If you’re a fan of both Svengoolie and the big, green, mean scourge of Japan, you may be out of luck on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Though that night’s episode of Svengoolie Classic Horror & Sci-Fi Movie was previously announced to feature 1962’s King King vs. Godzilla, the show released a note to fans on Facebook on January 22, revealing that viewers who stream the show on platforms like FrndlyTV, FuBo, Philo, Sling and DirecTV, or who live in Hawaii, will have to make due with a different film: 1958’s Fiend Without a Face.

“MPORTANT NOTICE- due to contract stipulations, MeTV cannot air “King Kong VS Godzilla” on streaming platforms- FrndlyTV,FuBo,Philo,Sling and DirecTV- or in Hawaii,” the post read. “We will have to replace it with “Fiend Without a Face”. We apologize for this disappointment. I just got word late yesterday.”

Viewers who watch Svengoolie’s show via over-the-air networks will still be able to see King King vs. Godzilla, the first Toho-produced film to feature everyone’s favorite giant ape. The roots of the idea began with original King Kong stop motion animator Willis O’Brien, who wanted to pit Kong against an enormous Frankenstein’s monster. The idea was then changed to Kong taking on Godzilla, and sold to Toho, without O’Brien’s knowledge and without giving him credit.

In Fiend Without a Face (which was made in Britain, but is set in Canada), an old professor’s experiments with telekinesis and thought projection turn his thoughts(!) into evil, brain-shaped monsters! Though the film had a very small budget, the creatures were made with stop-motion animation techniques. When the film was promoted in the U.S., an animatronic dummy of one of the creatures created such a sensation outside New York City’s Rialto Theater, police demanded its removal.

Svengoolie Classic Horror & Sci-Fi Movie has aired on MeTV since 2011. Rich Koz, the current Svengoolie, has been played the role since 1994; prior to that, he played Son of Svengoolie, a character he began portraying on Chicago-area TV in 1979.