Gore is golden, where Friday the 13th is concerned.

Not only have the seven Friday slasher moviees made a bloody fortune, but a syndicated-for-TV clone - borrowing the title but nothing else form the Jason saga - is a solid success after its first year.

Friday the 13th: The Series, about two young cousins who track down murderous cursed objects from the possessed antiques shop they inherited, is second only to Star Trek: The Next Generation in ratings for weekly syndicated series.

Paramount, which produces Trek and distributes Fridays, says Friday is especially popular among teens and men and women 18-34.

Ratings, mostly for late-night weekend airings, have been strong enough to grant the show earlier time periods this fall in much of the USA.

This week, the show shirks repeats to begin a cycle of five new episodes, starting with the tale of a deadly foghorn that summons a ghost from its watery tomb. Ax murders and impalings ensue, but without the gruesomeness of the big-screen Fridays.

"It's no different from any horror anthology show, really, and has nothing to do with the movies. Our readers weren't very interested (in it)," says Tony Timpone, editor in chief of Fangoria and Gorezone magazines, which chronicle the '80s horror industry.

But these TV horrors keep coming. Producers of Friday predecessor Tales From The Darkside - which just ended production after four seasons - are gearing up for a new series, Monsters, for the fall.

Also on the boards: A Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy's Nightmares, an anthology starring the razor-taloned hero; and a War of the Worlds series mixing science fiction with horror adventures.

"These shows are better suited for the younger horror fans," Timpone admits. "This is something they can get away with watching. Parents won't let kids rent R-rated horror movies, or go to the theaters because of ratings restrictions. The fact they're on TV is a gold mine for a lot of horror fans who are just starting out."