You can watch the full nine-minute skit below. In addition to recreating the pun-filled humor of many horror hosts, the skit offers delightful black-and-white homages to some of the cheesy fright films that once appeared on Friday and Saturday nights.
Beyond Our Control wasn't just any local TV series. It was written, directed, and produced by an immensely talented group of teenagers--many of whom went on to fame in movies, television, radio, and literature. Its alumni includes: producer screenwriter David Simkins (wrote Adventures in Babysitting, wrote and produced episodes of Charmed, Human Target, and many other TV series); producer-director-writer Larry Karaszewski (co-wrote Ed Wood and The People vs. Larry Flynt); Daniel Waters (wrote Heathers and Batman Returns); radio personality/sports broadcaster Randy Rhinehart (hosts the syndicated Nostalgia Express), and film reference book author Mary Willems Armstrong (Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series).
Beyond Our Control, produced by a Junior Achievement company, was shown on WNDU-TV in South Bend from 1967 to 1986--an amazing 19-year run. Each season typically started in January and ended in May. The half-hour show consisted of comedy sketches written, produced, and acted by the company's teen employees. Each year, Beyond Our Control would hold open auditions attended by hundreds of hopeful youths and select just 25 to 30 for the season.
BOC, as its alumni fondly call it, gained national recognition courtesy of feature articles in TV Guide, Seventeen, Parade, and Scholastic Magazine. It also earned several awards, including Best Locally Produced Variety Show [for markets under the top 25] by the National Association of Television Program Executives and a Gold Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival.
Today, you can enjoy many of BOC's best skits on YouTube, including Night of the Pooh (ideal for Halloween!); Blimp Port (a silent disaster movie spoof), and, one of my personal faves, How Do You Play This Game (a very funny quiz show shown below).
This post is part of the Classic TV Horror Host Blogathon, sponsored by the Classic TV Blog Association. For a list of all the blogathon entries, click here.
