Friday the 13th: The Series
Encyclopedia
Friday the 13th: The Series is an American-Canadian horror
television series
that ran for three seasons, from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 in first-run syndication.
Originally, the series was to be titled The 13th Hour, but producer
Frank Mancuso, Jr. thought this would turn away viewers and instead took the name Friday the 13th to deliberately draw in audiences. Despite this title, the series has no story connections to the film series of the same name, as Jason Voorhees
does not make an appearance, nor does any character connected to the films.
The two series have several cast and crew ties, however. The show's producer, Frank Mancuso, Jr., was producer of the movie series from Friday the 13th Part 2
(1981) until the final installment distributed by Paramount
(Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
in 1989, a year before the TV series ended). The show's star, John D. LeMay
, went on to star in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
, guest star John Shepherd
played Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
, and episode director David Cronenberg
appeared in Jason X
. Fred Mollin, Rob Hedden, and Tom McLoughlin
worked behind the scenes of both series.
An antiques dealer named Lewis Vendredi (played by R.G. Armstrong) made a deal with the Devil
to sell cursed antiques out of his shop, "Vendredi's Antiques", in exchange for wealth, magic powers, and immortality. He eventually rebelled against the Devil and broke the deal. The Devil came and claimed the soul of Vendredi ("Friday" in French) for breaking the deal.
After Lewis' death, his shop was inherited by his niece, Micki Foster (played by Louise Robey
) and her cousin by marriage, Ryan Dallion (played by John D. LeMay
). They sold off many of the cursed antiques before being stopped by Jack Marshak (played by Chris Wiggins
). Jack was Lewis' friend, a retired world-traveller and occultist who originally collected many of the antiques for Vendredi before they became cursed.
The series follows the protagonists as they hunt down the cursed antiques, which are usually in the possession of people who have discovered their evil powers and are unwilling to give them up. Since the cursed antiques are completely indestructible, they must be locked away in a vault beneath "Curious Goods" (the rechristened antique store) that is designed to magically render the objects inert. A manifest, written by Lewis, holds the records of all the cursed objects sold.
Most of the stories in the series deal with people using the cursed objects' magic for personal gain or for revenge. Each object must be activated by a human sacrifice, and the victim must be killed with the object itself, or in some particular manner reflecting the object's history. Typically, the person using the cursed object ends up becoming a victim of the object's curse after failing to meet its demand for more and more human sacrifices. Some objects are sentient and intelligent, such as the doll ("The Inheritance") and the radio ("And Now the News"). Other cursed objects do not actually speak but demonstrate intelligence and awareness in other ways ("Spirit of Television", "The Playhouse") or confer intelligence on other inanimate things ("Read My Lips", "Double Exposure", "Wax Magic"). Still others function without intelligence, mechanically dispensing a certain benefit in response to human sacrifice ("Root of All Evil", "The Mephisto Ring", "The Prisoner"). Occasionally, there would be an object-free episode in which the trio would confront their uncle's spirit or some other Satanic evildoer ("The Prophecy", "Hello'ween", "Wedding in Black".)
Like other sci-fi
/horror
shows in syndication in the late 1980s (such as War of the Worlds
and Freddy's Nightmares
), Friday the 13th: The Series constantly pushed the limits of "acceptable content", regularly featuring violence on par with that of the R-rated
horror movies of the time. Certain episodes such as "Night Prey", depicted a level of sexuality that was taboo for network television.
). He helps recover the relics and eventually replaces Ryan permanently in the third season. A romantic interest between Johnny and Micki is hinted at, but not realized.
) inherits the store, which she co-owns with her cousin by marriage, Ryan Dallion. At first, Micki is a bit of a snob, a fashion plate, and fairly vulnerable. As the series progresses, Micki becomes stronger willed, more independent, less materialistic, and darker in character.
