An Introduction

    It would definitely be safe to say "Are You Afraid of the Dark" was the kids show equivalent of "The Twilight Zone." The use of "submitted for approval" marks the obvious inspiration, although that was only ever said in TZ maybe twice. However, it's not that both were simply anthology shows but more the caliber of writing and ingenuity that creates the correlation between the two shows. TZ revolutionized anthology storytelling and AYAOTD attempted to do the same but with a kid-oriented approach. And sure enough, they succeeded. In fact, AYAOTD has stood up so well over the years that it is continuing to produce content nearly 30 years after premiering. A big part of this is due to the timeless writing and general tone and style to the presentation. While the clothes of the characters will look dated, the story elements have aged like wine. And despite the target demographic being, roughly, 10-12 year olds, these are surprisingly mature and, often times, deep tales that will challenge kids and adults alike.

    My experience with the show goes back to the beginning of the "Snick" run. I remember watching the first episode premiere and actually being psyched by the commercials that aired in anticipation. Man, I wanted to start my own Midnight Society so bad. The episodes were fantastic to say the least, and season 1 was one helluva lineup! This included my favorite episode in the series, a bunch of top 10 favorites, and many that I would rank as the scariest among the entire show's run. And even when the episodes would get cheesy over the years, they never ceased to be entertaining and imaginative. That was the power of this show--able to tell fresh and original stories or at least spin existing ideas in a way that added the lens of a kid's view.

    I have no idea how long it will take me to completely review this series, but I will get to all of them without a doubt! This, of course, will include the original 5 seasons, the first revival show, the newer mini-series, and this newly announced second revival show. Hopefully I'll be done with all existing material before this new show begins that way I can add reviews for those episodes as they air. With that said, I hope you will rejoin me in this journey of going back over the show and appreciating its greatness. Or, if this is your first experience, this blog will serve as a guide to get you started. So let's get into this!