Horror Double Bills
The BBC2 Horror Double Bills were seasons of classic horror movies broadcast annually in the UK on BBC2 television between 1975 and 1983, with a revival in 1993. They provided rare opportunities (in a pre-VHS or DVD era) to see some of these films.
Format and content
Each week during the summer (usually July and August) two horror, science-fiction or fantasy movies would be shown, the majority of which were from Universal and Hammer studios, though other less familiar movies were also featured. The first season was broadcast in 1975 under the title "Midnight Movie Fantastic,[1]" though the season title would vary throughout the years ("Horror Double Bill," "Monster Double Bill," "Dracula, Frankenstein & Friends"). The third season in 1977 ("Dracula, Frankenstein & Friends") featured the most famous Universal monster titles (paired with each other or a Hammer/AIP title)whilst the final original season in 1981 consisted of the Val Lewton RKO horrors paired with more obscure modern titles.
After seven years and remarkably few repeated screenings, there was no season in 1982. A final series of Double Bills was broadcast during the summer of 1983, although this season was entirely made up of the classic Universal horrors from the 1930s and 1940s, all of which had been shown before, predominantly in the 1977 season "Dracula, Frankenstein & Friends."
The 1990s
After 1983, the BBC decided to rest the format. However the Double Bills returned in 1993 following the success of an all-night Halloween horror marathon on BBC2 a year earlier. The marathon was introduced and linked by Dr. Walpurgis, played by Guy Henry and created by Kim Newman. The other memorable event of that evening was the broadcast of the infamous Ghostwatch on BBC1 starring Michael Parkinson, Mike Smith & Sarah Greene. During this evening it was intended that the Doctor would have the privilege of introducing for the first time on British TV the uncut version of Curse of the Werewolf (Hammer 1960), which the doctor described as having “extra stalk and slash scenes.” However, problems led to the showing of the usual cut version of the film. The uncut version aired a few months later.
Dr. Terror's Vault of Horror was broadcast on Fridays on BBC1 between September and December 1993 and featured Guy Henry's character, though he was renamed Dr. Terror. The Double Bills only ran one year, although Dr. Terror would return to introduce individual horrors in 1994 and 1996.
The Classic Horror Campaign
The Classic Horror Campaign was established by the late Richard Gladman to persuade the BBC to bring back the iconic Saturday night classic horror double bills. Gladman published and edited his own horror magazine Space Monsters. The campaign hosts its own classic horror double bill screenings in the UK and organized the hugely successful Frighten Brighton Classic Horror Film Festival in the south coast city of Brighton in 2012. Actress Emily Booth is among the campaign's supporters.
List of films broadcast in the Double Bill
1975 Midnight Movie Fantastic
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 2 August 1975 | 22.55 - 00.05 | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari | Decla Productions (1919) |
| 00.05 - 01.20 | Quatermass 2 | Hammer (1957) | |
| Saturday, 9 August 1975 | 22.45 - 00.00 | The Tell Tale Heart | Danziger (1960) |
| 00.00 - 01.20 | The Premature Burial | AIP (1961) | |
| Saturday, 16 August 1975 | 23.15 – 00.20 | Noah's Ark | (1928) |
| 00.20 – 01.20 | Man & His Mate | (1940) | |
| Saturday, 23 August 1975 | 22.40 - 00.05 | This Island Earth | Universal (1955) |
| 00.05 - 01.25 | Barbarella | Dino de Laurentis/Marianne Productions (1968) | |
| Saturday, 30 August 1975 | 22.55 - 00.05 | The Cat and The Canary | Paramount (1939) |
| 00.05 - 01.25 | The Comedy of Terrors | AlP (1963) | |
| Saturday, 6 September 1975 | 22.35 - 00.00 | The Beast With Five Fingers | Warner Brothers (1947) |
| 00.00 - 01.20 | The Maze | Allied Artists (1954) | |
1976 Masters of Terror
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 August 1976 | 22.55 - 00.10 | The Phantom of the Opera | Universal 1925 |
| 00.10 - 01.40 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Paramount 1932 | |
| Saturday, 21 August 1976 | 22.00 - 23.20 | Devil Doll | MGM 1932 |
| 23.20 - 00.50 | Frankenstein Created Woman | Hammer 1967 | |
| Saturday, 28 August 1976 | 22.00 - 00.00 | The Hounds of Zaroff | RKO 1932 |
| 00.00 - 01.25 | Hound of the Baskervilles | Twentieth Century Fox 1939 | |
| Saturday, 5 September 1976 | 22.55 - 00.10 | The Mad Genius | Warner 1931 |
| 00.10 - 01.30 | The Pit and The Pendulum | AlP 1961 | |
| Saturday, 14 August 1976 | 22.50 - 23.55 | The Walking Dead | Warner 1936 |
| 23.55 - 01.20 | Dracula Prince of Darkness | Hammer 1966 | |
1977 Dracula, Frankenstein and Friends
This season is probably the most remembered and treasured by fans as it contained the Universal classics chronologically.
