DOUBLE CHILLER THEATRE |
Frederick C. Peerenboom, better known as the horror host "Fritz the Nite Owl" (born 27 December 1934, in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, USA), is a radio and television personality in Columbus, Ohio.
His first horror hosting show was "Double Chiller Theatre", which was the Friday night segment of all-week-long "Nite Owl Theatre", screening at 11:30pm on WBNS-TV, Channel 10 in Columbus, Ohio, from September 1974 until June 1991.
In 1989, Fritz hosted "4-Star Nite Owl Theatre" a hosted horror movie show pilot for 4-Star International, Burbank, California.
From around 1992 until 1995, Fritz would host "Nite Owl Theatre", on Mondays to Fridays at 11:00pm till 1:00am on WCLS-TV, Channel 62, in Columbus, Ohio.
Fritz would return around May 2001 until about Juky 2003 with "Nite Owl Theatre", airing on Saturdays (with scray movies) and Sundays (variety show), from 8:00pm untik 10:00pm; on WCLL-TV, Channel 19 in Columbus, Ohio.
Fritz resumed hosting movies in October 2010 with a showing of Night of the Living Dead at Grandview Theatre in Columbus. The new series was a reboot of the original Nite Owl Theatre and was written by Peerenboom and directed, produced and edited by filmmaker Mike McGraner. He recorded one movie with host bumper segments and vintage commercials per month. The movies premiered at Grandview Theatre, usually on the last Saturday of the month.
In January 2012, the live showing of his monthly internet version of "Nite Owl Theatre" moved from the Grandview Theatre to Studio 35 on Indianola Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, and in 2014 moved to the Gateway Film Center.
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The following are some clips from the show:
Portrait of "Fritz the Nite Owl" by Bradley Beard.
"Fritz the Nite Owl" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)"
He began his radio career in 1959. Today I present Fritz the Nite Owl, host of Nite Owl Theatre on WBNS-TV Channel 10 in Columbus, OH, which ran from 1974 to 1991. He hosted sci-fi and horror movies on Double Chiller Theatre every Friday night. His show ran 7 nights a week and in 17 years; Fritz hosted 6,205 consecutive performances. He also hosted Nite Owl Jazz for over 19 years on several different stations. Fritz has earned five regional Emmy's and was inducted into the Horror Host Hall of Fame in 2012. He even had a cameo appearance in The Power of Shazam #20 where he assisted Captain Marvel and Superman in saving the earth. He started hosting movies again in 2010 with a showing of Night of the Living Dead at the Grandview Theatre in Columbus. He currently hosts one show a month. Fritz can be seen regularly on Kreepy Kastle at http://kreepykastle.com.
In 2012, "Friz", The Nite Owl" for his show "Nite Owl Theatre" was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame".
Fritz has earned five regional Emmys for his performance on the original show through 1974 to 1991. He received a 6th Emmy in 2013 for his work on the reboot of the series that began in 2010.
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