Doctor Madblood
Encyclopedia
Doctor Madblood, a horror host
character, was created by Jerry Harrell, who had played Bozo for Richmond's WTVR until 1974, for a Halloween
television special that aired on WAVY-TV
in Tidewater, Virginia on November 4th, 1975. The special was a series of comedy vignettes wrapped around a horror film, Universal’s House of Frankenstein
. Two weeks later, the show became a weekly series, airing at 1:00 a.m. on Saturday nights, right after the new NBC
show, Saturday Night Live
.
Each week Doctor Madblood's Movie presented a film from the Universal 77 Horror Hits package, and in segments wrapped around the film, detailed the adventures of a retired mad scientist from Pungo, Virginia, and his collection of friends, fiends, and foes, which included Brain (played by a car sponge in a fishbowl and voiced by Jess Holland, and later by Joe Penque), his lab assistant Volly (Mark Young), his pals Count Lacudra and Dusty the Cropduster (Mike Arlo), his neighbors Betsy (Sherree Bernardi), Velma, and Tiffany Von Basketcase (Both played by Susie Davis).
Other friends included Princess Lygia and Queen Mumenkara (both portrayed by Donna Stamm), Elmo Hummer (Joe Penque) Luther McCoy (Don Davis) and The Audio Shadow (Jim Stanley). The doctor’s two main nemeses were Dr. Rader and Reverend Fernwald (played by Penque and Stanley).
The weekly series proved so popular with the target audience of viewers 18-49 that it routinely drew larger Arbitron
ratings than the six o’clock news on any station in the market. It quickly spawned its own fan club and several fan conventions.
The show had several cast changes over the WAVY years, including the departure of Mark Young, Jess Holland, Joe Penque and Donna Stamm, and the additions of Craig T. Adams, Susie Scheeler and Dennis Nelson.
In 1982, following a seven-year run on WAVY-TV, the series moved to the Tidewater public television station WHRO-TV
, where it was re-named Doctor Madblood's Nightvisions and syndicated to public television stations in Virginia. Following a two-season run, the show continued in weekly syndication on six cable outlets in New England throughout the 1980s.
The Doctor also returned to Tidewater television screens with a prime-time Halloween
special on WAVY-TV in 1984, Doctor Madblood's Halloween Howl, which wrapped around the 1960 Hammer Studios
film The Brides of Dracula. For the first time, this special incorporated the doctor and his gang into the action of the movie itself. Another Halloween special on WAVY-TV followed in 1986, with an all-night triple feature marathon.
In 1989, Doctor Madblood's Movie returned to weekly television in Tidewater on the local Fox
affiliate WTVZ-TV
. In this incarnation, Madblood was joined by series regulars Mike Arlo and Craig T. Adams, who had become the voice of Brain as well as many other characters, and newcomer Penny Palen, who portrayed the doctor’s nurse Patience Dream. Also joining the regular cast was Carter Perry, who became one of Madblood’s monsters, Ernie K. Carter’s affiliation with the program began as an editor on "Nightvisions" and "Halloween Howl," and as a director and producer during the WTVZ-TV
years.
The program continued on WTVZ until the spring of 2002. During that time, the show celebrated both its 20th and 25th anniversaries, re-uniting cast members from various versions of the series.
In the fall of 2002, Doctor Madblood’s gang moved into a weekly prime-time slot on WSKY-TV
, which was broadcasting from Powell’s Point, North Carolina and was seen in the Tidewater (now known as Hampton Roads) market on cable channel four. In this incarnation, known as Doctor Madblood Presents The Friday Night Frights, the show wrapped around episodes of classic television series, like Alfred Hitchcock Presents
and Boris Karloff’s Thriller
.
In 2004, the program moved to prime-time on Saturday nights, becoming simply Doctor Madblood Presents, and wrapping around Rod Serling’s Night Gallery
. This version of the show included the celebration of Doctor Madblood’s 30th year on television.
Doctor Madblood Presents concluded its run on WSKY-TV in August 2007, bringing to a close the doctor’s television career. Or so we all thought.
