FIVE: TV Horror Anthologies

Television shows with long-running plotlines and characters are great, but sometimes I just want to watch a classic, monster-of-the-week type series. Horror anthology series have been a part of the TV landscape since the early days of black and white. We at the Carillon hope they never go away, and here are our five favorites.

5 Masters of Horror

Not every episode of Masters of Horror was a winner, but it has to be commended for bringing together the biggest names in horror and giving them an opportunity to basically make a series of short films. Best episode: Takashi Miike’s “Imprint.”

4 Goosebumps
If you grew up in the 90s, then chances are good that you remember reading the Goosebumps books by R. L. The TV series is not only based on the books, it’s better than reading the source material. Best episode: “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes.”

3 Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Are You Afraid of the Dark is a Canadian classic, and the scariest TV series to ever air on YTV. After all these years, it’s nice to sit by the fire with the Midnight Society and listen to some ghost stories. Best episode: “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float.”

2 Tales from the Crypt

A personal favorite of mine, this HBO series has it all: bad puns, celebrity cameos, sex, buckets of blood, and the best horror host ever – the Crypt Keeper. Best episode: “Death of Some Salesman.”

1 The Twilight Zone

Rod Serling’s seminal horror and sci-fi anthology series is still one of the best programs to air in the history of television. Examining politics and the human condition through a series of unconnected stories, The Twilight Zone presents viewers with reflection of the darkest side of themselves, and always a moral to think about. Best episode: “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.”

Christian Hardy
A&C Editor