Buzz
As a child, I was completely drawn to horror films—whether they were iconic classics or campy low-budget flicks. Many local TV stations would air these films during the late hours or on weekends. Each show typically featured a host who would introduce the films to the audience. These hosts, often decked out in outlandish costumes, were usually part of the station's staff.
Some of these horror hosts achieved iconic status and earned recognition not just locally, but on a national or even international level. However, most were local figures, known only within their communities, yet their quirky personas contributed significantly to the fun of watching these films.
The hosts I’ve selected for this list all started with local programs that showcased horror movies. With the exception of one, all of these hosts were known for their distinctive costumes.
10. Zacherley The Cool Ghoul
Zacherley was the host of WCAU’s Shock Theater, which first aired on October 7, 1957, and continued for 92 episodes until 1958. Actor John Zacherle portrayed the character “Roland,” an undertaker who resided in a crypt with his wife, “My Dear,” and his assistant Igor. The show was filled with a mix of horror and comedy, featuring gags that have since become a hallmark of television hosting.
In the opening scene, Zacherley would make a dramatic descent down a circular staircase into the crypt. The producers leaned heavily into gore, displaying fake severed heads with blood created from Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Occasionally, the show would feature live “cut-ins” where the audio from the movie continued, but the visual feed would switch to Zacherley performing a humorous stunt, like riding a tombstone.
9. Svengoolie
Svengoolie is a character from a beloved series of locally produced television programs that aired in the Chicago, Illinois area. The role was first played by Jerry G. Bishop and premiered on Screaming Yellow Theater, which aired on WFLD from September 18, 1970, until the summer of 1973.
The show featured an assortment of low-budget horror and sci-fi films, all hosted by Svengoolie, who donned face makeup, a wig, and a top hat. Between film segments, the character entertained viewers with sketches, cheesy jokes, and humorous song parodies that poked fun at the movie being shown.
Svengoolie is currently portrayed by Rich Koz, a fan of the original show who submitted sketch ideas. On June 16, 1979, a new series titled Son of Svengoolie premiered on WFLD, with Koz stepping into the role of the Son of Svengoolie.
8. Sir Graves Ghastly
Sir Graves Ghastly was a character brought to life by Cleveland-born actor Lawson J. Deming for the beloved TV show of the same name. The show enjoyed its longest run on WJBK, TV2 in Detroit, from 1967 to 1982.
Sir Graves Ghastly was a middle-aged man made up to look like a vampire, with a deep, resonant voice reminiscent of Boris Karloff. He would begin and end the show by emerging from and returning to a coffin, presenting classic horror films along with insightful commentary. At the close of each episode, he would wish the viewers 'Happy Haunting,' followed by an evil laugh as he laid back down in his coffin.
The show featured additional characters, including Sir Graves' companion, Baruba, a ghostly figure known as The Glob, and Reel McCoy, a cemetery caretaker who would begin each episode by digging up a movie reel from what appeared to be a grave. The show followed a structured format of back-to-back horror films, punctuated with short comedic sketches featuring the various characters. Initially titled Sir Graves' Big Show, it later became known simply as Sir Graves Ghastly.
7. Sir Cecil Creape Phantom of the Opry
Sir Cecil Creape, also known as The Phantom of the Opry, was portrayed by film editor Russ McCown and became one of Nashville’s most recognized horror hosts. The show, titled Creature Feature, aired on WSMV, Channel 4 in Nashville from 1971 to 1973. During its run, Sir Cecil presented horror films and included various comedic skits during the breaks. The set resembled a dungeon, complete with stone walls and a fireplace, often adorned with a picture of Floyd Kephart, a local political analyst.
Sir Cecil would dramatically descend a stone staircase into his dungeon lair, speaking the iconic line, 'Did someone call?' in his signature, deadpan voice. He wore a dark blue cape with an exaggerated purple collar and a chainmail tunic. With a hunchback and a slow, shuffling gait, he had a prominent scar across his forehead, a monocle over one eye, and a set of grotesque teeth. Each episode concluded with Sir Cecil's signature sign-off: 'Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the beddie bugs bite.'
6. Morgus the Magnificent Momus Alexander Morgus
Morgus, the epitome of the mad scientist archetype, first emerged in the New Orleans television market. His debut on late-night TV occurred on January 3, 1959, with the show House of Shock. Morgus, created and portrayed by actor Sid Noel, hosted a variety of science fiction and horror films, interspersed with his bizarre experiments and antics.
Dr. Morgus was accompanied by his executioner-like assistant, Chopsley, as his well-meaning experiments often ended in chaos at the final moment. Morgus also had an assistant named Eric, who started as a talking human skull in the early version of the show. However, by the 1980s, Eric had transformed into E.R.I.C., the Eon Research Infinity Computer, which contained all the knowledge in the universe within its memory.
