Are You Afraid of the Dark?

During one of my daily browsing sessions on YouTube, I came across this gem of a video: the introduction to Are You Afraid of the Dark?! I watched this show religiously when I was younger, and hearing the theme song again still gives me chills. Thinking back, I'm a little surprised that this show aired on a children's network. It was so creepy! I was obsessed with it, though. In fact, my whole family was. Every Saturday night, my mom, dad, younger sister, and I would all congregate in the living room and anxiously wait for a new episode to begin. I remember thinking how cool "The Midnight Society" was, and how nervous I became after one of its members would toss a handful of sugar into the campfire before each story. I also remember Gary, the founder of The Midnight Society, and his incredible glasses:

(Photo credit: www.sydlexia.com)

Are You Afraid of the Dark? not only shaped my perception of horror television, it set the bar. While the visual effects weren't particularly spectacular, the stories were so haunting and profound - at least for a children's show. Many of the episodes reminded me of The Twilight Zone, which I also consider to be a fabulous throwback. It's so rare that you discover shows with this kind of impact. How I miss the '90s!

Until next time,
Mel