There was
Friday The 13th: The Series.
This show was an American-Canadian horror television series that ran for three seasons, from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 in first-run syndication. The series follows three owners of an antiques store, and their assistant as they try to recover cursed antiques, to put them into safety in the store's vault.
An antiques dealer named Lewis Vendredi (played by R.G. Armstrong) made a deal with the Devil to sell cursed antiques out of his shop, "Vendredi's Antiques", in exchange for wealth, magic powers, and immortality. He eventually rebelled against the Devil and broke the deal. The Devil came and claimed the soul of Vendredi ("Friday" in French) for breaking the deal.
After Lewis' death, his shop was inherited by his niece, Michelle "Micki" Foster (played by Louise Robey) and her cousin by marriage, Ryan Dallion (played by John D. LeMay). They sold off many of the cursed antiques before being stopped by Jack Marshak (played by Chris Wiggins). Jack was Lewis' friend, a retired world-traveller and occultist who originally collected many of the antiques for Vendredi before they became cursed.
The series follows the protagonists as they hunt down the cursed antiques, which are usually in the possession of people who have discovered their evil powers and are unwilling to give them up. Since the cursed antiques are completely indestructible, they must be locked away in a vault beneath "Curious Goods" (the rechristened antique store) that is designed to magically render the objects inert. A manifest, written by Lewis, holds the records of all the cursed objects sold.
Most of the stories in the series deal with people using the cursed objects' magic for personal gain or for revenge. Each object must be activated by a human sacrifice, and the victim must be killed with the object itself, or in some particular manner reflecting the object's history. Furthermore, the objects were used by persons who had a similar personal situation or profession (such as a cursed lantern used by divers, a ring used by gamblers). Typically, the person using the cursed object ends up becoming a victim of the object's curse after failing to meet its demand for more and more human sacrifices. Some objects are sentient and intelligent, such as the doll ("The Inheritance") and the radio ("And Now the News"). Other cursed objects do not actually speak but demonstrate intelligence and awareness in other ways ("Spirit of Television", "The Playhouse") or confer intelligence on other inanimate things ("Read My Lips", "Double Exposure", "Wax Magic"). Still others function without intelligence, mechanically dispensing a certain benefit in response to human sacrifice ("Root of All Evil", "The Mephisto Ring", "The Prisoner"). Occasionally, there would be an object-free episode in which the trio would confront their uncle's spirit or some other Satanic evildoer ("The Prophecy", "Hello'ween", "Wedding in Black".)
The second season saw the introduction of Johnny Ventura (played by Steve Monarque). He helps recover the relics and eventually replaces Ryan permanently in the third season (when John LeMay left the show).
***above taken from Wikipedia and edited by me***
That's right, long before Supernatural and Charmed were even thought of, this little show had Micki, Ryan, and Jack (and later Johnny) trying to save innocents. In fact, many plots seen on this show later turned up in episodes of Charmed and Supernatural (for example, people being killed while they dreamt, people dying by being exposed to their greatest fears, someone willing to kill to stay young). I wonder how many fans of Charmed and SPN know this show even exists.
This show was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Watching it, I recognized a few young Canadian actors who were just starting out (such as Jill Hennessy, who would go on to be one of the stars of Law & Order and then her own show, Crossing Jordan).
****taken from Wikipedia and edited by me****
Season 1 (1987-1988)
1 The Inheritance A doll that kills people for its owner. Micki Foster and her cousin inherit an antique shop from their late Uncle Lewis Vendredi, but soon discover it comes with a devil's curse.
2 The Poison Pen A quill pen that causes people to die when the user writes about them with it. The cousins and Jack track an antique quill pen to a monastery.
3 Cupid’s Quiver The Cupid of Malek. Jack, Micki and Ryan search for a cursed statuette in the houses of a local college.
4 A Cup of Time A teacup decorated with “Swapper’s Ivy”. The group investigates a series of stranglings connected to a popular singer. Hilary Shepard and Lisa Jakub guest star. Jakub would appear again to portray Janine Carlson in episode 38 (The Playhouse). Lady Die
5 Hellowe’en The Amulet of Zohar The evil spirit of Uncle Lewis crashes a Halloween party at the shop and seeks to re-enter the living world. He tricks Micki and Ryan into giving him a cursed amulet that will allow him to be resurrected. Micki and Ryan are introduced to Uncle Lewis for the first time. This is the only episode in which someone speaks the phrase "Friday The 13th".