She is 5' 6" or 5' 8" ("Mightier Than the Sword") and both her parents are still alive ("The Long Road Home"). Her mother, Catherine, is Irish and her father is English ("Shadow Boxer"). She has an irresponsible sister and a nephew, J.B., who is often left in Micki's care ("A Friend To the End"). She was engaged once, but broke it off in order to continue recovering cursed antiques ("The Root of All Evil"). Her fiance, Lloyd, was not her first love ("Badge of Honor"), nor her last ("Master of Disguise"). Micki was killed once when a cursed coin was used on her ("Tails I Live, Heads You Die"). Ryan and Jack eventually tricked the bad-guys into bringing her back to life.
), Micki's cousin by marriage, also inherited the store. In the beginning he is portrayed as a failed art student and obviously has feelings for Micki that get stronger as the series progresses in spite of her firm, consistent rejection. He is excited about fixing up the store, but is talked into selling the inventory by Micki, a decision they come to regret. Their relationship at first is cool but they grow to be very special to each other over time, especially after Micki's first death in the beginning of the second season ("Tails I Live, Heads You Die").
Ryan's relationship with his father, Ray, was not a good one ("Pipe Dream"). Ryan's brother Jimmy died at age 10, and his mother, Elizabeth, ran out on them shortly after ("Scarecrow," "The Prophecies"). She returned just before Ryan went to France with Micki to help a comatose Jack. At the beginning of the third season, he is removed from the show by being transformed into a small child ("The Prophecies").
) is a former stage magician and an expert in the occult. He has travelled all over the world and he has diverse skills including bartending ("Cupid's Quiver"), picking locks ("Pipe Dream", "Brain Drain"), ornamental metalwork ("Poison Pen"), and forgery (ibid.). He has a great many old, peculiar friends. Insofar as the trio has a leader, he is it; the cousins often try to work without him but have to turn to him for aid ("Read My Lips", "Pipe Dream") and moral support ("Root of All Evil", "Face of Evil", "The Quilt of Hathor"). He re-names the store "Curious Goods" ("The Inheritance").
Jack had been married once and had a clairvoyant son, Peter, who died in a young girl's dream plane ("Bottle of Dreams"). When Jack was younger, his father disappeared, only to return ten years later. However, the man who came back was a spirit ("Midnight Riders"). Jack served in World War II and nearly died in a Nazi war camp ("The Butcher"). He was engaged to a scientist, who left him to do field research. She shows up in his life years later, but dies shortly after they plan to marry ("Brain Drain").
) is introduced toward the end of season two and becomes a regular in season three. He is first introduced as a vain, sleezy skirt-chaser with an eye for Micki ("Wedding Bell Blues"). The interest begins to wane, but briefly heats up again after he has matured through hard experience, when the two take a road trip to retrieve a cursed object and end up in an abandoned house ("The Long Road Home").
Johnny's mother died before his introduction into the show; his father, a security guard, gets shot and killed on the job ("The Prisoner"). Johnny has been arrested three times: once for having "boosted a six-pack of beer" ("Wedding Bell Blues"), once for breaking and entering ("Wedding Bell Blues"), and finally as a suspect in his father's murder ("The Prisoner"). He has useful friends (from his father) in the police force. His unsophisticated, easily-tempted character contrasts with Jack and Micki, and the third season includes several "Johnny screws up" episodes ("Crippled Inside", "Bad Penny", "Hate on your Dial").
mystic (played by Elias Zarou) who helps the trio when they are dealing directly with Lewis' ghost, who tries constantly to re-enter the world of the living ("Bottle Of Dreams", "Doorway To Hell"). Though mentioned more than actually appearing in the series, Rashid is very much competent in helping his old friend Jack and the cousins one way or another.
Rashid was the one to help Jack bring back Ryan and Micki from Lewis' clutches twice, and even revealed to them the fate of Jack's son.
Always knowledgeable in occult, sometimes even more so than Jack, Rashid is most capable as Jack's psychic-link during his first trial against Lewis. The second would be more guidance as to help Jack enter a cursed mirror and lead the cousins out of Lewis' possessed house.
