As a child with a fondness for the macabre — possibly sparked by an early viewing of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video and fuelled by numerous re-readings of The Encyclopedia of Monsters — no children’s show was better targeted to my somewhat ghastly niche than The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. From the opening narration by Vincent Price to Billy Van’s pantheon of clichéd horror movie characters, the series was a perfect balance of the somewhat spooky and the outright ridiculous.

Now, just in time for the holidays, the horrormeisters at Anchor Bay Entertainment have unleashed another batch of kid-friendly frights with the three-disc Hilarious House of Frightenstein: Gory, Gory Transylvania. While the set, featuring nine episodes, isn’t quite as comprehensive as last year’s Hilarious House of Frightenstein: Volume One, which had 13, it’s still a solid outing. The episodes are every bit as cheesy as you’d expect from a low-budget Canadian kids’ show (note the tell-tale U in the show’s title), but they’re also every bit as entertaining as the folks who grew up on them recall. Van’s roster of characters includes the titular vampire, determined to bring his Frankenstein-like creation to life so he can return to his beloved Transylvania. There’s also Griselda, the Ghastley Gourmet, a witch who hasn’t quite perfected her disgusting potions, and The Librarian, and old coot who does his best to make innocent children’s stories sound like something sinister. And of course, there’s the Wolfman, rocking out to Three Dog Night in front of a psychedelic blue screen.

Gory, Gory Transylvania doesn’t add much in the way of extras — there are no commentaries or deleted scenes — but the one it does provide will be invaluable to the show’s fanatics. A short documentary titled Return to Transylvania features interviews with Van and others involved in the production, illuminating how an independent Ontario TV channel managed to produce such a long-lasting piece of Canadiana.