User reviews

Somebody (from Los Angeles) mentioned hearing a laugh-track (of kids) when they saw this show but there most certainly was none added during production or broadcast both back in 1971 and in reruns in 2007 here in Canada (where the show was made).

So either he's mistaken, or the Americans actually added a laugh-track for that market. This might make sense, since so many American shows do have a fake laugh-track (thankfully, their version of The Office does not).

The only laughing that makes sense in a TV show is when there really is a live audience present, and you hear genuine laughter. I saw a live taping of Kids In The Hall around 1991 and the laugher heard during broadcast really is the genuine laughter of the real audience.

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein doesn't have a lot of stuff that would incite robust laughter anyway. It's more weird than funny. A lot of it is obviously ad-lib, and in modern times many of the scenes would require a "take 2" (or 3 or 4 or 5) to perfect it. But on this show, part of the charm is the inclusion of semi-flubbed stuff.

I remember once where a guy who looks like a stage-hand kind of peaks around the corner while Igor is doing a scene and he looks like he knows he screwed up. It was kept in for final broadcast and the result is this micro-surreal moment.

Julius Sumner Miller (The Professor) is shown actually forgetting where he put a prop for an experiment he is about to show, and he ad-libs something and moves on to another topic.

At one point The Oracle has is hand stuck in the crystal ball, and the "POP" sound effect happens way before he pulls his hand out and there's an ad-lib "well, you can't win 'em all" and it's almost like Billy Van steps out of character for a moment.

In another universe or era, this would have lots more editing or retakes. And it would be very boring. I wonder how much my 9-year old brain in 1971 loved this show in part because of all the screw-ups.

The best way to describe, ' T.H.H.o.F. ', is a cross between the camp musical burlesque atmosphere of, ' The Rocky Horror Picture Show ', and the self-referential Tongue-in-Cheek humor of the low-budget, ' Uncle Floyd Show ' (the latter may be an inside joke for those of us in the NYC area).

You can find clips on Youtube, and you'll see what I mean. My personal fave is Gronk Mad-Libbing over the Count's, ' Serious ', book-reading. -Ah, Childhood Memories!

I have to admit that it never occurred to me as a kid that nearly all the characters were played by the late Billy Van.

M

Believe it or not, you can now watch this old show again if you are member of Netflix. I am not kidding! They just made it available. Loved this show as a little kid, so did all of the rest of the kids at school. It was THE thing to watch in the morning! This show was so goofy and the characters were hilarious, (thus the name I guess). It was too corny not to like and it was harmless because there was just no way you could take it seriously. I really used to enjoy starting my mornings out with this horror-larious (sorry, I could not resist) show. My favorite, of course, was the incomparable Vincent Price, without him or Billy Van, I don't think the show would have aired at all. Also, where else could you have gotten those awful horoscopes! I know a lot of people out there enjoyed this show and would like to get their hands on it if for nothing else than to stroll down memory lane and to share with our kids something that we enjoyed that you just can't find today...the wit of that show is just not available anymore!

How to best describe this unique Canadian children's show... hmmm....

Well, it's kind of a children's educational haunted house, horror movie satire show chock full 'o great adult gags. It's all about bein' "groovy", hangin' with the "Pet Vet" and learning about animals, dancing to the Wolfman's groovy wax, laughing at Paul the gorilla's slapstick humor, reciting poems with Vincent, and all that year-'round Hallowe'enie goodness! I imagine mostly Canadians will remember this Saturday morning classic, whether when it originally aired in the 70's or in its ongoing reruns.

This was one of my fave staple Saturday morning shows in the early 70's that I watched right after the really bad animated "Spiderman" cartoon that came on at 9:30 AM! I loved the many characters that the incredibly (and unfortunately largely unrecognized) talented Billy Van created. It was off-beat, bizarre as all heck, and a great parody of horror films.

Well, I hadn't thought of this groovy lil' show in ages, so when I did (near Hallowe'en, naturally) I ventured into a google search, and I found a tribute site dedicated to the show! The site has images, wav files with all the characters being kooky, video and more! This weird and wacky show always began with Vincent Price's on screen intro monologue with the castle in the background and super-low-tech lightning superimposed over the image, then jumped into the castle with the Count, Igor, Paul the Gorilla, the Wolfman (a DJ), Super Hippie, the Oracle, the Librarian (one of my faves!, the Wolfman Jack inspired DJ the Wolfman who played psychedelic music as Igor & the Grammar Slammer dancer before a swirling psychotropic backdrop, and more freaky characters.

Most of the characters were played by Canadian actor Billy Van (also seen on "The Sonny and Cher Show", "The Bobby Vinton Show", "Bizarre" , "The Party Game", "The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show" and more!). The show was shot in Hamilton, Ontario at CHCH TV back in 1971. It has since gained cult status as it's been translated into many languages and re-broadcast in different parts of the world.

