This month, we’ve covered the horror genre in film from a number of different angles. We discussed the midnight movie phenomenon, and how its format allowed a number of transgressive and controversial films to find a devoted audience, gain a profit, and become cult classics over years of repeated screenings. More broadly, we explored how the horror genre has entered a recent renaissance, both with new films and directors emerging and older titles, eras, and filmmakers continually being re-discovered and re-evaluated by critics and audiences alike. The horror renaissance has also brought in more diverse voices to the genre, particularly women (in front of and behind the camera) that have spawned feminist re-interpretations of the horror genre and some of its most popular films. However, film isn’t the only medium where horror has seen a major resurgence. Television has also been an important place for the horror genre to develop and further transform itself – especially with the major changes television itself has gone through in the last two decades.
Horror television series have been around for longer than most people realize, whether it be the famous anthology series The Twilight Zone or the sitcom The Munsters. As television began to change in the 1990s and 2000s, other genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and horror were able to use the larger narrative scope and psychological complexity of series like The Sopranos and The Wire to their advantage. The Walking Dead is perhaps the best example: based on the best-selling comic books series, the show follows a wide group of characters as they attempt to survive through a zombie-ridden apocalypse. Walking Dead became such a success with audiences because it was able to integrate horror elements alongside compelling characters and a dense plot.
Other series like American Horror Story and Stranger Things followed in the years since, attracting swaths of viewers. With the rise of streaming platforms and the continued need for original content, horror series became an important staple to attract audiences – just as horror films have long been established as the most profitable movie genre. As horror television has expanded, it has melded with other genres like comedy and science fiction and even inspired platforms like Shudder to specialize in the genre as a way to attract subscribers. Though television is a much different format than film, the best horror series have been able to adapt the genre in a variety of ways – and therefore invigorate it even further.
Terror on the Tube Through the Years
Though horror series weren’t nearly as popular during the early years of television, there are some notable exceptions. Sitcoms like The Addams Family and The Munsters centered around characters that were clear parodies of classic horror films like Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolf Man. Other series were hosted by original characters like Vampira that introduced classic horror films to audiences. The most famous horror show of the era, however, was Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. The anthology series was not popular upon its initial airings but has emerged as one of the defining television series of the era, using horror and science fiction elements to explore a contemporary or moral issue. Its legacy has endured for over sixty years, inspiring multiple reboot series over the decades, and remains a staple of the potential of anthology series.
As horror became more popular with younger audiences during the 1970s and 1980s, many broadcast and cable networks tried to capitalize on the genre’s resurgence with various horror series. The most famous and long-lasting of these was HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, an anthology series based on the popular 1950s EC Comics of the same name. Hosted by the Cryptkeeper, the show’s position on a premium cable channel allowed its creatives to include graphic violence, profanity, and nudity in episodes – replicating the violence and sex of popular horror film franchises like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Further down the line, the teen horror show Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar became an acclaimed and popular hit throughout the 1990s. The show’s impact is still present in contemporary teen horror series like Teen Wolf and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Contemporary Horror Television
In an earlier article, we discussed how Game of Thrones was enormously influential in adapting the narrative span and psychological depth of series like The Sopranos and Mad Men to the fantasy genre. The Walking Dead serves as a similar precursor for the horror genre on television. Though never achieving the amount of acclaim or accolades Thrones did, Walking Dead nevertheless became one of the most popular series on television throughout the last decade. At its height, the series averaged close to 15 million viewers per episode; even now, in its 11th and final season, Walking Dead is still one of the most popular shows across the globe, and its network AMC has begun production on a number of spin-off films and series in the years ahead.
Premiering a year after The Walking Dead, the Ryan Murphy-created anthology horror series American Horror Story has arguably had just as big an influence. Each season follows a self-contained story and characters, often with recurring cast members like Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Jessica Lange. Over the course of its 11-season run, the show has covered a wide range of genres, settings, and themes: from a mental asylum in the 1960s to a witch’s coven in present-day New Orleans, from a cult inspired by Trump’s win in the 2016 presidential election to its latest season, following a series of murders of gay men in 1980s New York City. While critical reception to each season has been mixed over the years, American Horror Story has been a popular staple to its home network FX (just as Walking Dead has been to AMC) and has inspired a spin-off series American Horror Stories with self-contained anthology horror episodes.
