CHILLER THEATRE

JOHN ZACHERLE - "ZACHERLEY"
CASSANDRA PETERESON - "ELVIRA"
JILL NICOLINI
CRAIG TREADWAY
FRANCES RIVERA
LINDA CHURCH
SUKANYA KRISHNAN
TAMSEN FADAL

The above poster and news paper advertisements below are AI generated based on the below images and information. "Chiller Theatre" was an annual Halloween special on PIX11 in New York, New York, USA, as part of the stations Shocktober Special. The annual event ran from 2008 until 2011. The hosts were: 2008 25 October at 8:00pm John Zacherle as "Zacherley" showing "Tarantula" (1955) 2009 31 October at 8:00pm Cassandra Peterson as "Elvira" showing "The Evil of Frankenstein" (1964) 2010 30 October at 7:00pm Jill Nicolini showing "White Zombie" (1932) and at 8:30pm "Bride of the Monster" (1955) 2010 31 October at 2:00pm unhosted showing "Dolls" (1987) and at 4:00pm "Child's Play" (1988) 2011 29 October at 6:30pm Sukanya Krishnan, Tamsen Fadal, Craig Treadway, Frances Rivera, and Linda Church (all from PIX11 morning news cast) showing "The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960) and at 8:00pm "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). The publicity promised both the monster montage and six-fingered-hand openings. 2008 JOHN ZACHERLE as "ZACHERLEY" 2009 CASSANDRA PETERESON as "ELVIRA" 2010 JILL NICOLINI During the two movies that Jill hosted on October 30th, she was featured in several Halloween costumes; with viewers able to vote online with PIX11 for their favourite costume; with the winning selection to be worn by Jill at the "Village Halloween Parade" on October 31st, where she was the host. 2011 CRAIG TREADWAY, FRANCES RIVERA LINDA CHURCH, SUKANYA KRISHNAN & TAMSEN FADAL Portrait of "Zacherley" by Dave Dunlap. Portrait of "Zacherley" by Bradley Beard. "Zacherley" - biography (taken from Bradley's Facebook page)" "We've all seen the ghoul named Roland but of My Dear… only her hand. Could it be he has fear because Igor is near, that he won't show the rest of My Dear?" Today I present Roland otherwise known as Zacherley, the king of all horror hosts. He and his dear My Dear found their humble beginnings in 1957 at WCAU in Philadelphia introducing Shock Theatre; a package of 52 Universal Horrors released by Screen Gems to TV syndication. In 1958 he moved to WABC in New York and became known as Zacherley. It was his friend and colleague Dick Clark who nicknamed him "The Cool Ghoul". Zacherley quickly became a household name and recognizable commodity; he even appeared twice on covers of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, issues #7 and #15. John Zacherle turned 96 years young this year and all I can say is...LONG LIVE THE KING! Be sure to join me tomorrow... my dears. Portrait of "Elvira" by Dave Dunlap. Portrait of "Elvira" by Bradley Beard. "Elvira" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)" Everybody knows her and everybody loves her. Today I present Elvira, hostess of Movie Macabre which began in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Elvira's valley girl attitude combined with her gothic chic fashion sense, created an incredibly fresh character that captivated her viewer's attention. Her smart, quick humor set her apart; her double entendres and womanly wiles kept her audiences wanting more. The movie Elvira, Mistress of the Dark was brilliantly clever; a hilarious comedy cult classic that will live on with audiences for decades. Elvira quickly evolved into her own brand producing comic books, action figures, costumes, trading cards, pinball machines, Halloween décor, dolls, model kits, and even her own beer, Elvira's Night Brew. Today I honor Cassandra Peterson, a truly amazing lady with an incredibly inspiring career. She is Elvira and she is the best! Chiller Theater / Chiller Theatre has a long history with WPIX / PIX11, going back as far as 1961. The series had previous different incarnations: "Chiller Theater" 1961 - 1963, unhosted, with announcers. "Chiller Theater" 1963 - 1965, hosted by John Zacherle as "Zacherley". "Chiller Theatre" 1965 - 1978, unhosted, with announcers. "Chiller Theatre" 1980 - 1982, unhosted, with announcers. The period "1961-1978" should not imply uninterrupted weekly transmission. Listings show a return on 30 December 1967, another on 10 January 1970, and a further return on 19 September 1970 after a summer break. Below is a promo for 2008 Below is a promo for 2009 Below is a promo for 2010: Below is a promo for 2011: LINKS Internet Movie Data Base "Chiller Theatre" Internet Movie Data Base "John Zacherle" Horror Host Graveyard "Chiller Theatre 2008" Internet Movie Data Base "Cassandra Peterson" Internet Movie Data Base "Jill Nicolini" Internet Movie Data Base "Craig Treadway" Internet Movie Data Base "Frances Rivera" Internet Movie Data Base "Linda Church" The Classic Horror Film Board "Chiller Theatre" Internet Movie Data Base "Sukanya Krishnan" Facebook - Bradley Beard Horror Host Artist "Elvira" Internet Movie Data Base "Tamsen Fadal" Facebook: Dunlap Art "Horror Host Artwork" Back to the USA Send mail to: professor@hotkey.net.au   with questions or comments about this web site. Page Content Copyright 2016 Paul Gerard Kennedy Photographic and Video Copyright rests with original owners. Page Design Copyright 2016 Paul Gerard Kennedy Last modified: October 2026