6 The Great Montarro A pair of Houdin escape cabinets Jack enters a magician competition to find out who is using a set of deadly magician boxes. One of the few times the owner did not know of the curse. One of the four largest antiques recovered.
7 Doctor Jack A surgical scalpel with an ivory and silver handle A series of slashings leads the group to a surgeon who loves his work. Cliff Gorman plays the villain. This is the first time the cousins return a cursed object to its user after successfully stealing it.
8 Shadow Boxer A pair of boxing gloves A punchy, broken-down fighter gets in touch with his dark side. One of the protagonists uses the magic of a cursed object, with regrettable consequences.
9 Root of All Evil A portable garden mulcher Micki must decide whether to continue tracking down cursed objects or to go marry her fiance, Lloyd the lawyer.
10 Tales of the Undead A comic book Ryan witnesses an attack by a character from his favorite comic book.
11 Scarecrow An animated scarecrow Micki and Ryan head to a small farming town where three people go missing each harvest. They search for a cursed scarecrow that may be responsible for murder. First mention of Ryan's younger brother, Jimmy, deceased some years ago. Jimmy's death was shown in episodes 53 and 54.
12 Faith Healer The Sforza Glove A debunked faith-healer acquires real healing-powers, but gets debunked again, and worse, by one of Jack's peculiar old friends.
13 The Baron’s Bride A black cape Micki and Ryan are thrown back in 19th-century London along with a murderous, hypnotic vampire who has his eyes on Micki. First of four time travel episodes. Sequences back in time are shown in black and white.
14 Bedazzled A brass lantern After Jack and Ryan recover a cursed lantern, the owner tries to get it back by terrorizing Micki and her young guest at Curious Goods. The majority of the action takes place at Curious Goods. We learn that the Vault, like the cursed antiques, is magically impervious to physical damage.
15 Vanity’s Mirror A gold compact An unattractive girl uses a magic compact to make boys fall in love with her, and then kills them in order to make them stop pestering her. The prom is billed as "Prom '87" but the episode did not air until 1988. In this episode, the protagonists fail to recover the cursed antique. They eventually recovered it in episode
40 with the help of Helen's sister.
16 Tattoo A case of antique Chinese tattoo needles A compulsive gambler in Chinatown acquires tattoo needles that enable their owner to win.
17 The Electrocutioner An electric chair An innocent survivor of an electric chair later uses the chair's magic powers to get revenge on those who put him in it.
18 Brain Drain A trephanator A mentally impaired man uses a cursed trephanator to steal brain-power from other people, and his next target is Jack's bride-to-be.
19 The Quilt of Hathor (Part 1) A red-and-black demonic-themed patchwork quilt While searching for a cursed quilt in a reclusive, anti-modern religious community, Ryan falls in love and joins a religious sect. Features a sect called the "Penitites", modeled after Amish and Mennonite communities, but with an important difference: these Penitites practice trial by combat, and exorcism by fire.
20 The Quilt of Hathor (Part 2): The Awakening A red-and-black demonic-themed patchwork quilt Ryan is framed by the town leader as the mastermind of all the killings. Micki and Jack return to the Penitites after discovering the quilt they retrieved was a fake. The reverend acquired the cursed quilt after killing Effie and now use it to save his town leadership position.
21 Double Exposure A photographic camera Ryan sees a famous television newscaster hack someone to death with a machete, but the newscaster is live on the air at the time.
22 The Pirate’s Promise A foghorn Ryan and Micki visit a small seaside town which is haunted by a murderous, long-dead pirate.
23 Badge of Honor A traditional star-shaped sheriff's badge A bitter, burnt-out cop uses a cursed badge to get revenge on the mobsters who killed his wife. Meanwhile, an old boyfriend of Micki's comes for an extended visit. Jack is absent and also does not appear in this episode.
24 Pipe Dream A tobacco pipe Ryan is invited to his father's wedding, but learns that his father has been using a magic pipe to murder his business rivals in the military industry.
25 What a Mother Wouldn’t Do A baby crib A cursed cradle from the R.M.S. Titanic compels the parents of a sick baby to drown people, in order to save their baby's life. Uncle Lewis makes a brief appearance.
26 Bottle of Dreams A Canopic jar Micki and Ryan are trapped inside the vault with a cursed urn that conjures up a wave of nightmare flashbacks. End-of-the-season flashback episode. Uncle Lewis tries once again to rise from the dead by forcing Jack to taking his place in hell in exchange for Ryan and Micki's lives. "Bottle of Dreams" was the result of a writers' strike during production.