During the series run, Rashid only appeared in two episodes though there are several others where he was mentioned ("Vanity Mirror" and "Voodoo Mambo" are examples).
, Canada. Friday the 13th: The Series aired in first-run syndication, initially in a late-night spot; the success of the series as a late-night show prompted some broadcasting stations to move it to primetime. Produced on a budget estimated below $500,000 per episode, the first season placed second in the male 18 to 49 year old demographic, just behind Paramount's Star Trek: The Next Generation
. In addition, the first season placed fifth in the female 18 to 49 year old demographic.
s in 1988 and 1989 for Visual and Graphic Effects. The series won two silver plaques in Chicago
for the episodes Scarlet Cinema and The Sweetest Sting. In 1990 the series was nominated by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films as Best Series. The series was nominated twelve times for writing, editing, directing, production design, acting, sound and music by the Gemini Awards in Canada.
CBS Television Studios currently owns the rights to the TV series (as successor in interest to Paramount Domestic Television
), thus the DVDs were released by CBS Home Entertainment (with distribution by Paramount
). Meanwhile, Paramount continues to own the film franchise outright, a status now shared with New Line Cinema
(which collaborated with Paramount on the latest entry in the series, released in 2009
).
. This remains unfounded and while there was talk about having a hockey mask on one of the sets as an in-joke, there was never any serious intention to mix the film series into the television series.
However, Eric Morse
wrote the webnovel The Mask of Jason Voorhees, the fifth and last book in his "Camp Crystal Lake" series of novels which united the novels, the first nine movies, and the television series into one continuity
. The concepts in the book were created by Eric Morse and are not the original intent of the show's creators and thus, should not be treated as official canon
.
The 2009 SyFy
original series Warehouse 13
has been accused of "borrowing" much from the 1980s television series Friday the 13th: The Series. The show stars two agents, Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly
) and Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock
), led by older, wiser Arthur "Artie" Nielsen (Saul Rubinek
) as they collect artifacts, powerful items which are "imbued with human energy" and have supernatural powers. These artifacts are stored in the warehouse, safely hidden from both the public and those who would make use of the artifacts for evil or selfish purposes. However, artifacts are not evil by nature nor cursed and don't require a human sacrifice in order for them to function.
's horror
-themed cable channel Chiller
, which launched on March 1, 2007, airs the series in sporadic weekday marathons. During a viewers' choice marathon on October 7, 2007, "Scarecrow" was voted most popular episode. The top five episodes were rebroadcast on Election Day, November 6, 2007. The show has been among the many second-run programs aired on Syfy
channel (formerly SciFi). After a few years of absence, the channel began airing the series again starting October 10, 2008.
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
that ran for three seasons, from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 in first-run syndication.
Originally, the series was to be titled The 13th Hour, but producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Frank Mancuso, Jr. thought this would turn away viewers and instead took the name Friday the 13th to deliberately draw in audiences. Despite this title, the series has no story connections to the film series of the same name, as Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
does not make an appearance, nor does any character connected to the films.
The two series have several cast and crew ties, however. The show's producer, Frank Mancuso, Jr., was producer of the movie series from Friday the 13th Part 2
Friday the 13th Part 2
Friday the 13th Part II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Steve Miner, who also directed its sequel, Friday the 13th Part III and several other popular horror films. A sequel to Friday the 13th , it is the second film in the Friday the 13th film series. It was a moderate box-office hit, opening on...
(1981) until the final installment distributed by Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
(Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is a slasher film released on July 28, 1989. It is the eighth film in the Friday the 13th film series, and deals with Jason Voorhees stalking a group of high school graduates on a ship en route to New York City, and was the last film in the series...
in 1989, a year before the TV series ended). The show's star, John D. LeMay
John D. LeMay
John D. LeMay is an American actor who has starred in TV shows and on film.LeMay was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota and moved to Normal, Illinois in his teens. He went to Normal Community High School and participated in school plays and got into both singing and acting...