Spending Halloween 2007 working on the madblod.net website, gave the Pungo Gang a bit of a break, but when PBS affiliate WHRO-TV
showed an interest in a special for Halloween 2008, everyone jumped at the chance to get the band back together.
"Doctor Madblood's Halloween Horror Express" went back to the "Halloween Howl" idea, and this time put Nurse Dream, Dusty the Cropduster and Grinfield into the movie "Horror Express
" while Madblood and the gang got ready for the annual Halloween party. This also brought the return of Susie Passanisi as Velma, now a countess.
For 2009 the gang returned again with "Doctor Madblood's Haunted Halloween" with Grinfield and Kid Exorcist becoming a part of House on Haunted Hill
" to win the money Vincent Price
's character was handing out. The gang all returned, and for the first time the party scenes were benefitted by a live band, Phoebus Rio.
For Halloween 2010, the gang reunited yet again and celebrated the 35th anniversary of the series' debut with a party and a showing of Christopher Lee
's Horror Hotel as well as 35 clips from the WAVY, WHRO, WTVZ, and WSKY years.
Horror host
Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...
character, was created by Jerry Harrell, who had played Bozo for Richmond's WTVR until 1974, for a Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
television special that aired on WAVY-TV
WAVY-TV
WAVY-TV, channel 10, is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Hampton Roads area . WAVY is owned by LIN Television Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox affiliate WVBT...
in Tidewater, Virginia on November 4th, 1975. The special was a series of comedy vignettes wrapped around a horror film, Universal’s House of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein may refer to:*House of Frankenstein , a 1944 horror film produced by Universal Studios*House of Frankenstein 1997, a 1997 television mini-series featuring characters from the Universal Studios horror films...
. Two weeks later, the show became a weekly series, airing at 1:00 a.m. on Saturday nights, right after the new NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
show, Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Each week Doctor Madblood's Movie presented a film from the Universal 77 Horror Hits package, and in segments wrapped around the film, detailed the adventures of a retired mad scientist from Pungo, Virginia, and his collection of friends, fiends, and foes, which included Brain (played by a car sponge in a fishbowl and voiced by Jess Holland, and later by Joe Penque), his lab assistant Volly (Mark Young), his pals Count Lacudra and Dusty the Cropduster (Mike Arlo), his neighbors Betsy (Sherree Bernardi), Velma, and Tiffany Von Basketcase (Both played by Susie Davis).
Other friends included Princess Lygia and Queen Mumenkara (both portrayed by Donna Stamm), Elmo Hummer (Joe Penque) Luther McCoy (Don Davis) and The Audio Shadow (Jim Stanley). The doctor’s two main nemeses were Dr. Rader and Reverend Fernwald (played by Penque and Stanley).
The weekly series proved so popular with the target audience of viewers 18-49 that it routinely drew larger Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings than the six o’clock news on any station in the market. It quickly spawned its own fan club and several fan conventions.
The show had several cast changes over the WAVY years, including the departure of Mark Young, Jess Holland, Joe Penque and Donna Stamm, and the additions of Craig T. Adams, Susie Scheeler and Dennis Nelson.
In 1982, following a seven-year run on WAVY-TV, the series moved to the Tidewater public television station WHRO-TV
WHRO-TV
WHRO-TV digital channel 15 is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for Hampton Roads, Virginia . The station is licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk with the studios at the Public Telecommunications Center for Hampton Roads next to the campus of Old Dominion University...
, where it was re-named Doctor Madblood's Nightvisions and syndicated to public television stations in Virginia. Following a two-season run, the show continued in weekly syndication on six cable outlets in New England throughout the 1980s.
The Doctor also returned to Tidewater television screens with a prime-time Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
special on WAVY-TV in 1984, Doctor Madblood's Halloween Howl, which wrapped around the 1960 Hammer Studios
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
film The Brides of Dracula. For the first time, this special incorporated the doctor and his gang into the action of the movie itself. Another Halloween special on WAVY-TV followed in 1986, with an all-night triple feature marathon.
