A scary kid's show might sound like it couldn't exist, but that's exactly what beloved '90s series Are You Afraid Of The Dark? was. Many people remember each episode being equally thrilling and terrifying, and even to this day, some of the storylines are super memorable.
The show is often compared to Goosebumps as both feature compelling and well-written horror tales that are haunting and powerful. From stories about clowns and ghosts to that one about a pinball machine, there are many episodes of Are You Afraid Of The Dark? that fans still talk about today, and they have shared their favorites on Reddit.
"The Tale Of The Ghastly Grinner" (S4, E9)
A fan shared in a Reddit thread that they were scared by the episode "The Tale Of The Ghastly Grinner."
Many people find clowns to be absolutely terrifying so it makes sense that this would be such a beloved episode. In this scary story, a clown leaves his comic book and comes into the world. The most memorable part of this story is that when the clown gets to people, they can't stop laughing, and it proves that laughter can be horrifying.
"The Tale Of The Pinball Wizard" (S1, E13)
Several viewers said that they love the episode "The Tale of the Pinball Wizard."
Gary, who is the leader of the Midnight Society, tells this tale and says it begins with a kid named Ross in a mall. He is told by Mr. Olson that he shouldn't play a pinball game, but he does, and it turns out that he ends up in the game. It's scary to see there doesn't seem to be a way out. It's no wonder that this episode had such a powerful impact on people. A fan mentioned on Reddit that they definitely remember the ending.
"The Tale Of The Unfinished Painting" (S4, E12)
A fan shared on Reddit that they loved the Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode called "The Tale of the Unfinished Painting." This is definitely another memorable one.
The story follows Cody, who loves art but is having trouble, and she finds an art gallery, the Hunter Gallery. She meets Mrs. Briar and sees some incredible paintings. Cody is interested in this place, but of course, it winds up being much more terrifying than she ever imagined. It turns out that Mrs. Briar has been trapping people in the paintings, and Cody lets them all go. Gary tells his friends that Cody was then able to paint anything that she wanted as she had done this good deed.
"The Tale Of Laughing In The Dark" (S1, E3)
The season 1 episode about clowns was also mentioned as a great episode. Josh meets Zeebo the Clown after he steals a clown's nose, thinking that a funhouse isn't as haunted as everyone says that it is.
The episode gets its title from the funhouse called Laughing in the Dark, and at the end, a carny says, "It's the most fun in the park when you're Laughing in the Dark!" Many fans love seeing Zeebo the clown so this one stands out.
"The Tale Of Apartment 214" (S3, E2)
A fan mentioned being scared by "The Tale Of Apartment 214." In this story, Stacy and her mom, Bonnie, move into a new apartment building. They live in unit 213 and Stacy begins noticing something strange about unit 214.
Stacy then meets an older woman named Madeline who is actually a ghost and they begin hanging out, which is nice since they're both lonely. But later, things turn sinister when she keeps yelling that Stacy broke her promise, and Stacy finds this unnerving. In the end, Stacy and Bonnie move into unit 214, and no one is sure if Bonnie will end up seeing Madeline, too.
"The Tale Of The Super Specs" (S1, E5)
Another fan of Are You Afraid Of The Dark? shared that they love the season 1 episode about glasses. They talked about why it was so scary: "The scariest part was at the end of the episode when they are trapped in darkness and a huge pair of floating eyeballs appear, and a demonic voice starts laughing at them."
Mary Beth gets some glasses at Sardo's magic shop and she can suddenly see scary things, but she's the only one because of the magical glasses.
"The Tale Of The Hungry Hounds" (S1, S5)
This season 1 episode has also been mentioned in a Reddit thread as a great episode of the beloved children's horror series.
The story follows Pam and Amy, cousins who live in the country and the city respectively, who spend the summer together. Pam tells Amy that Aunt Dora's ghost is around them. After wearing Dora's clothing, Pam is taken over by Dora's ghost. As the title suggests, there are "hungry hounds" (aka dogs who bark a lot).
"The Tale Of The Lonely Ghost" (S1, E3)
Part of the fun of watching Are You Afraid Of The Dark? was getting to know the characters who are part of the Midnight Society. It was always great seeing them sit around the campfire and tell spooky stories, and chances are that many viewers wished that they could form their own club.
Of course, many of the episodes were also scary to watch, especially as a child, and a fan shared on Reddit that they still remember being terrified of "The Tale Of The Lonely Ghost." Amanda visits family for the summer and she agrees to sleep in the bedroom of a young girl who died and is now a ghost. She sees "help me" on the wall, which is the part of the story that has stuck with fans the most. The story has a happy ending but it's definitely scary.
"The Tale Of The Bookish Babysitter" (S3, E6)
There are many urban legends about babysitters, so it makes sense that there would be an Are You Afraid Of The Dark? episode about one, too.
In this season 3 tale, Belinda is a great and popular babysitter who starts looking after a kid named Ricky. When Belinda knocks on the front door of their house, she seems to be a witch, and Ricky's mom is shocked. Ricky loves TV, but Belinda reads him a book, and something magical seems to be occurring, as there are real sound effects. Later, Belinda's face looks like a scary witch, and Ricky is freaked out. Ricky then finds himself in the middle of the story as he's in a medieval tomb. The episode has a mysterious ending as Ricky isn't sure if it was real or not.
"The Tale Of The Shiny Red Bicycle" (S2, E10)
There are many terrifying monsters and creatures on the show, and in one episode, the ghost of a young boy is just as scary.
A fan posted in a Reddit thread that a season 2 episode scared them: "The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle has never left me. Still creeps me out to this day." This episode is really serious as it deals with the death of a good friend. Mike is haunted by the ghost of Ricky, his friend who died, and he has always felt super guilty that he couldn't help him.