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 2 July 1977 | 23.05 - 00.25 | Dracula | Universal 1931 |
| 00.25 - 01.35 | Frankenstein | Universal 1931 | |
| Saturday, 9 July 1977 | 22.50 - 00.00 | Bride of Frankenstein | Universal 1935 |
| 00.00 - 01.25 | Brides of Dracula | Hammer 1960 | |
| Saturday, 16 July 1977 | 22.45 - 00.15 | The Mummy | Universal 1932 |
| 00.15 - 01.05 | The Wolf Man | Universal 1940 | |
| Saturday, 23 July 1977 | 22.10 - 23.45 | Son of Frankenstein | Universal 1938 |
| 23.45 - 01.10 | Kiss of the Vampire | Hammer 1964 | |
| Saturday, 30 July 1977 | 22.35 - 00.05 | Dracula's Daughter | Universal 1936 |
| 00.05 - 01.30 | Plague of the Zombies | Hammer 1966 | |
| Saturday, 6 August 1977 | 22.50 - 23.55 | The Ghost of Frankenstein | Universal 1942 |
| 22.55 - 01.10 | The Premature Burial | AlP 1961 | |
| Saturday, 13 August 1977 | 23.05 - 00.05 | The Raven | Universal 1935 |
| 00.05 - 01.10 | The Black Cat | Universal 1933 | |
| Saturday, 20 August 1977 | 22.00 - 23.15 | Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman | Universal 1943 |
| 00.05 - 01.35 | The Raven | AlP 1963 | |
| Saturday, 27 August 1977 | 22.20 - 23.10 | House of Frankenstein | Universal 1944 |
| 00.05 - 01.35 | The Reptile | Hammer 1966 | |
| Saturday, 3 September 1977 | 21.55 - 23-10 | Son of Dracula | Universal 1943 |
| 23.45 - 01.10 | Evil of Frankenstein | Hammer 1964 | |
| Saturday, 10 September 1977 | 22.05 - 23.15 | House of Dracula | Universal 1945 |
| 23.20 - 00.35 | Fall of the House of Usher | AlP 1960 | |
1978 Monster Double Bill
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 8 July 1978 | 22.55 - 23.55 | Murders in the Rue Morgue | Universal 1933 |
| 23.55 - 01.25 | The Man Who Could Cheat Death | Hammer 1959 | |
| Saturday, 15 July 1978 | 22.40 - 23.55 | The Fantastic Disappearing Man | Gramercy Pictures 1958 |
| 00.00 - 01.15 | X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes | AlP 1963 | |
| Saturday, 22 July 1978 | 22.00 - 23.20 | The Quatermass Xperiment | Hammer 1955 |
| 23.50 - 01.35 | The Crazies | Cambist 1973 | |
| Saturday, 29 July 1978 | 23.15 - 00.15 | Man Made Monster | Universal 1940 |
| 00.15 - 01.15 | The Mummy's Curse | Universal 1945 | |
| Saturday, 5 August 1978 | 22.40 - 23.55 | White Zombie | Halperin 1932 |
| 00.00 - 01.25 | House of Wax | Warner 1953 | |
| Saturday, 12 August 1978 | 21.40 - 23.10 | Them! | Universal 1954 |
| 23.45 - 01.05 | The Incredible Shrinking Man | Universal 1957 | |
| Saturday, 19 August 1978 | 22.00 - 23.15 | Voodoo Island | Bel Air 1957 |
| 23.20 - 00.45 | Phantom of the Rue Morgue | Warner 1953 | |
| Saturday, 26 August 1978 | 22.00 - 23.35 | King Kong | RKO 1933 |
| 23.40 - 01.10 | Superbeast | A & S Productions 1972 | |
1979 Masters of Terror
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 July 1979 | 22.35-23.50 | Doctor X | Warner 1932 |
| 23.55-01.20 | The Curse of Frankenstein | Hammer 1956 | |
| Saturday, 21 July 1979 | 22.30-23.30 | Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman | 20th Century Fox 1944 |
