Entertainment
9 Horror Shows That Are 10/10 but Nobody Remembers Today
Television has been shaped by the horror genre. Much like its involvement in cinema over the years, horror has broadened the landscape for television, influencing and building it into the modern powerhouse that many of us see today. Since the inception of broadcasting, horror has been a staple — exciting, terrifying, and captivating viewers with fascinating tales of terror. From The Twilight Zone to Stranger Things, there’s no telling what modern television would be like without this epic genre.
Truly, we’ve been spoiled by how many compelling horror shows are out there. A great many have blasted us away and have become widely acclaimed and remembered throughout the decades. But, it’s sad to say, not every perfect horror show is remembered. There’s a vast ocean of horror shows, and plenty have been swept under the rug. From neat horror gems to underrated classics, let’s shed light on nine forgotten horror shows that are a straight 10/10.
‘Channel Zero’ (2016–2018)
Premiering on the SyFy network from 2016 to 2018, Channel Zero is an underrated American horror anthology series featuring three spine-chilling self-contained seasons of pure, utter terror. With stories blending different subgenres, including supernatural mystery, dark fantasy, body horror, and even slasher, this series is a horror lover’s delight that just excites and thrills viewers with its creativity.
Channel Zero is an unsettling, nightmare-inducing horror series that rightfully needs to be experienced. Though positively received by critics, the show never quite reached the heights of mainstream recognition during its three-year run, nor did its lack of significant viewership help it either. It truly needed more time to grow and garner more recognition. Yet, despite never truly kicking off, it’s become a cult favorite among horror and anthology horror fans, and its popularity is steadily on the rise.
‘The Hitchhiker’ (1983–1991)
Running on HBO and the USA network from 1983 to 1991, The Hitchhiker is a mystery horror anthology series about a lone drifter (Page Fletcher) telling his disturbing cautionary tales as he crosses the country. It ran for six seasons, delivering pulse-pounding and shocking short stories each with a central message and a completely different cast of characters for each new episode.
Though not widely accepted as one of the greatest shows of the ’80s, The Hitchhiker is a cult favorite among TV and horror fans. Though not every storyline worked, its strongest episodes highlighted a creative, visionary writing team who were adamant on creating new and original ideas each week. It’s a near-perfect anthology show that honestly deserves more love.
‘Circle of Fear’ (1972–1973)
Ghost Story, later changed to Circle of Fear mid-season, was an American horror anthology series that aired on NBC from 1972 to 1973. Produced by pioneering B-movie director William Castle, this delightfully spooky series may be the most obscure entry on this list, but it’s one that’s highly recommendable as it’s so one-of-a-kind, creative, and undoubtedly creepy at times.
It only ran for one season, but during that time, it produced 23 fascinating episodes that each had their own stand-out moments. Sure, the effects are cheesy, and some of the writing and acting get over the top at times, but for all of its absurdity, Circle of Fear is quite an interesting horror gem that offers a fun, eerie viewing experience and really puts viewers in the right kind of horror mood as long as they look past its faults.
‘Lost Tapes’ (2008–2010)
One of the darkest shows to ever air on the Animal Planet Network, Lost Tapes is a fictional documentary horror series detailing the history of some of the most iconic cryptids from folklore and legends. Shot mostly as found footage style segments, each episode explores different characters having nightmarish, sometimes deadly encounters with monsters, from vampires and werewolves, to extra-terrestrials and even Bigfoot.
Lost Tapes‘ episodes range in quality; some are horrifyingly intense and perfectly suspenseful, but others are noticeably cheesy and bogged down by hammy acting and cheap effects. While it’s not always perfect, the good moments far outweigh the bad, and it excels at delivering some tense, disturbing videos that are not for the faint of heart. It’s definitely for found footage lovers, as the handheld camera work can easily make viewers feel like they are watching The Blair Witch Project or REC.
‘Night Visions’ (2001–2002)
Night Visions is another criminally underappreciated horror anthology series, which aired on the Fox network with only one season from 2001 to 2002. For those seeking creeping dread and psychological supernatural paranoia, this show is right for you, as it’s a perfectly eerie collection of short but effective horror stories that easily get under the skin.
Poor management from the Fox channel and low performance scores doomed Night Visions to only having one season to show the world. And it’s a shame, as it’s another horror series that truly needed more time to kick off and become more relevant. Though not as well-known today as other projects, Night Visions is just as well-written and eerily fascinating as some of the other high-profile shows.
