Friday the 13th: The Series

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Friday the 13th: The Series
Format Horror
Created by Frank Mancuso Jr.
Larry B. Williams
Directed by David Winning
Starring Louise Robey
John D. LeMay
Steve Monarque
Chris Wiggins
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 72
Production
Running time 60 min.
Broadcast
Original channel First-run syndication
Original run 28 September 1987 – 26 May 1990
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Friday the 13th: The Series is a television series that ran for three seasons, from September 28, 1987 to May 26, 1990.

Originally, the series was to be titled The 13th Hour, but producer Frank Mancuso Jr. thought this would turn away viewers and instead took the name "Friday the 13th" to deliberately draw in audiences. Despite this title, the series has no story connections to the film series of the same name.

The two series have several cast and crew ties, however. The show's producer, Frank Mancuso Jr., was also producer of the movie series from Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) until the final installment distributed by Paramount (Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan in 1989, a year before the TV series ended). The show's star, John D. LeMay, is also notable as he went on to star in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (guest star John Shepherd played Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and episode director David Cronenberg appeared in Jason X). Fred Mollin, Rob Hedden, and Tom McLoughlin also worked behind the scenes of both series.

NBC Universal's horror-themed cable channel Chiller, which launched on March 1, 2007, airs the series weekdays at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern. [1] During a viewers' choice marathon on October 7, 2007, "Scarecrow" was voted most popular episode. The top five episodes were rebroadcast on Election Day, November 6, 2007.

On Friday, May 23, 2008, tvshowsondvd.com announced that the first season of the series would be released on DVD and that Amazon.com was taking pre-orders, with the release date being September 23, 2008.[2]

Contents

[edit] Premise

“Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil to sell cursed antiques. But he broke the pact, and it cost him his soul. Now, his niece Micki, and her cousin Ryan have inherited the store... and with it, the curse. Now they must get everything back and the real terror begins.” -- prologue that opened each episode

An antiques dealer named Lewis Vendredi (played by R.G. Armstrong) made a deal with the Devil to sell cursed antiques out of his shop, “Vendredi’s Antiques”, in exchange for wealth and immortality. He eventually grew tired of being the Devil’s puppet and broke the deal. The Devil came and claimed the soul of Vendredi (“Friday” in French) for breaking the deal.

After Lewis' death, his shop was inherited by his niece, Micki Foster (played by Louise Robey) and her cousin Ryan Dallion (played by John D. LeMay). They sold off many of the cursed antiques before being stopped by Jack Marshak (played by Chris Wiggins). Jack was Lewis' friend, a retired world-traveller and mystic who originally collected many of the antiques for Vendredi before they became cursed.

The series follows the protagonists as they hunt down the cursed antiques, which are usually in the possession of people who have discovered their evil powers and are reluctant to give them up. Since the cursed antiques are completely indestructible, the ones that the group acquires are locked away in a vault beneath “Curious Goods,” the rechristened antique store.

Most of the stories in the series deal with people using the cursed objects for their own personal gain. All of the cursed objects grant either the user’s deepest desire or some extraordinary power. However, the curse always requires that the cursed object be used to kill someone in order to activate it. For example, there is a cursed scalpel that gives a surgeon the ability to cure anyone, but in order for the scalpel to work, the surgeon will need to kill someone else with it beforehand. In most instances, the person using the cursed object ends up becoming a victim of the object’s curse.

Occasionally, there would be an episode in which the trio would have to confront their uncle’s spirit or would fail to obtain a cursed object, and the search would be continued in another episode.

Like other sci-fi/horror shows in syndication in the late 1980s (such as War of the Worlds and Freddy's Nightmares), Friday the 13th: The Series constantly pushed the “acceptable content” envelope, regularly featuring violence on par with that of the R-rated horror movies of the time.

[edit] Second and third season

The second season saw the introduction of Johnny Ventura (played by Steve Monarque). He greatly helps recover the relics and eventually replaces Ryan permanently in the third season. A romantic interest between Johnny and Micki is explored, but eventually dropped.

