Count Scary

Last updated

Count Scary was a character (portrayed by Detroit, Michigan-area radio disc jockey Tom Ryan) who hosted monthly specials presenting B movie horror films with comedy skits on Detroit television station WDIV from 1982 to the early 1990s.

Count Scary was a comically stereotypical vampire. His favorite catch phrase (invariably accompanied by a "spooky" sounding musical sting) was "Oooh, that's scaary!"

Eventually, Count Scary was dropped by WDIV and moved on to WKBD's "ShocKtober" Halloween programming for several years. After "ShocKtober" was no longer able to be aired by WKBD due to the station's commitment to the then-new Fox network, the Count had a special or two on WXYZ, but these were more subdued affairs with fewer segments featuring the character than the older shows.

Count Scary's last TV appearance was a team up with the Ghoul for a 1996 Halloween special for WKBD, but Ryan continued to use the character on his WOMC radio show each Halloween, up until his dismissal by the station's new management in 2007.


Related Research Articles

Michael Myers (<i>Halloween</i>) Fictional character in the Halloween franchise

Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in 1978 in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his elder sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he returns home to Haddonfield, Illinois, to murder more teenagers. In the original Halloween, the adult Michael Myers, referred to as The Shape in the closing credits, was portrayed by Nick Castle for most of the film and substituted by Tony Moran in the final scene where Michael's face is revealed. The character was created by John Carpenter and has appeared in eleven films, as well as novels, multiple video games, and several comic books.

John Zacherle American television personality (1918–2016)

John Zacherle was an American television host, radio personality, singer, and voice actor. He was best known for his long career as a television horror host, often broadcasting horror films in Philadelphia and New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. Best known for his character of "Roland/Zacherley", he also did voice work for films, and recorded the top ten novelty rock and roll song "Dinner With Drac" in 1958. He also edited two collections of horror stories, Zacherley's Vulture Stew and Zacherley's Midnight Snacks.

WDIV-TV NBC affiliate in Detroit

WDIV-TV is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with NBC. It serves as the flagship broadcast property of the Graham Media Group subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. WDIV-TV maintains studio facilities on West Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, making it the only major television station in the market with offices and studios within the Detroit city limits. Detroit's other television stations are all based in the suburb of Southfield; WDIV's transmitter is, however, located on Greenfield Road in Southfield.

WWJ-TV CBS TV station in Detroit

WWJ-TV is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, owned and operated by the CBS television network. Under common ownership with CW station WKBD-TV under the network's CBS News and Stations group, both stations share studios on Eleven Mile Road in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, while WWJ-TV's transmitter is located in Oak Park.

WJBK Fox TV station in Detroit

WJBK is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, airing programming from the Fox network. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on West 9 Mile Road in the Detroit suburb of Southfield.

WXYZ-TV ABC affiliate in Detroit

WXYZ-TV is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside independent station WMYD. Both stations share studios at Broadcast House on 10 Mile Road in Southfield, where WXYZ-TV's transmitter is also located.

WEYI-TV NBC affiliate in Saginaw, Michigan

WEYI-TV, branded on-air as NBC 25, is a television station licensed to Saginaw, Michigan, United States, serving northeastern Michigan as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Howard Stirk Holdings, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Flint-licensed Fox affiliate WSMH, for the provision of certain services. Sinclair also operates Bay City-licensed CW affiliate WBSF under a separate SSA with owner Cunningham Broadcasting. The three stations share studios on West Pierson Road in Mount Morris Township ; WEYI-TV's transmitter is located at its former studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township along the Genesee–Saginaw county line.

WKBD-TV CW TV station in Detroit

WKBD-TV is a television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, airing programming from The CW. It is owned and operated by the CBS News and Stations group alongside CBS outlet WWJ-TV. Both stations share studios on Eleven Mile Road in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, where WKBD-TV's transmitter is also located.

WMYD Independent TV station in Detroit

WMYD is an independent television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV. Both stations share studios at Broadcast House on 10 Mile Road in Southfield, while WMYD's transmitter is located on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park.

<i>Scary Godmother</i> Series of childrens books by Jill Thompson

Scary Godmother is a series of children's books and comic books created by artist Jill Thompson and published by Sirius Entertainment beginning in 1997.

WADL (TV) MyNetworkTV affiliate in Mount Clemens, Michigan

WADL is a television station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States, serving the Detroit area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. Locally owned by the Adell Broadcasting Corporation, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Adell Drive in Clinton Township.

Kaiser Broadcasting American broadcasting company

The Kaiser Broadcasting Corp. was an American broadcast media company that owned and operated television stations and radio stations in the United States from 1958 to 1977.

Mickeys Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Annual Halloween-themed event

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is a separate-admission Halloween-themed event held annually during the months of August, September, and October at the Magic Kingdom theme park of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando, and at Disneyland Paris Resort outside Paris, France. The party began as a response to the Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Florida. Disney's event caters to a traditional family atmosphere, whereas Universal's has more of a "fright-centered" event with their monsters.

<i>Elviras Movie Macabre</i> American hosted horror movie television program

Elvira's Movie Macabre, or simply Movie Macabre, is an American hosted horror movie television program that originally aired from 1981 to 1986. The show features B movies, particularly those in the horror and science fiction genres, and is hosted by Elvira, a character with a black dress and heaven bump hairstyle, played by Cassandra Peterson. Elvira occasionally interrupts the films with comments and jokes, and in some episodes receives phone calls from a character called "the Breather".

Lou Gordon (journalist) American journalist and talk show host

Lou Gordon was a television commentator and talk show host, newspaper columnist, radio host, and influential political reporter, based in Detroit, Michigan. Gordon was known as a flamboyant, irreverent, and controversial interviewer. He hosted The Lou Gordon Program, a twice-weekly, 90-minute television show, that was seen Saturday and Sunday nights on WKBD-TV. Produced from 1966 to 1977, The Lou Gordon Program was also syndicated across most of the larger media markets in the United States to the Kaiser Broadcasting group of stations, as well as several non-Kaiser stations. Three 90-minute television shows were taped per week - two for telecast only on WKBD, the other for nationwide broadcast.

Eli Zaret is an American sports broadcaster and journalist based in Detroit, Michigan.

<i>Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular</i> 2003 Canadian computer-animated Halloween comedy film

Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular is a 2003 Canadian computer-animated Halloween comedy film based on the Scary Godmother series of books by Jill Thompson, specifically a community theater stage production of the first book. The special depicts Hannah, while trick-or-treating with her cousin Jimmy and his friends, encountering the titular witch and her many friends for a Halloween party at the Fright Side. It stars Canadian voice actors Tabitha St. Germain, Britt McKillip, Garry Chalk, Noel Callahan, Alex Doduk, Brittney Irvine, Danny McKinnon, Scott McNeil and Adam Pospisil. It was directed by Zeke Norton and produced by Kevin Gamble and Sharan Wood with heavy involvement by Thompson.