He's Back in a BIG Way-or Just the Opposite- "The Incredible Shrinking Man"- Tonight!

Tonight on MeTV, we bring back a 1950s sci fi classic that has been absent from our airwaves for too long- the story of a man who finds the world getting too big for him- because he is progressively becoming smaller and smaller! In this story created by Richard Matheson, we join a normal man in his descent into the abnormal- embarking on a journey that includes lonely isolation and the transition of normal everyday things into objects of terror for “The Incredible Shrinking Man"!

This 1957 science fiction favorite starts out on the water, with Scott Carey and his wife- as they relax and enjoy lounging on their boat off the California coast. While Louise heads to the galley to grab some drinks, hubby Scott remains topside, and sees an approaching mist of some sort- a glittering fog that briefly envelopes him, then abruptly fades away by the time Louise comes back up on deck. The couple is confused, having no idea what the fog might have been, or where it came from.

A few weeks later- Scott notices that his clothes don't seem to fit right. It isn’t simple weight loss, though- his whole body seems to be a little smaller! He heads to his doctor, whose tests show that he's in perfect health- and the doctor states the fact that, never in medical science has anybody started to get shorter (other than through something like osteoporosis, of course- but this movie isn’t titled “The Incredible Guy with Loss of Bone Density”) ! Scott, however, can’t agree with what the doc is telling him- especially once he's noticed that he and his wife are now suddenly the same height- when, previously, he was taller than she.

Eventually, all concerned parties agree that something strange is happening to Scott- and he transfers to a medical research lab. A battery of tests confirms that Scott is getting smaller-and they have a theory as to why. Things take a bad turn for the diminishing dude when, in circumstances we have all become familiar with, the media get hold of the story- and he is plagued by paparazzi. All Scott can do is live in isolation, as a prisoner in his own home- unable to work or move freely around the outside world- and his frustration soon becomes  obvious to his wife. ( Yes, there are some comparisons to life during this pandemic as well.)

Possible hope for a cure comes - along with some encouragement from a winsome little person Scott meets by chance in a rare trip into the public- but the reality that he still continues to shrink brings an end to any hopes he had of returning to a normal life. Various aspects of his home become a savage new world he must face alone- as the world around him continues to become larger and more threatening at every turn. Scott finds simple everyday objects and creatures are now an incredible danger -as he fights to survive in a land of giants!

This movie has always been a big (sorry) favorite of our viewers- not just for the effects, but also for Grant Williams’ outstanding performance as Scott, who conveys his frustrations, fear, and sense of isolation so well. We’ll brief you on the cast members, including a few familiar MeTV faces, including a future “Beverly Hillbillies” actor- a famous TV father, and a small star with a large resume! Also among the cast members are a horrifying housecat and a tarantula ( in the original script, it was supposed to be a black widow spider, but that breed proved to be, ironically, too small to work in what they were trying to do). We’re happy to be able to show this important ‘50s science fiction film to you again.

“The Incredible Shrinking Man” starts tonight on MeTV at 8pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, and, to find out time and channel where you are, please check your local listings- or find your local info at www.metv.com .  The live-Tweeting during the show on Twitter continues to flourish-with us among the top trends for all two hours of the show last week- so, feel free to join in, using the hashtag #svengoolie. Our Chicago area viewers get another look at the Roger Corman tale of witchcraft and time-travel "The Undead" at 11 am on our main local channel, CW 26. ( And a happy belated birthday to Roger, having turned 95 this past week!)

Join us tonight for a small hero with big problems- that are only getting bigger ( no, wait- HE’S getting smaller…)