For many decades, the horror - and sci-fi, for that matter - anthology genres thrived on TV, dating back to classics like the original The Twilight Zone, and The Outer Limits. This genre anthology boom continued throughout the '70s, '80s, and most of the '90s, with shows like Tales from the Crypt, Tales from the Darkside, and Night Gallery earning loyal followers. Oddly enough, the anthology genre as a whole seemed to crater once the new millennium rolled around, with series that existed to tell viewers a new short story every week becoming basically nonexistent.

In the current decade though, a new kind of genre anthology has emerged, one that tells a complete story over a single season of episodes, then tells a new story with new characters the following season. This type of anthology was popularized by FX hit American Horror Story, which has proven so popular that the series was recently renewed for three additional seasons. Last year, Syfy jumped into the horror anthology game with Channel Zero, a show designed to adapt popular creepypasta stories from the internet.

Channel Zero's six-episode debut season aired last fall, earning largely positive reviews from both critics and horror fans looking for a good small screen scare. When Syfy first picked up Channel Zero, they ordered two seasons, so there was never really a question of whether the show would return or not. However, Deadline reports that Syfy has just gone one step further, preemptively renewing Channel Zero for both season 3 and season 4. This comes despite the fact that season 2 has yet to even premiere.

For those yet to check out Channel Zero, season 1 adapted the story "Candle Cove", originally written by Kris Straub. The plot centered on a child psychologist who returns to his rural hometown in order to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother back in the 1980s. It turns out that the disappearance is somehow connected to the titular TV show, an unsettling program only known to a small group of viewers.

Season 2 will adapt author Brian Russell's The No-End House, which concerns a dwelling filled with new horrors in every room, and a woman who finds her life turned upside down after making it out of the place alive. It is unclear at this point which stories seasons 3 and 4 will adapt, although there obviously isn't a shortage of memorable creepypastas on which to draw from.

Next: Channel Zero Creator Discusses Season 2 Details

Channel Zero: The No-End House premieres on Syfy in October.

Source: Deadline