Forgotten Television: Friday the 13th The Series

Michelle “Micki” Foster (Robey) and her cousin, Ryan Dallion (John D LeMay) inherit an antique shop from their Uncle Lewis (R. G. Armstrong).  Micki wants a quick sale of the inventory and the shop so she can get back to her fiancé, and after they have sold most of the merchandise, they learn that may not have been the smartest thing to do.  Enter Jack Marshak (Chris Wiggins), an old friend of Lewis, who was unaware of his death. The trio soon discover that the items in the antique shop were cursed by the devil and hold evil power.  The trio realizes that they have a duty to collect and return all the items listed in their uncle’s ledger and thus begins their journey.  The first episode involves a doll sold to a bratty little girl who resents her stepmother.  Ryan and Micki do eventually find the girl and are able to save her from the doll but are too late to save the stepmother. Each week follows a similar format, with the trio tracking down an object and having to find a clever way to get it from it’s owner, who is often unwilling to relinquish the power that comes with it, and usually ends up a victim of the object. In the third season, Ryan is replaced by the character Johnny Ventura (Steve Monarque).

Friday the 13^th: The Series ran for three seasons from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 as a first-run syndicated show.  Created by Frank Mancuso jr. and Larry B. Williams and was originally titled “The 13^th Hour”, but Mancuso thought that it would be easier to sell if they changed the name to Friday the 13^th. There was even some thought in tying the show to the infamous movies featuring Jason Voorhees, but it was decided that they wanted the world they were creating for the series to exist on its own.  Mancuso was the producer of the Friday the 13^th movie franchise, from the second installment to the seventh. The first two seasons each had 26 episodes, but the final third season was cut short.  Word of cancellation hit the cast and crew while filming the 20^th episode, which ended up being the final one.  Cancellation came so swiftly that no additional scenes or episodes were filmed to give any kind of closure.

Although the series was formulaic, following the same plot devices each week, it was also fun to watch. The banter between the leading trio was often clever and witty. The objects are vastly different, and their magical powers vary from episode to episode, usually exchanging death for some type of fame or fortune.  This kept the show new and interesting and added variety to the standard plotlines.  Louise Anne Beris Fiona Robey a.k.a. “Robey” is a singer and model with limited acting credits before or after the series. I liked her character and felt she did a good job as the leading actress within the series.  John D. LeMay has a somewhat broader resume, but still not what you would call extensive.  The veteran actor of the trio, Chris Wiggins, worked steadily since 1954 in various films and television shows and was the most accomplished of the three.  Together I felt there was good dynamics and connected well with the audience.  As a syndicated show, it had a lower budget, which was often apparent in the special effects, but they weren’t bad for the time and really didn’t detract from the story or its emotional impact.  I was a fan of the show, and watched it when ever my schedule would allow and still enjoy catching episodes when it is on.