This Horror Anthology Series Hit a Level that ‘American Horror Story’ Just Can’t Reach

There’s no denying that American Horror Story makes great TV. It’s camp, pulpy fun, often with an over-the-top villain or two to remind viewers that, yes, this is meant to be horror. But, after 13 years, what was once the apex of anthologies has started to lose its edge, and although American Horror Story remains a worthwhile binge-watch, other shows have proven that genuine horror anthology series still have a place on television. The Terror, for example, is an exceptional exploration of isolation masked as a period drama, while Goosebumps reminds ’90s kids why they were scared of kitchen sponges. Shows like these give American Horror Story worthy competition. But Syfy’s Channel Zero did it first, and it did it while achieving something American Horror Story has struggled to do.

‘Channel Zero’ was Perfect Horror TV

Channel Zero spent four seasons tackling everything from terrifying children’s TV to haunted houses, drawing inspiration from creepypastas and other internet urban legends. Despite receiving sparkling critical reception each season, the show was cut down in its prime, but that wasn’t a slight on its quality or ability to scare. Some of what made Channel Zero such a frightening watch is obvious. After all, the Tooth Child and Pretzel Jack are masterclasses in creature design, but scratching the surface of Channel Zero reveals a much deeper dread.

It’s easy for the viewer to picture themselves in the world of Channel Zero. While steeped in the supernatural, each season’s foundations are built on real-life problems exacerbated by the otherworldly horrors that await. Perhaps the best example of this is in the Season 3 episode “Butcher’s Block,” which is rich in themes of cannibalism and meat monsters while still managing to be a delicate exploration of mental illness. Coupled with sudden bursts of violence and uncomfortably long camera panning, Channel Zero managed to convey terror so effortlessly yet so successfully.

‘Channel Zero’ Did What ‘American Horror Story’ Couldn’t

In many ways, American Horror Story started out not too dissimilar to Channel Zero. Murder House and Asylum especially had much deeper underlying themes than most later seasons and, more importantly, they featured heavier themes of horror. Murder House‘s exploration of infidelity wrapped up as a ghost story is handled masterfully, and even Season 4, Freakshow — despite favoring a musical number — wore its themes of desire and discrimination on its sleeve while still introducing one of American Horror Story‘s best villains.

But with American Horror Story Season 13 approaching, it’s clear that the show has an identity problem. American Horror Story has never shied away from being over the top, and that works just fine, but the show constantly feels like it spins too many plates at once, and it always seems to be the show’s horror elements that are left to shine the least. There’s no better example than Season 10, Double Feature, which is split into two halves with both parts telling different stories. Individually, both these stories have the potential to be American Horror Story classics, with part one’s Red Tide having all the markings of a truly individual vampire story. But, despite the shortened runtime which allows for a tighter narrative focus, neither half has enough time to pull off the plot beats they work so hard to develop.

This is the problem with modern American Horror Story. It’s such an incredibly inventive world, but no matter what it focuses on, it never seems to know what it wants to achieve. There’s no doubt that Ryan Murphy is a master of bending genres, but by blending so many themes, the overall show has lost sight of what it started out as. In comparison, Channel Zero never lost sight of being an amalgamation of themes, but it did it all while remaining truly terrifying.

‘Channel Zero’ Could Have Been So Much More

One thing American Horror Story does have over Channel Zero is the ability to stand the test of time. Originally airing on Syfy, Channel Zero was eventually canceled due to poor ratings, despite each season’s impressive critical reception. Perhaps what’s most disappointing about Channel Zero‘s cancelation is just how far the show could have gone. Throughout Channel Zero, show creator Nick Antosca focused on more obscure creepypasta, and it’s easy to imagine that the show would have made the perfect platform to make a true screen version of the likes of Slenderman come to life, given the chance.

Luckily, Antosca has gone on to flex his horror credentials elsewhere, most recently with the equally underrated Chucky TV series. And with the last season of Channel Zero airing almost six years ago, it’s unlikely the series will darken television screens again. If that is the case, it’s bittersweet to think that Channel Zero has gone the way of its source material, with horror fans flying the flag for the show across the length and breadth of the internet. What’s interesting, though, is what the future holds for American Horror Story. With Murphy’s grip on the anthology game beginning to loosen — and other shows proving terrifying TV horror can exist — there’s never been a better time for Channel Zero to make a triumphant return.

Channel Zero is available to stream on Shudder in the U.S.

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