When Paramount Television decided to get into the syndication business in the late 80s, it chose STAR TREK and FRIDAY THE 13TH as its first titles. Knowing that there was a huge core audience for both properties, they thought both shows could be profitable without the need for star power. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION went on to become one of the biggest syndicated shows of all time, launching careers and earning its place in pop-culture history books. FRIDAY THE 13TH, while not being a huge cash-cow, was the second highest-rated syndicated show during its first season and received a good amount of critical acclaim, which can’t be said for most of the films. Considering that those who despised the film series would be opposed to tuning in and the built-in fan base of the film franchise would be disappointed at the lack of machete mayhem, the decision to use name-brand recognition could be construed as the biggest risk Paramount Television ever took. Yet, it proved to be the right one and the series stayed on the air for three seasons.

After watching the Paramount/CBS release of the first season last September, I caught up with an Amicus film that FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES owes a lot to: FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE. The anthology film – made one year before TALES FROM THE CRYPT – revolves around a dusty, old store that sells cursed antiques and the supernatural occurrences that plague whoever dares to purchase them.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SECOND SEASON continues the adventures of distant-cousins Ryan (John LeMay) and Micki (Robey), and their friend Jack (Chris Wiggins), as they track down the antiques their Faustian uncle Lewis once owned. The show, famous for pushing the boundaries of makeup effects and gore on TV, ups the ante with episodes like Wax Museum, which features plenty of axe carnage and great melting effects. Looking to make the series more cinematic, rather than keep the limited scope of many of the first season’s episodes, executive producer Frank Mancuso Jr. made the wise decision of employing more big-screen names to work on the show, such as director Bruce Pittman (HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II), actor Billy Drago (THE UNTOUCHABLES), and writers Peter Jobin and Timothy Bond (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME). David Cronenberg, who directed the episode Faith Healer in season one, was in talks to helm more episodes, but that fell through, along with Rashid (Elias Zarou), a secondary character that was meant to be a regular and bring the series in a slightly different direction.

Above all, FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SECOND SEASON would become infamous for introducing Johnny Ventura (Steve Monarque), a reoccurring character that would return in season three to replace Ryan as the male lead. Many fans cried foul, as they didn’t think Johnny worked as a romantic interest for Micki or as a substitution for Ryan. Ultimately, many people blamed Johnny for being the key factor behind the series’ abrupt ending in season three, though it was the complaints of The Moral Majority , and not the ratings, that proved to be the driving force behind the show’s cancellation.

The Paramount/CBS release of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SECOND SEASON comes with no special features of any kind, which isn’t really that much of a step down from the last season, considering a network pitch and two TV spots were the only ones included there. The visual quality is the real triumph here, providing a much clearer picture than the last season, which looked like someone recorded the episodes on a camcorder through a screen door. Here’s hoping the bloopers from season three, which have been online for years, make it onto the next set.

Even thought the stretch marks really begin to show mid-season, FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SECOND SEASON is a worthy addition to any fan’s collection. Like a lot of other shows from the 80s, it hasn’t aged particularly well, nor does it have great acting or an overabundance of original ideas, but that’s kind of its allure. If there was one thing it does accomplish perfectly, it’s providing a nice stroll down memory lane.