Are You Afraid of the Dark

Who loved watching Are You Afraid of the Dark during SNICK, or just watching re-runs? Or, who was too scared to watch it?

This was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. I loved the scary tales where the unexpecting kid faces a gruesome encounter with something out of this world. I've been watching episodes lately since my brother owns five DVDs worth of material. It's interesting to go back and look at the episodes when I'm a bit older because I can really look at them now with an analytical eye and see that I really shouldn't have been that scared after all.

The episodes all seem to play off of the plot of a punk-ass kid, as I like to call it, who encounters an out-of-this-world experience that they can't believe. Not ALL of the episodes have this character, but the majority do. A lot of the tales are also adaptations from fairy tales, short stories, and fables. The best example is "The Twisted Claw" episode from the short story "The Monkey's Paw." Others are completely original, i.e. "Laughing in the Dark" or "The Pinball Wizard."

I also really like to see the complex of Midnight Society members as adolescents. They don't seem any of them would actually be friends in real life, but they do explain that in the first episode, "The Phantom Cab," that they all come from different schools and are different people, but they all have one thing in common: they love horror stories. Good idea. Nick shows often would never really happen in real life, as this wouldn't either. But, their acting does make you laugh. They get really into the stories or have these lame and hilarious romantic relationships. I can't watch an episode without laughing at Gary. He cracks me up.

Which characters did you love or hate?

And what did you think of the basket case Dr. Vink? (with a va-va-va-va!)

Check out the detailed lists of episodes here.

Did you also notice the guest stars that are now famous in the episodes? Examples include Mia Kirshner, Bobcat Goldthwait, Charles S. Dutton, Ryan Gosling, Neve Campbell, Melissa Joan Hart, Frank Gorshin , Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry, Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Hayden Christiansen, Jewel Staite and Gilbert Gottfried. Sloan from Entourage is in an episode as well.

What a great idea for a show. They should keep this idea going. They tried to a couple years after they took it off the air, but I'm sure it'd pick up now. I wonder how hard it is to come up with ideas for episodes... Hmmm... Something to think about.



Check out the episode lists here to see which you can remember:

Season 1

1. The Tale Of The Phantom Cab
2. The Tale Of Laughing in the Dark
4. The Tale Of The Twisted Claw
5. The Tale of the Hungary Hounds
6. The Tale Of The Super Specs
7. The Tale of the Captured Souls
8. The Tale Of The Nightly Neighbors
9. The Tale of the Sorcerers Apprentice
10. The Tale Of Jake & The Leprechaun
11. The Tale of the Dark Music
12. The Tale of the Prom Queen
13. The Tale of the Pinball Wizard

Season 2

1. The Tale Of The Final Wish
2. The Tale Of The Midnight Madness
3. The Tale Of Locker 22
4. The Tale Of The Thirteenth Floor
5. The Tale Of The Dream Machine
6. The Tale of the Dark Dragon
7. The Tale Of The Frozen Ghost
8. The Tale of the Whispering Falls
9. The Tale Of The Full Moon
10. The Tale Of The Shiny Red Bicycle
11. The Tale of the Magician's Assistant
12. The Tale Of The Hatching
13. The Tale Of Old Man Corcoran

Season 3

1. The Tale Of The Midnight Ride
2. The Tale of Apartment 214
3. The Tale of Watcher's Woods
4. The Tale of the Phone Police
5. The Tale of the Doll Maker
6. The Tale of the Bookish Babysitter
7. The Tale of the Carved Stone
8. The Tale of the Guardian's Curse
9. The Tale of the Curious Camera
10. The Tale of the Dream Girl
11. The Tale of the Quicksilver
12. The Tale of the Crimson Clown
13. The Tale Of The Dangerous Soup



Season 4

1. The Tale of Cutter's Treasure (Part 1)
2. The Tale Of Cutter's Treasure (Part 2)
3. The Tale of the Renegade Virus
4. The Tale Of The Quiet Librarian
5. The Tale of The Water Demons
6. The Tale of the Long Ago Locket
7. The Tale of the Silent Servant
8. The Tale Of The Room For Rent
9. The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner
10. The Tale Of The Fire Ghost
11. The Tale of the Unfinished Painting
12. The Tale of the Closet Keepers
13. The Tale Of The Train Magic

Season 5

1. The Tale of Dead Man's Float
2. The Tale of the Jagged Sign
3. The Tale of Station 109.1
4. The Tale Of The Mystical Mirror
5. The Tale Of Prisoner's Past
6. The Tale Of C7
7. The Tale Of Badge
8. The Tale Of Manaha
9. The Tale Of The Unexpected Visitor
10. The Tale Of the Chameleons
11. The Tale Of The Vacant Lot
12. The Tale Of The Door Unlocked
13. The Tale Of The Night Shift

Season 6

1. The Tale Of The Forever Game
2. The Tale of Zombie Dice
3. The Tale of Jake the Snake
4. The Tale of Virtual Pets
5. The Tale of the Misfortunate Cookie
6. The Tale Of Gruesome Gormets
7. The Tale Of The Hunted
8. The Tale of Vampire Town
9. The Tale of the Wisdom Glass
10. The Tale of the Walking Shadow
11. The Tale of Oblivion
12. The Tale of the Secret Admirer
13. The Tale of Bigfoot Ridge

Season 7

1. The Tale Of Lunar Locusts
2. The Tale Of The Stone Maiden
3. The Tale Of Highway 13
4. The Tale of the Reanimator
5. The Tale of the Time Trap
6. The Tale of the Photo Finish
7. The Tale of the Last Dance
8. The Tale of the Laser Maze
9. The Tale of the Many Faces
10. The Tale Of The Night Nurse
11. The Tale of Silver Sight (Part 1)
12. The Tale of Silver Sight (Part 2)
13. The Tale of Silver Sight (Part 3)

What episodes are your favorites? Why? What did you think of the show?