[edit] Character bios

[edit] Micki Foster

Micki Foster (played by Louise Robey) is the beautiful redhead who inherits the store, along with her cousin, Ryan Dallion. At first, Micki is a bit of a snob, a fashion plate, and fairly vulnerable. As the series progresses, Micki becomes stronger willed, more independent, and less materialistic.

She is about 5' 7" (“Mightier Than the Sword”) and both her parents are still alive (“The Long Road Home”). Her mother, Catherine, is Irish (“Pipe Dream”) and her father was English (“Shadow Boxer”). She has an irresponsible sister and a nephew, J.B., who is often left in Micki's care (“A Friend To the End”). She was engaged once, but broke it off at the last minute when she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Jack and Ryan to care for the store alone (“The Root of All Evil”). Micki was killed once when a cursed coin was used on her (“Tails I Live, Heads You Die”). Ryan and Jack eventually trick a coven into bringing her back to life.

[edit] Ryan Dallion

Ryan Dallion (played by John D. LeMay), Micki’s cousin by marriage, also inherited the store. In the beginning he is portrayed as a failed art student and obviously has feelings for Micki that get stronger as the series progresses. He is excited about fixing up the store, but is talked into selling the inventory by Micki, a decision they come to regret. Their relationship at first is cool but they grow to be very special to each other over time.

Ryan’s relationship with his father, Ray, was not a good one. Ray was an inventor who nearly killed Micki, but when Ryan tries to sacrifice himself in Micki’s place, Ray killed himself (“Pipe Dream”). Ryan’s brother Jimmy died at age 10, and his mother ran out on them shortly after (“Scarecrow,” “The Prophecies”). She returned just before Ryan went to France with Micki. He returned transformed back into a child, leading to his departure from the show.

[edit] Jack Marshak

Jack Marshak (played by Chris Wiggins) is a former stage magician and conversely, an expert in the occult. He used to supply antiques for Lewis’s store and met Micki and Ryan when he came to collect on an old debt. He discovered that Lewis was dead and began helping collect the cursed antiques, becoming a close friend of the cousins.

Jack had been married once and had a clairvoyant son, Peter, who died in a young girl’s dream plane (“Bottle of Dreams”). When Jack was younger, his father disappeared, only to return ten years later. However, we learn that the man who came back was a spirit (“Midnight Riders”). Jack served in World War II and nearly died in a Nazi war camp (“The Butcher”). He was engaged to a scientist, who left him to do field research. She shows up in his life years later, but dies shortly after they plan to marry (“Brain Drain”).

[edit] Johnny Ventura

The naïve Johnny (played by Steve Monarque) is introduced in the middle of season two and becomes a regular in season three. He is first introduced as a skirt-chaser and is very interested in Micki (“Wedding Bell Blues”). The interest begins to wane, but heats up again when the two take a road trip to retrieve a cursed object and end up in an abandoned house (“The Long Road Home”).

Johnny’s father, a security guard, was shot and killed on the job (“The Prisoner”). Johnny was so bereaved that he used the coin that had once killed Micki to bring his father back to life (“Bad Penny”). He has been arrested twice, once for being a suspected accessory to murder (“Wedding Bell Blues”) and again as a suspect in his father’s murder (“The Prisoner”).

