One of the most excitingly creepy shows to watch as a kid was Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?, one of the network’s stand-out live-action shows of the ’90s.
There was just something thrilling about staying up late with your friends, grabbing some popcorn, and gathering over the glowing TV set to check out the latest episode, knowing you were in for a crazy and eerie virtual ride. Much like a Nick version of The Twilight Zone meets Tales from the Crypt, this spooky kids show contained a myriad of other-worldly plots and creepy manifestations.
Let’s take a look at a definitive list of the best episodes, as ranked by IMDb. In the case of equal ratings, episodes with a greater number of reviews with receive the higher placement.
The Tale Of The Dangerous Soup (9.4)
What was perhaps the pinnacle of this colorful kids program, season 3, ended emphatically with one of the most deliciously weird and creative episodes.
The episode features the cartoonishly-named Dr. Vink, who conjures up a mysterious soup served to customers at his restaurant. But, since this is largely a horror show, Vink’s soup has a dark, sinister side-effect, which happens to be liquified visions of others’ own fear.
It’s a neat and mind-bendy concept that you’d expect to find in the Twilight Zone or Night Gallery, and it makes for a fun premise to play with; which this episode excellently pulls off, in a Stephen King’s It sort of way. The acting is pretty spot-on for a kid’s show, thanks in part to the appearance by Neve Campbell and the over-the-top villainous Vink.
The Tale Of Station 109.1 (9.4)
You know this episode has to, at the very least, make for an amusing watch, given its cast which features both Gilbert Gottfried as DJ Roy and Ryan Gosling as Jamie.
This general character of this episode takes on something of a cartoonish Tim Burton vibe with a touch of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Gottfried pulls off an amusing performance, as we hear him broadcasting an ominous message to the dead while our protagonist is washing a hearse. From there, things only get stanger - in the coolest way possible. This is a trippy, thought-provoking episode that’s quite fun to watch with its supernatural elements and Gottfried one-liners.
The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle (9.4)
Ghost stories can be cliche at times, but they can also make for a good old-fashion spooky premise if pulled off effectively, and it’s definitely a case of the latter with “The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle.”
This episode definitely made more than a few kids feel uneasy, as it features the death of the child, Ricky, mere moments after the show begins and the Midnight Society has tossed the dust in the campfire. Ricky becomes a spirit, setting the stage for a pretty scary premise. What seemingly begins as a fairly typically ghost-haunting tale escalates and evolves into something more serious for our protagonist. As it progresses and more is revealed, this episode gets surprisingly emotional and captivating.
The Tale Of The Midnight Madness (9.4)
The always-entertaining reoccurring villain Dr. Vink is back, this time as a filmmaker of old horror classics. An old movie theater is in danger of shutting down, but he has other plans to keep the public’s interest.
In a sort of The Ring moment, a scorned Vink decides to unleash his fictional movie monster, a Nosferatu-like vampire, from his black and white film into the real world, terrorizing those in his wake. Thanks to some elaborate, ghoulish makeup, and a dynamic performance by Christopher Heyerdahl, the movie monster is definitely the star of the show, making for a particularly creepy episode.
The Tale Of Vampire Town (9.5)
One of the swan songs for this epic show, this season 6 episode comes with all sorts of fun elements that set the stage for a memorable watch - amusing, over-the-top performances, some imaginative, atmospheric settings, and of course, vampires!
Our protagonist, Adder, gets in a bit too deep when he decides to visit a town rumored to be the residence of vampires, and seeks out the coffin of the legendary creature Dreyfus. In an amusing plot twist, the hunter becomes the hunted as the town eventually begins to suspect Adder himself of being a vampire. As a kid, this was both a gripping and unsettling one to watch.
The Tale Of C7 (9.5)
“The Tale of C7” tends to run with a ghost story premise that feels both familiar and creative in its approach. Rather than lean too heavily on tropes, however, the episode features a haunted ancient jukebox that acts as a sort of summoner of the ghostly apparitions. Specifically, the music box brings forth the memories of a fallen soldier whose soul cannot rest until he’s fulfilled.
The odd, ambiguous title of this episode refers to the number of the track that our protagonist discovers must be played to put an end to the “curse” that plagues their eerie house on the lake. It manages to feel somewhat The Shining-esque, with a more kid-friendly, non-bloody twist, of course.
The Tale Of The Vacant Lot (9.5)
As a kid or teenager, what would you have done to be popular? As it happens, our shy protagonist Catherine is apparently willing to sell her very soul to achieve this status, a decision she very much regrets as this narrative escalates.
Like many Nick shows, this isn’t just great because of its gripping plot, but because of the morals it conveys to kids. The lesson to be learned by nail-biting young viewers is to be unapologetically yourself without worrying about “fitting in.” You could say it’s also a cautionary tale about greed, and perhaps a warning to clear of shady-looking merchants claiming to offer magical shoes that can grant you anything you want.
The Tale Of The Dead Man’s Float (9.5)
Swimming in large pools can prove an intimidating endeavor for young kids as it is. Well, try a pool which is home to a horrifying swamp-like monster that terrorizes children who enter it. Taking on a sort of Blair Witch-esque style, much of the fear of this one comes in the form of the lack of what’s shown, in addition to the escalating build-up, which ultimately leads to a climactic ending.
This episode really has it all - an enthralling plot, some great acting/characters, in addition to a particularly scary monster to cap it off. “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” really feels like it could have made for a short horror film.
The Tale Of The Night Shift (9.6)
Night shifts can be quite the drag. But how about a night shift at a dark, desolate hospital featuring a creepy vampire roaming the halls and infecting patients? Despite being a late season 5 episode, this chilling, imaginative tale showed viewers that Are You Afraid of the Dark? had not yet worn out its welcome and still had some spooky tricks up its sleeve.
“The Tale of the Night Shift” stands not just as one of the more creative episodes, but one of the darker showcases. This is thanks to some creepily realistic vampiric makeup, solid performances, and a bit more violence than you’d expect from this kid’s show.
The Tale Of The Dream Girl (9.6)
You could say this gripping episode was somewhat ahead of its time when it came out in 1994, standing out amongst an already strong 3rd season of this groundbreaking show. Rather than rely on and thrills and chills, like, say, our previous entry, this takes a more subtle, yet in-depth approach in its narrative and conveying of emotions - specifically, love and isolation.
While the acting is particularly memorable and the atmosphere offers a captivating backdrop, the real strength of this episode is in its creative ghostly premise and its clever twist ending that even a lot of adults would likely not see coming.
Next: 5 Things Goosebumps Does Better Than Are You Afraid Of The Dark (& Vice Versa)
