Tales From the Television looks back at standalone episodes from various TV anthologies. Each collection of stories, every one based on a specific theme, is proof that even the small screen can deliver big frights.
For as long as humans have existed, so have monsters. These often grotesque and unusual creatures with varying origins have appeared in everything from the written word to the big screen. Some monsters are legendary and fantastical, whereas others are modern manifestations of people’s worst fears and traits.
Movies have fueled our fascination with monsters for decades, but what about TV?
Television anthologies like the following feature unique beasts who are just as menacing as their cinematic ilk.
Darkroom (1981): “The Bogeyman Will Get You”
For every successful anthology that aired on TV, there were others that ended far too soon; NBC’s short-lived Darkroom is just one example. The James Coburn-hosted show, which lasted only seven episodes before being axed, boasted not only some quality tales, it featured several actors who went on to become household names in the near future. This included a young Helen Hunt in “The Bogeyman Will Get You,” an episode that feels like a precursor to Fright Night.
In the episode, Hunt’s teenage character suspects a handsome resident is really a vampire who is responsible for her classmate’s disappearance. “Bogeyman” is capped off with a perfect punchline.
Tales from the Darkside (1983): “Seasons of Belief”
Tales from the Darkside is iconic because of stories like “Seasons of Belief.” This Christmas-set entry, full of bad cheer and Yulish horror, has an astonishing payoff that everyone remembers all these years later. Tyler Smith’s effects work here is commendable given Darkside’s strict budget.
It all begins on Christmas Eve with a father scaring his children with a twisted story about a made-up monster called the Grither. Every time they say his name aloud, the Grither gets closer and closer to their location. The holiday hoax eventually ends in a way so gruesome that it has to be seen to be believed.
Monsters (1988): “A Bond of Silk”
In a show literally devoted to monsters of all shapes and sizes, it’s very hard to pick just one episode. Richard P. Rubinstein’s immediate followup to Tales from the Darkside is a singular series with a litany of devils, ghouls, and just about anything else that goes bump in the night. An episode fans remember fondly is “The Match Game,” but something like “A Bond of Silk” shouldn’t be overlooked, either. Like in the aforesaid episode, the tone here is serious despite Monsters’ tendency to be campy and humorous. In “A Bond of Silk,” out-of-town newlyweds check into a New York hotel room only to find it’s covered in a giant spider web. As the husband becomes trapped, the wife frantically tries to free him before the humongous arachnid returns to feed on her prey.
While Justin Kohn’s stop motion spider is archaic-looking by today’s standards, its choppy movements will trigger a crawly sensation in viewers. A deeper reading of the story also suggests the spider represents the wife’s uncertainty about marriage.
The Outer Limits (1995): “Under the Bed”
“Under the Bed” is an aberration in the Outer Limits revival. The series typically focused on thought experiments and dangerous tech, but this episode is about the inverse of science. When a young boy is abducted from his bedroom by an unseen intruder, a therapist and a detective research the area’s history only to discover this isn’t an isolated incident. Rather, they believe some kind of beast is behind multiple kidnappings.
There’s no denying “Under the Bed” has horror running through its veins. It stands out because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the show, but that’s also why it’s so memorable.
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997): “Red Eyed Creature”
Interactive anthology Beyond Belief asked its viewers to guess which of its segments were bogus or based on some shred of truth. A good chunk of the series was wholesome and hopeful, but then there were some eerier stories that provided ample nightmare fuel for younger watchers. The obvious go-to for a monster episode would be “Kid in the Closet,” yet another story that’s equally tingly is “Red Eyed Creature.”
A family’s home is suddenly haunted by a pair of disembodied, glowing red eyes that only the son and mother have seen. However, the father suggests it’s their own eyes playing a trick on them. The dramatization ends with a shivery revelation that’s then topped off with another surprise: the show claims this story is inspired by fact.
Pet Shop of Horrors (1999): “Daughter”
The short anime adaptation of Matsuri Akino’s manga series is essentially a soft anthology; besides sharing the same main characters, the stories are self-contained. The setup of exotic pets creating chaos for a few hapless buyers is practically lifted from Gremlins. In the anime, the mysterious and flamboyant Count D, who maintains an exotic animal shop in Chinatown, Los Angeles, gives every patron a set of rules whenever they purchase one of his pets. As expected, though, customers go astray and are divinely punished.
“Daughter” sees a grieving couple, who lost their child to addiction, buy a rabbit that somehow resembles their dearly beloved Alice. As part of the transaction, Count D stipulates the parents don’t show the rabbit to anyone, they don’t let her incense burn out, and, most importantly, they only feed her fresh vegetables and water. The couple fails to comply, and Alice, sweet Alice unveils her true form to them in the most horrible way possible.
Fear Itself (2008): “Skin & Bones”
Before Fear Itself was originally cancelled, Mick Garris’ second anthology series ended with “Skin & Bones,” a bitterly cold and supernatural tale directed by Larry Fessenden. The director’s passion for wendigo folklore is palpable in this cruel and harrowing account of a family cut up by lies and hardship after the missing father (Doug Jones) returns home.
Throughout his career, Fessenden has infrequently explored wendigo mythology (Wendigo, The Last Winter), but “Skin & Bones” is his most undisguised essay on these evil spirits. This is among Doug Jones’ best performances, and despite network restrictions, the grisly moments never feel too sanitary.
Folklore (2018): “A Mother’s Love”
This HBO Asia anthology focuses on regional mythology from select regions of East and Southeast Asia. Joko Anwar’s contribution concerns an overworked mother whose fragile emotional being is exploited by a supernatural entity called the Wewe Gombel. While squatting in a house, the protagonist discovers a group of missing children in the attic; setting them free then leads to her son’s disappearance.
The scares in “A Mother’s Love” are tame, but that’s not Anwar’s objective. His maternal horror story pits tradition (the Wewe Gombel) against progressivism (a single mother), and he delivers a hopeful and positive message about family.
Creepshow (2019): “The Companion”
David Bruckner (The Ritual) breathes life into Joe R. Lansdale’s short story “The Companion,” and from his capable hands, a delicious account of adolescent pangs is born. A boy is on the run from his abusive older brother when he accidentally unleashes a dormant evil at an abandoned farm; a living scarecrow kills any interlopers after being sealed away by its late creator.
Of all the episodes so far in Shudder’s Creepshow, “The Companion” comes the closest when trying to capture the spirit of the classic film. It’s unambiguously dreadful, and the practical effects are a big part of the episode’s appeal.
50 States of Fright (2020): “Scared Stiff (Oregon)”
Bigfoot (or Sasquatch) has become so entrenched in pop culture that the elusive biped has been stripped of its natural intimidation and mystery. Ryan Spindell and Jacob Motz’s remarkable story in 50 States of Fright, however, rectifies this by giving the famous cryptid a fearsome streak; their grim and bent tale recounts a taxidermist’s fatal run-in with the beast.
Spindell’s eye for horror is keen, and the special effects here are extraordinary and potent. Today’s Bigfoot is rarely afforded the chance of being this appalling in appearance or behavior, but “Scared Stiff” does a hell of a job of changing that.
