Friday, August 25, 2006

They're Coming To Get You BOB!-"Night Of The Living Dead" On "Creature Features"

The one movie that has been a favorite among Creature Features Fans as well as Horror Fans in general was George A. Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead"(1968). Of all of the movies played on "Creature Features" on KTVU Channel 2, "Night Of The Living Dead" has played the most- A total "10" times! Since "Night Of The Living Dead" is in the public domain, I wonder if this also played in the factor of so many airdates? It probably didn't cost Channel 2 a cent to air it. Surprisingly, While Channel 2's "Creature Features" has aired "Night Of The Living Dead" 10 times, KTXL Channel 40's "The Bob Wilkins Horror Show" never showed it. I don't know why? Since it is in the public domain, it wouldn't have cost Channel 40 anything to show it. Channel 40 would eventually show "Night Of The Living Dead", but not until OCTOBER 30, 1986 on its 8:PM "BIG MOVIE" and it was the atrocious "colorized version" by "Hal Roach Studios". "Night Of The Living Dead" made its Northern California TV Debut on January 1, 1972 at 9:30PM. "Night Of The Living Dead" was the first truly scary movie I had ever seen before. I was 12 years old when I first saw it on "Creature Features" in 1974. The airdates and the times for "Night Of The Living Dead" when it aired on "Creature Features" was: 1.) January 1, 1972 @ 9:30, 2.) November 11, 1972 @ 9:30, 3.) October 20, 1973 @ 9:00, 4.) September 28, 1974 @ 9:30, 5.) May 10, 1975 @ 9:30, 6.) November 15, 1975 @ 11:00, 7.) May 22, 1976 @ 11:30, 8.) November 6, 1976 @ 11:00, 9.) May 13, 1977(Friday) @ 11:30, 10.) March 4, 1978 @ 11:00. All times are PM of course and they all aired on Saturday Night with the exception of the May 13, 1977 one, that aired on a Friday( "Creature Features" had split into a Friday And Saturday Night Show earlier in 1977). The last time "Night Of The Living Dead" played on "Creature Features, was on March 4 of 1978. Surprisingly, It never aired during John Stanley's run as host of "Creature Features from March 3, 1979 to September 1, 1984. "Night Of The Living Dead" did later air on KTSF Channel 26 San Francisco on September 8, 1979 on its new Late Saturday Night Horror Show at 11:00 called "Saturday Night Dead" with a host (don't know his name?) dressed as Dracula. That show played mostly public domain oldies. More on that show on a different date. Since "Night Of The Living Dead" is in the public domain, it could have continued to play on KTVU Channel 2 also. Don't know why? Today I own the definitive version of "Night Of The Living Dead" on DVD available from Elite Entertainment as the Millenium Edition. I highly recommend it. Buy it from www.amazon.com

2 comments:

Amsterdamon said...

The KTSF horror host was Dr Tom B Stone on Saturday Night Dead. I loved that show and would love to find some video somewhere....

John Scoleri said...

Thanks for sharing this research. For years I have been trying to pinpoint the exact date (and how old I was) when I first saw Night of the Living Dead on Creature Features.

The night I saw it, Planet of the Apes was playing on Channel 36 at 1am because I switched over after NOTLD ended. That narrows the list to one of the last 5 screenings - now I just have to dig up local listing for Channel 36.

Thanks again!