As the community manager at FANGORIA, I am often involved in fan conversations about our special interests in the world of horror. Are you a slasher fan? Paranormal? Have a favorite villain? My niche is horror television, particularly pre-2000s anthologies. I grew up at the very tail-end of children who sat in front of the magic that is a tube tv and felt the static tingle on my face against my grandmother’s best attempts to stop me. I loved being scared, and my little ADHD-addled brain loved the intensity a director could build in a primetime cable block. 

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Was the most groundbreaking television series of the 90s, from the vantage point of a little millennial kiddo with a vast imagination and a penchant for things that go bump in the night (me). At the time it was the most widely known show of its kind marketed for adolescents and set the pace and the permission for terror to be a regular part of Friday night lineups designed for youth. I still rewatch the original series at least once a year, and the following episodes still give me chills.

The 10 best episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?

10. The Tale of the Chameleons, Season 5, Episode 4

“Bite you once, bite you twice, a little water, pay the price!” 

This episode showed some pretty impressive early acting chops from the sitcom Sister/Sisters and real-life twins Tia and Tamera Mowry, and any kid with pet-born allergies may have worried they were about to do a Freaky Friday with Fido any time a strange rash popped up. Late 20th century TV quality shapeshifting is less terrifying as an adult, but the sinister and tense feuds between the two real-life sisters still convey horror and dread today.

9. The Tale of the Fire Ghost, Season 4, Episode 10

There is probably a correlation between being scared of this episode as a child and being traumatized by Anthony Diblasi’s 2014 original film, The Last Shift. Still, there’s not enough space to expand in this listicle. Many folks are afraid of fires, but the idea of personifying fire itself as a demonic entity could go either way as a horror trope, and it’s surprisingly effective here. Haunted by the sooty, sinister reveal to this day.

8. The Tale of the Renegade Virus, Season 4, Episode 1

Intense visceral body horror in a children’s show? They went there. Another of the handful of episodes directed by Ron Oliver, this time the characters face an otherworldly evil lurking in our technology. My palm still itches whenever I even picture a VGA input.

7. The Tale of the Midnight Madness, Season 2, Episode 2

Maybe the vampire episodes were inherently scarier on the series or maybe I have a thing for vampires? One thing is for sure, this episode introduced a new generation to the world of Nosferatu and the character of Count Orlok without mentioning the film once. This episode also launches Dr. Vink’s jack-of-all-trades role in the biz of terrifying children.

6. The Tale of the Laughing in the Dark, Season 1, Episode 2

I debated with myself to determine if this episode should be number one. The Tale of the Laughing in the Dark has all the elements of horror that trigger that nostalgic, pit of the stomach childhood terror. Clowns, funhouses, shady characters–but the moment with Zeebo’s cigar that sets off the plot could have singularly caused Bozophobia worldwide. Zeebo is portrayed by Aron Tager, who most fans will better recognize as one of the few recurring characters in the show’s run, Dr. Vink. Directed by Ron Oliver, the man behind countless holiday Hallmark movies and, of course, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II proves he can build immense tension in 25 minutes or less.

5. The Tale of the Frozen Ghost, Season 2, Episode 7

Perhaps it’s my own circle of social media, but I have some anecdotal and meme-based evidence to support that this may be the most widely remembered episode of the series. Just whisper “I’m cold” to a millennial, and it’s like you’ve joined a secret club. Another episode with a very sad twist, it features Melissa Joan Hart circa the iconic Clarissa Explains It All era in a dark and twisted winter tale. I dare you not to cry (or shiver) while watching this one. 

4. The Tale of Watcher’s Woods, Season 3, Episode 3

Although every episode of the show is framed by a campfire tale introduction, few episodes deal with actual camping, and Watcher’s Woods makes up for that. The tale follows a Hansel & Gretel style framework of following one’s footsteps to escape the evil lurking in the forest, but the hag lore runs so deep that I have longed for this episode to be developed into a film since I first watched it.

3. The Tale of The Ghastly Grinner, Season 4, Episode 9

Listen up, Cakes. This episode is hilarious, dark, and sticky. It plays into a 90s favorite trope of a kid facing great adversity in light of a hobby frowned upon by adults. In this case, comic books might destroy the world, but they could also save it. Sometimes I even forget Sylvester Unkus is a make-believe comic book artist because this episode was so impactful. Come for the grinner, stay for the microwave mayhem, cackling neighbors, and heartwarming underdog story.

2. The Tale of the Night Shift, Season 5, Episode 11

Vampire Hospital Drama is much scarier than it sounds. This episode was written and directed by series creator D.J. MacHale. It is considered one of the best episodes by die-hard fans, perhaps for its original spin on a vampire tale and its wider array of developed characters not often seen in most episodes. Margot the Candy Striper will haunt your sweetest fever dreams.

1. The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float, Season 5, Episode 1

I loved swimming as a child. Oceans, rivers, lakes, and pools were my safe space. This episode at least temporarily wrecked that comfort. There are certain episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? that had no business being as terrifying as they were, and this is one of them, perhaps the penultimate one. 

Many episodes of the show lean into silliness to temper the horror of a children’s show, but season five dives in with a deeply unsettling splash.

The pool scene in It Follows wishes it was this scary. 

Are you looking to stream old episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? Then head over to Paramount+ to relive the terror!