The Festival of Fear set in Tyler is pictured in 2019. The nationally-syndicated show will cease production. (Courtesy)

From Staff Reports

The 2024 Television Summer Season will be the last for Texas-based, nationally-syndicated, Harvey’s Festival of Fear.

31 West Productions Executive Producer Bob Mauldin portrayed the character on TV since 2010 and explained the halt in production in a news release sent out Friday evening.

“This show was our introduction to TV. We started in 2010 on a local channel and by 2015 we were on the Retro Television Network. When we were a local show, sponsors were easy to find, but as a national show, that vital funding has been a steep uphill battle. Frankly, our company has better performing brands that are less costly and better funded and we felt it was time to focus on those,” said Mauldin.

Festival of Fear was produced at 31 West Studios in Tyler during its entire run. The studios, housed in the historic Energy Center, also housed the offices for the Texas travelogue show, Expedition Texas.

“Our company entered the travelogue genre with Expedition Texas in 2012 and that show has been a consistent performer so we’re focusing on that production at the moment so we don’t miss opportunities to reach large, established audiences that advertisers want to reach,” said Mauldin.

While the business dealings of an independent production company are of little meaning to fans of Festival of Fear, Mauldin assured viewers their input has had a lasting impact.

“The ONLY reason we produced 26 completely unfunded episodes in the past year is because of the fans. Their cries were heard and we came back thinking we had a winning formula both for the fans and for potential sponsors. While the fan interaction and the support from the network were great, we kept hitting walls when it came to securing sponsorship. Without that component, the show doesn’t go on,” Mauldin said in a statement.

“My first love is acting. Playing Harvey and other characters in this show has given me that creative outlet. Writing for a variety of characters and their complexities has helped me hone my craft as a writer. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity afforded to me by the fans of our work and the networks, Retro Television and The Family Channel,” Mauldin concluded.

Reruns of Harvey’s Festival of Fear will continue on Retro Television and The Family Channel for the time being. The production stands at ready to resume should sponsors gain interest.

In the meantime, 31 West Productions vows to grow the show’s YouTube channel by incorporating over 12 years of content for their viewers to enjoy free of charge and released at regular intervals over the coming months.