Horror host

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences.

In the early days of television, stations needed programming, and local stations frequently produced their own shows in-house, covering the gamut from children's fare to serious drama. Due to the expense of preproducing to film, many early television shows were broadccast live, and stations needed personalities to introduce shows, as well as read commercials and station IDs. Most stations used booth announcers, but a number of shows - in particular those using cartoons or movies - used an on-camera host or hostess to perform those functions.

The first television horror host is generally accepted to be Vampira.[1] The Vampira Show featured mostly low budget suspense films, as few horror films had yet been released for television broadcast. Despite its short 1954-1955 run, The Vampira Show set the standard format for horror host shows to follow.

After the initial airing of King Kong on nationwide television in 1956, many horror films were released to television, and it was natural for local stations to show them on a regular, weekly program—often with a host.

The "Shock!" package, a collection of older science-fiction and horror movies packaged for syndicated television, was released to stations in October 1957. To promote the films, the distributor supplied stations with a promotional kit, which encouraged all kinds of antics. The use of a host was encouraged, and a number of stations elected to use them. Viewers loved the package, as well as the concept, and ratings soared. A "Son of Shock!" package was released in 1958.[1]

Hosts were often plucked from the ranks of the studio staff. In the days of live television, it wasn't uncommon for the weather man or booth announcer to finish a nightly news broadcast and race madly to another part of the soundstage for a quick costume change to present the evening's monster tale.

While a few early hosts like Zacherley and Vampira became the icons of this nationwide movement[2], most hosts were locals. The impact of these friendly ghouls on their young fans cannot be underestimated. The earliest hosts are still remembered with great affection today.[3]

Contents

[edit] Notable Hosts

[edit] 1950s

[edit] 1960s

[edit] 1970s

[edit] 1980s

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 2000s

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Watson, Elena M. (2000). Television Horror Movie Hosts: 68 Vampires, Mad Scientists, and Other Denizens of the Late Night Airwaves Examined and Interviewed. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786409401. http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?isbn=978-0-7864-0940-2. 
  2. ^ "Halloween horror hosts rise again on radio, TV, film". USA Today. October 20, 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-10-29-horror-hosts_N.htm. 
  3. ^ Filmfax, December 1988, http://www.filmfax.com/ 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_host"