[edit] Episode list

[edit] First season

Title Antique Notes
The Inheritance A doll that kills people for its owner. Introduces not only Uncle Lewis, but also Lloyd, Micki’s fiancé.
The Poison Pen A quill pen that kills people by simply writing about it.
Cupid’s Quiver A statue called The Cupid of Malek. Anyone struck by its arrows falls madly in love with its owner, but the owner must kill them. Episode directed by Atom Egoyan.
A Cup of Time A teacup decorated with “Swapper’s Ivy”. The ivy comes to life and strangles the drinker, thereby restoring the owner’s youth.
Hellowe’en The Amulet of Zohar that can transfer a spirit of the dead into a physical body. Uncle Lewis makes an unwelcome return visit.
The Great Montarro A Houdin escape box. Damage inflicted on someone performing a lethal magical stunt is transferred to a victim in a hidden cabinet.
Doctor Jack A scalpel rurmored to have belonged to Jack the Ripper that can cure any disease, but only after it has been used to kill. Also, it can cut through metal with ease.
Shadow Boxer A pair of black boxing gloves that summon a “shadow boxer” to kill a victim of their wearer’s choice, thereby making the wearer unbeatable in the ring. Events in this episode cause the trio to establish a rule that they are not allowed to use the cursed objects.
Root of All Evil A portable garden mulcher that shoots out money when used to grind up a person. The richer the victim, the more money the machine will produce. Lloyd makes his second and last appearance.
Tales of the Undead A comic book that transforms its owner into a super-powered robot killer.
Scarecrow An animated scarecrow that guarantees good crops after it kills three sacrificial victims. An image of the intended victim must be pinned to the scarecrow in order to seek them out. First mention of Ryan's younger brother, Jimmy, deceased some years ago.
Faith Healer The Sforza Glove (ca. 1510) that takes any injury or disease from a person and passes the magnified affliction on to another person. While the affliction is in the glove it cannot be removed, also if the affliction is not transfered in time it will kill the wearer. Episode directed by David Cronenberg.
The Baron’s Bride A black vampiric cape that makes the wearer irresistible to women by transforming him into a vampire (it also has a diamond clasp that allows the wearer to travel through time once it is smeared with blood). Sequences back in time are shown in black and white.
Bedazzled A lantern that reveals sunken treasure at the cost of the diver who brings up the treasure's life. The majority of the action takes place at Curious Goods when the owner attempts to steal it back.
Vanity’s Mirror A gold compact with a broken mirror and a snake on the front. When used to reflect light into another person’s face, it makes them fall madly in love with its owner, but the owner must kill them. The compact, lost in this episode, returns in “Face of Evil” (season 2) with an entirely different curse effect.
Tattoo Chinese tattooing needles whose drawings become real, bringing luck to the owner when they come to life and kill their victim.
The Electrocutioner An electric chair that grants the owner electrical powers at the cost of someone’s life.
Brain Drain A trepanator that transfers intelligence from one person to another, but the victim will die within a few hours. Arguably the largest antique recovered.
The Quilt of Hathor (2 parts) A patchwork quilt that allows the owner to kill others in their dreams. Featues a sect called the Penitites, modeled after Amish/Menonite communities.
Double Exposure A camera that creates a doppelgänger of someone. The duplicate will follow orders, but if the negative is not destroyed within five hours, the original subject disappears
Pirate’s Promise A foghorn that summons the spirit of a murderous pirate who grants gold coins in exchange for the lives of his betrayers’ descendants.
Badge of Honor A sheriff’s badge that kills people suddenly and violently, branding them with a black star. Whether the badge has a beneficial power is unseen as it is used strictly to kill in this episode.
Pipe Dream A tobacco pipe that emits an orange smoke that totally disintegrates its victim. Features the death of Ryan’s father, Raymond Dallion (played by Michael Constantine).
What a Mother Wouldn’t Do A baby crib from the RMS Titanic. An ill child placed in it can be cured if the parents kill seven people around or using water. Uncle Lewis makes a brief appearance.
Bottle of Dreams A Coptic burial urn that traps those exposed to its smoke in nightmares.Though magical, it is not technically one of the cursed antiques. End-of-the-season flashback episode.