I truly hope that the series comes to DVD, as I'll be first in line for the release! ~ T.Paul

Hilarious House of Frightenstein was a perfect show!

I love classic low budget Canadian shows that were still great. Even though they had little money to spend on their productions they made great shows because they obviously really cared, and this show for kids is maybe the best example of that.

Billy Van was a true talent who played most of the characters himself but it played them differently enough that it wasn't annoying and they actually seemed like different people. The characters and skits were very creative and fun and also educational pieces were shown for the value of the children.

I am lucky to have found some DVDs of this show at the pawn shop this summer and the shows are just as great as I remember them.

Great, campy fun! That's how I would describe it. To think it was made right in my home town of Hamilton at CHCH where so many other great shows (Smith and Smith Comedy Mill) were made and they continue making good shows today (This Movie Sucks) that are Canadian and proudly low budget despite their good quality. I still can't believe they had Vincent Price! That is so awesome.

I didn't grow up with this show, but watched it while in University. It accompanied me through a lot of essays, lab reports, and all-nighters. I thought the show, and Billy Van were great! Humour, science, music, pets, monsters -- all the hooks! I loved Vincent Price, who was a regular, and a big part of the early horror/sci-fi genre. (His movie, "The Tingler" (1959) was amazing!) House of Frightenstein is good for kids, and great for the adults who remember it, or who are viewing for the first time. Hallowe'en approaches! Frightenstein is currently running on Space, at 11:00 pm, 12:00 noon, 6:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, as far as I can tell from TV listings.

I grew up watching this show. Every day before going to school it played! I could never leave my house til Vincent and I blew out the candle reciting his bye-bye poem. Between this show and reruns of H.R. Pufnstuf and Lidsville my little mind was twisted in such great ways! Sadly most of the people involved have passed on but I will alway remember them dearly. I was too little at the time to know but so happy to find out that this was a Canadian production! Even though I was little I didn't get scared I giggled and giggled as the Liberian tried to scare me with his rhymes and adored Grizelda! So happy I had these influence in my childhood, and I love the fact so many people help the show live on! In other words "The castle lights will never grow dim" least not in my mind!

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein was an all time Canadian TV classic. The actors on the show, especially Billy Van, were lovable and so incredibly talented. Kids and adults universally loved the show which was so well done and incredibly creative. Even Vincent Price is in this and does a great job as the creepy narrator. A lot of the jokes don't quite hold up over the years but at the time this was about as good as any kids show could be.

One of my favorites shows as a kid and now love it even more 50 years later.

This show was a one of a kind. The main actor played so many of the roles by himself and the ones he didn't were also played by funny and good people, plus Vincent Price the all time horror legend was in it as the narrator. Such a strange and original show why can't they make more shows like this today?

I bought this movie at Wal-Mart for a dollar because it had Vincent Price on the cover. I love Vincent Price and love Horror so I bought it and was happy to add it to my collection. I went to look it up on IMDb and noticed it had a rating of 7.9 so I figured it would be good. I found out it was a Saturday morning show aimed at kids and was beloved by all that watched it.

I just put the movie on a few minutes ago and I watched about 20 minutes of it – I am guessing it was the pilot episode that I watched but couldn't say for sure. What I can say for sure is that I was far from being impressed.

This show bored the living daylights out of me, I never even so much as cracked a smile for one thing said. The characters were stupid and annoying to say it in a nice way. It was badly pieced together and sloppy. I can't imagine even in 1971 kids thinking it was funny. The jokes were a bit more adult like in my opinion and its obvious they were aiming it at both kids and adults alike.

Vincent Price couldn't even save it for me. Seeing him do anything other than horror has always been hard for me to enjoy. In this one he just sat and said little stupid rhymes in between the skits. His motives for doing such a crappy show are beyond me.

People, if you like this show please explain to me why.

If you have never seen it, then avoid it.

It's bad…very, very bad!

After not appearing on a T.V. channel for at least 9 years (Showcase Canada last aired the reruns) Frightenstein has returned on Drive-In Classics. Whether I've seen this show in the 70's, 80's, 90's, or today the show still is tremendously fun to watch. Even today, this CHCH-TV produced show is still great fun and looks much better compared with today's children fare. None of the preachiness, phony BS, or attempts to insult their young audience exist in this castle.

Half the skits involve the adventures of The Count and his lovable oaf Igor. The Count lives in Castle Frightenstein and wishes to leave so he can return to Transylvania. However, he can't leave unless Brucie, his "Frankenstein Monster" comes back to life and his futile attempts to revive his monster are always fun to watch. Other skits has him reading his mail, answering phones, or abusing Igor. Every episode starts with Igor singing the Transylvania anthem with The Count getting the last song vocal.

