We celebrate Adam Green’s Holliston on its 6 year premiere anniversary

Six years ago today, Holliston premiered on FEARnet as their first original series and changed the face of horror television.

Have you ever been a part of a fandom that you mention to people and they haven’t heard of it? The shock of it and the almost personal insult that you feel when they look at you with the blank stare of someone not blessed with the show/book/movie/game that you love in their life. That’s how I feel every time I talk about Holliston with someone and they give me those glassy eyes.

Holliston is a horror-themed sitcom written and created by the amazing filmmaker Adam Green; the same genius mind who brought us Victor Crowley last year. And six years ago tonight, Holliston premiered the first episode “The Hooker” on a little horror network called FEARnet as its first original series.

Unfortunately FEARnet has since dissolved which is a shame since they were home to not only horror movies and Holliston, but Todd and the Book of Pure Evil as well. For those of you that don’t know what Holliston is, you are missing out of something magical. It was the first of its kind and I still haven’t seen anything quite like it.

Joe Lynch, Dee Snider and Adam Green. Image courtesy of Andrew Craig/ ArieScope Pictures

Holliston is based on Adam Green himself and was a long time in the making. It follows a young aspiring writer/filmmaker named Adam. He lives in Holliston, MA with his best friend from elementary school, aspiring director Joe. Both of them work together at a local cable access station filming awful commercials and using the station’s equipment to host their own local cable show called “The Movie Crypt” (which also is the name of their current real-life podcast). Their boss is an 80’s hair metal obsessed Lance Rockett played by the incomparable Dee Snider.

Corri English and Adam Green. Image courtesy of Adam Green/ ArieScope Pictures

Alongside Adam and Joe is Laura (Laura Ortiz), Joe’s totally kawaii and terrifying girlfriend, and Corri (Corri English), Adam’s high school sweetheart that moved away but is back in Holliston. Adam still pines after Corri and makes a fool of himself for her. They spend the entire two seasons trying to fund their movie Shinpads.

Adam also has an alien that lives in his closet named Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie from GWAR) that gives him advice, although it’s not always the greatest advice (or maybe it’s the greatest advice ever) but helps in his own way. The death of Dave Brockie was a blow to not only the show but to Green himself. Brockie was a close friend and idol to Green and his death hit him hard.

Adam Green and Dave Brockie. Image courtesy of Adam Green/ ArieScope Pictures

While this show is over-the-top and silly, it’s filled with relatable struggles and failures. The guys try so hard to make their dreams come true only to find themselves spinning their wheels and who CAN’T relate to that? Holliston has always meant a lot to me and has gotten me through my own difficult times. The sets are cheap, the dialogue is corny and the characters are sometimes caricatures of actual personalities and I wouldn’t change a damn thing. Season 3 is currently in development and is working to get funding to finish and the Holliston nation waits patiently.

This show is perfect the way it is and when you’re having a bad day or feeling down, popping in the blu-ray of either season can easily turn your day around. You can pick up the blu-ray here and I can’t recommend this show enough. I will end this with my most favorite quote said by Oderus on the very last episode of Season 2, “Farm Festival.”

"“Fine. Sell out. Get a job. A nice 9 to 5 one. Sit in front of the idiot box all night and watch some stupid sitcom… all the while wondering what it might have been like if you had held in there for just one… more… day.”"

Next: Supernatural fans rejoice as CW green lights Season 14

Are you a fan of Adam Green and Hollister? Share any memories you have from watching the show in the comments section below!