Fridays at the Countdown mean long-form programs, and this week, it's the 1995 TV special Halloween On Ice!
In this special that aired on the TNT cable network on October 8, 1995, figure skating superstars Nancy Kerrigan, Todd Eldridge, Scott Hamilton, and more skate in full costume in outrageous Halloween performances. I wouldn't think of figure skating and Halloween going together, but this special is quite convincing! Plus, I've always appreciated figure skating; my mother is a huge fan and watched it frequently during my childhood.
This special must have been a success, as there were several others through the late '90s and even early 2000s.
Enjoy below or directly on YouTube here. Have a great weekend!
For today at the Countdown, I'm keeping it short with a classic cartoon.
Here is "The Haunted House," probably the first "scary" cartoon produced by Walt Disney. Most of my favorite cartoons are from the 1940s and after, but this is a beautiful black-and-white cartoon with rich imagery and a great combination of spookiness and Disney-style whimsy.
Plus, it's in the public domain. No fear of Disney lawyers for me--yay!
We start another week in the 2026 Countdown to Halloween, and we kick it off with a Halloween-centric episode of...Newhart?
Yep! Well, kind of.
In this, only the second episode in the history of the series, Dick and Joanna Loudon (Bob Newhart and Mary Frann) are disturbed to learn that the lovely Vermont inn they've recently purchased has the 300-year-old body of a woman buried in the inn's basement--a woman who was burned at the stake for being a witch.
This is a surprising plot for a sitcom as good-natured and mild as Newhart, but the episode retains the small-town charm the series is known for despite being about the body of a supposed witch, and therefore, this episode totally fits the vibe I've established with this blog all these years.
This Friday's long-form program is the 1980 TV-movie Doctor Franken.
In Doctor Franken (aka The Franken Project), the titular physician is a well-respected surgeon in a Manhattan hospital with a bit of a secret: he's been experimenting with the body of a presumed-dead man, replacing shattered parts of his body with new parts--from other patients.
Franken. Frankenstein. Get it?
When the patient surprisingly recovers, he realizes that his new parts retain the experiences of their former owners--including the eyes he received from a murder victim, making the patient a retroactive witness to the murder.
The movie, which stars Robert Vaughn as Franken and Teri Garr in a supporting role, acted as a pilot for a regular series that never materialized. That's not surprising--this is pretty grim stuff for an ongoing primetime TV series, especially in 1980.
Enjoy below or directly on YouTube here. Have a great weekend!
We're back for another haunt in the Countdown. Nest up: this year's batch of Halloween TV commercials!
Well, they're not all Halloween related specifically, but they do all have a spooky, scary, or creepy theme. That's Halloween enough for me!
First up, a fun commercial for Carvel Ice Cream's Halloween cakes. I've featured one before in the Countdown, but this is a different one with a different cake than the previous commercial. Ice cream cakes aren't my favorite type of cake, but Carvel made them seem so fun! Stay tuned for the funky bumper music that appears after the commercial!
Local commercials are often my favorite, because what they lack in production values they make up for in sincerity. I love this House of Bargains ad from 1985 featuring your favorite personality and mine, Discount Dracula! No offense to the actor, but the name suits him!
If you're still looking for a costume this year, look no further than either (or both?) of these Flo and Jamie costumes, courtesy of Progressive Insurance! Well, maybe not this year since this commercial is from 2016, but maybe you can get creative and make your own! Just put on a white shirt and overalls and you're golden!
I still have a working Atari 2600 video game system, so if I come across this Demon Attack game in my retro game shop, I'm picking it up!
Rounding out this year's crop of commercials, I have no less than five brand-new ones airing on TV right now. Xfinity is showcasing how reliable their services can be--even in the heart of a zombie apocalypse. Now THAT'S reliability!
We start off the first full week of the Countdown to Halloween with a Halloween-themed episode of the classic TV series M*A*S*H.
In "Trick or Treatment," the 4077 staff is getting ready for a big Halloween party, with everyone in full costume, when they get barraged by incoming wounded and rowdy Marines. Also, Father Mulcahey realizes a patient the staff thought was dead is in fact still alive! Guest starring George Wendt and, of all people, Andrew "Dice" Clay.
This episode aired November 1, 1982 (November 1st is All Hallows Day, so it's still in-season), and it aired with two other Halloween-themed episodes on CBS that night, one of which is Square Pegs, which I blogged back in 2022, and you can still see it here.
The other episode is one that I'll feature next week right here on the blog, so stay tuned!
For right now, enjoy M*A*S*H, recorded exactly as it aired that night, with commercials and all, embedded below or directly on YouTube here. Thanks!
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, 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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
After an unfortunate delay of two weeks (sorry about that), Prime Time Animation Celebration returns with a look at the short-lived but well-received series Mission Hill.
The series is about the 20-something life of Andy Finch, an aspiring cartoonist who lives in a loft with his laidback buddy Jim, Andy's high strung, nerdy younger brother Kevin, and platonic female friend Posey. Together, they navigate the trials of young adult life at the turn of the 21st century. Thirteen episodes were produced, but only 6 actually aired on its original network, The WB. All 13 episodes would later air on Adult Swim.
Despite its short stint on TV, the series has still built a loyal following, and after watching the first episode for the first time for this article, I can see why. I laughed out loud several times during the episode, and I will make a point to view all 13 in the near future. After years of hearing good things about the series, I'm happy I finally tried it!