| 00.00-01.30 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Hammer 1959 | |
| Saturday, 28 July 1979 | 22.15-23.25 | Night Monster | Universal 1942 |
| 23.30.01.10 | The Devil Rides Out | Hammer 1968 | |
| Saturday, 4 August 1979 | 23.00.00.05 | Black Friday | Universal 1940 |
| 00.05.01.35 | The Mummy | Hammer 1959 | |
| Saturday, 11 August 1979 | 22.05.23.25 | The Strange Door | Universal 1951 |
| 23.25-01.00 | Blood from the Mummy's Tomb | Hammer 1971 | |
| Saturday, 18 August 1979 | 22.35-23.40 | The Mummy's Hand | Universal 1944 |
| 00.10-01.35 | The Satanic Rites of Dracula | Hammer 1973 | |
| Saturday, 25 August 1979 | 22.00-23.20 | It Came From Outer Space | Universal 1951 |
| 23.25-01.05 | Quatermass and the Pit | Hammer 1967 |
1980 Horror Double Bill
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 June 1980 | 22.30.00.00 | Night of the Demon | Sabre 1957 |
| 00.02-01.35 | The Ghoul | Tyburn 1975 | |
| Saturday, 5 July 1980 | 10.10-11.35 | The Beast With Five Fingers | Warner 1947 |
| 23.50-01.30 | Chamber of Horrors | Warner 1966 | |
| Saturday, 12 July 1980 | 22.40-23.45 | The Mad Ghoul | Universal 1943 |
| 23.50-01.30 | Dr. Terror's House of Horrors | Amicus 1964 | |
| Saturday, 19 July 1980 | 22.35-23.50 | The Devil Doll | MGM 1936 |
| 23.55-01.25 | Daughters of Satan | UA 1972 | |
| Saturday, 26 July 1980 | 22.10-23.40 | Curse of the Werewolf | Hammer 1960 |
| 23.55-01.35 | From Beyond The Grave | Amicus 1974 | |
| Saturday, 2 August 1980 | 22.35-23.50 | Paranoiac | Hammer 1963 |
| 12.00-01.35 | Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter | Hammer 1973 | |
| Saturday, 9 August 1980 | 22.35-23.55 | The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms | Warner 1953 |
| 00.00-01.20 | Night of the Lepus | MGM/A.C. Lyles 1972 | |
| Saturday, 16 August 1980 | 22.20-23.40 | The Bat | UA 1959 |
| 23.45-01.20 | Legend of the Werewolf | Tyburn 1974 | |
| Saturday, 23 August 1980 | 22.40.00.00 | Tower of London | Universal 1939 |
| 00.00-01.20 | The Skull | Amicus 1965 | |
| Saturday, 30 August 1980 | 00.00-01.35 | The Beast Must Die | Amicus 1974 |
1981 Horror Double Bill
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 4 July 1981 | 22.35-23.10 | I Walked with a Zombie | RKO 1943 |
| 00.10.01.10 | Zoltan, Hound of Dracula | Crown International 1978 | |
| Saturday, 11 July 1981 | 23.05-00.15 | Cat People | RKO 1945 |
| 00.15-01.35 | Mystery of the Wax Museum | Warner 1933 | |
| Saturday, 18 July 1981 | 22.55-00.05 | The Seventh Victim | RKO 1943 |
| 00.05-01.35 | Race With The Devil | Saber 1970 | |
| Saturday, 25 July 1981 | 21.20-22.30 | Isle of the Dead | RKO 1940 |
| 23.40-01.25 | The Crazies | Cambist 1973 | |
| Saturday, 1 August 1981 | 22.30-23.45 | Bedlam | RKO 1946 |
| 23.45-01.30 | Bug | Paramount 1975 | |
| Saturday, 8 August 1981 | 22.50-23.55 | The Leopard Man | RKO 1943 |
| 23.55-01.35 | The Shuttered Room | Warner 1966 | |
| Saturday, 15 August 1981 | 22.35-23.40 | The Curse of the Cat People | RKO 1943 |
| 23.40-01.10 | Eye of the Cat | Universal 1969 | |
| Saturday, 22 August 1981 | 22.30-23.40 | The Body Snatcher | RKO 1945 |
