An Adult Watches “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” — Prologue
Are You Afraid of the Dark? was THE show that left kids in the 90s shaking in terror. Kids would turn the lights on in their closets so that they knew some horror from out of that Canadian children’s show didn’t lurk in the shadows just outside their view. For many long time horror fans, Are You Afraid of the Dark? remained part of the early canon of horror shows, alongside The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, that helped turn ordinary kids into fans of the macabre.
Recently, the streaming service VRV has partnered with Nickelodeon to bring a bunch of nostalgic 90s shows, including Are You Afraid of the Dark? Now, as a man in his 20s, very much into modern cinematic horror, does Are You Afraid of the Dark? still make me want to keep the lights on (“just to be sure?”) or has the show aged…less than well?
The Goal
I intend to finish before Halloween. Are You Afraid of the Dark? aired 91 episodes, so I’d have to post multiple reviews a day to meet my deadline.
So what am I to do?
Simple: I will simplify the goal. Currently on VRV, the first two seasons of the series are available to stream. Therefore, I will only review the first two seasons.
Now, many people have blogged about what occurs in an episode, so why read my blog? I intend to offer perspective as a horror fan. I intend on comparing the episode to established horror stories, be they films, books, or other television shows, that explored similar ideas and themes.
Each episode review, however, will not forget the core tenants of reviewing: what is the episode trying to accomplish, how does it accomplish it, and if it successfully accomplishes it?
But above all, I need to ask the following: is this episode still relevant? Will a kid watching it today find it entertaining? Will an adult looking back find it entertaining?
At the end of it all, I intend on ranking the episodes of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” in terms of its quality and entertainment value. I hope I do a good enough job.
So, submitted for approval for the Midnight Society, I present… “The Tale of the Adult Horror Fan Rewatching Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
