and several other made-for-TV horror films (Trilogy of Terror, Bram Stoker's Dracula, among others).

And do you SEE that TV Guide ad above? Look at it! LOOK AT IT!

Here it is, in all its webbed glory, in embedded form on directly on YouTube here. Enjoy! And thanks for being a part of the Countdown to Halloween! Let me know what you think of my posts in the comments!

Welcome to the 2026 Countdown to Halloween!

BOO!

Welcome, one and all, to the 2026 Countdown to Halloween! As I do every October 1st, I rise from the grave to present to you, the living, with the best and finest ghoulish fun possible. I give you movies! I give you TV shows! I give you cartoons! I give you flights of the murky and the macabre! I give until it hurts--ouch!

This opportunity would not be possible without the fastidious work of Dex from AEIOU...and Sometimes Why, the grand crypt keeper of the Countdown. Thank you for everything you do for us, Dex!

As I've done in recent years, I hope to have something new every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please stay tuned to your blog feeder of choice for all of my posts. You have so many choices for entertainment this season--thank you for including me in the mix!

MAY THE 2026 COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN--BEGIN!!!

Svengoolie: Sven's Summer Special, Frankenstein, WFLD-TV, June 25, 1982

 

Happy Summer!

It's been far too long since I've shared anything with you, and I'm afraid I won't be able to connect with you as frequently as I'd like anytime soon, but I wanted to take a quick moment to shared this summery find.

Below is an installment of the Son of Svengoolie (now known simply as Svengoolie) presenting a special summer-themed airing of the horror classic Frankenstein. Along with the film, Sven shares his usual gags, songs, and skits, several with a summertime theme. This is the type of thing I usually post during the Countdown to Halloween, but hey, horror is great year round!

This was recorded Friday, June 25th, 1982 on WFLD-TV Channel 32, Chicago, and has many of the commercials that aired that night. The recording shuts off after the movie's end credits, so Sven's usual wrap-up bits are missing, but what is here is a great find nonetheless.

Enjoy! Have a great summer! Happy 4th of July! See you soon!

Happy Star Wars Day!

 

May the Fourth Be With You!

A Bit of a Hiatus

 

As you can imagine, I've had a hard time finding the time to blog, despite having a fair amount of material. Time is simply not on my side. Thank you for being patient, and I hope to get back in the swing of things as soon as possible.

Thanks!

Prime Time Animation Celebration: The Oblongs

 

This week on Prime Time Animation Celebration: we examine the 2001 WB series The Oblongs.

The Oblongs are a family of mutated humans who live in a poor valley downstream from a wealthy area know as The Hills, which have polluted the valley citizens to the point of extreme deformity.

But it's a comedy!

The father (Will Ferrel) has no arms or legs, the mother (Jean Smart) is a former Hills resident who married into the valley community and lost her hair due to the fallout, and their three children also have severe deformities. Despite all this, they love each other and carry on as best they can in humorous fashion.

The Oblongs is sure to give viewers a double take with its grotesque characters and setting, but the humor still shines through. However, it failed to find an audience with viewers and lasted only a month before being pulled from WB's schedule. All 13 episodes eventually aired on Adult Swim and were released on DVD.

You can check out the entire run of The Oblongs for yourself at the Internet Archive here or embedded below. Thanks!

Prime Time Animation Celebration: Clerks: The Animated Series

 

In the next stop in my Prime Time Animation Celebration, we arrive at the very short-lived Clerks: The Animated Series!

Anyone familiar with Kevin Smith and his work are well acquainted with his 1994 debut film Clerks, featuring convenience store attendant Dante and his scheming video store friend Randall and their misadventures in retail, often crossing paths with slackers Jay and Silent Bob. Their stories take an even crazier turn in this cartoon series, with outlandish storylines and fantastical elements not explored in their live action films.

Despite having a lot of buzz during its production and a teaser that aired during ABC's broadcast of the Super Bowl that year, the show hit several snags, including a leadership change at ABC with executives who didn't request or understand the show and continuously pushed-back debut dates. The series finally debuted May 31, 2000--the very same night that rival CBS's megahit Survivor debuted. Although six episodes were produced, the series was canceled by ABC after only two episodes--two episodes, mind you, that aired out of sequence and therefore made no sense in continuity! All episodes were lated released on DVD however, and the series has an honored place in my DVD collection.

Here are some short clips showcasing the quirky humor of the series. Thanks!