Make sure you tune in to MeTV tonight one hour earlier than usual when we present one of Warner Bros. Studios’ biggest hits of 1956- and an iconic film which had several Academy Awards nominations. It’s the story of a young girl who is all sweetness and curtsies but is revealed to be a dangerous psychopath- who falls under the category of being “The Bad Seed”!

The story begins with Kevin Penmark about to leave for military duty, saying goodbye to his wife Christine and their pigtailed little eight-year-old daughter Rhoda. Rhoda is about to head off to her school’s picnic- but suddenly goes into a rage while discussing with their kindly landlady a penmanship award that she felt SHE should have gotten instead of her classmate Claude Daigel. As she storms out of the house, she also has a run-in with their creepy handyman Leroy.

Christine has some friends over for a visit when word comes over the radio that a child has drowned at the school picnic! Worries that it might have been Rhoda are soon dismissed, with the revelation that it was Claude - but her classmate’s death seems to have had no emotional effects whatsoever on Rhoda when she returns home.

Things take a darker turn when her schoolteacher Miss Fern drops by with the shocking news that Rhoda will not be welcome to return to the school next semester. The reason- the teacher hints that perhaps Rhoda had some involvement in Claude’s death. Things get even more tense when Claude’s parents arrive- with his grieving mother Hortense, who has resorted to heavy drinking as a way to try to ease her pain, suggests that there is information about her son’s death that is suspiciously being withheld.

When the landlady presents Rhoda with some gifts, Christine goes to put them in her daughter’s keepsake box- and is shocked to find the penmanship award hidden in it! Rhoda gives an “explanation”- but this sets Christine off on a frantic search for the truth- recalling an incident from back when they lived in Kansas-and facts are revealed about her own childhood history that she thinks might be the reason for Rhoda’s behavior. Meanwhile, the wily Leroy reveals to Rhoda that he is on to what she has done- which only sets Rhoda off on another horrifying path! Christine must decide what can be done about her psychopathic daughter- with chilling results!

This film is definitely different from our usual monster fare- but possibly even more frightening. Patty McCormick is outstanding as the child whose public persona is sweetness and light-masking her true nature. Nancy Kelly plays her distraught mom, and her dad is none other than …sigh… “Perry Mason” star William Hopper, with Henry Jones as the scheming caretaker. We’ll discuss them and the other cast members, talk about the production and its origins, including some changes to the story demanded by the Production Code Administration. We’ll have visits from the Sven Squad, a new song, and more!

We do want to stress that we suggest parental guidance on the viewing of this film- it may be very upsetting for younger and more sensitive viewers.

We are starting the show an hour earlier than usual because this is an exceptionally long movie that would not fit in our usual time slot- and, due to the tense building drama, we do NOT want to do much editing on the movie.

So- “The Bad Seed” begins tonight ONE HOUR EARLIER- meaning 7 pm eastern/pacific, 6 central time- if you are in other time zones, please check your local listings or at MeTV.com. We will have live commenting going on during the entire show, both on Twitter/X and Bluesky- please make sure to add the hashtag #svengoolie to posts on either one. Our Chicago area viewers get an encore of the final Gill Man movie “The Creature Walks Among Us” at 11 am on our local station WCIU the U.

New Sven merchandise is on its way! Make sure to check our store often for the latest items available.

Join us tonight at a special time for the sinister schoolgirl story whose lesson you will not forget!