Last week, I discussed Twilight Zone, the venerable “godfather” of horror anthology television series. While not the first, it paved the way for others in the genre like Outer Limits, Thriller, Tales from the Darkside and Masters of Horror. There were others, too. Many others. Many, many others, including one with which you may not be familiar.
Week 2 of Inktober 2023 brings Friday the 13th: The Series and its star, Canadian actress Robey. Premiering in 1987 and running for three seasons in syndication, Friday the 13th: The Series had absolutely nothing to do with the wildly popular film series of a similar name. With no mention of Jason Voorhees, Camp Crystal Lake, an ominous hockey mask or a bloody machete, Friday the 13th: The Series focused on Robey’s character of “Micki Foster.” Micki inherited an antique shop after the death of her Uncle Lewis Vendredi (slyly “Friday” in French). The shop was chockful of cursed items, made so as a result of a deal Uncle Lewis had made with The Devil. After selling a number of the store’s evil wares, Robey is alerted by former magician Jack Marshak, a friend of her late uncle, to the malevolent nature of the store’s contents. Jack explains all about the shop’s items and they spend each episode of the next three seasons trying to reacquire everything they sold. Under the guidance of producer Frank Mancuso Jr. (the same guy who produced every Friday the 13th film from part 2 until part 8, the final installment released through Paramount Studios), the series told tales of horror, paying homage to its TV predecessors. Despite absolutely no connection the film series, Friday the 13th: The Series gained a devoted cult following and, honestly, it wasn’t a bad show.
After the series’ cancelation, Robey studied Shakespearean acting at Oxford University under the tutelage of respected actor Derek Jacobi. She currently is pursuing her previously-stalled recording career.