| 23.40-01.25 | Theatre of Blood | AlP 1973 | |
1983 Horror Double Bill
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 9 July 1983 | 10.00-11.10 | Dracula | Universal 1931 |
| 11.15-12.30 | Frankenstein | Universal 1931 | |
| Saturday, 16 July 1983 | 11.45- 01.05 | The Bride of Frankenstein | Universal 1935 |
| Saturday, 23 July 1983 | 10.05-11.15 | Dracula's Daughter | Universal 1936 |
| 11.20-01.35 | Son Of Frankenstein | Universal 1939 | |
| Saturday, 30 July 1983 | 10.35-11.45 | The Mummy | Universal 1932 |
| 11.45-01.00 | Ghost of Frankenstein | Universal 1942 | |
| Saturday, 6 August 1983 | 10.40-11.50 | The Wolfman | Universal 1941 |
| 11.55-01.10 | Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman | Universal 1943 | |
| Saturday, 13 August 1983 | 10.15-11.35 | Son of Dracula | Universal 1943 |
| 11.40-12.55 | House of Frankenstein | Universal 1944 | |
| Saturday, 20 August 1983 | 10.05-11.10 | The Mummy's Hand | Universal 1940 |
| 11.15-12.25 | House of Dracula | Universal 1945 | |
| Saturday, 3 September 1983 (titled Horror Triple Bill) | 9.45-10.50 | The Black Cat | Universal 1934 |
| 11.30-12.30 | Murders In The Rue Morgue | Universal 1932 | |
| 12.30-01.35 | The Raven | Universal 1935 | |
1992 BBC2 All-Night Halloween Marathon
The Vault of Horror
A festival of terror, hosted by Dr Walpurgis, for Hallowe'en. Producers Mark Deitch, Nick Freand Jones
| Time | Title | Detail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.00 - 11.20 | Introduction by Dr. Walpurgis / What's behind the Door, Mummy? |
Leading figures in horror discuss what it is that scares people. |
|
| 11.20 - 11.25 | Tales from EC | A look at the 1950s horror comic | |
| 11.25 - 01.25 | Creepshow | Laurel Entertainment 1982 | |
| 01.25 - 01.30 | The Art of Illusion | With special effects and make up artist Tom Savini | |
| 01.30 - 01.40 | The Unholy Trinity | A discussion on horror's leading men – Freddie, Jason & Pinhead | |
| 01.40 - 03.10 | The Curse of the Werewolf | Hammer 1961 | |
| 03.10 - 03.15 | Prime Evil | Sam Raimi & Bruce Campbell talk about The Evil Dead | |
| 03.15 - 03.20 | Terror on the Page | Stephen King and other authors open their books. | |
| 03.20 - 04.30 | The Bride of Frankenstein | Universal 1935 | |
| 04.30 - 04.35 | The Horror of Sex | Women's role in horror | |
| 04.35 - 04.45 | Dario's Friends | Dario Argento at work on his new film Trauma | |
| 04.45 - 06.10 | Death Line | Harbor Ventures/K-L Productions 1972 | |
| 06.10 - 07.25 | Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein | Universal 1948 | |
| 07.25 - 07.30 | Close by Dr. Walpurgis | ||
Dr. Terror Seasons 1993 - 1995
1993 Dr. Terror's Vault of Horror
| Date | Time | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, 10 September 1993 | 11.15-12.50 | Vamp | Balcor Film Investors, Planet Productions 1986 |
| 12.50-02.20 | The Mask of Satan | Alta Vista, Galatea Film, Jolly Film 1960 | |
| Friday, 17 September 1993 | 11.25-12.55 | The Guardian | Universal/Nanny Productions 1990 |
| 12.55-02.10 | From Hell It Came | Allied Artists 1957 | |
