Sir Graves Ghastly
Encyclopedia
Sir Graves Ghastly was a character created by Cleveland-born actor Lawson J. Deming
(1913-2007) for the popular television show of the same name.
Sir Graves was a vampire
whose persona, look, and overexaggerated laugh ("Mwah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaah!") were intended to parody the cliche
d portrayal of vampires in horror films of the time. Other characters on the show included Sir Graves' sidekick
Baruba, a ghostly apparition known only as The Glob, and a cemetery caretaker named Reel McCoy, who traditionally opened each episode by unearthing a movie reel from what appeared to be a grave. The show followed a consistent format of back-to-back horror films, interspersed with brief sketch comedy
pieces featuring the many characters. The program was originally billed as Sir Graves' Big Show, but later became known simply by the character's name.
Sir Graves Ghastly had its longest run on WJBK
, TV2 in Detroit, from 1967-82 -- 15 seasons in all. The growing popularity of televised sports in the early 1980s, particularly college football, caused Sir Graves to go into hiatus after airing a show in November 1982. A management change during this time led to the program being "officially" cancelled in 1983 before any other shows were produced. As he did while his show was running, Deming continued to do speaking engagements and personal appearances well into the 1990s.
For more on the Sir Graves Ghastly show history and the life of its lead actor, see Lawson J. Deming
.
Lawson J. Deming
Lawson J. Deming was a radio and TV character actor best known in Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, D.C. and parts of Canada as the Saturday afternoon television horror movie host "Sir Graves Ghastly."-Early years:...
(1913-2007) for the popular television show of the same name.
Sir Graves was a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
whose persona, look, and overexaggerated laugh ("Mwah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaah!") were intended to parody the cliche
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d portrayal of vampires in horror films of the time. Other characters on the show included Sir Graves' sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
Baruba, a ghostly apparition known only as The Glob, and a cemetery caretaker named Reel McCoy, who traditionally opened each episode by unearthing a movie reel from what appeared to be a grave. The show followed a consistent format of back-to-back horror films, interspersed with brief sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
pieces featuring the many characters. The program was originally billed as Sir Graves' Big Show, but later became known simply by the character's name.
Sir Graves Ghastly had its longest run on WJBK
WJBK
WJBK is the Fox–owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
, TV2 in Detroit, from 1967-82 -- 15 seasons in all. The growing popularity of televised sports in the early 1980s, particularly college football, caused Sir Graves to go into hiatus after airing a show in November 1982. A management change during this time led to the program being "officially" cancelled in 1983 before any other shows were produced. As he did while his show was running, Deming continued to do speaking engagements and personal appearances well into the 1990s.
For more on the Sir Graves Ghastly show history and the life of its lead actor, see Lawson J. Deming
Lawson J. Deming
Lawson J. Deming was a radio and TV character actor best known in Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, D.C. and parts of Canada as the Saturday afternoon television horror movie host "Sir Graves Ghastly."-Early years:...
.