[edit] Second season

Title Antique Notes
Doorway to Hell A Louis XIV mirror that acts as a portal between earth and the Realms of Darkness. Though magical, it is not technically one of the cursed antiques. Uncle Lewis makes another appearance, this time trying to escape the Realms of Darkness. A continuation of "Bottle of Dreams".
The Voodoo Mambo A voodoo mask that drains the victim’s life force.
And Now the News An old cathedral-style radio that foretells the death of the listener in a “news flash,” then enacts it. It then gives its owner information. The radio offers Mickey and Ryan a way to recover cursed objects if certain conditions are met, which they refuse.
Tails I Live, Heads You Die The Coin of Ziocles that kills one person to bring another back to life. The victim is branded with a ram's head on their forehead. Micki is actually killed by the coin, but Ryan and Jack manage to resurrect her by using the coin again. The coin, lost in this episode, returns in “Bad Penny” (season 3).
Symphony in B# A violin that allows its crippled owner perform if he kills a victim with a blade hidden in the bow. Its music can also be used to hypnotize its victims.
Master of Disguise A makeup case belonging to John Wilkes Booth. When drizzled with the blood of a victim, it grants its deformed owner temporary good looks. The actor who uses the makeup case uses the stage name William Pratt (the birth name of actor Boris Karloff).
Wax Magic Louis XVI’s handkerchief that can animate wax statues. One of the few episodes in which the cursed object’s owner is not killed by it.
Read My Lips Hitler’s pink silk boutonniere that animates a ventriloquist’s dummy and brings it to a murderous life.
13 O’Clock A pocket watch that stops time for an hour at 1 a.m. after someone is killed. The owner must be in the Castle Hill Train Station for time to stop or else be frozen in time themselves. In the scenes in which character Reatha Wilkerson experiences stoppage of time she steals a wrist watch from Wertheimer's Jewellery (a possible play on series Executive in Charge of Production, Robert Wertheimer) and a hypodermic needle, syringe and drug from Haws Drugs (a possible play on series cameraman, Travor Haws).
Night Hunger A silver chain with a blank car key that grants its owner incredible driving skills once the key is dipped in the blood of a freshly run over victim. It can also merge with its owner, allowing them to mentally control their car. The chain is not listed in the Manifest as it was given as a gift by Lewis Vendredi himself. Also, first and last appearance of Dominic Fiorno, owner of Fiorno's (Curious Goods' "neighbour").
The Sweetest Sting A transport bee hive which causes the bees to become 'vampires'. After draining a victim, the next person they sting (usually someone old or terminally ill) will take on the appearance of the first (healthy) victim. Thereafter, they need special honey to maintain their youth, for which the hive owner blackmails them into murder. This was the first of three episodes directed by sci-fi veteran David Winning and nominated for a Gemini Award.
The Playhouse A playhouse that grants two abused children a fantasy world, but they must lure other children into it as prisoners. The only episode with no deaths. A cursed top hat and sacrificial dagger are also mentioned.
