Does anyone remember Dana Hersey and The Movie Loft on WSBK, Channel 38 in Boston? Hersey, with his deep, resonant theatrical voice, expertly hosted The Movie Loft in the late 70s and 80s, making it a Boston area household name-caliber locally broadcast TV show.
Dana's encyclopedic knowledge of movies made the intros make one want to watch the films. He looked and sounded like a movie star himself and it made you wonder if he could have gone national like fellow Boston media star Tom Bergeron.
The Movie Loft actually helped pioneer a new type of television broadcasting by introducing the hosted movie format to the Boston area, as well as airing only "unedited" movies. That was quite an eye and ear opener for someone who was watching shows like Gilligan's Island, Leave it to Beaver and Gomer Pyle.
As far as Channel 38, it is still a great station (they still carry The Three Stooges reruns!), but I miss the days when Storer Broadcasting owned it. Watching The Movie Loft, The Three Stooges, Looney Tunes, The Andy Griffith Show, and, of course, the big, bad Boston Bruins made for some warm TV memories. Yes, TV 38 -- along with playing outside until it got dark -- might have delayed us from getting our homework done earlier than later, but we did all right in the long run!
We had WSBK-TV on our cable system in Southern Westchester, County, New York, in the early to late 80's. I grew up in the 80's watching Dana Hersey and the Movie Loft. Great memories...
ReplyDeleteWaxing nostalgic and found your site. I believe we got Channel 38 via southern CT's Cablevision in The '80s. I remembered "The Movie Loft" and its charismatic host but never knew his name.
ReplyDeleteI miss primetime movies badly too. Didn't know Mr Hersey was a revolutionary forerunner of Bob Dorian of AMC and Robert Osborne of TCM.
– Mac P in CT
WSBK aired in northern New England over cable systems in the '80s too! What can I say...MASH, The Jeffersons, The 3 Stooges, and Red Sox Nation..plus UNEDITED movies hosted by Dana Hersey! Can't have that nowadays. .
ReplyDeleteEver since I found out Dana was still on the radio, I've been listening to WBOQ in the mornings when I commute. Get a kick out of the "Mugsopedia." MOVIE LOFT was great, but I remember Dana most on ASK THE MANAGER. I have an ATM tribute page.
ReplyDeleteTV 38 was airing into Northern Vt and Northern NH. In the mid 70's throughout the 80's. It was my favorite channel for several reasons. Mainly Bruins hockey and The Movie Loft.
ReplyDeleteNow I live in Central Florida, wishing we could pick up WSBK down here.
Remember it well. The just deceased Frank Avruch did something similar, The Great Entertainment on Channel 5 on Saturday night, during the 70s and 80s.
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I remember this show only all too well... one trivial burning question has been bugging me forever though... does anyone have any way to recall what dates the Friday the 13th movies first aired unedited on the Movie Loft? I believe they were right around Halloween in 80 and 81, but I'd love to be certain...
ReplyDeleteWow I am right there with you I believe this was also the first time I ever watched a Friday the 13th movie and I remember I had come home from trick or treating in Rhode Island and a neighbor had said there's a horror movie on channel 38 which we got over the air in Rhode Island and it was Friday the 13th part 2 and I believe this was back around 1982 I was seven or eight and that's the first time I saw it and ever since I have been a Friday the 13th fanatic! Thank you for this comment it's good to know that there is someone like me out there in New England LOL
DeleteWe had WSBK on our local cable systems in Syracuse NY from the late ‘70’s into the ‘90’s. Red Sox games (Ned Martin and Ken Harrelson/ Bob Montgomery), the Movie Loft and the Dana Hersey live show “We Don’t Knock”.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to "The Movie Loft" and "We Don't Knock" (in which he played an annoying reporter), he also hosted a youth candlepin bowling show called "Pinbusters" which aired on WNAC Channel 7 (and used the same lanes as "Candlepins For Cash") in the mid-70's.
ReplyDeleteI remember the big hullabaloo when he first aired Straw Dogs. There was an article in the Globe where he discussed the battle to keep most of the scenes in.
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