Midnight Movies

For many years, Chiller Theater was Pittsburgh’s favorite place to see Science Fiction and Horror and  movies on television.

The first episode of Chiller Theatre premiered on WIIC, Channel 11 in Pittsburgh On September 14th, 1963. Bill Cardille (the eventual long-term Chiller Theatre host) was the off-screen booth announcer for the show. The first movie shown was The Brain From Planet Arous. The first show had a Saturday afternoon start time of 3:00 p.m.

Bill Cardille became the on-screen host of Chiller Theatre On September 19th 1964 and the show moved to Saturday night after the 11:00 p.m. news cast. Cardille’s first show as on-screen host  featured It! The Terror From Beyond Space and The Screaming Skull.

Unlike most TV Horror Movie Hosts of the time, Cardille did not wear any “scary” make-up, he appeared as himself, and would eventually come to be known as “Chilly Billy”. During the show, Cardille portrayed a variety of characters such as “Maurice The Matchmaker” and “Captain Bad.” “Chilly Billy” would be back the end of the show with his signature signoff, “Good Night and Sleep Warm”.

Chiller Theater was so popular in Pittsburgh and the Tri-state area that it kept Saturday Night Live from airing on Channel 11 (NBC’s Pittsburgh affiliate) for 4 years. Even though Chiller Theater eventually lost it’s time slot and was forced to air after  Saturday Night Live with a 1:00 a.m. start time it remained a popular show.

After more than twenty years, Chiller Theater aired it’s last episode on New Years Eve 1983. The final two movies shown were The Wolf Man and It Came From Outer Space.

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