, went on to star in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday is a 1993 slasher film, the ninth—and, as the title suggests, intended final—installment in the Friday the 13th film series and the first sequel to be distributed by New Line Cinema....
, guest star John Shepherd
John Shepherd (actor)
John Shepherd is an American actor and producer who has starred in film and on television. He is best known for his role in the 1985 horror film Friday the 13th: A New Beginning as Tommy Jarvis and speaks in the commentary of the Deluxe Edition of the film in 2009.Other movies he starred in were...
played Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is a 1985 slasher film. It was released on March 22, 1985. It is the fifth film in the Friday the 13th film series...
, and episode director David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
appeared in Jason X
Jason X
Jason X is a 2002 science fiction horror slasher film directed by James Isaac. It is the tenth in the Friday the 13th film series and stars Kane Hodder as the undead mass murderer Jason Voorhees, the film made $16,951,798 worldwide with a budget of $14 million...
. Fred Mollin, Rob Hedden, and Tom McLoughlin
Tom McLoughlin
Tom McLoughlin is an American screenwriter, film/television director and former mime whose credits include numerous television movies, such as Murder in Greenwich, the feature film Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and the 2009 Lifetime Movie Network film The Wronged Man.In 1977 McLoughlin was...
worked behind the scenes of both series.
Premise
"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." -- prologue that opened each episode
An antiques dealer named Lewis Vendredi (played by R.G. Armstrong) made a deal with the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
to sell cursed antiques out of his shop, "Vendredi's Antiques", in exchange for wealth, magic powers, and immortality. He eventually rebelled against the Devil and broke the deal. The Devil came and claimed the soul of Vendredi ("Friday" in French) for breaking the deal.
After Lewis' death, his shop was inherited by his niece, Micki Foster (played by Louise Robey
Louise Robey
Louise Ann Robey is a Canadian singer-songwriter, model, and actress.-Early life and career:Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Robey was educated throughout Europe and attended the Royal Ballet School. Discovered by French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue while sunbathing in the French Riviera,...
) and her cousin by marriage, Ryan Dallion (played by John D. LeMay
John D. LeMay
John D. LeMay is an American actor who has starred in TV shows and on film.LeMay was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota and moved to Normal, Illinois in his teens. He went to Normal Community High School and participated in school plays and got into both singing and acting...
). They sold off many of the cursed antiques before being stopped by Jack Marshak (played by Chris Wiggins
Chris Wiggins
Chris Wiggins is an English actor.He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada, where he moved in 1952....
). Jack was Lewis' friend, a retired world-traveller and occultist who originally collected many of the antiques for Vendredi before they became cursed.
The series follows the protagonists as they hunt down the cursed antiques, which are usually in the possession of people who have discovered their evil powers and are unwilling to give them up. Since the cursed antiques are completely indestructible, they must be locked away in a vault beneath "Curious Goods" (the rechristened antique store) that is designed to magically render the objects inert. A manifest, written by Lewis, holds the records of all the cursed objects sold.
Most of the stories in the series deal with people using the cursed objects' magic for personal gain or for revenge. Each object must be activated by a human sacrifice, and the victim must be killed with the object itself, or in some particular manner reflecting the object's history. Typically, the person using the cursed object ends up becoming a victim of the object's curse after failing to meet its demand for more and more human sacrifices. Some objects are sentient and intelligent, such as the doll ("The Inheritance") and the radio ("And Now the News"). Other cursed objects do not actually speak but demonstrate intelligence and awareness in other ways ("Spirit of Television", "The Playhouse") or confer intelligence on other inanimate things ("Read My Lips", "Double Exposure", "Wax Magic"). Still others function without intelligence, mechanically dispensing a certain benefit in response to human sacrifice ("Root of All Evil", "The Mephisto Ring", "The Prisoner"). Occasionally, there would be an object-free episode in which the trio would confront their uncle's spirit or some other Satanic evildoer ("The Prophecy", "Hello'ween", "Wedding in Black".)
