It’s Friday the 13th, and what better way to celebrate 24 hours devoted to misfortune than revisiting an abruptly axed TV show bearing the same name?
Originally titled The 13th Hour, the American-Canadian horror series underwent its last-minute name change in hope of attracting larger viewership. But those expecting to see masked killer Jason Voorhees were left disappointed—the show was in no way connected to the series of slasher films. Nonetheless, Friday the 13th: The Series debuted on October 3, 1987, introducing two antique store owners and their quest to stifle circulation of evil-infused relics.
Former storeowner Lewis Vendredi prompted the supernatural shenanigans by making a deal with the Devil. His reward for selling cursed antiques? Wealth, immortality, and magic powers! Not the brightest of blokes, Vendredi elected to break the pact, forfeiting his soul in the process.
Micki Foster and Ryan Dallion then inherit his store, but unstirred by the prospect of selling Old Stuff for the rest of eternity, elect to rid themselves of Vendredi’s Antiques’ inventory and move on. That is, until world traveler/occultist Jack Marshak informs the duo of the curse lingering over Vendredi’s stockpile AND their resulting obligation to protect collectors from its wrath!
Hunting immoral antiques becomes Micki and Ryan’s new life focus, but plucking them from existing owners is no mean feat—many are now enriched with mystical skills way too cool to give up!
(Insert TV commercial voice here) People with newly acquired magic powers have reported side effects, including grave misfortune, human sacrifice, becoming a victim of the object's curse, being killed by the object itself, and being killed in a manner relating to the object's history. Speak to your occultist before deciding if magic powers obtained via cursed artifacts are right for you.
Notorious for its strong violence and sexual content, Friday the 13th: The Series lasted three seasons before meeting with swift, merciless demise—the cast and crew learned of the cancellation while filming the third season's 20th episode, which (by default) ended up as a grand finale minus any hint of series closure. Gaa!
In better news, fans will always have this series theme video to rekindle memories of unholy slaughter spliced with late ‘80s fashion!
