“Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil to sell cursed antiques, but he broke the pact, and it cost him his soul. His niece Micki, and her cousin Ryan, inherited the store-and with it, the curse. Now they must get everything back-and the real terror begins.”
In 1987, Frank Mancuso Jr. created a short-lived but widely loved horror television show called “Friday the 13th: The Series”. Despite the title, the show actually has nothing to do with the Voorhees-led slasher franchise. Trading out hockey masks for evil collectibles, the plot revolves around two family members, Micki and Ryan, and their struggle to undo their late uncle’s damage upon an innocent civilian population. Joined by their friend Jack, the trio attempts to retrieve each and every cursed antique that their uncle sold while he was doing the devil’s bidding, with often tumultuous results. Many times, the new owners of the object either realizes the potential of the powerful material that he or she holds, and tries to use their new treasure to their advantage, or someone close to that person steals the artifact out from under them, with the same skeevy motive in mind. Now, it’s up to these three young people to repossess the potent goods, and put them back in the antique shop where their wicked powers can be safely dulled, before it’s too late.
Though the series only lasted a brief three seasons in total, the show became somewhat of a cult classic, garnering a unique following. While some dismissed the program once they realized that it held little in common with the machete-wielding maniac in the mask, a large gathering were able to look past the misleading title and see the show for what it really was: a strong horror sitcom that was arguably better than others like it during the same time period, i.e. “Freddy’s Nightmares”, “War of the Worlds”. For those who appreciated the program for the gem it was, and have been waiting for more material on the subject, a new hero has risen — and her name is Alyse Wax.
Wax recently published an extremely thorough look at the beloved little late ’80s TV phenomenon, in her new book titled “Curious Goods: Behind the Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series.” In the novel, Alyse breaks down the show in an extremely organized fashion, deciphering her research on an episode by episode basis. Not only is every single segment explained to fans’ hearts content in this long awaited look at the series, but this expansive guide also includes tons of fascinating notes about the actors and the production, as well as photos from the set, and over sixty interviews from the cast and crew.
Alyse Wax is a prominent member of the horror community, participating in monthly horror trivia competitions as well as writing for several different sites over the span of many years, including FEARnet, Bloody Disgusting, Shock Till You Drop, Blumhouse, Coming Soon, and Crave Online. She has a vast knowledge of the horror genre, especially when it comes to its myriad television programs.
If you’re a fan of this spooky good series, and you’ve been holding out for an in depth trip back inside the old antique shop, then make sure to pick up a copy of Alyse’s extremely comprehensive new book. “Curious Goods: Behind the Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series” is available now from Bear Manor Media through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on BearManorMedia.com.
