The Subtitle Challenge has gone on a short hiatus after a ridiculously busy weekend, so today, instead, I bring you a nugget of classic kids’ TV gold…
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
(1990-2000)
4 Stars
Long before R.L. Stine conquered both children’s bookshelves and FOX Kids with his monthly tales of creepiness Goosebumps, the Canadian TV network YTV pioneered the children’s horror anthology concept with the frighteningly good Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a show which not only spooked youngsters on a weekly basis, but also launched the careers of many now famous faces, as well as inspiring directors such as M. Night Shyamalan.
Of course, looking back on childhood favourites is always a dangerous thing; if you watch Inspector Gadget now, it’s a poorly animated naff-fest, whilst the gripping supernatural game-show Knightmare is… Well… The less said the better really.
However, some shows really do stand the test of time. Watching, for example, the tragically short-lived Eerie, Indiana, one finds that it is actually BETTER as an adult, having missed out on so many subtleties and intelligences in the script as a kid.
Fortunately, having sat through the first two seasons of Are You Afraid of the Dark? over the last few weeks (a compliment in itself – usually if something “nostalgic” turns out to suck, I’d rather switch it off and maintain my memory. See the aforementioned Goosebumps for more information…), I have discovered a veritable cavalcade of ingenious stories, some of which really are quite creepy.
Following in the footsteps of predecessors The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt, Are You Afraid of the Dark? aimed itself at a much younger audience, set around the premise of kids (the now famous “Midnight Society”) telling ghost stories around a campfire. The storytellers (each portrayed with genuine wit by the young actors) never feature in the tales, thus giving a fresh and individual aura to each episode.
Naturally, being a kids’ show, the storytelling is, on occasion, simplistic, and the acting by some of the “stars” of the weekly stories is rather wishy-washy, but, for the most part, there is a delightful originality to some otherwise familiar yarns (many of which are indeed concepts from The Twilight Zone toned down somewhat for younger viewers), and the young actors generally deliver a pretty good show.
Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, and occasionally it seems that my childhood self actually had quite good taste. Having contemplated Mini Boglins and Monster in my Pocket recently, it’s something of a relief…
Are You Afraid of the Dark?(1990-2000)
4 Stars
Long before R.L. Stine conquered both children’s bookshelves and FOX Kids with his monthly tales of creepiness Goosebumps, the Canadian TV network YTV pioneered the children’s horror anthology concept with the frighteningly good Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a show which not only spooked youngsters on a weekly basis, but also launched the careers of many now famous faces, as well as inspiring directors such as M. Night Shyamalan.
Of course, looking back on childhood favourites is always a dangerous thing; if you watch Inspector Gadget now, it’s a poorly animated naff-fest, whilst the gripping supernatural game-show Knightmare is… Well… The less said the better really.
However, some shows really do stand the test of time. Watching, for example, the tragically short-lived Eerie, Indiana, one finds that it is actually BETTER as an adult, having missed out on so many subtleties and intelligences in the script as a kid.
Fortunately, having sat through the first two seasons of Are You Afraid of the Dark? over the last few weeks (a compliment in itself – usually if something “nostalgic” turns out to suck, I’d rather switch it off and maintain my memory. See the aforementioned Goosebumps for more information…), I have discovered a veritable cavalcade of ingenious stories, some of which really are quite creepy.
Following in the footsteps of predecessors The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt, Are You Afraid of the Dark? aimed itself at a much younger audience, set around the premise of kids (the now famous “Midnight Society”) telling ghost stories around a campfire. The storytellers (each portrayed with genuine wit by the young actors) never feature in the tales, thus giving a fresh and individual aura to each episode.
Naturally, being a kids’ show, the storytelling is, on occasion, simplistic, and the acting by some of the “stars” of the weekly stories is rather wishy-washy, but, for the most part, there is a delightful originality to some otherwise familiar yarns (many of which are indeed concepts from The Twilight Zone toned down somewhat for younger viewers), and the young actors generally deliver a pretty good show.Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, and occasionally it seems that my childhood self actually had quite good taste. Having contemplated Mini Boglins and Monster in my Pocket recently, it’s something of a relief…
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