Tonight on MeTV- take a break from those leftovers and football-and watch as a sinister hypnotist/ventriloquist puts a beautiful young woman under his spell- with nefarious purposes- while his wooden wing man, a bizarre living dummy, carries out his master’s schemes! Then, kick off your holiday season with the Sven Squad with the story…of a lovely yuletide. It’s the double feature on nobody’s wish list of the “Devil Doll” and “A Very Brady Christmas”!

Let me again remind you, this “Devil Doll” is NOT the 1930s film that featured Lionel Barrymore commanding shrunken human “dolls”! This British film from 1964 saves you a front row seat for the stage act of the Great Vorelli- a master hypnotist with an obvious streak of cruelty. Things get tense when his act progresses from hypnosis to ventriloquism-and some odd tension between himself and his dummy Hugo surfaces.

Mark English, an American reporter working in London, thinks it’s beneath him when his boss assigns him to cover Vorelli’s act- but considers that he can use the opportunity to try to debunk the hypnotist’s “powers”. He brings along his gorgeous girlfriend Marianne and enlists her- reluctantly-to be a volunteer when Vorelli asks for a random audience member to come forward and be part of the act. It turns out that Marianne makes a perfect subject- and she even decides that Vorelli might just be the perfect entertainment for her wealthy aunt’s upcoming charity event. However, when she shows up backstage, Vorelli’s female assistant does not appreciate her boss’ interest in this beauty. Offered the charity gig, Vorelli, who already has recognized that Marianne is a well-known rich girl, agrees readily- and could also be planting some subconscious commands in the young lady’s mind!

Meanwhile, Mark is baffled, trying to figure out how Vorelli manages to animate Hugo- is he really just a dummy, is he mechanical- or even a small person in a suit and mask? And- why must the hypnotist keep Hugo locked in a cage?!

Soon after the event, Marianne comes down with a strange illness- which her doctors cannot explain. Mark, as a result of a strange “visitation”, heads off to Berlin to get clues about Vorelli’s mysterious past. Things take even darker turns, with menacing mental powers and murder- as the hypnotist’s shocking fate planned for Marianne is revealed. Will Mark uncover the truth about Hugo- and be able to save the poor woman by derailing Vorelli’s bizarre agenda?

Those who appreciate stories with creepy dolls and ventriloquist dummies will definitely enjoy this macabre mystery! We’ll introduce the cast- including the beautiful Yvonne Romain, seen on our show as the mute servant who gave birth to future wolf man Oliver Reed in “Cry of the Werewolf”. We’ll provide a song featuring that wonderful siren of the saxophone Anita X. Orcist -plus, we’ve stuffed this turkey with a cornucopia of Sven segments -including the rare first public appearance of a certain prehistoric rubber chicken- an interview that, due to a case of mistaken identity, brings back a classic comedy figure- some favorite interviews with Adrienne Barbeau, our pal Joe Bob Briggs, and Mad artist Tom Richmond -with a cameo from the inimitable Dr. Z, as well- not to mention the Sven Squad and some vitriolic ventriloquist dummies from Sven’s past.

Then- steel your nerves for a Christmas chiller- when a blended family returns to face frightening odds! Yes, Gwengoolie, The Imp, and Nostalgiaferatoo give the unexpected gift of “A Very Brady Christmas”! No, an attention-starved Jan does not whine “Rudolph, Rudolph, Rudolph”- but this group that somehow formed a family has plenty of Christmas conflict in this 1988 made for TV movie- in which a nice idea of reuniting the family for the holidays is torn apart by tensions in each member’s life. You don’t think this movie is scary? Wait until the chilling ( and possibly deadly) disaster that befalls the Brady family. The Sven Squad will be weighing the elements of this movie regarding its horrific possibilities, as they get into the holiday spirit as only they can!

The double feature starts tonight on MeTV at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central time. If you need help finding what station and what time we appear in your area, please consult your local listings or visit www.metv.com . Live-tweeting on Twitter and live posting on Bluesky during the show continues- we are often among the trending topics on both while the program airs- so, MeTV invites you to join in, using the hashtag #svengoolie on either outlet. This morning, our local Chicago viewers get a another shot at the vampire gunslinger in “Curse of the Undead” at 11 am on our main local station, WCIU the U.

With this being “Black Friday” weekend, it’s the perfect time to visit the MeTV Mall for great Sven gift items and special deals. Just hit the “appearances” tab here on our website and start filling out your gift list!

Join us tonight on MeTV for our post-Thanksgiving shows featuring a dummy you’d like to knock the stuffing out of (before he does it to you!) and a holiday epic even sweeter than gingerbread- with the added spice of the Sven Squad!