Like other sci-fi
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
shows in syndication in the late 1980s (such as War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (TV series)
War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. The series is an extension of the original 1953 film The War of the Worlds, using the same War Machine, often incorporating aspects from the film, radio adaptation, and original novel into its mythology.Though...
and Freddy's Nightmares
Freddy's Nightmares
Freddy's Nightmares is an American horror anthology series, which aired in syndication from October 1988 until March 1990. A spin-off from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, each story was introduced by Freddy Krueger...
), Friday the 13th: The Series constantly pushed the limits of "acceptable content", regularly featuring violence on par with that of the R-rated
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
horror movies of the time. Certain episodes such as "Night Prey", depicted a level of sexuality that was taboo for network television.
Second and third season
The second season saw the introduction of Johnny Ventura (played by Steve MonarqueSteve Monarque
Steve Monarque is a New York-based actor and musician. He grew up in the suburban New Jersey community of Pompton Lakes....
). He helps recover the relics and eventually replaces Ryan permanently in the third season. A romantic interest between Johnny and Micki is hinted at, but not realized.
Micki Foster
Michelle "Micki" Foster (played by Louise RobeyLouise Robey
Louise Ann Robey is a Canadian singer-songwriter, model, and actress.-Early life and career:Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Robey was educated throughout Europe and attended the Royal Ballet School. Discovered by French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue while sunbathing in the French Riviera,...
) inherits the store, which she co-owns with her cousin by marriage, Ryan Dallion. At first, Micki is a bit of a snob, a fashion plate, and fairly vulnerable. As the series progresses, Micki becomes stronger willed, more independent, less materialistic, and darker in character.
She is 5' 6" or 5' 8" ("Mightier Than the Sword") and both her parents are still alive ("The Long Road Home"). Her mother, Catherine, is Irish and her father is English ("Shadow Boxer"). She has an irresponsible sister and a nephew, J.B., who is often left in Micki's care ("A Friend To the End"). She was engaged once, but broke it off in order to continue recovering cursed antiques ("The Root of All Evil"). Her fiance, Lloyd, was not her first love ("Badge of Honor"), nor her last ("Master of Disguise"). Micki was killed once when a cursed coin was used on her ("Tails I Live, Heads You Die"). Ryan and Jack eventually tricked the bad-guys into bringing her back to life.
Ryan Dallion
Ryan Dallion (played by John D. LeMayJohn D. LeMay
John D. LeMay is an American actor who has starred in TV shows and on film.LeMay was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota and moved to Normal, Illinois in his teens. He went to Normal Community High School and participated in school plays and got into both singing and acting...
), Micki's cousin by marriage, also inherited the store. In the beginning he is portrayed as a failed art student and obviously has feelings for Micki that get stronger as the series progresses in spite of her firm, consistent rejection. He is excited about fixing up the store, but is talked into selling the inventory by Micki, a decision they come to regret. Their relationship at first is cool but they grow to be very special to each other over time, especially after Micki's first death in the beginning of the second season ("Tails I Live, Heads You Die").
Ryan's relationship with his father, Ray, was not a good one ("Pipe Dream"). Ryan's brother Jimmy died at age 10, and his mother, Elizabeth, ran out on them shortly after ("Scarecrow," "The Prophecies"). She returned just before Ryan went to France with Micki to help a comatose Jack. At the beginning of the third season, he is removed from the show by being transformed into a small child ("The Prophecies").
Jack Marshak
Jack Marshak (played by Chris WigginsChris Wiggins
Chris Wiggins is an English actor.He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada, where he moved in 1952....
) is a former stage magician and an expert in the occult. He has travelled all over the world and he has diverse skills including bartending ("Cupid's Quiver"), picking locks ("Pipe Dream", "Brain Drain"), ornamental metalwork ("Poison Pen"), and forgery (ibid.). He has a great many old, peculiar friends. Insofar as the trio has a leader, he is it; the cousins often try to work without him but have to turn to him for aid ("Read My Lips", "Pipe Dream") and moral support ("Root of All Evil", "Face of Evil", "The Quilt of Hathor"). He re-names the store "Curious Goods" ("The Inheritance").
