Recent from talks
Dr. Creep
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Dr. Creep
Barry Lee Hobart (June 23, 1941 – January 14, 2011) was a local television personality widely known to fans as Dr. Creep. He was a horror movie host on WKEF Television in Dayton, Ohio.
Hobart was a native of nearby Middletown, born June 23, 1941, to parents Edward and Grace (Fullen) Hobart; he was also the nephew of horror film make-up artist and stuntman Doug Hobart, who hosted a traveling monster show in the 1940s and 1950s. Hobart graduated from Middletown High School in 1959, then attended the University of Cincinnati where he graduated in 1963 with a degree in broadcasting.
After an overseas stint in the Marine Corps, Hobart returned to southwest Ohio and was hired by WKEF television as a camera specialist and Master Control Operator.
In 1971, WKEF management began looking for a gimmick to garner ratings on Saturday nights. When Hobart suggested a late-night horror movie show, station management accepted the idea; encouraged by colleagues, Hobart himself auditioned for the hosting job by donning a monk's robe, fangs and skull-like make-up, initially calling himself "Dr. Death". After Hobart was given the job the fangs were abandoned and the skull face motif toned down for being too fearsome, and the character's name was changed to "Dr. Creep".
Shock Theater premiered on Saturday, January 1, 1972, and was a fixture on WKEF for thirteen years. The title was also spelled Shock Theatre and by 1977 that spelling remained. During that time, Dr. Creep co-hosted Clubhouse 22, a popular weekday afternoon kids show, adding to his local star power.
Like many other late-night horror shows, Shock Theater/Shock Theatre played classic "B" horror films, with bumpers and breaks featuring the host, leaning more toward the humorous than the horrific.
By the mid 1970s, Shock Theater/Shock Theatre had moved to Saturday afternoons, garnering a younger following. The show was moved back to late Saturday night by 1977; then was renamed Saturday Night Dead when WKEF changed network affiliations on January 1, 1980, and the show followed NBC's Saturday Night Live. But by the early 1980s, the show's humor had become more risqué, causing increasing clashes with station management. Consequently, Shock Theater/Shock Theatre ended its run in March 1985, but Hobart remained a Master Control Operator at WKEF for six more years.
In 1986, Filmation's animated cartoon show Ghostbusters featured a character named Doctor Creep in season one, episode 13 "A Friend In Need." The character bears a strong resemblance to Barry Hobart's Dr. Creep character with gloves, white face and an old Dutch beard.
Hub AI
Dr. Creep AI simulator
(@Dr. Creep_simulator)
Dr. Creep
Barry Lee Hobart (June 23, 1941 – January 14, 2011) was a local television personality widely known to fans as Dr. Creep. He was a horror movie host on WKEF Television in Dayton, Ohio.
Hobart was a native of nearby Middletown, born June 23, 1941, to parents Edward and Grace (Fullen) Hobart; he was also the nephew of horror film make-up artist and stuntman Doug Hobart, who hosted a traveling monster show in the 1940s and 1950s. Hobart graduated from Middletown High School in 1959, then attended the University of Cincinnati where he graduated in 1963 with a degree in broadcasting.
After an overseas stint in the Marine Corps, Hobart returned to southwest Ohio and was hired by WKEF television as a camera specialist and Master Control Operator.
In 1971, WKEF management began looking for a gimmick to garner ratings on Saturday nights. When Hobart suggested a late-night horror movie show, station management accepted the idea; encouraged by colleagues, Hobart himself auditioned for the hosting job by donning a monk's robe, fangs and skull-like make-up, initially calling himself "Dr. Death". After Hobart was given the job the fangs were abandoned and the skull face motif toned down for being too fearsome, and the character's name was changed to "Dr. Creep".
Shock Theater premiered on Saturday, January 1, 1972, and was a fixture on WKEF for thirteen years. The title was also spelled Shock Theatre and by 1977 that spelling remained. During that time, Dr. Creep co-hosted Clubhouse 22, a popular weekday afternoon kids show, adding to his local star power.
Like many other late-night horror shows, Shock Theater/Shock Theatre played classic "B" horror films, with bumpers and breaks featuring the host, leaning more toward the humorous than the horrific.
By the mid 1970s, Shock Theater/Shock Theatre had moved to Saturday afternoons, garnering a younger following. The show was moved back to late Saturday night by 1977; then was renamed Saturday Night Dead when WKEF changed network affiliations on January 1, 1980, and the show followed NBC's Saturday Night Live. But by the early 1980s, the show's humor had become more risqué, causing increasing clashes with station management. Consequently, Shock Theater/Shock Theatre ended its run in March 1985, but Hobart remained a Master Control Operator at WKEF for six more years.
In 1986, Filmation's animated cartoon show Ghostbusters featured a character named Doctor Creep in season one, episode 13 "A Friend In Need." The character bears a strong resemblance to Barry Hobart's Dr. Creep character with gloves, white face and an old Dutch beard.