Difference between revisions of "Still ghoulin' after all these years"
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A sven-tillating conversation with Chicago's legendary horror host, Rich Koz, on 40 years of Svengoolie, celebrity fans, and BERWYN! | A sven-tillating conversation with Chicago's legendary horror host, Rich Koz, on 40 years of Svengoolie, celebrity fans, and BERWYN! | ||
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Local television legend Rich Koz doesn't need an introduction to most of our readers, especially when he is dressed as his character Svengoolie, wearing his classic raccoon-eyed ghoulish face paint and top hat. But many might not realize that he's been working in Chicago broadcasting since the 70s. Koz is the affable and spooky host of Svengoolie, the long-running Chicago television program that airs classic horror, sci-fi, and B movies intersected with comedy and trivia by Svengoolie, his friends, and an arsenal of rubber chickens. Svengoolie the show is the antithesis of slick, with its parody songs, low-budget set, and audio cues culled from 30s movies, but it's also an incredibly important (and hilarious) link to 50s and 60s television. Koz created his own version of the character with the input and blessing of Jerry Bishop, a radio and television announcer who originated Svengoolie while hosting WFLD's Screaming Yellow Theater program in the early 70s. | Local television legend Rich Koz doesn't need an introduction to most of our readers, especially when he is dressed as his character Svengoolie, wearing his classic raccoon-eyed ghoulish face paint and top hat. But many might not realize that he's been working in Chicago broadcasting since the 70s. Koz is the affable and spooky host of Svengoolie, the long-running Chicago television program that airs classic horror, sci-fi, and B movies intersected with comedy and trivia by Svengoolie, his friends, and an arsenal of rubber chickens. Svengoolie the show is the antithesis of slick, with its parody songs, low-budget set, and audio cues culled from 30s movies, but it's also an incredibly important (and hilarious) link to 50s and 60s television. Koz created his own version of the character with the input and blessing of Jerry Bishop, a radio and television announcer who originated Svengoolie while hosting WFLD's Screaming Yellow Theater program in the early 70s. | ||
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Many fans know you for the Sven character, but I have fond memories of The Koz Zone [a program Koz hosted and acted in on WFLD from 1989-1993]. What was the genesis of having your own "out of character" evening show? It all started when, on what would have been the tenth anniversary of the Son of Svengoolie show, Rob Feder wrote an article saying it was a shame that the show wasn't still around, and the folks at WFLD (then having become Fox 32) must've been worried that it made them look bad. So they called me in and said they wanted me to host movies again. Their semilame idea was "the Fox Phantom" who lived in the station basement and showed movies. I told them that was an idea that one of the country cable stations was already doing, and that I had my own idea. | Many fans know you for the Sven character, but I have fond memories of The Koz Zone [a program Koz hosted and acted in on WFLD from 1989-1993]. What was the genesis of having your own "out of character" evening show? It all started when, on what would have been the tenth anniversary of the Son of Svengoolie show, Rob Feder wrote an article saying it was a shame that the show wasn't still around, and the folks at WFLD (then having become Fox 32) must've been worried that it made them look bad. So they called me in and said they wanted me to host movies again. Their semilame idea was "the Fox Phantom" who lived in the station basement and showed movies. I told them that was an idea that one of the country cable stations was already doing, and that I had my own idea. | ||
| − | Somewhat recently, then, there was the famous incident of a pirate broadcaster breaking into the Channel 11 and WGN airwaves, with a guy in a | + | Somewhat recently, then, there was the famous incident of a pirate broadcaster breaking into the Channel 11 and WGN airwaves, with a guy in a Max Headroom mask. I proposed that we do a takeoff on that: that I was a former disgruntled employee (ahem) who breaks into the airwaves every week and shows a movie. They bought it, and we even did promos. The promo started as a normal spot, then there was static, and you'd see me working on some equipment, with a sign reading "Friday 10:30" in the background. It'd then fade back for the end of the normal promo. A lot of people thought it was real. I was told the FCC actually called the chief engineer and asked if they should investigate. They were supposedly not pleased when he told them it was just a promotional gimmick. |
We had great fun doing that show. The only reason it ended was that the Fox Network was starting its own kids' block, and demanded that there be local hosts in every market. They assigned it to me, and the daytime Koz Zone was born. I always remember them being confused that they suddenly had a lot of adults watching the kids block—it was obviously my fans tuning in for the stuff I was doing! | We had great fun doing that show. The only reason it ended was that the Fox Network was starting its own kids' block, and demanded that there be local hosts in every market. They assigned it to me, and the daytime Koz Zone was born. I always remember them being confused that they suddenly had a lot of adults watching the kids block—it was obviously my fans tuning in for the stuff I was doing! | ||
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Svengoolie airs locally on MeTV Saturdays at 7 PM and on the U Saturdays at 11 AM. | Svengoolie airs locally on MeTV Saturdays at 7 PM and on the U Saturdays at 11 AM. | ||
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| + | {{DEFAULTSORT:Still ghoulin' after all these years}} | ||
