Editorials
[TV Terrors] Revisiting the Childhood Nightmares of the Original “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
Horror and science fiction have always been a part of the television canvas, and constant attempts have been made over the years to produce classic entertainment. Some have fallen by the wayside, while others became mainstream phenomena. With “TV Terrors,” we take a look back at the many genre efforts from the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s, exploring some shows that became cult classics, and others that sank in to obscurity.
In this installment we revisit the original version of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?“.
- Aired from 1990 – 2000
- Aired on Nickelodeon; YTV
Even for all of the preteen fluff it touts today, once upon a time Nickelodeon was a network anxious to take risks and break the mold in the realm of children’s television. They were never afraid to get experimental (Remember “Roundhouse”?), they often challenged their audience (“Nick News”), and often times they also never hesitated to get a bit edgy. “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” is celebrated today as a fond relic of the nineties, but also as one of the many approaches to entertainment aimed at kids that treated them with the utmost respect.
Looking back on it today, while it is a bit tame in corners, “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” was intense. If you could imagine being a child on a Saturday night, cozying up in front of the television, leaving the safety of “Clarissa Explains it All” and entering in to the spooky realms of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” then you’re almost where most kids were in that era. Was there anything better than tuning in to SNICK every Saturday night to watch what Nickelodeon had in store for you before bed time? One of the most memorable facets of SNICK—hell, one of the highlights of the 90s era of Nickelodeon—was “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
Created by DJ MacHale and Ned Kandel (of “Ghostwriter” fame), “Are you Afraid of the Dark?” premiered in 1990 and was a single camera horror anthology series that dripped pure horror and fantasy from every pore. The series featured a variety of horror, mystery, and science fiction oriented short tales as told by a collective of teenagers named “The Midnight Society.” Every episode began with a group of kids that would gather in the woods around a campfire during the night, united by their love for terrifying tales, and tell a scary story that usually had a connection to something going on in their lives. Though the series itself was an anthology, the show’s bookends revolved around the recurring characters of “The Midnight Society.”
Every episode began with some minor conflict or occurrence at the start of a meeting which would inspire one of the members to tell a haunting campfire tale. While every episode garnered creative and original stories (as well as presenting modern twists on classic urban legends and American Folklore), the writers also made sure to include subtle life lessons that the audience could take away. Each story explored complex concepts and themes like dealing with grief, the consequences of stealing, the price of lying, the cost of superficiality, greed, and claiming responsibility for your actions. The themes were always subtle, though, and never actually preached to the intended audience.
Half of the time though episodes like “The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner” and “The Tale of the Night Shift” were there just to scare the bejeezus out of us before Nick at Nite came on. It also helped that the mysterious characters from “The Midnight Society” were genuinely likable individuals, relatable in their utter enthusiasm and creativity. Though the campfire was a frame work to introduce the stories, there were also conflicts that occurred among the teens that could sometimes jeopardize the group. The show captivated viewers because it tapped into a common, somewhat ancient ritual among horror fans and storytellers. Who among us hasn’t, at one time or another, told a scary story in front of a campfire or by candle light?
Watching the series effectively made you one of The Midnight Society’s unofficial members.
Among some of the best episodes featured in its seven season (91 episodes) run was “The Tale of the Twisted Claw” in which two young boys receive a magical claw from a neighbor that grants them three wishes a piece. As with the classic “The Monkey’s Paw,” the boys learn to be careful what you wish for, and that every wish has a morbid consequence. There’s “The Tale of the Midnight Madness” in which a local multiplex is granted a rare print of “Nosferatu” on the stipulation that they play the owner’s other films. When they go back on their promise, the films begin taking on a life of their very own. Another classic is “The Tale of the Water Demons” in which two cousins steal from a collector of sunken treasures, only to learn that the owner of the artifacts is menaced by deadly demons that rise from their watery graves whenever the owner sleeps.
Arguably the scariest episode of the series is “The Tale of the Laughing in the Dark” in which a young boy is dared to steal the nose from Zeebo the clown at a haunted circus attraction. When the boy begins getting taunted by the mysterious clown, he has to figure out how to get it back to its rightful place. “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” is still admired for being bold enough to scare the pants off of its young viewers, while also appealing to older audiences, with tales that were thematically edgy and atmospherically dark. It’s a treasured horror series that brought to life some of the most haunting monsters and demons imaginable. The show has since become a mainstay for many, appearing on various outlets including Teen Nick, and most recently began airing on Pluto TV.