‘Friday the 13th: The Series’ (1987–1991)
Running three seasons from 1987 to 1991, Friday the 13th: The Series is a unique, hidden horror gem TV show that can fascinate anyone who gives it a chance. Despite its famous title and the fact that it was co-created by Frank Mancuso Jr. (the producer of the Friday the 13th movie franchise), this show surprisingly has no connection to the film series of the same name, nor its famous slasher villain character Jason Vorhees. Instead, it’s an original premise about two friends who go around retrieving dangerous, cursed items that they must return to their newly inherited antique store.
This series was full of darkly creative fun, featuring new and fresh storylines each episode, and kept that momentum riding strong until it was cut too soon due to cost issues and poor ratings. Today, it’s of course become seen as a cult classic, one that both delights and creeps audiences out with its many compelling and eerie episodes.
‘Masters of Horror’ (2005–2007)
Created by Mike Garris and airing on Showtime from 2005 to 2007, Masters of Horror is another brilliant yet strangely forgotten horror anthology series that, as its title suggests, highlights the incredible works of some of the best horror filmmakers in the industry. It’s a frightening collection of intense, bizarre, and freakishly unusual horror stories directed by legendary horror directors like John Carpenter, Joe Dante, the late Tobe Hooper, and Takashi Miike, to name a few.
Nearly each episode is perfectly well-structured and paced, and also shows the strengths of each talented filmmaker, as well as featuring their own unique directing style. While so many episodes truly shine, it’s arguably Takashi Miike’s directed episode, “Imprint,” that’s the biggest standout for its graphic content and surreal visuals, a noteworthy, masterful episode that was actually too extreme for US broadcast. Overall, it’s a shame Master of Horror doesn’t get brought up as much as other, more recognizable shows. However, its shocking moments and the many creative talents behind its creation really make it more of a must-watch for horror enthusiasts.
‘Millennium’ (1996–1999)
Sadly, one of the most forgotten shows of the 1990s was also one of its most captivating and original. Airing on Fox from 1996 to 1999, Millennium is a science fiction thriller series created by Chris Carter. It stars Aliens and Near Dark star Lance Hendriksen in a remarkable leading performance as a former FBI profiler turned consultant, Frank Black, who taps into the minds of serial killers.
Chris Carter, best known for creating the more well-known and praised sci-fi horror series The X-Files, delivered another powerfully creative blend of the two genres with this highly underrated series. It aired for three seasons, being canceled just before really making a huge impact like Carter’s other series. It’s a shame, but thankfully, Millennium has slowly but steadily garnered more of a following in recent years. And hopefully, over time, it will garner the well-deserved respect it needs.
‘The Outer Limits’ (1963–1965)
There’s no other horror series more recognized as an underappreciated masterpiece than the ’60s classic TV show The Outer Limits. Widely overshadowed at the time by its equally groundbreaking and visionary competition, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits is just as essential to TV history for its massive influence and compelling storytelling.
Also, like The Twilight Zone, this one focused on complex stories that were heavily thematic and focused on sci-fi elements and human psychology. The two shows are almost common, yet The Outer Limits seems almost like a footnote in history these days, while the other is praised as one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time. Both deserve equal recognition, not just for what they did to the horror, anthology, and science-fiction genres, but for television in general.
The Outer Limits
- Release Date
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1963 – 1965-00-00
- Directors
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Gerd Oswald, Byron Haskin, Charles F. Haas, James Goldstone, László Benedek, Leonard Horn, Paul Stanley, Alan Crosland, Jr., John Brahm, Abner Biberman, Felix E. Feist, John Erman, Leon Benson
- Writers
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Joseph Stefano, Seeleg Lester, Robert C. Dennis, Sam Neuman, Milton Krims, Meyer Dolinsky, Allan Balter, Anthony Lawrence, Jerry Sohl, Robert Mintz, Harlan Ellison, Stephen Lord, Robert Towne, William Bast, William R. Cox, John Mantley, Otto Binder, Robert Specht, Samuel Roeca, Oliver Crawford, Richard H. Landau, Orin Borsten, Ib Melchior, Francis M. Cockrell
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Alex Nicol
Gen. Lee Stocker
