Buffalo Loves “Svengoolie” every Saturday night at 8pm on WBBZ-TV 5!
FROM CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Rich Koz, who’s been keeping the grandly eccentric tradition of the horror movie host alive on the Chicago TV fixture “Svengoolie” for decades, needed a hand — preferably an undead one.
Koz, who plays the wisecracking, endearingly cheesy horror host, was tasked with filling 30 extra minutes of airtime when executives at Weigel Broadcasting’s flagship station MeTV expanded his show from two to two and a half hours.
During that time, Koz, 71, has written the sketches that punctuate and riff off the show’s old-timey horror movies mostly by himself, and performed nearly all the characters.
The decision was made last year to add some fresh talent to what’s long been considered a shoestring operation. About five people have kept the show’s engine running. The show’s following expanded since it was given a national audience eight years ago — with as many as a million viewers tuning in on Saturday nights.
To attract talent, a beacon was beamed across the Internet late last year announcing the “Spawn of Svengoolie” talent search.
An avalanche of goofy audition videos were sent in.
Two names were plucked from the pile and welcomed to the newly formed Sven Squad. And a third guy kind of sneaked in the side door.
The ‘gorgeous ghoul’ Gwengoolie
Sarah Palmer, who works as a character actor at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in California, heard about the audition opportunity from a co-worker.
Palmer, who’s played everything from a go-go dancer to Bride of Frankenstein at Universal, jumped at the opportunity.