Jack had been married once and had a clairvoyant son, Peter, who died in a young girl's dream plane ("Bottle of Dreams"). When Jack was younger, his father disappeared, only to return ten years later. However, the man who came back was a spirit ("Midnight Riders"). Jack served in World War II and nearly died in a Nazi war camp ("The Butcher"). He was engaged to a scientist, who left him to do field research. She shows up in his life years later, but dies shortly after they plan to marry ("Brain Drain").
Johnny Ventura
The naïve "kid" Johnny (played by Steve MonarqueSteve Monarque
Steve Monarque is a New York-based actor and musician. He grew up in the suburban New Jersey community of Pompton Lakes....
) is introduced toward the end of season two and becomes a regular in season three. He is first introduced as a vain, sleezy skirt-chaser with an eye for Micki ("Wedding Bell Blues"). The interest begins to wane, but briefly heats up again after he has matured through hard experience, when the two take a road trip to retrieve a cursed object and end up in an abandoned house ("The Long Road Home").
Johnny's mother died before his introduction into the show; his father, a security guard, gets shot and killed on the job ("The Prisoner"). Johnny has been arrested three times: once for having "boosted a six-pack of beer" ("Wedding Bell Blues"), once for breaking and entering ("Wedding Bell Blues"), and finally as a suspect in his father's murder ("The Prisoner"). He has useful friends (from his father) in the police force. His unsophisticated, easily-tempted character contrasts with Jack and Micki, and the third season includes several "Johnny screws up" episodes ("Crippled Inside", "Bad Penny", "Hate on your Dial").
Rashid
An EgyptianEgyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
mystic (played by Elias Zarou) who helps the trio when they are dealing directly with Lewis' ghost, who tries constantly to re-enter the world of the living ("Bottle Of Dreams", "Doorway To Hell"). Though mentioned more than actually appearing in the series, Rashid is very much competent in helping his old friend Jack and the cousins one way or another.
Rashid was the one to help Jack bring back Ryan and Micki from Lewis' clutches twice, and even revealed to them the fate of Jack's son.
Always knowledgeable in occult, sometimes even more so than Jack, Rashid is most capable as Jack's psychic-link during his first trial against Lewis. The second would be more guidance as to help Jack enter a cursed mirror and lead the cousins out of Lewis' possessed house.
During the series run, Rashid only appeared in two episodes though there are several others where he was mentioned ("Vanity Mirror" and "Voodoo Mambo" are examples).
Production
Friday the 13th: The Series was created by Frank Mancuso, Jr. and Larry B. Williams originally under the title of The 13th Hour; the series ran for 72 episodes. Mancuso, Jr. never intended to link the television show directly to the Friday the 13th film series, but utilize "the idea of Friday the 13th, which is that it symbolizes bad luck and curses". The creators wanted to tie-in Jason's trademark hockey mask to the series, but the idea was discarded so that the show could have a chance to exist on its own. Mancuso, Jr. was afraid that mentioning any events from the films would take the audience away from "the new world that we were trying to create". The decision to name the show Friday the 13th, over the original title, was made because Mancuso, Jr. believed a "Friday the 13th" moniker would better help to sell the show to networks. Filming took place in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada. Friday the 13th: The Series aired in first-run syndication, initially in a late-night spot; the success of the series as a late-night show prompted some broadcasting stations to move it to primetime. Produced on a budget estimated below $500,000 per episode, the first season placed second in the male 18 to 49 year old demographic, just behind Paramount's Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
. In addition, the first season placed fifth in the female 18 to 49 year old demographic.
Awards and nominations
Friday the 13th: The Series was nominated for two Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s in 1988 and 1989 for Visual and Graphic Effects. The series won two silver plaques in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for the episodes Scarlet Cinema and The Sweetest Sting. In 1990 the series was nominated by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films as Best Series. The series was nominated twelve times for writing, editing, directing, production design, acting, sound and music by the Gemini Awards in Canada.