| Friday, 24 September 1993 | 11.30-12.55 | The Curse of Frankenstein | Hammer 1956 |
| 12.55-02.05 | Blood of Dracula | AIP/Carmel 1957 | |
| Friday, 1 October 1993 | 11.05-12.30 | Horror Express | Benmar/Granada 1972 |
| 12.30-01.50 | The Comedy of Terrors | AIP 1963 | |
| Friday, 8 October 1993 | 11.00-12.25 | Crucible of Terror | Glendale 1971 |
| 12.25-02.05 | The Beast With Five Fingers | Warner 1946 | |
| Friday, 15 October 1993 | 11.15-12.40 | Twins of Evil | Hammer 1971 |
| 12.40-01.55 | Terror from the Year 5000 | La Jolla Productions 1958 | |
| Friday, 22 October 1993 | 11.50-01.20 | Blood of the Vampire | Artistes Alliance Ltd 1958 |
| 01.20-02.50 | I Don't Want to Be Born | Rank 1975 | |
| Friday, 29 October 1993 | 11.30-12.45 | The Gate | New Century Entertainment/Vista/Alliance 1987 |
| 12.45-02.00 | I Was a Teenage Frankenstein | Santa Rosa 1957 | |
| Friday, 5 November 1993 | 11.10-12.40 | The Haunted House of Horror | Tigon 1969 |
| 12.40-01.55 | House on Haunted Hill | William Castle Productions 1959 | |
| Friday, 12 November 1993 | 11.15-12.45 | The Lost Boys | |
| 12.45-02.05 | I Was a Teenage Werewolf | ||
| Friday, 19 November 1993 | 11.40-01.05 | April Fool's Day | Paramount/Hometown Films 1986 |
| 01.05-02.35 | Cat's Eye | Dino De Laurentiis/Famous Films 1985 | |
| Friday, 3 December 1993 | 11.05-12.35 | Countess Dracula | Hammer 1971 |
| 12.35-01.55 | Voodoo Woman | AIP 1957 | |
Dr. Terror Season 1994
| Date | Title | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 9 September | The Fog | AVCO Embassy 1980 |
| Friday, 16 September | The Ghoul | Tyburn 1974 |
| Friday, 23 September | The Unnameable Returns | Unnamable Productions/Yankee Classic 1992 |
| Friday, 30 September | Taste the Blood of Dracula | Hammer 1970 |
| Friday, 7 October | A Study in Terror | Compton Films 1965 |
| Friday, 14 October | Legend of the Werewolf | Tyburn 1975 |
| Friday, 28 October | Body Parts | Vista Street Entertainment 1991 |
| Friday, 4 November | Curse of the Crimson Altar | Tigon 1968 |
| Friday, 11 November | The Mummy | Hammer 1959 |
| Friday, 18 November | The Legacy | David Foster Prods/Pethurst Ltd/Turman-Foster 1978 |
| Friday, 2 December | Dr Terror's House of Horrors | Amicus 1964 |
| Friday, 9 December | Alligator | Alligator Inc 1980 |
| Friday, 16 December | The Serpent and the Rainbow | Universal 1988 |
Dr. Terror Season 1996
| Date | Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 27 September | The House of Seven Corpses | Television Corporation of America 1974 |
| Friday, 4 October | The Asphyx | Glendale 1973 |
| Friday, 11 October | Devils of Darkness | Planet 1965 |
| Friday, 18 October | The Beast in the Cellar | Tigon 1968 |
| Friday, 25 October | A Child For Satan | 1991 |
| Friday, 1 November | Ghost Story | Universal 1981 |
| Friday, 8 November | Dr. Giggles | Dark Horse/ JVC/ Largo 1992 |
| Friday, 15 November | Phantasm | New Breed Productions 1978 |
| Friday, 29 November | Nothing But The Night | Charlemagne 1972 |
| Friday, 14 December | The People Under the Stairs | Alive Films/Universal 1991 |