"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 | Cursed | Store | 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:

Although John D. LeMay is the only main cast member of the TV series to be in one of the Friday the 13th movies, John Shepherd played Tommy Jarvis in the 5th film of the movie series and a constable in the "Baron's Bride" episode of the TV 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:

Jack Marshak: [to Uncle Lewis, who is attempting to reanimate a corpse] Lewis, you've had your time. You've made your choice. God help you. And now you must abide by that choice.

Movie Connections:

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

Excellent show with a creative premise

I was a big fan of this show when it was in first-run syndication, and I'm glad to see the Sci-Fi channel is still playing it. As much as I love "The X-Files," "Friday the 13th: The Series" gets extra points for coming first (by six years!) and actually remaining consistent. It's too bad it was so short-lived--I think it would have lasted longer and only gotten better if John D. LeMay had not left. The guy who replaced him was just not as cool, and the show suffered for it. The best episodes were in the second season, before Ryan met his strange fate (at least they didn't kill him off completely, though perhaps that would have been more honest!). All in all this is definitely one of my favorite TV series of all time.