Also, the show was superb at teaching kids about the world. Noted physics professor Julius Sumner Miller teaches science and physics, The Oracle teaches Astrology and Mythology, Bwanna Clyde Batty teaches us about wild animals while Pet-Vet deals with domestic animals and the occasional wild pet. Add in Grizelda's hilarious cooking segment, The Librarian's attempt to scare you with his stories, and the classic 60's songs The Wolfman would play and dance to (and seeing his and Igor's silhouettes in psychedelia) and you've got more than enough here.

Still, the show goes even further with Horror King Vincent Price narrating a poem before a segment with one of the featured characters in the castle. Price's poems add even more to the show. Later in the run, they added new characters like the Grammar Slammer, who would threaten to beat up Igor unless he learned better grammar and proper sentence structure and Gronk, who would fluster The Count's attempts to read books by interjecting with hilarious comments. The Count would be close to tears after multiple ownings.

Add in the little blackouts with The Gorilla, the Maharashi, the Hippie Superman, the Mosquito, and various movie boards and you've got a show that stands the test of time for 35 years and will for another 35. Billy Van was a freaking genius and I give Drive-In Classics mucho kudos for bringing back the fun Frightenstein provides.

Produced all in one shot at the CHCH-TV studios in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1971, this show elevates low budgets as the mother of creative invention to deity-status. Character actor Billy Van reaches his zenith with his portrayal of not only the self-important Count, but also a plethora of others, all of to whom he breathes life and very distinct personalities.

The groovy, record-spinning Wolfman. The Animal-loving Dr. Pet-vet. The crazed Julia Childs of Transylvania, Grizelda (who always added a pinch of Walt to every recipe...Walt was of course a large jug of her late husband's ashes). The Oracle. Bwana Clyde Batty. The list goes on.

And not to be outdone, the spooky environs of the Count's castle were shared by Fishka Rais' lovable oaf, Igor. Whether he was catching heck from the Count, dancing up a storm to a soul record with the Wolfman or begging the Three-Toed Sloth to finally let him keep one the animals Dr. Pet-vet offered him...you couldn't help but love the big green-skinned under-dog.

Oh, and nostalgia buffs be alert!!! During a huge lull in his career, horror icon Vincent Price accepted the role of the Narrator, wise sage and "host" of the show. Spouting playful rhymes that served to introduce each new segment, Price lent a certain credibility to the castle's proceedings.

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein was and still is just that, hilarious. Here's the best way to look at the show...SCTV for kids.

To a modern audience "Frightenstein" is probably laughable but I was a religious viewer of it during the 70's. A quirky cast of characters and if you really payed attention you might even have learned something. Of course there was always Vincent Price's foreboding closing! Original, non-commercial, creative, funny, and for that matter fun. I still remember the show and still hear the music playing in my head. I still feel some shame in never realizing that one man (Billy Van) played most of the roles! A classic kid's show that never insulted our intelligence.

What can be said about a great locally produced kids show that was on in mornings? I remember always getting up in the morning to watch "Hilarious House" before going to school. All of us who were kids in the 70's from Southern Ontario watched it all the time. Even when it was on reruns early weekend mornings in the 80's. A show that had all hilarious characters mainly played by Billy Van. The Wolfman was the best with is "Chime Time" and then throwing a golf ball at a clock to tell what time it was. Then watching Igor dance with him with psychedelic visuals behind them to some 60's rock. Or Aaron the ape getting nailed with a golf ball and falling over. Or how about 'it's Zany Zoo Time" "Ooga Booga". Too bad Global didn't snag the rights to the show when they bought CHCH 11 (known also as ONTV). E-mail Global and maybe they will do it for their Prime or Deja View specialty channels. Hilarious House will always be a classic show for us from Southern Ontario. Remember Vincent Price at the end.."The castle lights are growing dim, there's no one left but me and him. When next we meet in Frankenstone, Don't come alone"

Oh my! What a treat it is to see this show again now airing seven days per week on the Drive-In Classics channel! For a 30+ year old show, the video and audio quality are simply superb and now to see it in colour and on a big screen. I am one happy viewer! I have vague memories of seeing this show in its first run along with the supernatural cult classic series Strange Paradise, which is also shown on the same channel and airs back to back with HHOF during the week days. I had no idea that Billy Van played so many characters. And I really thought Grizelda was played by a woman back then!

Too bad the Gemini Awards only started in 1987. Billy Van should have received some acknowledgement for his numerous roles on this show. Very pleased to see a fan made production titled "Return to Transylvania". Extensive interview segments with Billy Van and puppeteer Joe Torbay are all we will ever see as extra behind-the-scenes trivia.