In 1989, Doctor Madblood's Movie returned to weekly television in Tidewater on the local Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate WTVZ-TV
WTVZ-TV
WTVZ-TV is the My Network TV affiliate serving the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Virginia television market. The station broadcasts on channel 33 and owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. WTVZ's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.-Digital programming:The station's digital channel is...
. In this incarnation, Madblood was joined by series regulars Mike Arlo and Craig T. Adams, who had become the voice of Brain as well as many other characters, and newcomer Penny Palen, who portrayed the doctor’s nurse Patience Dream. Also joining the regular cast was Carter Perry, who became one of Madblood’s monsters, Ernie K. Carter’s affiliation with the program began as an editor on "Nightvisions" and "Halloween Howl," and as a director and producer during the WTVZ-TV
WTVZ-TV
WTVZ-TV is the My Network TV affiliate serving the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Virginia television market. The station broadcasts on channel 33 and owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. WTVZ's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.-Digital programming:The station's digital channel is...
years.
The program continued on WTVZ until the spring of 2002. During that time, the show celebrated both its 20th and 25th anniversaries, re-uniting cast members from various versions of the series.
In the fall of 2002, Doctor Madblood’s gang moved into a weekly prime-time slot on WSKY-TV
WSKY-TV
WSKY-TV, which was launched in October 2001, is a full-power/full market television independent station serving the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA television market and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The station, which is part of the Hampton Roads market, broadcasts on digital channel 9...
, which was broadcasting from Powell’s Point, North Carolina and was seen in the Tidewater (now known as Hampton Roads) market on cable channel four. In this incarnation, known as Doctor Madblood Presents The Friday Night Frights, the show wrapped around episodes of classic television series, like Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
and Boris Karloff’s Thriller
Thriller (US TV series)
Thriller is an anthology television series that aired during the 1960–61 and 1961–62 seasons on NBC. The show featured host Boris Karloff introducing a mix of macabre horror tales and suspense thrillers....
.
In 2004, the program moved to prime-time on Saturday nights, becoming simply Doctor Madblood Presents, and wrapping around Rod Serling’s Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
. This version of the show included the celebration of Doctor Madblood’s 30th year on television.
Doctor Madblood Presents concluded its run on WSKY-TV in August 2007, bringing to a close the doctor’s television career. Or so we all thought.
Spending Halloween 2007 working on the madblod.net website, gave the Pungo Gang a bit of a break, but when PBS affiliate WHRO-TV
WHRO-TV
WHRO-TV digital channel 15 is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for Hampton Roads, Virginia . The station is licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk with the studios at the Public Telecommunications Center for Hampton Roads next to the campus of Old Dominion University...
showed an interest in a special for Halloween 2008, everyone jumped at the chance to get the band back together.
"Doctor Madblood's Halloween Horror Express" went back to the "Halloween Howl" idea, and this time put Nurse Dream, Dusty the Cropduster and Grinfield into the movie "Horror Express
Horror Express
Horror Express, also known as Pánico en el Transiberiano/Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express, is a 1972 Spanish horror film directed by Eugenio Martin, produced by Bernard Gordon written by Arnaud d'Usseau and Julian Zimet , and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas.The film is...
" while Madblood and the gang got ready for the annual Halloween party. This also brought the return of Susie Passanisi as Velma, now a countess.
For 2009 the gang returned again with "Doctor Madblood's Haunted Halloween" with Grinfield and Kid Exorcist becoming a part of House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American B movie horror film from Allied Artists. It was directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He and his fourth wife, Annabelle, have invited five people to the house for a "Haunted...
" to win the money Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
's character was handing out. The gang all returned, and for the first time the party scenes were benefitted by a live band, Phoebus Rio.
For Halloween 2010, the gang reunited yet again and celebrated the 35th anniversary of the series' debut with a party and a showing of Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
's Horror Hotel as well as 35 clips from the WAVY, WHRO, WTVZ, and WSKY years.
External links
- Doctor Madblood's web site - Official web site
- Virginia Creepers Documentary film site dedicated to 50 years of horror hosting in Virginia