Synication Files 09.09.09: Friday the 13th: The Series

Posted by Porfirio Diaz on 09.09.2009

A Friday the 13th series that had nothing to do with Jason Voorhees or the movies themselves? The devil you say. Friday the 13th: The Series may be 100% Jason-free but don’t understatement the excellent quality of this short-lived show. Read on why it’s hailed as an underrated cult classic today on this week’s installment of the Syndication Files: The Column.

Those looking for any movie related references to the film version, prepare to be either disappointed or pissed.

Also to note: not a lot of clips available from YouTube, so this entry will be my lowest video clip output yet. So if you're the type of person who just clicks for the clips, prepare to be either disappointed or pissed.

Don't worry; we can still have fun with this.


Syndication Files #13

Friday the 13th

See what I did there? This is the 13th column and the show is based on the number 13…ah nevermind.


Where's Jason?! Oh…right

"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."

Friday the 13th: The Series is the brain child of producer Frank Mancuso Jr. Coincidentally, Mancuso was also the producer of the movie series from Friday the 13th: Part 2 to Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. The series was supposedly titled The 13th Hour before Mancuso vetoed it. He decided to change the title to the Friday the 13th name in order to draw in more viewers. Friday the 13th: The Series made its debut on September 28, 1987.


Not pictured: hockey mask and famous guy wearing hockey mask

So yes, it's true. There was a time when the film series of the same name was turned into a television series. Movies turned television shows are nothing new. Just look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friday Night Lights and La Femme Nikita. Like the Friday the 13th series, these movies received mixed to positive responses before making the renewed leap over to the smaller screen with similar connections to their big screen counterparts. They even managed to surpass their success from the big screen thanks to their longevity on television and respective loyal fan bases. Many also forget that the ratings grabbing television hit show M*A*S*H was an adaption from the 1970 film of the same name.

Not all movie-television crossovers turn out great. After all, does anyone ever remember Clueless? Mortal Kombat: Conquest? And the less said about My Big Fat Greek Life, the better.

But unlike the shows listed above, Friday the 13th: The Series doesn't have anything to do with the film series of the same name. Jason Voorhees or his famous hockey mask is nowhere near mentioned within the continually structure of the series. Many think that Mancuso cashed-in the name to trick viewers into thinking that Jason would venture and slash his way into the airwaves of television from the comfort of their homes. Did not happen. So you can forget watching Jason and his murderous frolics of promiscuous teenagers at Crystal Lake. Not in this series. Unsurprisingly, fans cried foul. Dang Hollywood for coming up with new and fresh ideas!

But just because there's no Jason doesn't mean there's no fun. The title may be in name alone, but the suspenseful atmosphere is still found. Add in a great premise, some effective characterization, and quality storylines, and you have a very appealing show for not-so-scary horror buffs. This television series with no mention of their film counterparts was expected to bomb but actually turned out better than expected. It's like the ultimate underdog story of television shows.

Here's the premise (also briefly explained in the show's opening): Antique show owner Lewis Vendredi (R.G. Armstrong) made a deal with the Devil to sell cursed antiques to his unknowing buyers. In exchange, Vendredi would receive wealth and immortality. After years of playing as the Devil's pet, Vendredi decided to break the pact. As punishment, the Devil claimed Vendredi's soul for wussing out on their agreement.

Vendredi is French for "Friday", and there is your reason for the show's title. Pretty clever there television show.

The shop, now named "Curious Goods", is inherited by his niece, Micki Foster (Louise Robey and her untamable hairdo) and her distant cousin Ryan Dallion (John D. LeMay). Unbeknown of the pact, the duo ended up selling everything in an "everything must go" sale before meeting Vendredi's close friend, Jack Marshak. He informs the two about the cursed antiques and gets them up to speed with the details. Together, the main cast goes on a scavenger hunt to retrieve the cursed items before they cause major harm to society.


I just pissed my pants!

That's the good premise but what's so cursed about these cursed antiques?

All of the cursed items grant the user of the item either their deepest desire (love, wealth, immortality) or gains extraordinary power. However in order to activate the item, the user needs to sled other people's blood. In other words, the user would need to kill someone to activate the item. Let's take a couple of examples:

Steel scalpel – rumored to have belonged to Jack the Ripper, this scalpel can be able to cure any disease but only after it has been used to kill another.

Scarecrow – can guarantee good crops but only after seeking out three sacrificial victims. The image of the intended victim must be pinned to the scarecrow.

Coin of Ziocles – can bring back one unliving person back to life in exchange for killing another

Mephisto Ring - a 1919 World Series ring that predicts the outcomes of sporting events but only after killing someone who wears it

Could we really take a life away in order to cure our loved ones, bring a loved one back to life, or more importantly know the outcome to the upcoming football games?

… … … … …

Nah, I don't know about you but that's too cruel. Plus knowing the outcomes of sport games would eventually get too boring…for non-gambling purposes.

Unfortunately, there are people who would disagree with that statement and would have no problem committing murder for their own selfish reasons, even if those reasons are slightly reasonable.

Hey, let's have some more moral studies. Note the video below.


Come on, how hard can drowning a person be?

The story involves a couple with a sick baby and a baby crib from the Titanic. A baby placed in the crib can be cured of any disease but only if the parents kills seven people, with the main weapon being anything having to do with water. As the video shows, drowning a poor woman in a tub counts.

What's scary is that the mother looks to have no regrets for her murderous intent. The cost of seven lives all for the sake of saving her baby. Geez…

The writing displays its excellence here. The true evil here isn't the cursed antiques, but rather it's the cursed antiques' owner that is presented as the true evil (or true monster). Not in the Jason-mad, Jason-slash sense, but in the "welcome to the dark side" sense. The antiques are viewed nothing more than the vehicle of the owner's darkness. The person is placed on a pedestal of morals. The antique not only bumps the person off of the pedestal of morals and into the bandwagon of shadows but it also shows how far that person is willing to go on the path of desire. Another thing to think about is if a person's desires are truly evil. Killing someone for wealth and power is definitely evil. But killing someone for the sake of saving another, such as a baby? I would say the person is more conflicted than evil but that still doesn't make it right. I like the little morality lessons that the show presents. It gives me a chance to really think about the morals of society, as well as my own. It's a refreshing aspect to the genre of horror, especially when the standard "monster chases and slashes victim" component grows tiring.

This is quite the psychology lesson we're learning this week, aye? So ends my college lesson. Let's move on before I converge myself between reality and fantasy even further.

Each episode revolves around one theme, so you would never get lost trying to decipher the plot points. Of course no horror show can be without a good old fashion death scene. This violent element also makes it from the movie series to the television show. The show isn't shy in displaying a little blood and gore. In fact, the show often timed skirted around on the line of censorship with its graphic murders. It's very tame by today's standards but it was slightly controversial at the time. The show would constantly push the envelope as far as it could before ever crossing that line. I would say today's modern shows need to do more often if the line wasn't moved up several feet thanks to Janet Jackson's boob. All that said, it's not all bad.



Of course there's going to be some campy horror moments and over the top madness but a lot of creativity goes into them as well. Whereas the movie version gives you scary horror, the television vision gives you fun horror, the best kind of horror there is! Think less about Friday the 13th and more about Hitchcock's plot devices of suspense and lightning. That's basically what you get with this show. It's nothing but good cheesy and creepy fun. At least you won't get to experience night terrors like I did when I saw The Predator as a kid!

The actors may not win any awards for acting. In fact, they're down right goofy at times but they serve their purpose. Micki acts as the responsible adolescent (except when it comes to her hair), Ryan spits out the wise cracks, and Jack serves as the protecting mentor. They know exactly when situations are gloomy enough to drop the comedy routine and really start acting serious, which is a nice touch.

Friday the 13th: The Series overcame all the odds and managed to have a quality fan base that supported this non-Jason cosmos of a show. Unfortunately, hunky boy toy Ryan departed the show in the weirdest way at the beginning of the third season. A character by the name of Johnny Venture, introduced in the second season, filled in the void and remained for the rest of the series. Having minor characters level up to major characters are very hit or miss in the world of television, but this time it was a strike out. Johnny was not as loved with the fans. It was all about hunky Ryan.

The show abruptly ended after the third season with no proper ending given, which I'm sure pissed off the very same fans that were pissed off about this new Jason-less series. The last episode was shown on May 26, 1990. There were various rumors going about including how there would be a movie version of this particular adaptation, how the characters would return for the real movie series, and how the last episode was to unite the movie and television franchises by having the last item be Jason's hockey mask. Not of them came to be.

It's these inductions that made fans love Friday the 13th: The Series. I don't think you would call Friday the 13th: The Series a great television show, but you can't really call it "so bad it's good" either. I would definitely call it an underrated piece of work. You just don't see many creative shows like this anymore. It has a place in the bowels of television as a fun and cheesy horror show with some suspenseful moments sprinkled throughout each episode. A show that can be enjoyed on its own merits. I have read a lot of comparisons to Warehouse 13, in that they also have many of the same aspects from this series. I can't comment since I have yet to watch Warehouse 13, so I'll leave this one for you to decide whether that's true or not.

If you're a fan of this particular genre or want to experience it again, search through the Syfy channel as they are currently airing repeats. You can also hit up YouTube for various full episodes or just buy the DVD releases. Just beware: the video quality sucks for all options. A little video remastering would have done wonders.

Final tidbit: John D. LeMay also went on to play as Steven Freeman in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Glad I'm here to give you such delicious tidbits.


Commercial Break


Now this is true horror

What kind of mad world is that? No wonder people in America hate soccer.


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Ending Credits

Did anyone else see Oregon State running back LeGarrette Blount punch one of the players of Boise State? While I think sucker punches are not cool, that punch was perfectly thrown. Right in the jaw and he went down faster than America's health care. Now that Blount suspended for the whole season and may have jeopardized his career in the NFL, at least there's always MMA.

We also had the 411mania staff fantasy football draft over the weekend. I just like to proclaim that there is no need for suspense. I already have this one in the bag. Bring it, bitaches.

Sad to say that there will be no column from me next week. I'll be back in two weeks for more nostalgia boob-tubing adventures, so wait for me!

And with that, I'm out of time. Out like 9.