Dr. Morgus holds the distinction of being the first horror host to appear in his own feature film, titled The Wacky World of Dr. Morgus (1962).
5. Count Floyd
Count Floyd is a fictional horror host portrayed by newsman Floyd Robertson in the comedy series SCTV. Both roles were performed by comedian Joe Flaherty.
Count Floyd serves as the host of the hilariously low-budget and unfrightening Monster Chiller Horror Theater. The show is set in a dungeon where Floyd emerges from a coffin, wearing a cheap vampire outfit, including a white turtleneck, and speaking with a comically exaggerated Transylvanian accent. Despite being a vampire, Count Floyd begins each episode with a werewolf-like howl before laughing and addressing the audience. It is clear that Floyd Robertson feels uncomfortable with his portrayal of Count Floyd and lacks enthusiasm for the role.
The movies featured on the show were fictional and had amusingly bizarre titles such as “Dr. Tongue’s 3D House of Stewardesses,” “Dr. Tongue’s 3D House of Pancakes,” “Tip O’Neil’s 3D House of Representatives,” “Blood-Sucking Monkeys from West Mifflin Pennsylvania,” and Ingmar Bergman’s “Whispers of the Wolf.”
4. Vampira
The Vampira Show, which aired from May 1, 1954, to April 2, 1955, on KABC-TV Channel 7 at midnight, primarily featured low-budget suspense films. The role of Vampira was portrayed by Maila Nurmi, and she is widely regarded as the first television horror host. Despite its brief run, the show set the blueprint for future horror host programs.
Each episode of the show began with Vampira moving through a fog-filled dark corridor, created by dry ice. As she reached the end of her eerie walk, the camera would zoom in on her face as she screamed sharply. She would then introduce the evening’s feature while reclining barefoot on a couch adorned with skulls. Her humor, often involving macabre wordplay, also included conversations with her pet spider, Rollo.
Vampira’s most memorable film appearance was in Ed Wood’s cult classic Plan 9 from Outer Space, where she played a Vampira-like zombie, filmed in 1956.
3. Elvira Mistress of the Dark
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, was the charismatic host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie show on Los Angeles' KHJ-TV, which started in 1981. Portrayed by actress and showgirl Cassandra Peterson, Elvira captivated audiences with her black, gothic, figure-enhancing gown that gave her a vampy look, while her sharp wit and valley girl accent brought a quirky charm to her character. During the show, Elvira introduced low-budget horror films, often making fun of them during the breaks.
In 1989, actress Maila Nurmi, who originated the Vampira persona, filed a lawsuit against Cassandra Peterson, accusing her of infringing on the Vampira character. However, the case was dismissed when Nurmi failed to show up in court.
Elvira is widely recognized as the most famous and highly publicized TV horror host, earning international fame and becoming an iconic figure in the genre.
2. Mystery Science Theater 3000
MST3K is a beloved cult-classic comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc. It originally aired from 1988 to 1999, with its first broadcast on WUCW, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, from 1988 to 1989.
The series revolves around a man and his robot companions who are stranded on a space station by an evil scientist. They are forced to watch a series of poorly made horror and sci-fi B-movies, and to stay sane, they provide hilarious commentary throughout, mocking the movies’ flaws in a style similar to a movie theater's peanut gallery. The silhouettes of the man and his robots appear at the bottom of the screen as they riff on the films.
Over its eleven-year run, MST3K produced 198 episodes and one feature film, receiving widespread acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993 and earned writing Emmy nominations in 1994 and 1995, as well as a Cable ACE Award nomination.
1. E Nick Witty
Monster Movie Matinee, which aired Saturdays from 1964 to 1980 on WSYR Channel 3 in Syracuse, opened with eerie organ music and the haunting sound of wind, as the camera moved through a scale-model cemetery, crossing a bridge to a fog-filled haunted mansion. Inside, Dr. E. Nick Witty was seated off-camera in an elaborately decorated chair, his arm and hand with long, sharp nails, adorned with ornate rings, and clad in a black silk smoking jacket with a white cuff. The sinister doctor’s deep baritone voice and evil laugh captivated viewers, though his disfigured face was never shown. Dr. Witty was portrayed by the station’s weather man, Alan Milair.
Epal served as the doctor’s assistant, his face marked with shoelace-like stitches running across his face and forehead, with an eye patch completing his look. Initially, Epal had a hook for a hand, which was later replaced with a metal hand designed by Dr. Witty himself. Epal was portrayed by the late Williard Everett Lape, Jr.
The segments between the films followed an ongoing storyline that developed over several weeks, including plots such as finding a cure for Epal’s lycanthropy, constructing a time machine, and Dr. Witty’s attempts to restore his own facial features.
