Tales from the Crypt was a 93-episode series that ran on HBO from June 1989 to July 1996. Based loosely on the 1950s comic book series of the same name, the show was hosted by The Cryptkeeper, a wisecracking corpse puppet operated and voiced by John Kassir.
Thanks to HBO, the premium cable subscription service, the FCC and the network's standards and practices department did not censor Tales From the Crypt. HBO allowed the series to include content like graphic violence, profanity, and nudity.
Most of us, myself included, first learned of the series in 1994 when edited reruns began to air on the FOX Network on basic cable. If you want to read a little about Fox's Halloween Bash, CLICK HERE NOW!
In 1993, a Saturday morning cartoon called "Tales from the Cryptykeeper" was spun off the HBO series. The violence and gore were toned down and, at times, entirely omitted due to the target audience. Child psychologists were hired to review the scripts to make sure they were suitable for young audiences. The Cryptkeeper was animated as they felt the puppet would be too frightening for children. The cartoon lasted for two seasons on ABC with a total of 26 episodes.
In 1995 and 1996, two films were spun off the popular TV series. "Demon Knight," the first, was a commercial success, but "Bordello of Blood" was a box office bomb panned by critics and fans alike. The lack of success for the second film caused the third in the trilogy to be shelved for good.
As I write this, Tales from the Crypt is not available on any of the HBO or Fox-owned streaming services due to licensing issues.
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