Friday the 13th: The Series

[Torgo]

Dave, you provided fair warning, but that "One Night in Bangkok" video probably deserves a big warning text above it.  Wow, I thought my head was going to explode.  Of course, it doesn't help that I just finished watching "Killer Tongue."

I had Killer Tongue on VHS at one point.  Someone swiped it off of me when I had a party years ago at a town house. I believe that it stars Mindy Clarked from Return of the Living Dead 3?  Interesting and very strange flick.   The sex scene between her and her own tongue is burned into my mind. Strange!

[Javakoala]

Okay, I'm going off of failing memory here (old age, too much alcohol and too many crap movies), but the one thing that stuck in my mind about the first season of Friday The 13th: The Series was the weird comic undertone, at least in the early episodes.

One of the earliest episodes I remember had to do with a cursed tea cup, owned by a female rock star.  It gave her--I don't remember, either fame or something.  But the big hit she had in the episode, that kept popping up from scene to scene, was a reworking of "I'm A Little Tea Pot".

And another episode took place on the grounds of some monastery, and there was one monk who would wander through a scene now and then doing something that I recall had me on the floor every time he did it.

I mention this stuff to people who used to watch it, and they look at me like I'm nuts.  Sadly, I missed the reruns on Sci-Fi Channel, so I have no way to verify this myself.  Of course, there's always the bootleg DVDs on eBay....

[Famous Mortimer]

Famous Mortimer................. thats michael myers 

I am such an idiot. I wasn't even drunk.

[Joe]

lol

[Famous Mortimer]

lol

I was tempted to just edit my original post, but the internet is a scary place and it's good to admit you're wrong sometimes.

[~Archivist~]

Friday the 13th used to screen late, late at night during the early 90's here in Australia.  It was a time when you could see some really cool B-grade TV shows from the States.  The late-night badness tradition continued with gems like Nightman, Dark Justice, Street Justice, The Dark Zone, and Viper, but that kind of show doesn't screen here that much, any more.

I very much enjoyed Friday the 13th - when I first saw the entry in the programme guide, I thought it was a Jason-thing, too.  But I was rewarded with some very interesting and creepy stories.  I still have a few taped on VHS; I wonder where they've gone?

Robey - I remember her well, not just from Friday the 13th, but from the final scene of The Money Pit with Tom Hanks, in which she's the singer along with White Lion.  I had no idea that she sang the dance version of One Night In Bangkok, though!

[Yaddo 42]

Yep, the virtual death of original syndicated one hour dramas and genre programming  on weekends in the US is a real shame. Now it's either repeats of well-established shows like Stargate and Smallville and not so great sitcoms, tired movies, infomercials, or repeats of reality crap like Cops and Cheaters. Ugh.

Then again you knew the type was on life support when stuff like Relic Hunter and Pensacola: Wings of Gold managed to hang around to fill time slots. Could a show like Baywatch even happen nowadays, be a hit not on a network or a big cable channel, much less become a huge worldwide success?

Besides it was fun to find out a lot this stuff was from Canada. About the only one I still get to watch is Da Vinci's Inquest. I'll take that over any of the CSI clones.

[Famous Mortimer]

If we all stopped watching them, is there any possibility that this might change? I mean, some people must presumably watch infomercials. The only way we can make a difference is to vote with the finger that controls the remote.

[Yaddo 42]

You're from the UK, right Famous Mortimer? Do the infomercials air on satellite channels or how is it set up over there? Beyond the BBC channels anyway. I remember hearing of independent television producers like Thames TV and ITC, did they have they're own channels, are they even still around?

In the US, time is bought on local stations during the off peak times and infomercials. Some local stations carry nothing but satellite feeds of infomercials 24/7.

Once upon a time stations would either go off the air during this time or play old movies and reruns, religious programs, or public service and educational programming to satisfy requirements for maintaining their license from the govt - the rules for what counts in this area have loosened. When the regulations for TV advertising were loosened up in the late 80s, infomercials began to reproduce like rabbits. They have since taken over much of the off peak hours of cable TV as well. I know of on lower tier cable channel here that only carries between 6 and 8 hours of programming each day the rest is infomercials.

Just not watching them during those times would have little effect here. The audience levels are so low then, it is more profitable for them to air these ads knowing that there are few eyes watching at during those times anyway. Why try to sell ad time for commercial breaks and run endless promos for your own shows when only a few thousand people are watching nationwide, when there are folks wanting to buy the time from you in half hour chunks. Even the cable news stations repeat shows from earlier in the evening unless there is breaking news. And even that can be rerun to pad out time until the early morning news shows start. Just stick the old "recorded earlier" label on it

[Karl]

I agree.The Series is differant from the Movies.I started watching the Series almost from the beginning.I have to say,the Series is not bad.I have some favorite episodes eg; "Faith Healer" about a chalatan who had found a White Glove that could heal one person,and transforms the disease to another.Also,there is "The shamans Apprentice" about a Native American Doctor,who uses a Ceremonal Rattle (in the reverse of the healing glove)to kill,and then to heal.There are other favorites,but I just wanted to name afew.I also hate when people judge anything without watching,or checking it out.I watched The series,and knew that it was differant from the Movies.The series was original in its concept.Thank you for putting this site on.

[KYGOTC]

You guys do realize that there is an official DVD for this now, right? I saw it up at Barnes an' Noble a few weeks ago. And after having read this entire thread, i have full intention on getting it. I wonder if it can clear up some of the Jason connection rumors...

[BoyScoutKevin]

I agree.The Series is differant from the Movies.I started watching the Series almost from the beginning.I have to say,the Series is not bad.I have some favorite episodes eg; "Faith Healer" about a chalatan who had found a White Glove that could heal one person,and transforms the disease to another.Also,there is "The shamans Apprentice" about a Native American Doctor,who uses a Ceremonal Rattle (in the reverse of the healing glove)to kill,and then to heal.There are other favorites,but I just wanted to name afew.I also hate when people judge anything without watching,or checking it out.I watched The series,and knew that it was differant from the Movies.The series was original in its concept.Thank you for putting this site on.

"The Shamans Apprentice" is also one of my favorite episodes from the series. And it is one of the reasons I liked the series so much, for its originality. I mean, how many times has a TV series dealt with the subject of the Native American trying to make it in the white man's world. Not that many is my memory.

[BTM]

You guys do realize that there is an official DVD for this now, right? I saw it up at Barnes an' Noble a few weeks ago. And after having read this entire thread, i have full intention on getting it. I wonder if it can clear up some of the Jason connection rumors...

Unless it's changed, I think so far there's just a DVD for the first season.

Wait, did some checking, Season Two comes out in February.

[Trevor]

Dave, you provided fair warning, but that "One Night in Bangkok" video probably deserves a big warning text above it.  Wow, I thought my head was going to explode. 

 

My favourite episode was the one entitled Helloween where Uncle Lewis returns from the dead. Great and scary, IMO.