With a reboot of the series now airing on Nickelodeon, “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” promises to win a brand new generation of budding horror fans and storytellers alike.
Is It On DVD/Blu-Ray? “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” was out of reach for some years there, but thankfully it can now be found on many outlets. You can currently watch repeats on Pluto TV, and various episodes can be purchased on Youtube, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Prime Video. You can also purchase the whole series on DVD in volumes.
“Elevated Horror.” Of all the combinations in the English language, that one is the most insufferable.
It represents almost a decade of scary movies that, for the most part, took themselves too seriously. Horror responds to the moment, so its “why so serious” lean makes sense as we scuttle through the “worst of times” equation of Charles Dickens’ famous opening lines. But there’s still an opening and a need for a lighter approach; one that not only has fun with its audience but takes the piss out of a genre that is seemingly letting its newfound “respectability” go to its head.
Wes Craven believed devotees see horror films to let out their fears one primal scream at a time. At their core, these movies are roller coasters; they bring us as close to the edge as possible before pulling us back into a safety net of reality. The need for a bigger and badder coaster increases during times when the size of that net decreases.
There’s a thrill that comes from imagining being in a foot race with a madman, or outthinking the hordes of zombies on the other side of the door, plus the scavenger humans coming behind them. There’s even a rush that comes from imagining how one might deal with possession to see good triumph over evil in the end. It’s all about building tension and releasing it through catharsis. That cathartic release usually sounds like screams followed by laughter, which signals relief. Genre heavy hitters over the past 10 years offered very little of that respite when the credits rolled. Films like Hereditary, The Witch, Talk to Me, and even Smile (pick one) keep that tension going after the screen fades to black.
Hereditary
As the genre became obsessed with creating trauma metaphors, that lack of release made sense. Anyone with even a small sample size of traumatic experiences knows those emotions don’t magically resolve themselves in an allotted run time. But how much trauma can one take? Especially when there’s a mess going on outside that few of us can escape from. Movies offer that off-ramp, no matter how short.
Everything can’t be, nor should it be, “elevated.” Audiences need thoughtful explorations of life’s ills via monsters as much as they need murdering masked maniacs with kitchen knives. And no, it doesn’t have to go any deeper than that. Sometimes, a knife is just a knife, and it’s still worth our time and respect. As weird as it sounds, that simplicity is comforting not in spite of the trauma but because of it.
The worst of times should manifest more than just anguish. People need to laugh just as much as they need to think seriously about this moment in time. Even the Scream franchise forgot the meta rock upon which it built its church when the latest foray sacrificed the subtle comedy for serious drama. Scary Movie returned at the perfect moment. It provides the necessary laughs, but it’s not a cure-all.
This isn’t a call for Scary Movie imitators but a return to a mainstream landscape where Killer Klowns from Outer Space sat with The Serpent and the Rainbow, nestled neatly with the latest Nightmare on Elm Street, which took nothing away from The Vanishing.
They Live
Even They Live, John Carpenter’s horror sci-fi satire sandwich, kept its tongue firmly in cheek while discussing serious ideas still relevant in 2026. Yes, a film about aliens taking over the world through subliminal messaging only visible through coded sunglasses is, in fact, a tad silly. Carpenter understood that mainstream horror can’t become so self-important that it never looks itself in the mirror and laughs at that inherent silliness.
The thing is, horror historically excels at poking fun at itself. Most of the Scream franchise, The Cabin in the Woods, or The Blackening show adoration without kowtowing. They recognize tropes and trappings but invert them for an audience already in on the joke, but one that also finds solace in said conventions. This keeps the genre on its toes; once something gets parodied, it’s usually time to evolve. That breeds new ideas and fresh filmmakers, which not only strengthen the genre’s collective voice but also amplify it.
Get Out, as “elevated” as some critics want us to believe it is, is a cathartic, populist scary movie that spoke to an untapped audience rather than speaking down to them. Backrooms is one of the biggest horror hits in years, partially because it’s fine-tuned for modern-day teenagers instead of their parents. Movies like these tell everyone the genre is open for business; open for innovation and, yeah, open for new ways in which people can lovingly poke fun at with a wink and a nudge.
Horror needs dread as much as it needs laughter.
Catharsis is just as important as tension, and pulpy populism has the same merit as more high-brow material. Respectability shouldn’t come at the expense of an experience akin to walking through a haunted house. At a time when joy seems in short supply, horror should look to its past to map out its future, and make things just a tad brighter for audiences.
Backrooms
You must be logged in to post a comment.