Eye of Death A Civil War Era magic lantern that allows its owner travel back to the time shown in the projected photograph, requiring a murder for each leg of the trip. They also have until the flame on the lantern burns out to return. The past is represented in sepia tones this time around.
Face of Evil The gold compact from “Vanity’s Mirror” returns. This time, it restores a model’s beauty by killing others. Canadian supermodel Monika Schnarre and model/actress Sandrine Holt (credited as Sandrine Ho) have a cameo as one of the cursed objects victims. Jack mentions that the compact is a weapon of vengence that feeds off the vanity of its owner.
Better Off Dead A silver syringe that lets its owner extract spinal fluid from his victims to temporarily cure his hyper-violent daughter. Aired with “graphic violence” warning.[citation needed]
Scarlet Cinema A movie camera that can bring film characters to life. In this case, the user is obsessed with werewolves. After summoning the Wolfman straight from the film into reality to murder three victims, it shares the curse with the would-be lycanthrope by biting him. This was the second of three episodes directed by sci-fi veteran David Winning and nominated for a Gemini Award.
The Mephisto Ring A 1919 World Series ring predicts the outcomes of sporting events after killing someone who wears it. Ryan states that the ring was listed in the manifest as the first object Uncle Lewis sold.
A Friend to the End A black stone fragment called the Shard of Medusa, which transforms its victims into realistic stone statues revitalizes a failing artist's career. The heroes officially fail to get this object back. They do recover a child’s coffin that resurrects the dead (though the boy must continue to kill to remain alive). Two separate stories in one episode. The name Wertheimer is used again, this time as a drug store.
The Butcher The silver Thule Amulet (resembling a swastika) allows a Nazi criminal to become immortal if he can exact his revenge on his killers. Technically it isn't one of the cursed antiques, as it was used by Nazi paranormal experiments during World War II.
Mesmer’s Bauble A hypnotist’s bauble that bestows wishes to its owner after it is used to hypnotize and kill a victim. Originally airing as “The Secret Agenda of Mesmer’s Bauble,” the title was shortened for syndication. Guest stars Vanity.
Wedding In Black A snow globe that traps its victims in fantasy landscapes. Though magical, it is not technically one of the cursed antiques and is ultimately destroyed.
Wedding Bell Blues A cue stick that bestows unbeatable pool skills to its owner after they kill someone with it. First appearance of Johnny Ventura.
The Maestro A Victorian symphonia (music box) that gradually gives new choreographic material to its owner, but kills the dancers in the process.
The Shaman’s Apprentice A Native American shaman’s rattle that can cure any disease, but only after it has been used to kill. Although the rattle is said to be returned to it's sacred cave, we see it on a shelf in in the vault during a panning shot at the end of the Jack-In-The-Box episode.
The Prisoner A Japanese kamikaze pilot’s jacket that, when smeared with fresh blood, renders the wearer invisible. Second appearance of Johnny Ventura and features his father (Vince)’s death.
Coven of Darkness A witch's ladder that greatly augments the user’s magical powers. Also, a sculpting tool that creates victims’ likenesses from clay. Ryan is bewitched in this episode.