Season 2 (1988–1989)27 Doorway to Hell A mirror that belonged to Louis XIV. It acts as a portal between Earth and the Realms of Darkness. Though magical, it is not technically one of the cursed antiques. Uncle Lewis' ghost is back and he lures Ryan and Micki to an abandoned home in hopes of eliminating them and returning to the living world. The only cursed relic which does not require a death to work. Uncle Lewis makes another appearance, this time trying to escape the Realm of Darkness. A continuation of "Bottle of Dreams".
28 The Voodoo Mambo A voodoo mask that holds, and sustains, the spirit of an evil voodoo priestess. A disinherited man uses, and is used by, a bloodthirsty voodoo goddess.
29 And Now the News An old cathedral-style radio that frightens listeners to death, and then transmits valuable information to its owner. Just as an ambitious psychiatrist's patients are enjoying miraculous cures, other doctors' patients are being frightened to death, literally. Jack is absent and does not appear in this episode. The radio offers Micki and Ryan a way to recover cursed objects easily and safely, if "certain conditions are met", which they refuse.
30 Tails I Live, Heads You Die The Coin of Ziocles that kills one person to bring another back to life. The victim is branded with a ram's head on their forehead. The leader of a Satanic cult brings powerful, long-dead magicians back to life. Together, they plan to summon the Devil himself, and to "rule the world, in His name". The coin, lost in this episode, returns in episode 58 (Bad Penny).
31 Symphony in B# A violin that allows its burned and crippled owner to perform, after killing someone with a blade hidden in the bow. Ryan falls for a talented young violinist who is being haunted by her supposedly dead mentor.
32 Master of Disguise A makeup case belonging to John Wilkes Booth, which grants its deformed owner temporary good looks. Micki falls for an up-and-coming actor whose good looks mask a monstrous agenda.
33 Wax Magic A handkerchief that can animate wax figures, but one figure must kill in order for another one to stay alive. Ryan falls for the wife of a jealous sculptor while investigating a series of axe-murders at a local carnival. One of the few episodes in which the cursed object’s owner is not killed by it. Micki is not in this episode.
34 Read My Lips Adolf Hitler’s pink silk boutonnière that brings a ventriloquist's dummy to life. An old friend of Micki's is about to marry a ventriloquist, whose sharp-humored dummy does not approve. Jack is not in this episode.
35 13 O’Clock A pocket watch that stops time for an hour at 1 a. m. (the 13th hour), allowing the user to plunder the motionless world. A rich man's ambitious trophy-wife murders him for his magical stopwatch. Two street-kids witness the murder, and appeal to Curious Goods for help.
36 Night Hunger A silver chain with a blank car key that magically upgrades its owner's car and gives him telepathic control over it. Curious Goods neighbor Dominic Fiorno asks the group to help his son Michael, who has been driving in illegal amateur car-races. This is the only appearance of Curious Goods' neighbor Dominic Fiorno (owner of Fiorno's Hardware) and his son.
37 The Sweetest Sting A transport bee hive which causes the bees to become 'vampires', able to transfer life-force from one person to another by stinging. A beekeeper uses a swarm of vampiric bees to provide terminal patients with new bodies, and to extort money and services from them afterwards.
38 The Playhouse A playhouse that grants two abused children a fantasy world, but they must lure other children into it as prisoners. Two abused children connected with a mysterious rash of disappearing children. The only episode with no deaths. A cursed top hat and a sacrificial dagger are also mentioned. One of the four largest antiques recovered.
39 Eye of Death A Civil War Era magic lantern that allows its owner to travel back to the time, requiring a murder for each leg of the trip. Another antique dealer, formerly one of Jack's business rivals, is time-travelling and getting collectable Civil War artifacts straight from the battlefields. The past is represented in sepia tones in this episode.
40 Face of Evil The gold compact, lost at the end of "Vanity’s Mirror", is found, but its power has changed. This time, it restores a model’s beauty by killing others or mutilating their faces. An aging super-model steals the cursed compact from JoAnne Mackie (Helen's sister) from episode 15 (Vanity’s Mirror), and uses it to revive her career at the cost of her competitors' lives.
