"Friday the 13th" (1987) TV series 1987-1990

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Creators:

Frank Mancuso Jr.
Larry B. Williams

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

28 September 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Two young antique store owners must recover cursed antiques.

Plot Keywords:

Antique | Store | Cursed | Misleading Title | Number In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Louise Robey	...	Micki Foster (70 episodes, 1987-1990)
Chris Wiggins	...	Jack Marshak (63 episodes, 1987-1990)
John D. LeMay	...	Ryan Dallion (53 episodes, 1987-1989)

Also Known As:

Friday the 13th: The Series
Friday's Curse (UK) (repeat compilations title)
The 13th Hour (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min (72 episodes)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Lexicon Productions

Trivia:

Though they share the same title, this series is not linked to the Friday the 13th movie franchise. The main characters search for magically-cursed objects that were sold through their uncle's store. Reportedly, the last item that was supposed to be retrieved by the characters in the series finale was to be a hockey mask which would undoubtedly have belonged to Jason Vorhees. While the show's crew did play with the idea of having a hockey mask in one of the episodes as an in-joke, there was never any serious intention to tie the film series with the television series.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Although no geographical location is ever given during the run of the series, it was clearly meant to be set in the US, with such things as American currency being used in any scene that involved money, and in one episode, a character saying something about being "in America." Even so, there were often things shown in scenes that clearly identified the location as Toronto, where the show was filmed, or Canada in general. Well known Canadian landmarks such as Casa Loma and part of the Toronto skyline, showing the recognizable Royal York hotel were seen, a train boxcar is shown with the word Canada written across its length in large letters, and vehicles also had Ontario license plates. While most outdoor scenes were kept non-descript, there were several scenes throughout the run of the series where the trio was driving along Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto, which is one of the most recognizable areas of Toronto. Americans who had never been to Toronto would likely recognize the area, just as Canadians recognize well known areas of New York and LA seen in TV shows, even if they have never been there before. These are just a few examples, but there are others as well.

Quotes:

Ryan: So much for the official story. Now what really happened?
Micki: It was scarecrow come to life! It had a leather mask on and was holding a handle with a blade...what do you calle them? A scythe! He must have just cut her head off.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009) (TV)

Terrific sci-fi horror stories with a campy feel

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.