Home video release
On September 23, 2008, the first season of Friday the 13th: The Series was released on DVD. The boxset contained all 26 season one episodes on six discs. The second season was released on DVD on February 10, 2009; it included all 26 episodes on a six disc set. The final season of Friday the 13th: The Series was released on September 22, 2009. This boxset featured the final 20 episodes on five discs.CBS Television Studios currently owns the rights to the TV series (as successor in interest to Paramount Domestic Television
Paramount Domestic Television
Paramount Domestic Television was the television distribution arm of American television production company Paramount Television, once the TV arm of Paramount Pictures...
), thus the DVDs were released by CBS Home Entertainment (with distribution by Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
). Meanwhile, Paramount continues to own the film franchise outright, a status now shared with New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
(which collaborated with Paramount on the latest entry in the series, released in 2009
Friday the 13th (2009 film)
Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a reboot of the Friday the 13th film series, which began in 1980 and the twelfth Friday the 13th film in total...
).
Adaptations
There is a popular rumor that the last episode was to unite the movie and television franchises by having the final item recovered (see "Premise" above) be the hockey mask belonging to Jason VoorheesJason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
. This remains unfounded and while there was talk about having a hockey mask on one of the sets as an in-joke, there was never any serious intention to mix the film series into the television series.
However, Eric Morse
Eric Morse
Eric Morse is the pen name for author and multi-medium artist William Pattison.Under that name, Pattison wrote the Friday The 13th Young Adult Book Series for Berkley Books, published 1993 through 1994. These books include Mother’s Day, Jason’s Curse, The Carnival, and Road Trip. He is the...
wrote the webnovel The Mask of Jason Voorhees, the fifth and last book in his "Camp Crystal Lake" series of novels which united the novels, the first nine movies, and the television series into one continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
. The concepts in the book were created by Eric Morse and are not the original intent of the show's creators and thus, should not be treated as official canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
.
The 2009 SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
original series Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13 is an American fantasy television series that premiered on July 7, 2009 on the Syfy network.Executive-produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, the dramatic comedy from Universal Media Studios has been described as borrowing much from 1980s television series Friday the 13th: The...
has been accused of "borrowing" much from the 1980s television series Friday the 13th: The Series. The show stars two agents, Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly
Joanne Kelly
Joanne Kelly is a Canadian actress, known for her appearances in films such as Going the Distance and in TV series such as Warehouse 13, in which she plays Secret Service agent Myka Bering.- Career :...
) and Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock
Eddie McClintock
Edward "Eddie" Theodore McClintock is an American actor who has starred and guest starred in numerous television shows. He currently portrays the role of Secret Service agent Peter Lattimer on the Syfy series Warehouse 13....
), led by older, wiser Arthur "Artie" Nielsen (Saul Rubinek
Saul Rubinek
Saul Rubinek is a Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright, known for his work in TV, film and the stage.-Early life:...
) as they collect artifacts, powerful items which are "imbued with human energy" and have supernatural powers. These artifacts are stored in the warehouse, safely hidden from both the public and those who would make use of the artifacts for evil or selfish purposes. However, artifacts are not evil by nature nor cursed and don't require a human sacrifice in order for them to function.
Syndication
NBC UniversalNBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
's horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-themed cable channel Chiller
Chiller (TV channel)
Chiller is a 24-hour American cable and satellite television channel specializing in horror and suspense programming. conglomerate NBCUniversal.- Origin :...
, which launched on March 1, 2007, airs the series in sporadic weekday marathons. During a viewers' choice marathon on October 7, 2007, "Scarecrow" was voted most popular episode. The top five episodes were rebroadcast on Election Day, November 6, 2007. The show has been among the many second-run programs aired on Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
channel (formerly SciFi). After a few years of absence, the channel began airing the series again starting October 10, 2008.