Post #980044

#SerenityInOz— a quiz about Australian stuff — Tues 7 April, 2026 (Please boost for reach, and try to CW your answers) ——— :questionbox: who was i? i was a late-night horror host active on Australian television between 1959 and 1978 — i was some kind of 'zombified' undertaker Originated as a live (pre-video machine) host of a horror film package for Perth's TVW-7 by 1959, my character was most active between 1966 and 1972 when adopted by the 0-10 Network for the TEN affiliate stations in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. These separate versions existed because, in this pre-satellite era, the capital-city TV stations of the ABC and the three commercial networks were all locally broadcast – the only TV networking at this time was accomplished via the coaxial cable that connected Sydney and Melbourne, and this was only used for selected programs, due to its cost and limited bandwidth. Broadcast weekly, [my] Aweful Movies featured mainly B-grade horror movies introduced by local actors with a tongue-in-cheek characterization. The program was renowned for screening low-budget B-grade (or worse) supernaturally themed cinema, even going so far as to present the Worst Movie of the Year on at least one occasion. Varying widely in appearance and personality, each version took a vaguely sardonic approach to the subject matter, frequently ridiculing whatever film [my character] happened to be hosting. The show was popular with teenagers and university student audiences, who tuned in apparently as much for the commentaries as for the actual movies (which according to at least one observer were little short of atrocious) Genre was not restricted exclusively to horror, but included sci-fi, suspense, mystery and even the odd matinee serial dredged up from the 1940s. The chief unifying element was the consistently poor quality of the material – the term "Aweful Movie" could often be applied in more than one sense – which was, evidently, part of the show's appeal.