The story of the Carnegie Free Library, built in a former cemetery, and the ghosts that supposedly haunt it, will be featured in the Halloween edition of the horror-based TV show.
In preparation for the show, “Dead and Buried Treasures” creator Eric Sproles traveled the area in search of haunted houses and spooky places.
In addition to the Connellsville Library, it includes the Mount Washington Tavern and Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Wharton Township, the Buffalo Bill House in Perry Township (all in Fayette County), and the Century Inn in North Bethlehem Township, Washington County.
The Halloween episode features the 1972 film Count Dracula and the Vampire Bride starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
The Buffalo Bill House, featured in the psychological horror movie The Silence of the Lambs, is not a very haunted place, just as spooky and spooky. It is now a bed and breakfast business.
A college television production professor by profession, Sproles considered “Chiller Theater” to be “the most fun I’ve ever had” when he was younger.
Bill Cardille (Chilly Billy) hosted a popular late-night science fiction and horror film show on Pittsburgh television station WIIC and its successor WPXI from 1963 to 1984.
When Eric Sproles left his teaching job and returned to Washington County to care for his ailing father (the late Richard Sproles), the idea for a new horror and monster film program was born.
Eric Sproles said that thought was born “Dead and Buried Treasures”. It’s in the 4th season.
Sailing the seas, pirate captain Calico Drake and his friends (including a secret villain) will embark on an adventure featuring comedy and horror that will be revealed during breaks in the film, Sprawls said.
Flicks may be in the public domain, but are known to fans of horror and monsters.
The Pittsburgh classic “Night of the Living Dead” and movies starring Vincent Price and comedy team Abbott & Costello were screened.
Sprowls describes “Dead and Buried Treasures” as “the only show that is Halloween all year round”.
The interludes before and during each flick feature a cast of realistic, mechanical, quirky characters who are all fiction of Sprawls’ imagination, wrapped in humor-based pirate themes.
Sprowls admits that the concept is essentially cheese, but he doesn’t pretend otherwise.
As a result, viewers embrace the cheesiness and enjoy the shows on various cable and internet sites.
“We make fun of ourselves,” Sproles said. “The heart of the show is making cheese.”
Calico Drake is voiced with an Irish accent by Sproles.
The cast features Jack, a mechanical parrot and often the voice of reason, and Davy Bones, an equally mechanical skeleton navigator. Both are voiced by Sprawls. Sprawls often speaks in or out of character.
Rounding out the cast is Aline Isley as the mermaid Mirabella. Chris Presley as Jasper, the 75-year-old caretaker of Dead Buried Treasure Island; Dana Messino Kanji as Professor Gurdy. Tom Riker as Chief Bitterman, the physically imposing chief of security.
Only Eisley is a professional actress and has a mermaid costume, which makes her perfect for the role.
Pressley is a former student, Ryker is a retired cop, and Messino-Cange is Rich Cange’s wife and pre-show host of “Walk the Plank” and “Dead and Buried Treasures.”
“We needed a pre-show to get people to see it,” Sproles said.
Sprowls never met Isley in person and the show was not produced in a television studio.
“We’re lucky that television has evolved in the last 20 years,” Sproles said, adding that parts of the show could be recorded remotely via a green screen, as was the case with Isley, who appears to be underwater. rice field.
All characters use green screens to record their performances and send them electronically to Sprawls.
The green screen process works by shooting an actor in front of a large bright green background, then isolating and removing that green area and replacing it with a different background.
That method allows Sprawls to create a mermaid tail behind Isley.
Sprawls said he writes and edits episodes in his childhood bedroom and former study, where he creates backgrounds and imagery to match each episode’s story.
“Bulbs and chewing gum go a long way for cheesy show special effects,” he said.
Sprawls said producer Tom Blaaker created a model pirate ship for the show.
Dead & Buried Treasures is streaming online nationwide on Vortxx TV Horror Host Network, dbtv.tv, and Monster Channel.
Xx BPTV, Bethel Park Public Access Channel.
Xx CUTV, Penn Western University of California Television Station.
Xx PCTV based in downtown Pittsburgh.
Xx MCA-TV based in Moon Township.
Xx Available on the ‘Dead and Buried Treasures’ Facebook and YouTube pages.
Sprowls didn’t just come up with the concept of ‘Dead and Buried Treasures’. He also serves as its writer, editor, and principal producer, bringing his years of experience to bear on all of this work.
During his career, he has taught television production and newswriting at eight colleges. His longest tenure, his ten years, was at Penn State University (now known as Penn West He California).
While in ex-Cal U, Sprowls helped make CUTV famous.
Sprawls said he has hands-on experience, having worked on various films, including “The Silence of the Lambs.”
“I worked on a lot of movies in the Pittsburgh area,” he said. “I worked on The Dark Knight Rises.
Pittsburgh is one of the Batman flick filming locations.
Sprawls surprised himself with “Dead and Buried Treasures” when he stopped by Buffalo Bill’s house.
“It looks just like in the movie, when Buffalo Bill was there,” he said of the bed and breakfast site.
Sprawls doesn’t have time to peddle the show, so it’s not a money maker for him.
Allen’s Haunted Hayride in Smock was the sponsor of the Halloween episode and provided free tickets to the attraction. This is distributed to viewers.
“Hopefully, like Chiller Theater, we get it at WPXI and bigger and better things happen.
“I still do it because it’s fun.”
The show has received or been nominated for various awards in recognition of its excellence.
‘Dead and Buried Treasures’ wins the 2020 Greater Pittsburgh Community Media Awards for Best Entertainment Television Show Produced in Pittsburgh.
It has been nominated for a regional Emmy Award.
