Svengoolie
| Svengoolie | |
|---|---|
| Rich Koz as "Son of Svengoolie" Rich Koz as Son of Svengoolie | |
| Genre | Horror / Science-fiction / Comedy |
| Created by |
|
| Developed by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Chris M. Faulkner |
| Presented by | Rich Koz |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Doug Scharf |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 31 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Rich Koz |
| Producer | Chris M. Faulkner |
| Production locations | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Cinematography | Malcom Conyers |
| Editor | Chris M. Faulkner |
| Camera setup | Malcom Conyers |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Production company | U-City Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | September 18, 1970 – present |
Svengoolie [1] is a hosted horror movie show. The title is taken from the character that hosts the program. The show has been a long-running local TV program in the Chicago area, and has in recent years been seen nationally hosting the Saturday night movie on Me-TV.
Format
The shows air various (and often low-budget) horror and science-fiction movies, hosted by horror host "Svengoolie" (a play on the word Svengali), currently played by Rich Koz, who wears face makeup, a wig, and top hat. Just before, and just after, commercial breaks in the film, the character presents various sketches, tells corny jokes, and presents song parodies spoofing the film being aired. Some shows were even presented in what was later dubbed "Sven-surround" (a pun of "Sensurround") in which Svengoolie would make jokes as the film aired (similarly to MST3K); but, sound effects would be played over the movie, as well. This was discontinued for a short time, but brought back due to viewer request—though only as a clip segment aired outside the actual film, not as the previously-done over-dub.
Movies
In August 2006 it was announced that WCIU obtained broadcast rights to the classic Universal Monsters films of the 1930s and 1940s. These films had been requested since Svengoolie aired in the 1980s. By December 2006, the show had featured four of the Abbott and Costello "Meet" series, with the Universal Studio Monsters, and several Hammer Film Productions, which had been distributed by Universal-International. On May 5, 2007, Svengoolie presented a show featuring Bela Lugosi's Dracula (1931), which he claimed to be the first time the movie has been shown on local television in over a decade.
Themes
A running gag throughout the series is the repeated utterance of the word "Berwyn", the name of a Chicago suburb. (This was a parody of the way "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and Johnny Carson would jokingly refer to "Beautiful Downtown Burbank.") Another recurring gag involves rubber chickens being thrown at Svengoolie after a cornier-than-usual joke—usually at the end of each episode's closing sketch. Koz and the show have won numerous regional Emmy awards, and Koz was admitted to the Emmy "Silver Circle" in 2004 for "outstanding contributions to Chicago television."
Broadcast
Svengoolie debuted on Screaming Yellow Theater, which aired on WFLD (Channel 32) from September 18, 1970 until late-summer 1973. Svengoolie was played in this series by Jerry G. Bishop. In later seasons, Rich Koz—a fan of the show who used to send in sketch ideas—became one of the show's writers.
On June 16, 1979, Son of Svengoolie debuted on WFLD, with Koz in the title role. The show also aired briefly on other sister (i.e., Field Communications-controlled) stations in Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, and Detroit. This series ran until WFLD (at that time owned by Metromedia) was sold to Rupert Murdoch's Fox Television Stations Group in 1986 to become a part of the newly-created Fox network. The new management canceled the show after deciding it was not an appropriate fit for their new programming direction. After 334 shows, the final episode aired January 25, 1986. Koz later returned to WFLD in various capacities, mainly as the host of its Fox Kids Club and The Koz Zone weekday afternoon children's programming, even appearing as an announcer on the Fox network's 1988 New Year's Eve broadcast.
The series returned to the air on December 31, 1994 on WCIU (Channel 26), using just "Svengoolie" as its name; Koz took over the role of Svengoolie when Bishop told Koz that he "believed he was grown up enough now to no longer be just the Son." The show opens with a reference to early radio broadcasting: "Calling all stations, clear the air lanes, clear all air lanes for the big broadcast." Koz also hosts a weekly Three Stooges Stooge-a-palooza show on WCIU.
The series also airs on Chicago's WWME-CA ("ME-TV"), Milwaukee stations WBME-CD and WMLW-TV, and occasionally on WMYS-LP in South Bend, Indiana. All of these stations are owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Beginning on April 2, 2011, Svengoolie's show also became available nationally on the Weigel-owned Me-TV network.[2]
Reception
Influence
- Svengoolie is visible as an easter egg in the Justice League graphic novel JLA: Liberty and Justice, where he is shown on a security monitor in Arkham Asylum as a patient alongside The Joker, Two-Face and The Riddler.
References
- ^ 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 0-7864-0940-1.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Hageman, William "Svengoolie scares up a national show" Chicago Tribune April 1, 2011