[edit] Third season

Title Antique Notes
The Prophecies (2 parts) One of three Books of Lucifer that can make the evil prophecies written in it real. Though magical, it is not technically one of the cursed antiques. Ryan Dallion’s last episode. Johnny Ventura returns and remains for the rest of the series.
Demonhunter A golden ritual dagger that allows one to summon a demon. A chamber below the Vault is discovered, thereby providing more storage space. Jack becomes a partner in the store.
Crippled Inside A wheelchair that gradually restores mobility to a quadriplegic girl (played by Stephanie Morgenstern) when she kills those who caused her condition. The owner is able to project a ghostly double of themselves to the location of their victims. Stephanie Morganstern was the voice of Minako Aino in the English language dub of Sailor Moon. Jhonny also mentions a cursed umbrella.
Stick It In Your Ear A hearing aid that lets the wearer hear the thoughts of people around him. The more it is used, the more it burrows into the user’s brain. The thoughts must be transferred to somebody else, thereby killing that person.
Bad Penny The Coin of Ziocles that killed Micki in “Tails I Live, Heads You Die” (season 2) is unearthed. Johnny uses the coin to temporarily resurrect his father's corpse.
Hate On Your Dial A 1954 Chevy car radio which travels the car back to the year of its creation when smeared with fresh blood. Strong racial content. Also, sequences back in time are shown in black and white. Jhonny actualy obtains the object, but sells it without checking the manifest.
Night Prey The Cross of Fire from the Crusades that gains the power to incinerate a vampire after its hidden blade is used to kill someone. One of the more controversial episodes for its graphic violence and mature sexual themes, including prostitution and a lesbian kiss. This episode was largely criticized by the Catholic Church in Europe.[citation needed]
Femme Fatale A 16mm movie print that releases a character for the duration of the film when it absorbs someone else to take her place in the action. Gordon Pinsent guest stars as the antagonist owner of the cursed relic. The cursed movie print "A Scandalous Woman" costars "Ronald Redwood" a possible reference to Californian actor/past-president Ronald Regan.
Mightier Than the Sword A fountain pen which injects evil inside one person's body, forcing them to do anything written by the pen, in the owners blood, until the evil is removed from the person. The store’s bathroom is seen in this episode only. Also, Micki smokes in this episode and commits a murder, but only while under the influence of the pen. We see jack get killed by Micki, although it was just a dream sequence.
Year of the Monkey Statues of the Three Wise monkeys that test their owners’ honor. The See No Evil monkey makes things disappear, the Hear No Evil monkey lets the owner read minds, and the Speak No Evil monkey lets the owner hear the truth if someone should lie in their pressence. Should the owner use their powers for personal gain they either must kill themselves or the monkeys will kill them violently by damaging parts cooresponding to their monkey (See No Evil-eyes, Hear No Evil-ears, Speak No Evil-mouth). If the owner masters the monkeys then they may become young by sacrificing their children. Though magical, they are not technically one of the cursed antiques. The protagonists agree to track down the monkeys in exchange for a cursed japanese tea set that turn ordinary tea into poison. Tia Carrere guest stars. Jill Hennessy has a bit part as a secretary.
Epitaph For a Lonely Soul A mortician’s aspirator that extracts a person’s life force in order to resurrect a dead body. Canadian supermodel Monika Schnarre guest stars.
Midnight Riders Jack, Micki, and Johnny visit a small town haunted by the evil ghosts of bikers who were wrongly accused of rape and lynched to death. The only episode with no cursed objects. Also the only appearance of Jack’s father, Cawley (played by Dennis Thatcher).
Repetition A cameo that traps a little girl’s spirit. Her voice instructs her killer to kill someone else in order to restore her to life. He does so, except the next victim does the same thing. And the next. The protagonists play a minor role in this episode with only Micki actually appearing.
The Long Road Home A small Yin-Yang charm that switches bodies once the owner kills them. It also resurrects corpses and heals injuries during the transfer. Johnny's possible romance towards Micki is revived and once again dropped.
My Wife as a Dog The Aboriginal Leash of Dreams that grants its owners dearest dream once they strangle someone with the leash. In this case it gradually exchanges the life of the owner’s wife with that of his ailing dog. Another episode in which the cursed relic’s owner is not killed by it.
Jack-in-the-Box A pirate themed jack-in-the-box that allows its owner to visit her dead father’s spirit by drowning the ones who killed him. Another episode in which the cursed relic’s owner is not killed by it (the relic's owner, in the case, is a child). This is also the third episode directed by sci-fi veteran David Winning and was nominated for a Gemini Award.
The Spirit of Television An old television through which spirits reach out and kill those who wronged them, thereby prolonging the owner’s life.
The Tree of Life A cursed Druidic fertility statue that ensures the birth of fraternal twins of the opposite sex at the cost of the father’s life. Under certain rituals, the idol can make copies of itself.
The Charnel Pit A double face (2-sided painting) that acts as a time portal by swallowing up a living woman and exchanging her for a dead woman from the past (now depicted in color). The Marquis de Sade is a character in this episode.

[edit] Adaptations

There is a popular rumor that the last episode was to unite the movie and television franchises by having the final item recovered (see “Premise” above) be the hockey mask belonging to Jason Voorhees. This remains unfounded and while there was talk about having a hockey mask on one of the sets as an in-joke[3], there was never any serious intention to mix the film series into the television series [4].

However, Eric Morse wrote the webnovel The Mask of Jason Voorhees, the fifth and last book in his “Camp Crystal Lake” series of novels which united the novels, the first nine movies, and the television series into one continuity. The concepts in the book were created by Eric Morse and are not the original intent of the show’s creators and thus, should not be treated as official canon.

[edit] Notable guest stars

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.nbcunetworks.com/insidenbccable/pdf/chiller/schedules/june2007.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Friday-13th-Series-Season-1-Release-Date/9806
  3. ^ Fangoria #70
  4. ^ Fangoria "84
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Friday the 13th series
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Friday the 13th: The Series • Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash