F13TS 25 - Robey in Cancun

Here's a piece from the 80s show

Runaway with the Rich and Famous,

with Robey and her manager in Cancun, Mexico!

Great video!

F13TS 25 - Entertainment Tonight Piece

Here's a quick piece Entertainment Tonight did on the show in 1987:

You'll have to click THIS LINK,

since the user who uploaded it won't allow embedding.

Love seeing Chris Wiggins and Louise Robey talk up the show!

F13: TS 25 - Brain Drain

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Episode Recap #18: Brain Drain

Original Airdate: April 30, 1988

Starring:
John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion
Louise Robey as Micki Foster
Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast:
Carrie Snodgress as Dr. Viola Rhodes
Denis Forest as Stewart Pangborn
Brian Paul as Dr. Verner
Francois Klanfer as Dr. Robeson
David Walden as Dr. Maxwell

Written by Josh Miller
Directed by Lyndon Chubbuck

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 We open on a museum. In the lab, a Doctor Robeson is monitoring hope a below-level intelligent man functions doing menial tasks. Another man comes in and the doctor tells him he has something to show him that is big news. Robeson leads the other man to a secret room in the basement.  The patient, Harry, follows the men and spies on them.

Denis Forest, great actor, gone too soon.

The doctor shows the man a gorilla brain that is tied into computers, he has found a way to reprogram the brain to make it more intelligent. He says the brain is as smart as the patient he was doing tests on, maybe smarter. Robeson wants his friend to build hands of a sort, so the brain can use them. The doctor then takes his friend to show him something else, an item called a trephinator, something used to drain fluids off brains and spinal columns in the old days. This one, however, was modified to supposedly swap the intelligence of one person into another. Both men find it humorous that someone would actually think it could work. Anyone who used it would be dead in hours.

Another huge freaking antique!

Harry, the patient, has heard all the doctor said about how the machine works and when the other man leaves, he grabs Robeson and straps him into the machine. He sits in the other seat and pulls the lever. Both men are hit in the back of their heads by the trephinator mechanism. However, since it is a cursed antique, the machine does work, transferring Robeson's intelligence into Harry and vice versa.

Yeah, that's the stuff, man...

At Curious Goods, while Jack is complaining about again, Ryan is going through the mail and finds a letter about the trephinator from the manifest. He thinks they are going to get to go to Africa, but finds out Dr. Robeson has moved back and is working at the museum nearby.

At the museum, Jack finds out Robeson died a month ago after walking into traffic and being hit by a truck. Jack then spies a woman and approaches her, calling her Vi. She is Dr. Viola Rhodes, and she is just as surprised to see Jack. She tells him she is working at the museum for awhile. They both are very happy to see each other. Viola tells Jack to call her tonight, she wants to catch up. Micki and Ryan tease Jack and he tells them he was engaged to Vi once, 20 years ago. She wanted him to go to Kenya, he said no, and the engagement ended. Ryan tells Jack they found out Robeson had an assistant, Stewart Pangborn, who took over his research, so they go to see if he has any of the late doctor's belongings.

Jack cannot believe his eyes.

Dr. Pangborn is Harry, the patient who used the trephinator to steal Robeson's intelligence. He has gotten even more intelligent and has called on another man, Dr. Verner, to help him. Verner comments on how Stewart has some of the same mannerisms that Robeson had. Jack, Micki and Ryan come in and ask about the trephinator. Stewart says no and rudely tells them to leave. After they leave, Verner tells Pangborn he remembers Robeson saying something about a trephinator. Stewart takes the other doctor to the basement and shows him the trephinator, telling him it was a machine to measure the size of a person's brain. Playing on the man's ego, he gets Verner to sit in the machine so they can compare their brain sizes. Stewart pulls the lever and the machine hits both men, transferring the doctor's intelligence into Stewart. Dr. Verner then stumbles away and falls down the marble staircase. Jack calls for an ambulance as Micki notices the puncture wound on the back of Verner's neck.

At the store, the group tries to decide what their next course of action should be. Micki thinks they should talk to Verner, in the hospital. Jack comes into the kitchen, dressed up for his date with Viola. Micki comments on how good he looks and his cologne.

At dinner, Jack and Vi reminisce about their past. Jack tells her he was married once. Vi tells him she was married to her work. He asks what she is working on, but she says she can't tell him, but it is very exciting and experimental. She tells him she needs to get back to the hotel, she has to work early. Jack says she is the same old Viola. She says she isn't the same, she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Ryan comes back to the store and tells Micki he got an autopsy report for Dr. Robeson. Micki tells him she couldn't see Verner, he died before she could visit. Ryan tells her Robeson also had a puncture wound on the back of his neck.

At the hotel, Vi invites Jack up to her room and they share a kiss. Jack then goes with her upstairs.

It is like no time has passed for these lovebirds.

At the lab, Stewart, speaking in the accent of the doctor he just killed, tells the brain in his lab that it will make him famous.

It's alive! It's ALIVE!!!

Arriving home late, Jack attempts to sneak into the store, but Micki and Ryan are awake and waiting for him. They tell him about Verner dying and how Robeson had the same puncture wound. Jack speculates that the trephinator must have transferred their intelligence into Stewart Pangborn. Since the museum isn't opened yet, Jack says he was take a nap and then they will head over. Ryan asks if Jack is going to see Vi again. Jack says he is having lunch with Viola.

At the museum, Stewart tells Viola he is honored to have her working with him. She thinks the work is revolutionary. When she tells him they could get the brain learning language in months, he snaps, saying he wants results sooner. She tells him he needs patience, he wants her to work faster. She tells him she cannot help and then begins to leave to meet Jack. Stewart stops her, apologizing and asking her to come see one other piece of equipment. She tells him she has to go and will see it later.

Brains make a make clean up well.

At the museum, Ryan and Micki snoop around, looking for the machine. In the basement, Ryan remarks that the items are as strange as what they have in the vault. Micki adds that at least these items aren't cursed. They search through files and are about to give up when Ryan finds a file for a patient named Harry Bradden who is Stewart. Since they can see what his IQ used to be, they realize he is the one gaining intelligence using the trephinator.

In the storeroom of the basement, Stewart hears a noise and calls out for Dr. Rhodes. Micki is surprised that Stewart knows who Vi is. They try to be quiet, but Ryan bumps into something and Stewart keeps looking. Both Ryan and Micki have a hard time being quiet, so Stewart arms himself with a spear and searches the room. Micki hides in a crate. Ryan is just about to be discovered when Dr. Pangborn is paged by security. He hurries out. Ryan finds Micki in the crate and lets her out. She is shocked to see there was a mummified corpse in the crate with her. She wants to leave, but Ryan insists they keep searching.

Upstairs, in the lab, the see the brains in fluid, pulsing and alive. Ryan goes through more files, but finds nothing. They hear a guard come down into the basement. He looks around and leaves.

At the hotel, Jack and Vi are finishing lunch and Jack asks what is on Vi's mind. She tells him that she believe there is something wrong with the director of the program, Stewart. She says the program could be ground-breaking, however. Jack comments that is sounds like she could be around for awhile. She says she could be. Jack then pulls the old engagement ring out of his pocket and Vi says she would love to marry Jack now. He gives her the ring, telling her it was always hers. He wants to spend the day with her, but she says she has to go back to work so she can have the night free.

Micki and Ryan argue about what to do. Ryan says they need to find the trephinator, Micki says they should warn Vi first. Jack arrives and tells them he has news about Vi. Micki says Dr. Rhodes is in danger and fills him in on what they learned at the museum. They rush out, worried for Viola's safety.

Stewart chides Vi for being distracted, she says she just had a personal matter to deal with. he asks for her help with something and she agrees, following him.

Jack speeds to the museum, snapping at Micki and Ryan as they try to comfort him. He tells them Vi is going to marry him and he can't lose her. They tell him they want to help and he apologizes. Jack is in a near panic, worried he will lose Vi again, and this time, for good.

Stewart shows Dr. Rhodes the trephinator and when her back is turned, he hits her, knocking her out.

Arriving at the museum, the trio rush to find a way into the closed building.

Vi awakens strapped into the trephinator and before she can grasp what is going on, Stewart pulls the lever, transferring her intelligence into his brain.

Zoinks! That's smarts!!!

Unable to find a way in, Jack worries for Vi's safety. Searching around the back of the building, Micki comes across Vi, laying barely alive in the alley. Jack tells Ryan to get the door open, telling them there is only one chance to save Vi, they have to reverse the process and get her mind back from Stewart.

Stewart works with the brain using Vi's knowledge, getting it to make a sound. He tells the brain the world is waiting for them.

Inside the museum, the group brings Vi, hoping to save her. Ryan says Stewart could be anywhere. They bring her to the basement, looking for a safe place for Vi so they can go and look for Stewart. She begins to come around, but is incoherent. Ryan asks if Jack is willing t kill Pangborn and Jack says there is no other way, he can't watch Viola die. Micki and Ryan rush off to find Pangborn. Jack looks around for the doctor or the machine. In the lab he finds a gun and takes it with him.

Micki and Ryan, debating what to do about Pangborn and Viola, are stopped by a security guard.

Jack chases Pangborn, who sneaks up behind Jack and gets the gun away from him. Stewart tells Jack he knows what the woman thought and knew about Jack. Just as Pangborn is about to shoot, Vi stumbles out and rams into him, causing the gun to shoot wildly. Jack sees the trephinator and demands Pangborn tell him which seat to put Vi in to get her back. Stewart tells him it is too late, Vi's memories only live in his mind now. Both men struggle around the room, but eventually Jack gets the upper hand, stunning Stewart, who collapses into the trephinator seat. But before Jack can do anything else, Vi pulls the lever, and the machine hits Pangborn as well as the brain in the glass case. The brain in the case dies, Pangborn is given even less intelligence than he started with and Vi dies.

Poor Jack.

Would it have been better for him to have not reconnected with Vi?

Later, at the store, Jack rues the events, wondering if he could have done something different. Ryan and Micki comfort Jack as best they can. Ryan tells him that they do what they have to and, if they are lucky, it is good enough. Micki tells him to remember the time he did have with Viola. Jack speaks to Viola, telling her to wait and maybe they can be together, someday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts: Quite an interesting episode! Not only do we get an unique and unusual antique with a very cool curse, we get a glimpse into Jack's past!

The trephinator is a great item, giving the user such a gift for the deaths the person has to give in return. It is yet another huge item for the vault, however. Going to run out of room before season one even ends!

Love the glimpse into Jack's past and the romance he rekindles with Viola. Sadly, he loses her again, but this time in the most awful and final way possible. Damn Lewis, yet again.

Love Micki and Ryan being the one to give Jack words of advice and comfort at the end, words he has given them many times before. They are all growing and changing, even if it is due to some horrible events along the way.

Also love seeing Denis Forest, yet again. He was almost a member of the cast!

One thing I have to wonder is what would have happened to our Curious Goods group had Viola lived and her and Jack married? Would have been interesting!

Next week: "The Quilt of Hathor (Part One)"

F13TS 25 - Chiller TV Promo

Here's is the promo commercial for the show's run

on Chiller TV:

Sadly, I have never gotten Chiller,

so haven't been able to watch the show there.

F13:TS 25 - More Bloopers!

Here is a short blooper reel from the 3rd season of the show:

Glad to see them having fun!

F13TS 25 - Bloopers!

Bloopers from the 2nd Season:

Love behind the scenes stuff like this, wish there was more!

F13TS 25 - Robey Interview

Here's an interview with Robey from the 80s The Late Show:

She was so energetic and positive about the show.

F13TS 25 - Signed Cast Photo

Damn, I wish I owned this little treasure!

A CBS-TV promotional cast photo,

signed by John D. LeMay, Chris Wiggins

and Louise Robey!

Amazing!

Found on FanPop.com

F13TS 25 - SciFi Pilot Playhouse

Back in the early/mid 90s, SciFi Channel aired

Pilot Playhouse, where they would show the pilots from

shows in their rotation, sometimes with a host and

sometimes with interviews from cast or crew of the show.

Here is Ron Perlman hosting the airing of

The Inheritance, with bits of an interview

with Robey interspersed.

Awesome stuff!

Wish they did these things on SyFy now!

F13:TS 25 - The Inheritance

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Episode Recap #1: The Inheritance

Original Airdate: October 3, 1987

Starring:

John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion

Louise Robey as Micki Foster

Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast:

R.G. Armstrong as Lewis Vendredi

Sarah Polley as Mary Simms

Kynne Cormack as Mrs. Irene Simms

Michael Fletcher as Mr. Simms

Esther Hockin as the Babysitter

Written by Bill Taub

Directed by William Fruet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The show opens on a rainy night, a small family, the Simms,  huddled under an umbrella outside a shop called "Vendredi Antiques". The family enters the store, seeking shelter from the storm. The owner, Lewis Vendredi - a crusty, agitated old man - tells them to leave, but they persuade him to let them wait out the rain.

The little girl, Mary, starts touching things and gets scolded by her step-mother. The old man heads upstairs, the couple move off to look at antiques and Mary spies an old porcelain doll. Grabbing the doll, Mary heads outside into the rain. The doll speaks to Mary, telling the girl her name is Vita. A couple of guys in the alley approach, concerned about the little girl. Vita lashes out at them, cutting the throat of one of them.

Mary rushes back into the store. Her parents again scold her and Lewis grabs the doll away, shooing the family out of his store. He then grabs a bunch of antiques while grumbling that he "won't do your bidding no more". In the basement, he opens a vault and stows the items inside. Meanwhile, the windows of the shop have blown open and chaos ensues.

On the basement stairs, Lewis watches as cloven hoofprints are burned into each step. Laughter fills the air from someone - something - unseen. The vault bursts open and the ghost-like spirits of the antiques fly about, tormenting the old man. Suddenly, a crucifix appears floating before him. "Merciful God." Lewis says, and reaches out and grabs the cross. It burns his palm, scarring the flesh. 

Lewis backs into the freight elevator and the door slams shut behind him. A satanic symbol is burned into the floor and Lewis struggles to escape. But the floor vanishes and the old man drops down, falling into the depths of Hell.

Sometime later, we see a young, Yuppie couple arguing about her trip to deal with her inheritance from an Uncle Lewis she has never met. The young woman, red-headed beauty Micki Foster quells the annoyance of her fiance, a lawyer who thinks they should sue the cousin she hasn't met but with whom she now shares this antique shop.

Once Micki arrives at the store, we see it is now closed, items covered by sheets. The place is even gloomier than before, if possible. As she looks about, she is startled when a man in a strange mask jumps up from behind the counter. Micki smashes a vase on his head.

The young man turns out to be her cousin, Ryan Dallion, who was expecting his cousin to be a man.  The two get off to a rocky start. Micki is creeped out by the shop and its inventory, while Ryan thinks everything is fascinating and cool.

In the garage, they find that their uncle has also left them an old car. Briefly, the two enjoy a moment of fancy, Ryan acting as a limo driver for the lady. A black cat jumps into the car and scares Micki, who runs out and off to the basement, determined to get to work appraising and selling off the store. Ryan wants to explore and finds a way to open the vault.

Ryan props open the door and they proceed inside. Micki feels like something isn't right about this place. A noise causes Ryan to go investigate and Micki is locked in the vault. She looks about and sees the doll, Vita, sit up and turn toward her, seemingly alive. Stumbling about, Micki is nearly killed by a falling scythe. Ryan finds the secret brick to open the doors and Micki rushes out and up the stairs.

Back in the shop, she trips and grabs a spindle for support, the wood turns in her hand and a secret grate on the celiing opens, a thick old book dropping out. Micki and Ryan continue to disagree about what they want to do with the store. Ryan pleads his case for reopening the place and running it themselves.

We then cut to a going-out-of-business sale. Ryan has apparently come around to Micki's way of thinking. People mill about the shop, including Mr. Simms. He is back to find the doll he knew his daughter loved. Ryan finds it, but Micki doesn't want to sell it, remembering the way the doll moved in the vault. Ryan says no go, she wanted to sell it all, that includes the doll. Vita is purchased by Mary's father.

Late that night, as the cousins gather more antiques to sell, they hear a noise in the shop. Someone is prowling about. A man pulls a sword on the duo, introducing himself as Jack Marshak, a supplier of antiques to the shop. He has come to collect money from Lewis. They tell the intruder that Lewis was their uncle and he is dead. Jack is shocked.

In the kitchen, he tells them about the uncle they never knew and how he taught Lewis about the supernatural world. He explains that Lewis wanted to avoid death and be rich and that obsession drove the man to delve into the dark, demonic side of the other world. He recalls that Lewis had a plan to make a pact with Satan for immortality and immense wealth. But since Lewis is dead, Jack assumes the plan must not have worked. The cousins tell him about the book they found, which Jack says is Lewis' manifest for all the antiques he sold.

Our heroic trio sit down for their very first chat. 

Jack recalls another secret compartment, this one filled with news articles about suspicious deaths people have suffered with various arcane objects. They are able to match these objects to ones sold and listed in the manifest. Ryan and Jack realize Lewis did make his pact with Satan, cursing the items he sold and released into the world, while Micki is less impressed. Jack says Lewis must have tried to break the pact, but Satan took his life, instead. When Micki remembers the doll in the vault, she begins to wonder if the curse is real.

We then see Mary receiving the gift of the doll from her father. She is thrilled to have Vita back, but her dad asks her not to mention it to her step-mother. Vita tells Mary that, together, they can do anything they want.

The Simms argue about him giving the girl the doll. The step-mother doesn't think Mary deserves it and is determined to get it away from her.

Micki and Ryan search for the receipt for Vita and find the Simms' address. They decide to head out to retrieve the doll, while Jack says he is going to consult a friend of his, a medium, about the curse on Lewis' antiques. He also tells them that they could just forget about it all and go back to their lives, but Micki speaks for them all when she says they have to get the doll back before thinking about resuming their lives.

Mary and Vita are having a tea party, with the doll slowly pushing Mary into dark thoughts about her step-mother. Mary is reluctant at first, but is easly swayed by the manipulative doll. Her step-mother arrives and lectures the girl, taking Vita away from her until the girl can learn to behave. She hides the doll, but Mary secretly watches.

Micki and Ryan are searching a map to find the Simms' home. Ryan asks if Micki is sure she knows what she is doing. She says no. He responds, "At least we have one thing in common."

Mary retrives Vita but is caught by her step-mother. Vita looks at Mary and then psychically moves a roller skate to the top of the stares. The stare from Vita causes Mrs. Simms to back up and then Vita hisses at her, causing the woman to tumble back and fall down the staircase.

As Mrs. Simms is being put into the ambulance, Micki and Ryan finally arrive. A neighbor tells them what happened and they see Mary with Vita. They approach and are startled when Mary snaps at them and Vita hisses. The girl and doll are loaded into the ambulance by her father, and the Simms head off to the hospital.

Mr. Simms tells his wife she is in the hospital and goes off to find a doctor, leaving the woman alone with Mary and Vita. The girl brings the doll up to her step-mother's bed, lifting her over the woman. Vita attacks, scaring Mrs. Simms to death. Mary's father comes back in and finds his wife dead, but is unaware of Mary's role.

Micki and Ryan approach some nurses, telling them they are the injured woman's niece and nephew. They are informed of her death. Unsure what to do next, they head off.

Mary's dad leaves her with a neighbor as he goes off to make funeral plans. The old woman watches as the girl plays with Vita and her other toys. Mary doesn't seem very upset about recent events, snapping at the old woman when she won't give her more cookies. When the woman pushes Mary to rest, the girl snaps and Vita helps her attack with the toys in her room, eventually causing a book case to topple over on the old lady.

Micki and Ryan arrive then and hear the commotion in the house. Ryan gets the door open and they rush in, finding the neighbor lady unconcious on the floor, the toys all having magically gone back where they belong. Ryan calls 911 as Micki spies Mary and Vita outside at the nearby playground. She rushes out after them.

Micki tries to talk to Mary, telling her she doesn't want to take Vita away, but she has no choice. Mary declines and uses Vita to torment Micki with the playground equipment. Micki is shocked that the doll can actually do these supernatural things, but she persists, leaping onto the merry-go-round when Mary won't let Vita go. The two are spun around, faster and faster, as the wind picks up and the sky darkens. Soon, Ryan jumps on and wrestles with Mary for the doll. As he pulls it free, Mary is thrown off. The sky clears.

Vita would be a match even for Chucky!

Mary is alive, but injured. Micki takes her back to the house, but not before reminding Ryan that, while they got this doll back, there are many other cursed antiques still out there.

Jack puts the doll into the vault, locking the doors behind him. He tells the cousins that since they objects were cursed they cannot be destroyed, so the only safe place for them is in the vault, in the basement of the store. Micki then calls her fiancee and tells him she is going to be staying at the store longer than she thought. He hangs up on her.

Ryan says they should change the name of the shop and Jack suggests "Curious Goods". Micki points out that they need to get back everything Lewis sold, plus everything they unwittingly sold, as well. Where do they begin? she asks, as Jack gasps at an article in the newspaper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

For a pilot, this is a damn good episode! It presents the characters, the setting, the ongoing plot for the series and even their first adventure in recovering the cursed antiques!

We are given accurate glimpes into the personalities of all the main characters here. Micki is shown as a modern beauty who stands her ground, but with class and a good heart. Ryan is spirited and goofy, but brave as well. Jack is mysterious and worldly, but willing to stop all that to help undo something he feels partially responsible for. In fact, all three of the characters put their lives on hold, knowing that they have to get these items back because if they don't, who will?

The store itself is a character here, not only the place where it all begins and a good part of the action happens, but also where the items need to be stored for the safety of the world, and where dark forces are held at bay. It is a great, creepy set, with multiple levels and dark corners.

I know I am biased, since I love this show, but for me this episode just hits all the right notes. Upon original viewing, I am sure a lot of people we sitting asking where the hell Jason Voorhees was. But for me, but the time the credits rolled, I didn't care that Jason wasn't here. In fact, I was glad! This was a different world and I wanted to get to know it and these characters. For three years, we had that opportunity and to this day, I, for one, still miss this show, and these characters.

So, I hope you enjoyed this laid back walk down memory lane. Whether anyone reads or comments, I intend to do all 72 episodes.

This is my tribute to my favorite show.

Next week: "The Poison Pen"

Hellowe'en

For your enjoyment, the "Hellowe'en" episode of the great "Friday the 13th: The Series"











This episode originally aired October 31, 1987!

23 years ago - Wow, does time fly.

Halloween Month: Friday the 13th: The Series Minisodes!

The Retroist has been showcasing minisodes (10 minute condensed episodes) of my all-time favorite show, Friday the 13th: The Series!

These are from SailorsLoveShack's YouTube Channel

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Here are the first 13 episodes:

The Inheritance


The Poison Pen


Cupid's Quiver


A Cup of Time


Hellowe'en


The Great Montarro


Doctor Jack


Shadow Boxer


Root of All Evil


Tales of the Undead


Scarecrow


Faith Healer


The Baron's Bride


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Information on purchasing DVDs of the show:

Season One - Amazon or CBS.com

Season Two - Amazon

Season Three - Amazon or CBS.com

Or get The Complete Series Box Set

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The best site on Friday the 13th: The Series is the great Vendredi Antiques

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