Loja do Terror

Friday the 13th was one of Paramount's first entries into first-run syndication (it began the same year as Star Trek/Next Gen), and it quickly proceeded to find its late-night niche. In terms of horror and on-screen gore, it was remarkably graphic. At the same time, it maintained a strong sense of internal continuity, gave us several well-developed main characters, and after a rocky start, weekly presented an imaginative and interesting "cursed" antique. It can still be seen regularly on the Sci-Fi Channel.

A three season anthology horror series filmed in Toronto during the late eighties which told the story of two cousins and their friend, a specialist in occult research; the threesome chased after cursed antiques which were distributed from their store previously owned by their late Uncle Lewis Vendredi, a strange man who made a pact with the Devil.

Following the departure of the lead actor John D. LeMay at the end of the second season, the void was filled by his replacement Steven Monarque, originally introduced as a recurring character in the second season, and was added to the main cast as the new antique sleuth. The third season was cut short with 20 rather than 26 episodes though the series has made it to syndication and has a small but loyal cult following. John D. LeMay made an outstanding contribution to the series and his character as Ryan Dallion is clearly a favorite of all time among viewers. Ryan was never forgotten and was mentioned in passing by Robey, as Micki Foster, at the beginning of the third season episode "Demon Hunter" and later in "The Long Road Home". As well, footage from the second season episode "Tails I Live Heads You Die" was used at the beginning of the "Bad Penny" episode. It gave the impression that perhaps the character of Ryan would be re-written into the storyline at some point, but to our disappointment, it never happened.

Third season episodes had some of the best story lines, but unevenly distributed script and dialogue. The new character Johnny Ventura was underutilized. He rarely had lines. Too many scenes with two-way conversation only between Jack and Micki with Johnny just sitting in the background. Blame the story editor for this one! This, and lack of proper series closure, renders the third season a weak one.

Very little behind the scenes trivia and info. about the cast and crew are available regarding the series. Audio and/or video interviews would be an invaluable addition that could be presented via DVD release. Unfortunately, there's nothing official or rumored about this for the near future.

Terrific sci-fi horror stories with a campy feel. Some of the episodes are too earnest, but overall a great series. It had the "X-files" feel to it before "X" appeared (some of the plot lines from "X" are directly ripped off from this show and even the theme music is eerily similar).

Especially, if you can, watch the final episodes in which John D. LeMay appears - after he left the show kind of went downhill.

When I first heard the name of this series back in 1987 I refused to see it. I assumed it was just about Jason killing different people every week--but with no gore (since this WAS TV). What was the point? But I tuned in one night out of curiosity and was surprised how different it was from the movies--and how much I liked it! It was about some antique owners who have to track down antiques each week that had been sold from their store. It seems their uncle (the previous owner) had made a pact with the Devil and the antiques were cursed. Sounds silly but it really worked. There were some doses of pretty funny humor but this show concentrated on the horror. Also it was pretty gory for a TV show at that time--my station didn't show it till 11:30 at night! The acting was good...but it all started to fall apart after season 2. The main actor left and was replaced by someone who just wasn't as good--the third season was a major disappointment. I think that's what killed the show. Still it was a fun, sometimes scary and a little gory TV show. Recommended.

A late 80s horror anthology that delivered what it's fans wanted, but was canceled too soon. Great characters, interesting stories, and good scares, this show is missed by fans, who still hold out hope for a DVD release or maybe even a reunion movie.

Friday the 13th: The Series was a TV show that seemed to come into existence at just the right time. Syndicated, airing late at night, on Fridays or Saturdays when teens could stay up; all the right elements for a horror anthology to succeed, and it did. For a time.

While never achieving critical or popular admiration, it did develop a cult following of loyal viewers. The show did attract ratings, and was second in syndicated ratings at one point only to Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, it wasn't able to survive when it's parent company buckled to religious groups and their threats of boycotts. It was canceled at the end of it's 3rd season.

The show never enjoyed a great budget, and this is most noticeable in sometimes sub-par effects. But the actors, writers, producers, and all involved did the best they could with the materials and money at their disposal.

The episodes mainly dealt with the stars attempting to retrieve one of the cursed antiques sold by Lewis Vendredi as part of his pact with the devil. The objects were varied and the curses on them sometimes quite ingenious. The gore was kept to a minimum; this was still television, after all.

While the heroes usually did retrieve the item they went after, the endings weren't always tied up "Brady Bunch-style". Many times, the characters were left feeling as though they had failed, having retrieved the cursed items or not.

Character development did happen, as well. Micki, played by the singer Robey, started out as the spoiled, rich, reluctant participant. By the end of the series, she had developed a caring relationship with the others, and had begun to embrace the path her life had taken, albeit unwillingly.

Ryan Dallion, as played by John D. LeMay, started out as the one eager to believe and be a part of this weird business. He soon learned there wasn't much to laugh about, and became a much more somber figure. The way his character was written out of the series at the beginning of season 3 may have been a let down for some fans, but it gave Ryan a chance to start over, carefree again.

Chris Wiggins played Jack Marshak as the strange, mystical father-figure, and stayed pretty much on course. This character being a "world traveler" in the pilot, he did settle down, staying the full three years at Curious Goods.

Johnny Ventura, played by Steven Monarque, didn't have much time to develop, but did go from being a brash, hot-head to a trusted member after Ryan's exit.

All-in-all, the show was a great, late-night horror drama and gave it's target audience just what it was looking for. Some good scares, which may seem tame now, were just right for late 80s fans, especially watching at midnight or later on the weekends.

Sci-Fi Channel certainly has it's share of near-Z grade movies, it would be nice if they could put some money towards a movie of Friday the 13th: The Series. Not only would it be a dream-come-true for the fans, who would like a proper end to the show and it's story, it would be a good way to promote a DVD release of the show's 3 seasons, something fans still hold out hope for. Win/win all around, no?