WGHP Eyewitness news 1971

This ad with Fred Blackman is from June 1971.

Shock Theatre - Timeline on WGHP

Dick Bennick as Dr. Paul Bearer

I have been researching archived newspapers and old NC editions of TV Guide to try to confirm the timeline of Shock Theatre on WGHP channel 8 in High Point,NC. Here is what I have come up with:

Friday Oct.18,1963: Shock Theatre debuts on WGHP airing"The House of Dracula".

Friday Nov.6,1964: The first run of Shock Theatre comes to an end with "The Boogie Man Will Get You" (1942) starring Boris Karloff. Les Crane's "Nightlife" debuted on Nov.9,1964 and aired each weeknight through Friday May 28,1965 on WGHP.

Friday June 4,1965: Shock Theatre returns to WGHP with "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942) starring Lon Chaney Jr.

Friday June 23,1967: Shock Theatre ends it's Friday night run with "Svengali" (1931) starring John Barrymore.

Saturday July 1,1967: Shock Theatre begins it's Saturday night run with "The Manster" (1959) starring Peter Dyneley.Shock Theatre would remain in it's late Saturday night timeslot until April 26,1980 when "The Creature From The Black Lagoon" aired. On May 3,1980, "Solid Gold" aired in Shock Theatre's timeslot.After that WGHP resumed showing a variety of movies in the Saturday 11:30 p.m. slot such as "Walking Tall" starring Joe Don Baker.

Saturday January 10,1981 : WGHP brings back Shock Theatre once again.This time in a later timeslot of 1:30 a.m. with "Tales of Terror" starring Vincent Price.

The tv listing at the top of the page is from Saturday June 27,1981.It is the last one I currently have for Shock Theatre on WGHP. The Code of Scotland aired at 12:30 a.m. that night or rather the next morning.

Update : March 19, 2013

April 24,1982 - Currently I have information that indicates that Shock Theatre on WGHP 8 ended on this date with "DoomWatch" (1972) starring Ian Bannen and Judy Geeson.

May 8, 1982 - WXII 12 in Winston-Salem, NC began it's own version of "Shock Theater" with channel 12 writer Paul Iacono and director Tim Whitt as hosts. The first movie was "Dr. Phibes Rises Again" with Vincent Price.

November 20,1982 - "Shock Theater" on WXII 12 ends with "Shock Waves" (1972) starring Peter Cushing.

I have not yet been able to determine whether WGHP 8 brought 'Shock Theatre" back to it's schedule anytime after this. I keep searching.

WFMY - TV Matinee 1966

This ad with Lee Kinard is from May 1966.

WGHP - 1974

Jo Nelson,Fred Blackman,Frank Deal and Charlie Harville in September 1974.Please click on the image to see it a little bit larger.

WGHP News - 1969

This is from August,1969.Please click on the image to view it in a larger format.

WGHP News - Nov.19,1968

Gene Hunter-news,Jerry Merritt-weather,Charlie Harville-sports and Paul Harvey did a short commentary on various subjects during each show.

Pam Parker on WGHP

This ad is from March 1968.I enjoyed watching Pamela Parker's weather updates at 7:25 each night.Please click on the image to view it in a larger format.

WGHP News - 1968

This ad is from January,1968. Richard Buddine with the news,Pamela Parker with the weather and Charlie Harville with the sports.

Limbo The Clown on WGHP

This ad is from Oct.28,1968.

WGHP - Oct.15,1963

Each weekday afternoon when my brothers and I got off the school bus,I would run in the house,turn on the tv and start turning the old VHF knob on our black and white set.I always hoped that one day there would be a new channel added.This was the day.It was 5:00 p.m.when the knob landed on channel 8,and there was Johnny Weissmuller starring as Tarzan in Tarzan and the Mermaids.I don't believe I have ever seen a crisper,sharper print of this movie than the one WGHP presented that day on "Adventure Theatre".In those early years of WGHP,they also aired The Little Rascals/Our Gang on "Kartoon Karnival " which aired on Saturday mornings. Amos'N Andy aired weekday evenings at 6:30.I have a soft spot for channel 8 because I got to see it when it first came on the air.Those were the days. I enjoy thinking about the history of tv in the Triad or as it was called back then,"the Piedmont Golden Triangle".

Sam & Ella Seal

When I was growing up in the 1960's,I was fortunate enough to spend a good deal of time working in tobacco with Sam and Ella.They are two of my favorite people ever.I learned a lot being around them. The mule that you see Sam plowing with was named "Kate". Please click on the photo to see it in a larger format.