Television series
Tales from the Darkside
- Dark fantasy
- Supernatural horror
- Dip in and out
A syndicated anthology series that serves up a different nightmare every week. Each half-hour story exists in its own world—sometimes gory, sometimes funny, always designed to unsettle. It's the kind of show you'd watch in the dark with friends, laughing nervously at the twist, then sleeping with the lights on.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love self-contained anthology stories where each half-hour delivers a neat, mean little jolt of the uncanny, with a wry narrator setting the tone before the trap snaps shut.
Skip it if you want characters and storylines that carry over from week to week, since every episode resets and some of the gruesome ones lean hard on grisly shock rather than craft.
What it asks of you: Each episode runs about half an hour and asks only that you stay for its single idea, moving from light comedy to nasty turns with no long arc to commit to.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Twilight Zone1959
The spiritual grandfather of all anthology horror. Serling's scripts find wonder and dread in everyday moments, then flip them. Razor-sharp writing and genuine scares without gore.
But The pacing feels deliberate by modern standards. Some episodes are preachy, and the twist can be obvious if you've seen enough of them.
Night Gallery1969
Rod Serling's spookier follow-up leans harder into visceral horror and genuinely disturbing imagery. Less sci-fi philosophy, more pure nightmare fuel. Collections of Serling's best are worth hunting.
But Uneven quality between episodes. Some feel cheap, and a few rely too heavily on gore as shorthand for fear.
The Outer Limits1963
Anthology sci-fi horror with a cosmic, unsettling edge. Strong practical effects for the era and scripts that ask difficult questions. It influenced everything that came after.
But The dialogue can be clunky and earnest in ways that feel dated. Pacing drags in places.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tales from the Darkside
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Creepshow1982
Both are 1980s horror anthologies built on the principle that horror and pulp fun aren't opposites—they're the same thing. Both trust the audience to enjoy being grossed out and entertained simultaneously.
George Romero and Stephen King adapt comic-book horror into five stories that *feel* like Tales from the Darkside but cranked to eleven. Bloody, darkly funny, gorgeously ugly. A love letter to pulp horror in every frame.
But Proudly trashy and gross. The comedy might undercut the scares for you. It's aggressively uncouth.
More like this (6)
The X-Files1993
Mythology-driven horror-mystery that perfected the case-of-the-week anthology format. Paranoia, genuine scares, and two characters you'll actually care about following through the darkness.
But Nine seasons is a long commitment. The mytharc gets convoluted, and some standalone episodes are forgettable padding.
American Horror Story2011
A haunted house anthology that doesn't pull punches. Visceral, darkly funny, packed with twists that genuinely shock. Ryan Murphy's guilty-pleasure horror at its most effective.
But Graphic violence and sexual content throughout. The melodrama can tip into camp. If you don't like having fun *with* the scares, this isn't for you.
Black Mirror2011
Science fiction anthology where technology becomes horror. Each episode is self-contained and dread-filled. Charlie Brooker writes futures that feel plausible and terrible in equal measure.
But Some episodes feel preachy about their critique. The show can be bleak to the point of exhaustion. A couple are just not scary, just sad.
The Night Stalker1972
A journalist investigates supernatural crimes week after week. Campy, fun, and genuinely creepy at moments. Perfect if you want horror with personality and a wink to the audience.
But Very 70s sensibility; the campiness isn't for everyone. Some episodes feel thin, and the resolution is often unsatisfying.
Eolomea1972
Both are constructed as individual stories that exist to unsettle rather than explain. Both trust weird imagery and atmosphere over plot. Eolomea is Tales from the Darkside's nightmarish alien cousin.
A surreal, strange science-fiction parable from Hungarian director Béla Tarr. One woman is kidnapped by aliens and experiences a disorienting journey that defies logic. Hypnotic, utterly unsettling, utterly unique.
But Glacially paced. Deliberately incoherent. No dialogue to cling to. This is an *experience*, not a story—and it's abrasive and unforgettable in ways that some viewers will hate.
What We Do in the Shadows2019
Both use the anthology format to explore the weird and monstrous in mundane settings. Both understand that horror works best when it's grounded in character. WWDITS proves you can mine the same vein as Tales from the Darkside but for laughs instead of scares.
A mockumentary about vampire roommates in New Zealand. Endlessly funny, unexpectedly tender, and structured like an anthology where each episode is its own joke. Horror-comedy that actually commits to both genres.
But The humor is dry and deadpan; if you want broad laughs, you won't find them. The supernatural elements are mostly window dressing for the comedy.
People
Cast
Paul SparerNarrator
Production
- Frank Martinez NodarseAssociate Producer
- Michael Gornick Associate Producer
- George A. RomeroExecutive Producer
- Jerry GolodExecutive Producer
- Richard P. RubinsteinExecutive Producer
- Anthony Santa CroceProducer
- David E. VogelProducer
Recommended by
Creepshow, Creepshow, Werewolf, Friday the 13th: The Series, Amazing Stories, The Ray Bradbury Theater, In Search of....., American Horror Stories, Voyagers!, My Ghost Story, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Bite Size Terror, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, The Outer Limits, Swamp Thing, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Automan, Brimstone, Fireside Theatre, The Sixth Sense