occultist who originally collected many of the antiques for Vendredi before they became cursed. The series follows the protagonists as they hunt down the cursed antiques, which are usually in the possession of people who have discovered their magic powers and are unwilling to give them up. In some cases the object is in the possession of the one who originally discovers its magic power ("The Inheritance", "What a Mother Wouldn't Do"), while in others (e. g. "Tales of the Undead", "A Cup of Time", "Vanity's Mirror", "Read My Lips", "The Mephisto Ring", "The Prisoner") another person has learned of the object's power and obtained it before the object is recovered. Since the cursed antiques are completely indestructible, they must be locked away in a vault beneath "Curious Goods" (the rechristened antique store) that is designed to magically render the objects inert. A manifest, written by Lewis, holds the records of all the cursed objects sold by him. Most of the stories in the series deal with people using the cursed objects' magic for personal gain or for revenge. To use the objects' magic powers, a human sacrifice is required, and the victim must be killed by the object itself or in some particular manner related to the object's history. In many episodes, the benefits are only temporary and owner is forced to keep using the object to regain or retain them ("A Cup of Time", "Master of Disguise", "Spirit of Television", "Face of Evil", "Better Off Dead", "The Sweetest Sting"). In some cases, attempting to abandon the object subjects the owner to some unendurable or fatal affliction ("Stick It in Your Ear", "Read My Lips"). Some objects are sentient and intelligent, such as the doll ("The Inheritance") and the radio ("And Now the News"). Others do not actually speak but demonstrate intelligence and awareness in other ways ("Spirit of Television", "The Playhouse") or confer intelligence on other inanimate things ("Read My Lips", "Double Exposure", "Wax Magic"), or summon intelligent, malevolent entities ("The Pirate's Promise", "Femme Fatale", "Shadow Boxer", "Demon Hunter"). Still others function without intelligence, mechanically dispensing a certain benefit in response to human sacrifice ("Root of All Evil", "The Mephisto Ring", "The Prisoner", "Brain Drain"). Occasionally, there would be an object-free episode in which the trio would confront their uncle's spirit or some other Satanic evildoer ("The Prophecy", "Hellowe'en", "Wedding in Black"). Like other sci-fi/horror shows in syndication