‘Absolute worst in monster-movie mayhem’: Award-winning show nears 5-year mark on Bethel Park TV

Dressed in perhaps the campiest pirate costume imaginable and uttering nonsense like “avast, ye scurvy dogs,” a character called Capt. Calico Drake scowls at a video camera to address his audience.

“Welcome once again aboard the Swashbuckler’s Haunt, the most disreputable ship of the Three Rivers and the Seven Seas,” he’ll say. “It is my solemn duty each week to bring you the absolute worst in monster-movie mayhem.”

The good captain is Erik Sprowls, who approached Bethel Park’s public-access TV station about five years ago with an idea for a show he’d host. “Dead and Buried Treasures” debuted on Jan. 19, 2019, combining public-domain films of questionable quality with a shtick featuring a talking bird and skeleton as sidekicks.

“I’m pretty impressed that I stuck with it,” Sprowls acknowledged, “and a lot of people say to me, ‘How have you been doing this for so many years?’ I say, ‘Because it’s something I enjoy.’”

He has fun writing admittedly cheesy scripts for each episode, trading dialogue with regulars Davy Bones and Jack the Cockatoo, plus various human beings who get a similar kick out of the concept.

“I think everybody at their core misses being a kid,” the Washington resident said. “You just need some relief and somewhere to channel your inner dreams.”

What started as an outlet along those lines evolved into somewhat of a cult favorite, in Bethel Park and beyond. Along with numerous regional public-access stations airing “Dead and Buried Treasures,” national broadcast outlets such as the Monster Channel, Vortexx, Tingler Television Original and DBTV carry the show.

As a result, Sprowls receives copious correspondence from fans in faraway places.

“I’m proud to say that the more I’ve done this and the more I’ve put into it, the better and more recognized we’ve become everywhere,” he said.

Despite its goofy approach, “Dead and Buried Treasures” resonates with many of its more discerning viewers. Accolades include the 2020 Greater Pittsburgh Community Media Award for best entertainment show, Vortexx’s 2021 Golden Turkey Award for the nation’s best horror host, and runner-up for favorite host in the 21st Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.

“I’ve had people tell me that our show, they didn’t know it was made in Pittsburgh,” Sprowls said. “They thought it was made in Los Angeles, because it looked so good.”

For that, he credits public access director Dave Cable, production assistant Nick Callas and others at BPTV:

“I can’t say enough about them. They do a wonderful job in recording the show.”

BPTV cameras are bound to capture his act on Oct. 28 when Capt. Calico Drake takes part in Bethel Park’s Spooktacular Parade for Halloween.

Speaking of which, the opening of seasonal Halloween stores serves as a shopping bonanza for Sprowls.

“They’re a great provider of wardrobe for the show. I wish they were open year ’round,” he said. “Normally, when you write a script, you go out and get a costume for the script. Now, I have to do it backwards, and I have to go get the costume and write something for the costume.”

Nevertheless, he’s prepared for plenty of episodes in the near future.

“What I did was treat it more like a real TV show this year, and I took the summer to jump ahead and write,” Sprowls said. “So I actually got about five or six different scripts written that I can give to my cast and crew.”

His goal always is to have a good time, whatever the reactions of others may be.

“People say, ‘You look so silly up there.’ Well, good. I’m supposed to. I’m in a pirate costume hosting Abbott and Costello films,” he asserted.

“When I’m not having fun anymore, I have a last episode I’m going to do, and then we wrap it up with a nice little bow. But I’m nowhere near that.”

To see Capt. Calico Drake and friends in action, visit www.facebook.com/deadandburiedtreasures/videos.