Grusel, Grauen, Gänsehaut

When I was a kid, I loved this show. It scared me all the time, and I probably lost a lot of sleep because of it, but it was worth it to see all of these stories told by regular kids. It sparked my love for horror. The absolute scariest episode for me was "The Night Shift" where vampires invade a hospital. I can still remember parts, and they still scare me. One of these days I'm going to start my own Midnight Society...in broad daylight...with soap operas...and cheese fondue. Pretty scary, huh?

...There was "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" - a kid-friendly horror show revolving around a group of teenagers, called the Midnight Society, who sit around a campfire in the woods and tell ghost stories, and then we segued directly into each bone-chilling kid-friendly horror tale.

What prompted this sudden review and stroll down memory lane is that one of Nickelodeon's adjunct cable networks is airing reruns of this great kid-friendly horror show that was most popular during the original Nickelodeon's hey-day back in the early 1990s. I was about 9 or 10 in '93 and '94, respectively, when "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" was at its peak. I remember that on Saturday nights, it was the fourth and final show (the other three were "Doug," "Rugrats," and "The Ren & Stimpy Show" - in that order) on Nick's "Snick" two-hour block. Boy, those were the good ol' days.

Like those other great shows, Nickelodeon quickly descended into idiocy (and continues doing so as I write this, although some credibility has been restored with "Avatar: The Last Airbender") when it began taking many of its greatest shows off the air for reasons unknown and replacing them with the likes of "Spongebob Squarepants" and other idiotic, mindless crap.

"Are You Afraid of the Dark?" was one of Nickelodeon's earliest and best shows. It was actually scary, but fun, and horror made just for kids. The ghost stories themselves were mostly typical good-vs.-evil-type stuff. Some episodes pushed the limits of its "kid-friendly horror" label (which, ironically enough, may have led to the show's early demise). A lot of famous teen actors (and film veterans) from the time made guest appearances in a number of different episodes, including Tatyana Ali (from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), Danny Cooksey (from another great Nick show canceled way before its time, "Salute Your Shorts"), Melissa Joan Hart (from "Clarissa Explains it All"), Tia and Tamera Mowry (from "Sister, Sister"), Danny Tamborelli ("The Adventures of Pete & Pete"), and veteran film actor Charles S. Dutton.

Of course, problems began to arise with "Are You Afraid of the Dark" due to several unfriendly cast shake-ups both early on and later in the series, and Nickelodeon tried unsuccessfully to revive the show in 1999. Also, the episodes' content seemed to get watered-down later on in the series, thus loosing that teenage horror "edge" that made it great during its early run. Another factor was that author R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" titles may have also had a hand in "Are You Afraid of the Dark's?" demise in the mid-'90s. But thankfully, nostalgia, and possibly incessant fan demand, or the upcoming Halloween season, have allowed this great kid-friendly horror show to see the light of cable network television just one more time.

So, now you know one of Nickelodeon's best shows from its hey-day, and one of my personal favorite shows from its hey-day. Halloween is just around the corner, and so now it's great to go back to a time when this once-great cable network had an ounce of decency and honor and common sense left in its tank.

10/10

Are You Afraid of the Dark (1992) TV Series

I will say, this show is pretty scary. Some episodes are stupid, but most of them are pretty creepy, and this show is sure to scare younger kids. I remember watching this show, and some of the episodes really freaked me out. "The Frozen Ghost" episode, with special guest star Melissa Joan Hart was pretty scary, and had some disturbing moments when it shows the child's ghost. This is a good show, but I'd recommend it for kids about 10 or older, unless your kid is pretty brave. 10/10.

I remember watching the early episodes. My favorites involved Dr. Vink ("with a V-V-V"). Last year, I watched the final episode, when Gary comes back and the Midnight Society is an actual part of the episode, rather than just telling a story about it. My favorite was "The Tale of the Dangerous Soup". I know I'd instantly crack if I were in that room! Each episode always surprised me, but I loved the music most of all.

Clever, fast paced and scary show should appeal to both kids and grown ups. It is about a group of school kids called The Midnight Society that gather around a camp fire on Saturday nights to tell each other some scary stories. Some of my favorites are an intense eposide about a paper clown who has his nose stolen. He haunts the kid who took the nose. A thoughtful one about a young girl who gets everything she every wanted, but the clerk takes something away from her that the girl takes for granted. And my third favorite would have to be an updating of the headless horseman legend. Rated Y7 when it was on TV there are some intense moments and off screen or hinted at killings, but no on screen deaths. Neve Campbell once starred as an employee at an upscale restuarant where your darkest fears come true. Melissa Joan Hart was in one about a cold ghost. Another one found the twins from the show Sister Sister dueling it out. Many many more guest stars.