Holy boiled condor eggs, I was NUTS for this show as a kid in New Jersey! I always thought it was produced in NYC, not Canada ... but given the creativity of SCTV and other Canadian TV shows, I'm not so surprised. Billy Van was awesome as Count Frightenstein, but I really thought The Librarian was the best part of the show. Oddly enough, I don't remember Vincent Price being in this -- but I do remember the theme song! (To the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") "Glory, glory Transylvania / The werewolves and bats will always maim ya / The murky moors will likely claim ya --" ... OK, so I DON'T remember that last line! Anyone who does can e-mail me with it.

Honestly this was one of the best shows from when I was a kid. I remember watching it in the early morning before school. I really wish I could find it on DVD or video, because it was awesome! My daughter saw Vincent Price on "Edward Scissorhands" and I started to tell her about this really cool show that I used to watch as a child. She thought it sounded weird but was still interested, so I had my sister do a search but it's hard to find any info on this show. Makes me a little sad because it was so funny. Dr. Pet Vet, Igor, the Mosquito and the Wolfman. Priceless. Hee hee. Bring back the laughs!! And if anyone finds out how to get copies of the show, please post!

Great show. I watched it a million times! The Grammar slammer bammer was my fav..Harvey Wallbanger for ever!!!

Believe it or not I think I saw it on tape at a video store in the Maple View mall in Burlington.

Contact CHCH in Hamilton and see if they know where to get it. If that fails check your TV guide for early Saturday morning who knows maybe one of the cable outlets will/has picked it up.

I remember watching The Hilarious House of Frightenstein in the mid 70s and I thought it was a very funny kids show. The Canadian produced horror spoof was a tour de force for Billy Van, who played Count Frightenstein, Dr. Pet Vet, Grizelda, The Librarian, Bwana Clyde Batty and my favorite, The Wolfman. The Wolfman was the DJ who played a lot of memorable songs from the late 60s and early 70s and danced in a psychedelic background with Igor, played by the late Rais Fishka.

But Frightenstein was more than Van. Besides Fishka, there was guy Big as the Mini Count, Joe Torbay as the puppeteer, Mitch Markowitz as Super Hippy and Vincent Price who supplied the opening and closing rhymes and occasionally did the lead-ins to the other segments.

The show was also educational, especially segments with the Grammar Slammer bammer puppet who taught Igor proper grammar and Bwana Clyde Batty showing animal films on the Zany Zoo sketch, which always ended with "Ooga booga!" Also appearing was Julius Sumner Miller, who talked about physics.

My only beef about the show was that the local NBC (now ABC) affiliate aired the show at 6:30 AM, except on days when it ran a Special Treat on Tuesdays. I felt it was too early of a time slot for a show that would have attracted a larger audience if it was on in a later time period. I'll wrap up the review just like each episode ended. "The review is definitely over."

I remember watching this show growing up every Saturday morning, and as far as I'm concerned, it is among one of the best things Canada offered for kids, along with Mr. Dressup and the Friendly Giant. It gave kids a variety of things to keep their minds busy and growing, between the Scientist and the music clips. Not to mention growing up to the timeless sound of Vincent Price's famous voice! The creativity that was shown while still making it kid-friendly was astounding. This show should definitely be made available on DVD for purchase. Certainly a lot better viewing material for children these days than some of the stuff they've got out there.

I grew up with this show in the late 80's as it was run on some obscure Canadian Station, CKVR from Barrie Ontario. I used to watch this every morning at like 6am, and then I got a little older and it left. But when I was in high school I found it again and it was back on that air at like 4 in the morning and I would get up just to watch it. What a show, i miss it so much. If only I could relive those memories....

This was a very funny kids show, but for some reason KTLA television here in Los Angeles showed it late at night. There was nothing offensive about it and you could see that it was basically a kids show and you could tell by the laugh track which sounded like a bunch of kiddies. I especially loved the sequence when they played the current hits of the day and the characters lip synched and danced to the tunes. Someone should find a some tapes of the show and release them.

Anyone wanting to get some pure joy out of TV should buy as much material as they can from this TV show. I remember it from reruns in the late 1970's and it stuck in my mind as one of the most creative and original TV shows ever made. Brucie the non-functioning Frankenstein monster twin, the dancing werewolf, and of course Billy Van as the Count - all of this added up to the funniest hour per week ( or day, I should say, since I think it aired on a daily basis in reruns at least ) that I have ever seen. And Vincent Price as the Gate Guardian who quoted ghostly poetry only added to the shows' appeal for me. I highly recommend this show.

I cant believe that someone besides me remember this show! I thought maybe I dreamed it up or something as a kid. My question is "Does anybody know how to obtain episodes of the show?" I doubt they have been released to home video (not popular enough) and probably are not played on any tv. stations. Any advice Anthony?