I have never met a fan of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, myself included, who isn't still waiting for their invitation to the Midnight Society. Sadly, I don't think the invitation got lost in the mail — and Are You Afraid of the Dark? is long gone, leaving us all with nothing but grainy reruns from the good old days. I love rewatching "The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner" as much as the next fan, but if you are really jonesing for more bite-sized (or full-sized) horror, then you need to check out these shows Are You Afraid of the Dark? fans will love.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? has inspired a boatload of awesome shows for kids and adults alike — and you also have all the shows influenced by Are You Afraid of the Dark's predecessors, like The Twilight Zone and The X-Files to explore as well. Right now is the best time to be a fan of horror and anthology TV. Don't let all those sleepless nights inspired by the Lonely Ghost go to waste because there are plenty of shows that will satisfy your craving for a more Are You Afraid of the Dark? without actually being Are You Afraid of the Dark?
I submit for the approval of my fellow Are You Afraid of the Dark? junkies these 14 amazing shows every Midnight Society hopeful will appreciate.
1. Inside No. 9
This British gem twists horror and comedy into one magnificently strange, self-contained half-hour each episode. With an ever-changing cast of familiar character actors and only one constant — each story takes place in a house, apartment, or room marked number nine — you are bound to feel right at home watching this gem of a show.
2. American Horror Story
Every season presents a new tale that will put all of your knowledge of scary movie tropes into a blender and serve it up as the craziest pop culture soup you ever tasted. Amazing actors, go for broke storytelling, and downright deranged scares are the hallmarks of American Horror Story.
3. Gravity Falls
Looking for the balance of scares and laughs (and then some) that Are You Afraid of the Dark? offered up? Then get thee to Gravity Falls. It has all the monster yarns you could want with added heart and little chance of you being traumatized.
4. Black Mirror
Only you can decide if you have the stomach for Black Mirror's particular brand of social commentary and gruesome twists, but it is undeniably the best modern horror anthology series out there.
5. Spooksville
Indulge your inner child with this superbly made children's series featuring a trio of tween monster investigators. It's like a '90s show, but with smaller cell phones.
6. The Haunting Hour
A descedent of Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, The Haunting Hour features stories from the mind of R.L. Stine — so even though it is for kids, it will scare the crap out of you.
7. Penny Dreadful
A gothic melting pot of horror's greatest hits, Penny Dreadful is the rare monster mash that is as effective as it is beautifully made.
8. Fargo
If you have more of an appetite for anthology storytelling than you do scares, then you cannot go wrong with Fargo. Each season tells a different, but always thrilling story of small town crime.
9. The Strange Calls
This Australian comedy takes a case-of-the-week approach to telling the story of a guy who lands a job in a town overflowing with weird. Each week brings a new story, and honestly, the special effects are so '90s-esque the monsters of the week could easily have popped up in one of the Midnight Society's tales.
10. Doctor Who
Every week, The TARDIS will take you somewhere new, giving Doctor Who an anthology feel, while also grounding the storytelling with the familiar faces of The Doctor and his companion. While the show isn't always scary (although it is always thrilling), when you reach a horror episode like "Blink," it will stay with you forever.
11. Eerie, Indiana
Yes, there's a lot to be said for the current crop of spooky shows, but sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned, '90s kids horror show in your life, and Eerie, Indiana happens to be one of the best.
12. Misfits
If you love shows with a mishmash of fantasy and sci-fi tropes then this unconventional superhero show is bound to delight you. Time travel, one-off super powered troublemakers, and lots of dead probation officers give Misfits all the energetic benefits of anthology storytelling with a mostly stable cast.
13. Scream Queens
A comedic American Horror Story that promises a new story each season and all the epic one-liners you can handle.
14. The Twilight Zone
The granddaddy of all anthology and horror TV, none of these shows — including Are You Afraid of the Dark?— would exist with The Twilight Zone.
Whether it's the variety, the goosebumps, the laughs, or the adventure of Are You Afraid of the Dark? you loved the most, one of the shows on this list is bound to delight you.
Images: Nickelodeon; Hulu; t-hh/Tumblr; burntlikethesun/Tumblr; Giphy (11)
