Tonight on MeTV, we begin April with the first of a few features this month that include men cursed to turn furry during a full moon! This evening we present the very first of Universal Studios’ wolf men- who brings terror to England as the victim of a strange attack in Tibet finds that moonlight triggers a hideous transformation that changes him into- the "Werewolf of London"!

Botanist Wilfred Glendon and his assistant are on an expedition to the aforementioned Tibet – seeking a rare flower that only grows in the high altitudes- and only blooms when exposed to the light of the full moon. Despite dire warnings and strange, seemingly supernatural, occurrences- Wilfred continues up the mountain -where he finally discovers the plant at a high altitude- but also finds himself attacked by a mysterious creature! He survives the attack, though bitten in the process (actually, he was bitten in the arm- oh, you know what I mean), and manages to procure a single specimen of the flower- whose botanical name is the mariphasa.

Returning to England with his new specimen, he immediately goes into solitude, locking himself in his botanical laboratory to study the plant. Even the lure of his beautiful young wife Lisa is barely enough to coax him out of the lab for a party- yet she eventually coerces him to come out and greet the crowd of visitors. Wilfred finds them a distraction, and would much rather return to his work- although he notices, with displeasure, that an old friend of Lisa’s is paying a bit TOO much attention to his lovely spouse. A new and unfamiliar visitor arrives at the party- one Professor Yogami, begging to converse with Wilfred, claiming he encountered him on his Tibet trip- though Wilfred has no recollection of their meeting. Yogami begins spinning a supernatural tale involving the newly-acquired plant; warning Wilfred that the bite he suffered in that fracas ( or, the arm- oh, I did that joke) might cause him to become- a werewolf! He then reveals that i the only way to stop that transformation is by utilizing the bloom of the rare mariphasa plant Wilfred has procured!

As a man of science, Wilfred discounts the story as a superstitious legend- but soon learns differently. During his experimentation, he is using a lamp that simulates moonlight to encourage the plant to blossom, and when his hand strays into the light- it becomes furry! He experiences the full effect when an actual full moon occurs- and, exposed to the moonlight, he completely transforms into a werewolf- in a wonderful shot of him gradually changing as he moves between pillars! Even though transformed, he still has the presence of mind to recall that he can use the rare flower to stave off the horrible change- and heads into the lab- only to find that someone has taken the few blossoms that had bloomed, sending Wilfred out on the prowl through the streets of London!

When the full moon’s effects have worn off, Wilfred feverishly attempts to get the plant to blossom again, before the next moon cycle. His relentless pursuit of the cure causes even more strain on the relationship with his wife, who feels rejected and turns to her old childhood sweetheart for comfort. Since the plant is taking time to flower again, Wilfred attempts, in the meantime, to keep from harming anyone by taking a room in a low-rent inn where he can lock himself in each night. Regardless of his precautions, the next full moon has the same horrible effect on him- and he escapes his self-imposed imprisonment to again roam the city streets in search of victims. His greatest fear is that a certain part of the old werewolf legend might prove to be true- that a werewolf will instinctively kill the one he loves the most! Can Lisa- as well as London itself- escape the savage power of the supernatural?

As I mentioned, this 1935 film is truly the first werewolf in the Universal horror catalog- preceding Larry Talbot- the best-known Wolf Man who first appeared in 1941 ( and will appear here on our show next week). We’ll tell you about the cast members like Henry Hull and Valerie Hobson- and those who found fame in other roles- like Spring Byington- who became a popular star of early TV- as well as Warner Oland, who made his mark in the movies as a beloved detective character. We'll also again give you some in-depth information regarding the werewolf make-up- thanks to information generously provided to us by Cortlandt Hull, whose great uncle Henry starred in tonight's film. Thanks to Cortlandt, we are able to tell you the actual true story about Hull's make-up – and clear up some misinformation and downright untruths that have been passed around as fact for years. Plus you will get to play our drawing game “Too Drawn Out”! And- watch for Kerwyn to give you the info on this year’s Rondo awards voting. Yes, it’s already time for you to vote again!

"Werewolf of London" airs on MeTV tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, and, if unsure when or where we are on in your area, just check your local TV listings or go to www.metv.com and click on "where to watch". You can live-Tweet during the show on Twitter with the many Sven fans who do so-using the hashtag # svengoolie. In Chicago, local viewers can get hands-on experience once again from Peter Lorre in “The Beast with Five Fingers” this morning at 11 am on CW26.

Check out the new merchandise arriving in our store- the really spiffy Tervis Sven drinkware- and, this Wednesday, watch for the first licensed Sven t shirts from an outside company-Fright Rags, known for their horror genre clothing! These are the first MeTV sanctioned items on the open market, thanks to our new licensing agreement- and we think you’ll agree they are pretty Sven-sational!

Tonight is also a special anniversary for us- it was eleven years ago today that our show first aired nationally on the MeTV network! Our program has grown, along with the network, and is a huge success all around the country! We are honored and grateful for your support! As they said in “Spinal Tap”- “this one goes to eleven”- and now, beyond that!

Join us tonight for Henry Hull getting hairy and scary on MeTV!

Newly Released Insulated Tumblers!

Fans have been asking for ways to take Sven on the go, and I’m happy to announce that we now have Svengoolie Tervis insulated tumblers available in the MeTV store! Take your pick of these double-walled tumblers that will keep your cold drinks cold and your hot drinks hot for much longer than an episode of Svengoolie! And, after a late night of thrills and chills, you can take your morning joe on the go with me! These are great even if your “go” is from the fridge to the TV!

Order one for you, and one for your best goolie!