Condensed Classics with Dave Shaw

Condensed Classics (also known as Condensed Classics with Dave Shaw) was a television show that aired on the Canadian Channel Movieola. Although only 25 episodes were produced, the show was run and rerun on Movieola, and later on its sister station Silver Screen Classics. The program still airs occasionally (as of May 2009) on Silver Screen Classics, usually late on Saturday nights.

The Show

Condensed Classics was an attempt at reviving the "horror host" format of the 1950's and 1960's. The program aired movies, such as The Terror of Tiny Town and Gorgo, were condensed from their original running time to about 40 minutes, presiding over by host and head writer Dave Shaw. The hosted segments of the show would appear four times a broadcast, and rarely had anything to do with the movies. Some of the hosted segments were parodies of different movies, which were usually cult films such as Mulholland Drive and Misery.

Style

Shaw described the show as "What if Dean Martin hosted a horror movie show?", and then ran with that aesthetic. The hosted segments were shot in black and white and featured Shaw wearing a tuxedo in the "Condensed Classics" movie lounge where he'd do short comedy bits, usually with a comely female sidekick in a 1940's era cocktail dress. The sidekicks switched every week, although several were put in return appearances, always as different characters.

Aftermath

The show stopped airing on Movieola completely in 2004 and moved to Silver Screen Classics. A version of Condensed Classics called NEW Condensed Classics, which cut down the movies even more (to about 20 minutes) started airing in 2005, although the original is still aired occasionally. Shaw was not involved with this new show and was replaced as host by a woman named Tarantella. The original set and "Rat Pack" aesthetic was gone as well, though Tarantella occasionally woar cocktail dresses.