Happy first Saturday night of 2019!  We’ve decided to kick off the new year right by bringing you  a classic movie from Universal's Frankenstein series- wrapped in a classic Sven show featuring a certain varnished sort of version of Sven - PLUS new content, including a fetching female who's dealt with “Ash VS Evil Dead" and a peek at our yearly visit to one of our favorite Halloween events- we’re Ygor to again show you ( see what I did there?) the  "Ghost of Frankenstein"!

We return to the quaint village that Dr. Frankenstein called home- where outraged citizens have endured enough terror and heartbreak, living in the shadow of tragedies that the Frankenstein family have inflicted on them. They decide to destroy what's left of the Frankenstein castle, where the sinister hunchback Ygor still resides! They storm the castle, ready to level the cursed place. Ygor realizes he must escape, and heads down to the castle's catacombs- where he discovers the Monster, hidden and preserved in sulfur (after his fall into the sulfur pit in "Son of Frankenstein"). Even more amazing- the Monster is still alive! The hunchback and the weakened Monster manage to sneak  away from the mob destroying the castle, into a thunderstorm- where a freak lightning strike helps to re- energize the undying creature! Ygor is encouraged by this- perhaps his “friend” can be restored to his old powerful self- but it will take another Frankenstein to do so. There is just one, to his knowledge- the lone Frankenstein offspring in the area-Ludwig Frankenstein.

The Monster and his creepy caretaker set out to find Ludwig- ending up in Vasaria , where Ludwig has taken up his practice, to great acclaim. He has made a major breakthrough in brain surgery- being able to remove a damaged brain- repair it- and then put it BACK in the patient's skull - totally cured! He's been assisted by two colleagues- Dr Kettering, and Dr. Bohmer- who was originally his teacher, but was disgraced after a surgical error. Bohmer is grateful for Ludwig’s trust- but also bitter and jealous of his protege.

Once in Vasaria, Ygor and the Monster naturally can’t help but make a scene- when the Monster innocently tries to help a young girl retrieve her ball. The townspeople, familiar with what the Monster has done with another small girl ( the one he thought would float like a flower) think the massive brute has snatched the child, and after a mighty scuffle, he is taken into custody! Ygor hides from the crowd and is dismayed by their capture of the creature. He realizes that only Dr Frankenstein might be able to save his father's creation. By coincidence, the town authorities also feel that perhaps the doctor can help them deal with the huge silent brute they have restrained. Ygor drops by the doctor’s clinic, and , in no uncertain terms, tells the doctor that he will reveal Ludwig’s full family history to the locals unless he steps in to help the Monster.

Ludwig’s visit to town to help the authorities with their powerful captive results in the Monster escaping from the police, aided by Ygor, and taking refuge in Ludwig’s headquarters; the doctor's lovely daughter finding out the truth about her father's family; and Ludwig finding himself at odds with destroying the monster through dissection- or restoring him to his previous power, as he is urged to do by- his father's ghost! (Yes, that’s where the title of this movie comes from!) Bohmer's jealousy and yearning to have his previous standing in the scientific community restored leads to some double-crossing as he aligns himself with Ygor -to pull off a dastardly plan that can only make the Monster even more deadly!

This 1942 film falls in the Frankenstein series between 'Son of Frankenstein" and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man". It gives us another masterful performance by Bela Lugosi as Ygor- with big Lon Chaney Jr. as the Monster. The fine actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke is Ludwig, Lionel Atwill is his aide Bohmer, and stock Universal player Evelyn Ankers is Ludwig’s daughter Elsa. We'll talk about the cast and the production, and provide some new special segments, including a visit with the funny and fabulous Dana Delorenzo of the “Ash VS Evil Dead" TV show- and the first part of some of the excitement we encountered at this year’s “Nightmare on Chicago Street” celebration in Elgin, IL. The whole movie is framed around Sven's "brother" Fraido taking over the show- out to prove he’s even more of a dummy than Sven!

"Ghost of Frankenstein" hits your screen on MeTV tonight at 8pm eastern/pacific, 7 central – if necessary, check local listings and/or the info at www.metv.com for time and channel in your area. Once again- if you’re setting your DVR to record- double check what they are listing our show as-  it could be the show title Svengoolie or the movie title. Chicago area viewers can make one more trip to the “Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women” at 11 am on WCIU, the U !

We were again trending high on Twitter nationally last week- feel free to join the Tweeters during the program, using the hashtag #svengoolie .

Yes, we still have the latest Sven action figure available- our powers that be made sure we would have an ample supply- but I wouldn’t delay in purchasing one! You can check it out at our store here on the site.

As we start a new year, let me again thank you all for your support and loyalty to our program- the show just keeps getting more popular, thanks to you! I hope 2019 will indeed bring you success and happiness, just as you continue to bring me.

Join us tonight as Ygor conjures the “Ghost of Frankenstein” on MeTV!