Tonight on MeTV- we are happy to bring you a science fiction tale from the great Jules Verne- as escapees from a Confederate Army prison hijack a wayward balloon that brings them to a far-off place with amazing and deadly creatures (courtesy of the master of stop-motion Ray Harryhausen) and an encounter with a legendary master of the sea! It’s the 1961 film that is actually the sequel to two previous Jules Verne stories- welcome to the “Mysterious Island”!

We begin our story at a military prison in Richmond, Virginia- where Union soldiers and war correspondent Gideon Spillet manage to break free from their cell take command of a rebel gas balloon, along with a Confederate soldier who knows how to pilot the lighter-than-air craft. The storm-tossed balloon carries them far west, out over the Pacific Ocean- until they make a crash landing on an uncharted island that includes a huge volcano!

The volcano isn’t the only threat to them on the island- as they learn when they encounter a giant crab- the first of a few mammoth creatures they will have to battle. That’s not all they encounter- they spot victims of a shipwreck – with the only survivors being two English women, Lady Mary and her niece Elena.

The group ends up finding a cave high up in a cliff, that was the base for a previous castaway. As they scramble to find supplies, there is another odd occurrence- a large trunk washes ashore, that has all sorts of helpful objects- including a rifle that bears the markings “NAUTILUS”!

There are more run-ins with huge creatures- including a fierce over-sized bird-and some puzzling events that seem to indicate that perhaps someone is watching over them. There’s more danger from an invading pirate ship, the startling appearance of a legendary figure created by Jules Verne ( who I’m not naming in, since we always have viewers who have somehow NOT seen the movie before) and– by the way- that volcano seems to be getting more active!

This film is yet another showcase for the talents of Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion special effects- as well as for a great cast- featuring stars like Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Gary Merrill, and Herbert Lom. We’ll introduce you to them and give you some behind the scenes production information, as well as showing off a unique air travel option, promoting an MTV-type reality show, favoring you with a new song, and more!

Our journey to the “Mysterious Island” begins on METV tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific time, and 7 pm central. You can comment live during the show on both Twitter/X and on Bluesky- please use the hashtag #svengoolie on either. In the Chicago area, viewers get the chance to see Bruce Davison rat out his enemies again in “Willard” at 11 am on WCIU, The U.

With warmer weather finally settling in, it’s a great time to check out our store (all together now- “I have a store?!”) to add to your summertime Sven wardrobe- like the Sven baseball jersey- and you can get new items to hold your favorite beverages. There’s even more- a chance to order a Sven bobblehead-and get the collector’s item Svengoolie Meets the DC Universe” superhero comic! There will be more to come- so check back there frequently.

Another place to check back on frequently here on our website is the appearances tab- this August, at this year’s Flashback Weekend horror convention in Rosemont outside Chicago, tickets are now available for a special “Friday Night Frights” live talk show with our amazing friend, horror legend Robert Englund! They are already in scarce supply, so, if you’re interested, please go to flashbackweekend.com .

Join us tonight for a visit to a tropical island that’s both mysterious- and monstrous!