41 Better Off Dead A silver syringe that lets its owner extract transplantable tissues from his victims' brains. The victims become hyper-violent. A doctor has been abducting prostitutes in order to experiment on them and find a cure for "hyper-violence syndrome". Jack, Ryan, and Micki learn that he is willing to experiment on women who are not prostitutes, too. Aired with “graphic violence” warning (
42 Scarlet Cinema A movie camera that can bring characters from horror movies to life, and grant wishes in return for murders. A film student with a thing for werewolf films uses a cursed movie camera to bring the beast to life, and, eventually, to become a werewolf himself.
43 The Mephisto Ring A 1919 World Series ring that predicts the outcomes of sporting events after killing someone who wears it. An indebted gambler may have struck it rich with a ring that provides betting tips at the cost of a person's life.
44 A Friend to the End A stone fragment called the Shard of Medusa, and a child’s coffin that resurrects a dead child, but the child must kill. While Micki and Ryan track down a sculptor who turns her models into stone statues, Micki's lonely nephew finds a new, dangerous playmate. Jack is absent again. Two separate stories, about two unrelated cursed objects, in one episode. The name Wertheimer is used again, this time as a drug store. Although DeJager fled to Europe with the shard of Medusa, it was later retrieved by Jack in England on episode 56 (Crippled Inside) as stated in Jack's telegram to Micki and Johnny.
45 The Butcher The silver Thule Amulet, which allows a Nazi criminal to resurrect a dead warrior and communicate telepathically with him. Jack's past comes back to haunt him in the form of a resurrected Nazi officer whom he killed and must kill again. Micki and Ryan are absent.
46 Mesmer's Bauble A hypnotist’s bauble that grants wishes after it is used to hypnotize and kill a victim. A lonely man uses a cursed bauble to hypnotize and kill people in order to get close to a beautiful popular singer. Very, very close.
47 Wedding In Black A snow globe that traps its victims in fantasy landscapes. Though magical, it is not technically one of Vendredi's cursed antiques. The Devil (Satan) sends three dead souls back into the living world, with orders to lure Ryan, Micki, and Jack out of it. Micki is captured and almost raped by the Devil himself in an attempt to impregnate her with a demonic child.
48 Wedding Bell Blues A cue stick that gives unbeatable skill at pool for a short time after it is used to impale someone. With help from Johnny Ventura, Micki hunts down a hexed pool cue. First appearance of Johnny Ventura. A pair of cursed snow shoes are also mentioned.
49 The Maestro A Victorian symphonia (music box) that gives new choreographic material to its owner, but kills the dancers in the process. Jack's niece comes to town to dance for a prestigious choreographer, whose dancers seem prone to suicide and deadly accidents.
50 The Shaman’s Apprentice A Native American shaman's ceremonial rattle that can cure any disease, but only after it has been used to kill. A Native American doctor uses a magic rattle to cure terminally ill patients, and to kill people who disrespect his Shamanist faith. Although the rattle is said to be returned to its sacred cave, it can be seen on a shelf in the vault during a panning shot at the end of the "Jack-In-The-Box" (season 3) episode.
51 The Prisoner A Japanese kamikaze pilot jacket that renders the wearer invisible when smeared with blood from a freshly murdered victim. An invisible burglar kills Johnny's father, and sets Johnny up as the killer. While in prison awaiting trial, Johnny recognizes the murderer (by smell). Second appearance of Johnny Ventura.
52 Coven of Darkness A witch's ladder that greatly increases the user’s magical powers. Also, a sculptor's tool which enchants victims by shaping their likenesses in clay. Uncle Lewis' old witches coven wants a powerful witch's ladder that will enhance their powers, and they hex Ryan to get it for them. Ryan is bewitched in this episode. Micki learns that she has magic powers, but uses them all up.
Season 3 (1989–1990)53,54 The Prophecies (2 parts) One of three Books of Lucifer that can make the evil prophecies written in it real. Though magical, it is not one of Vendredi's cursed antiques. Jack heads to France to investigate strange events that are connected to a prophecy that will bring about the anti-christ. Ryan Dallion’s last episode. Johnny Ventura returns and remains for the rest of the series.
55 Demon Hunter A golden ritual dagger that allows one to summon a demon. A family of ex-cultists is being hunted by a demon. A chamber below the Vault is discovered, thereby providing more storage space. Johnny becomes a partner in the store.
56 Crippled Inside A wheelchair that heals crippling neurotraumatic injuries, and projects a dangerous ghostly double of its owner. While fleeing from a gang-assault, a girl is hit by a car and paralyzed. She then uses a magical wheelchair to reverse her paralysis and to kill her assailants. Jack does not appear in this episode. Micki only appears for a short time. In a telegram sent by Jack, he said that he retrieved the cursed shard of Medusa (episode 44, 'A Friend to the End') in England.