You can watch the first two episodes embedded below.
You can catch more episodes courtesy of the YouTube playlist embedded below or directly on YouTube here.
Welcome to Prime Time Animation Celebration! As previously announced, I will be spending the foreseeable future at the blog on examining forgotten, obscure, or just not-talked-about prime time animation aimed at an adult audience. I'll be shying away from mega-successful series like The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy etc., as they are still in the public eye. I think focusing on the forgotten ones is more fun!
This week, I'm starting with the series that inspired this feature, MTV's Daria. I know this isn't exactly forgotten or obscure, but it finished its run a long time ago and deserves greater conversion than it gets today.
Daria, a spin-off of the very successful Beavis and Butthead, debuted on March 3, 1997 and ended its run on January 21, 2002. Although a spin-off of B and B, that show's creator, Mike Judge, did not have involvement in the development or production of the series. In this spin-off, Daria's family moves to a new town, and we are introduced to Daria's family, her one friend Jane, and a variety of oddball high school students and teachers, all of whom become victim to Daria's biting cynicism and sarcasm.
I was a huge fan of Beavis and Butthead, but I missed out on Daria during its run on MTV; I didn't watch it until I discovered it as an offering on streamer Paramount+ in the winter and early spring of 2024. I enjoyed it quite a bit, even if I found Daria herself a bit TOO cynical and biting at times. She may have been surrounded by lunkheads, but she wasn't exactly perfect herself! At least she starts to realize that towards the end of the series. I also enjoyed several of the other characters, notably Jane and even Quinn, the popularity-chasing younger sister. She was smarter than she let on, and towards the end of the show, she started to realize that being popular was not as important as supporting her family and valuing herself as a person.
I'm glad I finally got around to seeing the show, and I wished I had given it a try during its initial run. I didn't avoid it on purpose; I just had a lot going on at the time. Better late than never.
Here is a collection of Daria's greatest lines, as well as an "interview" with CBS This Morning host Jane Clayson from 2002. Enjoy! Let me know what you thought of the series in the comments.
I'll see you next week with another animated find. Thanks!
I hope you had a safe, fun, and rewarding holiday season. Now it's "back to life, back to reality" time, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun. And I plan to have fun at the blog in animated style!
This month, and throughout the next few weeks (months?), I will be hosting what I call Prime Time Animation Celebration! This will be an examination of several prime time animated series that proliferated in the wake of the massive success of series such as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and other similar series. I will focus more on the obscure, forgotten series that appeared briefly in the 1990s and 2000s to make it more fun. And there are quite a few series to showcase!
I was inspired to do this a year ago, when I started binging the MTV series Daria for the first time. It reminded me of quite a few animated series that had a go of it on various services, and I thought looking at them would be great blog material, especially during "dry" times such as after the holidays. It will keep my blogging muse focused and provide plenty of material to keep me going.
I hope to have the first installment next week, then focus on one series each week after. This article is a placeholder to pique your interest (and provide me more time to write). I hope you're looking forward to this.
Hey everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Now let's have a wonderful New Year!
Today I present a full episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson from New Year's Eve, 1965. Even the commercials are included! Back then, the show aired live from New York City rather than taped in Los Angeles, so they check into Times Square live as the ball drops. It's a window into a familiar show but in a possibly unfamiliar format. I love pop culture time capsules like this (even if I have misgiving about Carson after learning some things about his treatment of staffers).
Before I go, I want to reiterate that I have a feature starting in January that I'm looking forward to presenting. I think you'll really enjoy it. If I do it right, it will be running on the blog for a few good weeks!
Here we are, we made it! We got Christmas exactly when we needed it!
Although we've reached the Big Night, the Countdown will still roll on for a little bit longer. I have a couple of New Year's items for you next week I hope you enjoy. Then, starting in January, I launch a new, ongoing feature that I think you'll appreciate. There's a good bit of material to cover for it, so it will fuel the blog for several weeks. I'm looking forward to it!
We're almost there! Christmas is just three days away! Here's a heartfelt film to watch while you wrap your gifts.
"Hallelujah" is an episode of the PBS drama anthology American Playhouse. First aired in 1993, this film follows a young Black preacher (Charles S. Dutton) and his family who arrive at their new church in Washington, D.C. The church board is standoffish with the preacher and only give him two days to win the congregation over before they move on to someone else. Through hard work, determination, and faith, the preacher vows to tackle the neighborhood's problems and give the area's unwanted and unloved a home for Christmas.
This is heavy material for this blog, but I think it's important to throw in some sobering programming here and there to remind you that Christmas isn't just about gifts, food, and merriment. Now more than ever, we need reminders to take care of one another.
In addition to Dutton, the stellar cast includes Phylicia Rashad, Dennis Haysbert, Keith David, and the late James Earl Jones (who was excellent in everything he was in!). Please enjoy embedded below or directly on YouTube here.
Today's offering is a fun one: it's the first (only?) Christmas episode of Mork & Mindy.
When Mork learns about Christmas and the tradition of giving gifts, he makes his own gifts to give to people with...underwhelming results. After accidentally learning of his friends' disappointment, he finds another gift to give to everyone with a much better outcome.
Sadly, the uploader of this YouTube video doesn't allow embedding to other Web sites (boo), but here is the link to watch it directly on YouTube: Mork & Mindy, "Mork's First Christmas."
