SATURDAY NIGHT DEAD
MONSTERPIECE THEATRE


KAREN SCIOLI - "STELLA"
? - "BEDA LUGOSI"
BILL BROWN - "SKEEVES THE BUTLER"
? - "ANNOUNCER"
BOB BILLBROUGH - "HIVES THE BUTLER"
DONNA RYAN - "MADAME TOFUTTI"
GLENN DAVISH
- "COUSIN MEL"
- "DR. SCHUYLKILL"
- "IGGY"
- "PORTRAIT"




"Saturday Night Dead" was a hosted horror movie show with Karen Scioli as "Stella", presenting horror movies on Saturday nights following "Saturday Night Live"; on KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The show ran from 29 September 1984 until February 1990.

"Stella" was also known as "The Daughter of Desire" and "That Maneater From Manyunk".

Other regular characters were Stella's canopy bed called "Beda Lugosi" which talked and vibrated; Skeeves the Butler (Bill Brown), who was replaced by Hives the Butler (Bob Billbrough); Cousin Mel & the evil scientist Dr. Schuylkill (both played by Glenn Davish); a faceless dungeon monster named Iggy who ate anybody that Stella did not like; and a portrait that gave sarcastic responses to whatever Stella was wise - cracking about (both voiced by Glenn Davish), and Madame Tofutti (Donna Ryan) a whacked-out psychic.


In many episodes, Scioli played several characters. One in particular was especially evil; when Stella's maid kidnapped her butler Hives (Bill Billbrough) and tied him up. The maid (also played by Karen Scioli) was planning to take over Stella's show and destroy her.



MONSTERPIECE THEATRE
"Monsterpiece Theatre" was a hosted horror movie special with Karen Scioli as "Stella" hosting "The Double Cross" on KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on 31 October 1988. "The Double Cross" tells the story of Diane and Rick who are television script writers who must write a Halloween script featuring an old horror host Alexander Vronski (Count Von Vein) who is staging a come-back. The pair are reluctant, but take up the challenge. What could go possibly wrong when you through a vampire into the mix. The movie also stars Karen Scioli. A talking animated skull would make the introduction to the show and station announcements. The name of the announcer is not known.

From "The Haunted Drive-in" Facebook Page, from Karen Scioli. the "Saturday Night Dead" cast were asked to write a 1/2 hour story to replace the nightly show Evening Magazine. So they wrote The Double Cross, a Vampire story that took place at a TV station. It aired on a Friday night. Jane Norman (Philly's "Pixanne") played a TV executive".

For more information on "The Double Cross", click on the below link:



Karen went on to create a web show in 2012, viewable of on YouTube called, "Goth Mothers of Transylvania", five acts about the filthy dead rich women of Transylvania.



2014 saw Stella and Hives appear in a short - "Roxsy & Me".

From IMDB: "In order to pursue a serious career in acting, Carmela Hayslett hangs up her top hat and retires her popular horror hosting personality, Roxsy Tyler. The problem is... she's the only one who's moved on. Her former co-hosts live to badger her and the fan base she left behind refuses to support her movie career. Meanwhile, locked in a little box somewhere in Hayslett's psyche, Roxsy Tyler is alive, well, and ready repossess the actress's body!"


Portrait of "Stella" by Dave Dunlap.




Portrait of "Stella" by Bradley Beard.
"Stella" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)"
Only one word truly describes this lady and she embraces it quite proudly; that word is vamp. Today I present Stella, the Man-eater from Manayunk, hostess of Saturday Night Dead on KYW-TV Channel 3 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which ran from 1984 to 1990. Saturday Night Dead was a weekly over the top romp through innuendo alley, where every double entendre uttered was immediately multiplied by two. The show's main appeal was obviously Stella, the self proclaimed "Daughter of Desire". Stella was absolutely stunning; her seductive wardrobe choices always enhanced her "haunted" cleavage in the best ways possible. Her cast of comedic cohorts never missed an opportunity to lampoon her flawed personality. The show's humor pushed every imaginable boundary and always left her audience hungry for more. And if you happen to find Stella's 9" pianist, she'll thank you for it tomorrow.



In 2012, Karen Sciolli - "Stella" for "Saturday Night Dead", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame".


The following is a promo for "Saturday Night Dead":

Saturday Night Dead Hosted by Stella (promo) from The Professor on Vimeo.


The following is a clip from "Monsterpiece Theatre":

Monsterpiece Theatre hosted by Stella (clip) from The Professor on Vimeo.


The following is a promo for "Goth Mothers of Transylvania":

Goth Mothers of Transylvania (promo) from The Professor on Vimeo.


The following is a promo for "Roxy and Me":

Roxsy and Me (trailer).mp4 from The Professor on Vimeo.

LINKS


Internet Movie Data Base
"Saturday Night Dead"

Internet Movie Data Base
"Monsterpiece Theatre"

Internet Movie Data Base
"Karen Scioli"

Facebook: Bradley Beard - Horror Host Artist
"Stella"

E-gors Chamber of TV Horror Hosts
"Stella"

Internet Movie Data Base
"Goth Mothers of Transylvania"



Facebook: Dunlap Art
"Horror Host Artwork"



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Last modified: October 2023