10 Best Horror Anthology Shows Of All Time
There continues to be endless discussion over the golden age that modern television has entered and the many ways in which the medium exceeds expectations with superlative storytelling. However, as much as television has evolved, there’s been an extra level of support towards the medium’s acceptance of the horror genre as a mainstream source of entertainment. Horror used to be a novelty-esque niche, but now practically every distribution channel has its own prestige project.
What’s become even more prevalent in horror’s domination of television is a push towards anthology-style series that deliver episodic or rotating tales of terror as opposed to a serialized narrative. Horror anthology series continue to break barriers and there are some exceptional programs that have come out through the years.
10
Tales From The Crypt Sets The Standard For Horror Anthologies
Tales From the Crypt is an early example of a series that achieves the perfect blend of frightening and silly that’s representative of the EC Comics series on which the anthology series adapts most of its stories. Tales From the Crypt features exceptional talent both in front of and behind the camera and it takes advantage of its home on HBO. There are nearly 100 episodes that are largely consistent across the board. The legendary Cryptkeeper is also a testament to the power of a host character for anthology series.
9
Inside No. 9 Excels Through Smart Twists And Challenging Structure
Inside No. 9 is a British anthology series that has six seasons under its belt with more on the way, which has made it a bit of a staple in the UK. Every episode of Inside No. 9 is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, who are also featured in nearly every installment. The show seriously pushes boundaries with form and there are episodes that are without dialogue, entirely in iambic pentameter, and even a live installment. However, they also all explore dark territory and have such a clear passion for horror and genre.
8
Tales From The Darkside Is A Fun Indulgence In Spooky Stories
Another fundamental horror anthology series that came out of the 1980s and turned out nearly 100 episodes of the George A. Romero produced, Tales from the Darkside. There’s nothing markedly different about Tales From the Darkside and other episodic horror anthology series, but it still produces some standout stories that hold up today.
Tales From the Darkside benefits from how many of its episodes tell original stories, but there are also some strong adaptations among the bunch. When it comes to horror anthologies with smaller budgets, Tales From the Darkside definitely succeeds and does a lot with a little.
7
Masters Of Horror Assembles All-Star Talent For Genre Perfection
Most horror anthology series have some reputable names step in to helm important installments, but Masters of Horror goes one step further and delivers a series where every director is an iconic genre filmmaker. Directors like John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante, Takashi Miike, and many more attack horror staples and it’s a strong return to form for many of these filmmakers. It’s hard to deny the passion and talent that’s present in Masters of Horror, and it should be viewed alongside Fear Itself, which is essentially the show’s third season, albeit under a different name.
6
Channel Zero Uses Creepypasta For The Fuel For Some Horrifying Monsters
There are anthology series that tell a new story every episode as well as others that tell a unique story each season. Channel Zero fits into the category of the latter, but each season is only six episodes long so they don’t feel as sprawling as something like American Horror Story. Channel Zero has four seasons, each of which looks at a different unsettling creepypasta story for inspiration. The series finds a way to brilliantly pair disturbing ideas with personal themes. Each season creates some absolutely horrifying monsters that are the creepiest creatures to hit horror in years.
5
Creepshow Is A Faithful Return To Playful B-Horror
Creepshow started as entertaining series of anthology movies that paired together Stephen King and George A. Romero with a collection of stories, some adaptations and some original, that lean into the more exaggerated aesthetic of horror comics. The popular horror streaming service, Shudder, has gotten into original programming and they’ve revived Creepshow as a series.
Creepshow absolutely understands its mission and it’s a love letter to that retro style of horror. Greg Nicotero masterminds many of the segments, but there’s a lot of top talent involved and episodes that adapt stories by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill.
4
Calls Uses The Power Of Audio To Craft Disarming Stories
Calls is an Apple TV+ series from Fede Alvarez, the person responsible for 2013’s Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, that’s easily the most ambitious anthology series on the list. The premise of Calls is that each episode looks at a different phone call as increasingly bizarre events begin to occur during what appears to be the apocalypse. Calls relies on audio, but uses transforming waveforms like art to present trippy visuals that complement the intense audio conversations. Each episode of Calls stands on its own, but they also impressively link together to tell a larger narrative, too.
3
Monsters Has Fun With Its Ideas For The Horror Genre
Monsters came around in the late ‘80s and it sometimes slips through the cracks and doesn’t receive the same attention as Tales From the Crypt or Darkside. Monsters tells creepy stories of varying intensities, most of which focus on some type of creature, whether it’s an alien, vampire, robot, or anything in between. There’s a broader tone to Monsters, but the episodes work and there are a few in particular, like “Glim-Glim” and “Mannikins of Horror,” that represent some of the best anthology efforts of the genre.
2
Black Mirror Embraces Technology For Its Terrifying Tales
Black Mirror has more or less become The Twilight Zone of modern times and its tech-based horror stories are eerily prescient in many ways. Society heads deeper into an Orwellian state and Black Mirror is able to portray that in a matter that’s both haunting and fascinating. Many think that Black Mirror’s strongest efforts are before it moved to Netflix, but it still manages to tell powerful stories that attempt to provoke. The series has also taken ambitious leaps, like with its “choose your own adventure” style episode.
1
The Twilight Zone Remains The Benchmark For Anthology Storytelling
The Twilight Zone is an absolute classic and while it doesn’t explicitly cater towards horror, the major twists and ideas that it presents definitely lean into darkness. The original Twilight Zone’s Rod Serling turns out exceptional content and it’s amazing how nearly every surprise works. The Twilight Zone explores some genuinely upsetting territory, but its ability to double as social commentary gives every episode additional weight. Many remakes of The Twilight Zone have come out through the years, each with their own merits, but none can match the original.
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