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could heal. As a result, he wears a full head mask at all times (with a zippered mouth through which to eat). As the experiment of each episode would go disastrously wrong at the end, Morgus would always yell, "Chopsley, you idiot!", blaming him for the mishap. Actually, the disaster was
Chopsley's fault about half the time. The other half, it was entirely due to Morgus' oversight of some critical detail, but Chopsley always got the blame.
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speed of dark, and truly invented the
Internet. He rails against "those idiots at the station" and "the idiots of the scientific community". Morgus says he is Earth's main member of the "Higher Order", a super-scientific secret society dedicated to helping the development of intelligence throughout the universe. His Momus Alexander Morgus Institute (M.A.M.I., pronounced "mammy") is (unintentionally) a non-profit organization of science.
84:. Rideau was awarded the job, and agreed to do it "only if he could make the show funny". He created and performed as the host character "Doctor Morgus", however Rideau did not want to reveal his real-life identity. According to Rideau, "being Morgus brought with it some challenges to say the least". For approximately 50 years, Rideau tried to keep his identity private, and reportedly didn't even tell his children he was Morgus.
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the universe in his memory banks (thanks to the oversight of the Higher Order), and whose sepulchral voice introduced the segments and frequently agreed with Morgus with a deep, resonant "Yes, Master". E.R.I.C. is also known for his sharp wit, and sometimes cutting remarks at Morgus. On the set, E.R.I.C. was portrayed by an Apple II with a skull as the speaker.
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Morgus' assistant
Chopsley, played by actor Tommy George (after his death, played by James Guillot from 1987 on), was a former medical school classmate, and the subject of an early experiment in "face transplant" surgery. Unfortunately this left him without a face when he laughed before the procedure
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Medical school (the finest in the
Caribbean) where he graduated with honors. He is reported to have an I.Q. "in the 300s". Morgus claims to have published several scientific books, including his blockbuster "New Hope for the Dead", and the earth-shaking "Molecules I Have Known". He has discovered the
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Morgus' manager Wiley Faye tried to bring the good doctor increased exposure and better business opportunities, but they never seemed to work out in the end. Wiley was portrayed in the 1986-1989 version of the program by actor Matt Borel, a familiar face from New
Orleans area theater and television
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Morgus assistant Eric was a talking human skull in early episodes of the show. When the show returned in the 1980s, Eric had become part of the computer known as E.R.I.C. (The Eon
Research Infinity Computer). Eric's skull connected to a molecular integrated circuit which holds all the knowledge of
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Mrs. Alma Fetish is Morgus' long-time (and long-suffering) landlady, who often forgets that scientific endeavors do not provide rent money on a regular basis. Veteran New
Orleans stage actress Janet Shea portrayed Mrs. Fetish in the 1986-1989 "Morgus Presents" version of the show.
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amusement park and local events in the early 1960s, and hosted a weather report in later years. Dr. Morgus, Chopsley and E.R.I.C. attempted to branch out across the country in syndicated appearances in
Detroit in 1964, New York in the 1980s, and several other cities.
56:, assisted by executioner-styled sidekick, Chopsley (Tommy George). Morgus' well-intentioned experiments often served as book-end pieces to the late-night films being shown, and typically went awry at the last minute.
136:, took up only 30 seconds of Morgus' show, with a one-minute commercial and the rest of the program featuring the host's mad scientist antics.) The show was initially popular enough to also be seen in
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A native of New
Orleans, Sidney Noel Rideau (aka Sid Noel; December 25, 1929 - August 27, 2020) attended broadcasting school and worked for radio station WWEZ-AM before joining
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Sunday nights, as well as hosting a five-minute-long weathercast at 5:55pm each weekday. (The actual weather report, shown on a screen that resembled a
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in 1956. While at WSMB, Rideau led a vocal group that recorded a novelty song called âHumpty Dumpâ with
Atlantic Records. While Rideau was working as a
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hit New Orleans in 2005, fans feared Morgus may have been a victim of the storm, but within weeks, his survival was announced on his official website.
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Morgus was said to have descended from a long line of scientists dating back to Morgus the First, who was the architect of the first pyramid in
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also mentioned as possible outlets), but declining ratings caused WJBK to let Morgus go by the end of 1964. Rideau moved across the street to
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This article is about the television show. It is also the title of a 1959 novelty record by "Morgus and the 3 Ghouls" about Morgus' show.
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Sidney Noel Rideau, born December 25, 1929 (his name, Noel was inspired by his being born on Christmas Day), died on August 27, 2020.
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commercials. Although he gave up acting in the late '90s, Borel went on to become a highly successful stage producer in New Orleans.
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Television Horror Movie Hosts: 68 Vampires, Mad Scientists and Other Denizens of the Late-Night Airwaves Examined and Interviewed
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in January 1965, hosting "Shock Theatre" on Sunday and Friday nights, but by April he was on his way back down south.
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performing as "Morgus and The Ghouls" (aka "Morgus & The 3 Ghouls"). The record made the local New Orleans radio
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had gone into syndication and aired on various stations, such as
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351:References
264:Wiley Faye
216:Dr. Morgus
198:WVUE Fox 8
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507:. Discogs
194:Cox Cable
146:Cleveland
142:Milwaukee
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571:17 April
549:9 August
543:NOLA.com
511:9 August
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237:Chopsley
226:calculus
74:WWL (AM)
299:Detroit
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222:Egypt
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