57 Stick It In Your Ear A hearing aid that lets the wearer hear the thoughts of people around him. A stage-performer with a bad mind-reading act acquires telepathic powers and murderous compulsions. The heroes recover five other cursed objects at an estate auction, though it is never mentioned what they are.
58 Bad Penny The Coin of Ziocles A crooked cop finds the hexed coin and uses it for his own ends until Johnny steals it and uses it to restore his father to life. The lost coin from episode 30 (Tails I Live, Heads You Die") is finally retrieved.
59 Hate On Your Dial A 1954 Chevy car radio with time-traveling powers. Johnny carelessly sells a cursed car radio to the brother of a racist man. The racist travels back in time and tries to prevent his father, a member of "The Klan," from being convicted of murder.
60 Night Prey The Cross of Fire, which enables its owner to incinerate vampires. A vampire hunter steals a golden cross that kills vampires, in order to get revenge on the vampire that turned his wife into a vampire. One of the more controversial episodes for its mature sexual themes, including a lesbian kiss.
61 Femme Fatale A 16mm movie print that releases a character for the duration of the film, absorbing a live woman to take her place in the deadly action. An aging director frolics with the female lead character from one of his classic noir movies, who convinces him to kill his wife. In this episode, Johnny must bail Jack out of jail, reversing the usual pattern.
62 Mightier Than the Sword A fountain pen which compels its victim to do whatever the owner writes. An author gets rich by turning innocent people into homicidal maniacs, and writing true-crime thrillers about them. Only episode where Micki directly kills the user of a cursed item.
63 Year of the Monkey A tea set that magically poisons the tea. Also a set of statues of the three wise monkeys that enable the head of a family to ensure that his children will be virtuous, or dead. A samurai instructor offers the group the return of a cursed tea set if they help him retrieve three cursed monkey statues.
64 Epitaph For a Lonely Soul A mortician's aspirator that extracts a person’s life force in order to resurrect a dead body. A grieving husband seeks help from the shop when he sees his dead wife alive and well in the care of a lonely mortician.
65 Midnight Riders None. Jack, Micki, and Johnny visit a small town haunted by the evil ghosts of bikers who were wrongly accused of rape and lynched.
66 Repetition A cameo pendant that allows its owner to resurrect someone by killing someone else. A newspaper columnist goes mad after running over a girl, and kills a series of people, each in order to resurrect the previous victim. Johnny and Jack are absent; Micki only appears briefly.
67 The Long Road Home A small Samsara charm that enables its owner to transfer his consciousness into the body of a freshly killed victim, which gets resurrected. After recovering a cursed charm in another city, Micki and Johnny run into a family of nasty rural degenerates while driving home. Johnny's possible romance with Micki is hinted at again, but not realized. Once again, one of the protagonists uses a cursed object, but this time, it does not cause a disaster. Jack is not in this episode but his voice can be heard when Micki speaks to him over the phone.
68 My Wife as a Dog The Aboriginal Leash of Dreams that makes its owner's dream come true after he strangles people with the leash. A firefighter in the middle of a drawn-out divorce uses a cursed leash to turn his wife into a dog, and his dog into his wife. This is the only episode in which the villain gets his heart's desire and lives to enjoy it.
69 Jack-in-the-Box A pirate-themed jack-in-the-box that allows its owner to visit her dead father’s spirit after drowning the people who killed him. After her father is murdered, a young girl uses a jack-in-the-box to exact revenge and to see her father's spirit.
70 The Spirit of Television An old television through which spirits reach out and kill those who have wronged them, thereby prolonging the owner’s life. The trio investigates a terminally ill psychic whose celebrity clients are all getting killed in "accidents" involving television sets.
71 The Tree of Life A cursed Druidic fertility statue that ensures the birth of fraternal twins of the opposite sex at the cost of the father’s life. A grieving mother claims that an all-female cult is keeping her daughter as their own.
72 The Charnel Pit A double-sided painting which acts as a time portal, sending live people into the past, and bringing corpses, laden with gifts from the past, into the present. A history professor sends Micki back in time into the dungeons of the Marquis de Sade, who shows her new ways to enjoy life. This was the final episode.
And no, Jason Voorhees never appears on this show.
I don't consider them as similar as others do, for what it's worth, but that doesn't mean they're aren't similarities there.