Just as film franchises like Halloween and Scream have been rebooted or given sequel movies in recent years, so horror IP has also been used for television series – to mixed results. Bates Motel served as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic slasher Psycho, following a teenage Norman Bates and his deteriorating relationship with his mother Norma. The series ran for five seasons, becoming the longest-running scripted drama in the A&E network’s history, and lead actors Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga received much acclaim for their roles as Norman and Norma, respectively. Other series like MTV’s Scream spinoff or USA Network’s The Purge were both canceled after a couple seasons and received largely negative reviews.
Scary Shows Now Streaming
The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu also helped open the floodgates for horror television to attract a wider audience. Horror series have proven to be some of the most popular titles on streaming services. Moreover, the multitude of content has allowed television creatives to experiment and blend horror elements into other genres. Most notable is Netflix’s flagship series Stranger Things, which combines horror with science fiction and coming-of-age story involving a group of kids and young adults. The series wears its 1980s film influences on its sleeve, including classic horror films like Day of the Dead and Nightmare on Elm Street.
Horror comedy series have also proven to be a big hit. Adapted from the Taika Waititi film of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary comedy following a group of centuries-old vampires struggling to adapt to the modern world. The series has been much praised, and aired its fourth season earlier this year. Another example of horror IP being adapted into a television series was Ash vs. Evil Dead, a sequel to Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead trilogy. The show made the black comedy of the original films more explicit, as it follows a middle-aged Ash Williams and a group of friends who seek to fight and destroy the Evil Dead demons. These series and others exemplify how the most successful horror television series in the streaming era have often had to mutate with other genres, thereby expanding the potential of what the horror genre can be.
Lastly, the streaming service Shudder has become an enormous success with horror fans not just for its focus on horror and thriller genre films and series, but also for its non-fiction dives into the history of the genre as a whole. Critic and performer Joe Bob Briggs hosts the variety series The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, where he introduces a range of horror movies from classics to cult oddities and more contemporary releases alongside special guests. The series has proven to be popular on Shudder, and has resulted in a continued partnership between host and streaming platform. Other original non-fiction series on the platform include Cursed Films; Behind the Monsters; and Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror.
Horror TV Today and Tomorrow
It’s more evident now than ever that the recent horror renaissance has not been limited to films. The last month alone has seen several horror series premiere and quickly receive audience popularity and critical acclaim, from The Midnight Club on Netflix to Let the Right One In on Showtime. While much attention has been paid to horror films and filmmakers over the last few years, the genre’s role in the current television landscape deserves equal attention. TV creatives have proven that horror can easily be adapted to a longer, episodic format, whether through different forms of anthology series, a heavily serialized drama, or through melding it with other genres like science fiction or comedy. As more and more streaming platforms emerge and seek to gain subscribers, horror television remains secure in its place in the medium as a whole.
Horror Movie Collections
If you’re a horror fan or interested in exploring the genre further, be sure to check out these iGEMS collections:
The 10 Scariest Movies of All Time: From serial killers to the supernatural, these films represent the best and most frightening the genre has to offer.
Midnight Madness: Inspired by our recent article on midnight movies, this collection contains a mixture of horror, experimental, and other infamous movies that have become cult classics and audience hits.
Halloween Movies for Families: These scary movies are just as thrilling and entertaining for children as they can be for adults, ranging from comedies like Ghostbusters to animated hits like Coraline.
Countdown to Halloween - Sci-Fi Thriller Collection: We kicked off October with a list of our favorite sci-fi and thriller horror films, crafted by visionary storytellers and filled with creative visual effects.
Countdown to Halloween - Found Footage Collection: Found footage has become one of the most successful sub-genres in horror lately, and this collection honors some of the best examples, from early successes like The Blair Witch Project to under-appreciated works like Lake Mungo.
Countdown to Halloween - Monster Movie Collection: From blood-sucking vampires in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night to horrifying alien creatures in The Thing to serial killers in The Silence of the Lambs, this collection celebrates the most iconic – and horrifying – variety of movie monsters that have become a staple of the horror genre.
The Mine was created by the iGEMS team. To subscribe to our iGEMSpro Weekly Report with industry updates and resources, click here. To receive our Weekly iGEMStv Guide, with newly curated picks to stream, click here.