JediShua and shazbazzar welcome Cereal Connoisseur Sheldon for a creepy, campy expedition to The Hilarious House of Frightenstein.
Kids of the 1970s were treated to various variety shows: Carol Burnett, Sonny & Cher, Donny & Marie, Hee Haw, Laugh In, SCTV, and many, many more. But one Canadian show was aimed at kids — The Hilarious House of Frightenstein!
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Thanks to our friends north of the border, Chris Hamilton and Mike MacDonald, we’ve all become aware of the ‘70s kids variety show The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. With various segments of sketch comedy tempered with a few doses of educational material, HHoF entertained kids through the ‘70s and ‘80s and beyond — all from material filmed within a nine-month span of time. Now, for the first time, shazbazzar and JediShua explore the corridors, crypts, kitchen, and radio station (?) of Castle Frightenstein with outbursts of gleeful surprise with this totally retro mix of kooky camp and inventive talent from Billy Van, Billy Van, Billy Van, Billy Van, Vincent Price, Billy Van, Billy Van, Fishka Rais, Billy Van, Joe Torbay, Billy Van, and more. (Did I mention Billy Van?) Cereal Connoisseur Sheldon Norton joins the ‘Dads to lend a Canadian point-of-view to the discussion. Check out the first episode below for just a taste of what we had been missing.
History Lesson
From the present to the past and Back to the Future, this week’s history lesson involves remarkable firsts by Einstein the shaggy dog, the people from the Green Planet, Frodo Baggins, classy Classic X-Men, and Michael Myers. PLUS: major thirds, augmented fourths, and a bit more time-traveling with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Some of these tidbits of fictional facts are bound to stir your memories about things that happened in history this week.
You can find out more about The Hilarious House of Frightenstein at Frightenstein.com. So strap your monster on the operating table, get your latest, greatest invention, and dust the cobwebs off your library books for guaranteed fun with Count Frightenstein, Igor, Gronk, Grizelda, Dr. PetVet, and the Wolfman (who may be a previous incarnation of Dave Filoni) for a return to brown couches, green carpet, and polyester double-knit leisure suits for 77 minutes of #TechnoRetro pleasure with Doublemint gum.
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About TechnoRetro Dads
Join shazbazzar and JediShua each week for a look back at the ’70s and ’80s as they share the fun and fandom of their youth with their families and also their friends. Topics include TV, film, music, toys, and games of the ’70s and ’80s as well as franchises which have continued into the 21st Century, like Star Wars, TRON, SuperFriends, and Star Trek. TechnoRetro Dads is a blend of new stories and also old legends are passed down from one generation to the next.
If you’re a TechnoRetro Dad, the child of one, or just fondly remember the sci-fi/fantasy properties of the ’70s and ’80s, then this podcast is for you!