3 Cult 1995 Horror TV Shows That Actually Gave ’90s Kids Nightmares for Years

The 1990s were a brilliant era of TV. With Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all debuting within that decade, there’s little doubt that this was a golden age of television shows, many of which have continued to have staying power today. However, it wasn’t just shows geared towards teens and adults that flourished during this period. Myriad beloved children’s shows, from Rugrats and The Magic School Bus to Doug and Hey Arnold!, were also first released in the ’90s and are still seen as classics.

It should therefore be little surprise that there was also a host of excellent horror shows released or ongoing during the 1990s, both in terms of teen/adult horror shows and lighter fare horrors that were more appropriate for kids. In 1995 in particular, three such shows stand out—one of which wasn’t really for kids, but many ’90s kids watched it regardless—as ones that gave children actual, literal nightmares for years (and perhaps even longer).

Goosebumps

Before Goosebumps was rebooted as a Disney+ series—and then cancelled after two seasons—it was a truly spooky ’90s show that ran from 1995 to 1998. Based on the books of the same name by horror fiction novelist R.L. Stine, some Goosebumps episodes were sillier than others, but there were many that were genuinely chilling. Among the ones that haunted ’90s kids’ dreams were all those pertaining to the horrifying ventriloquist dummy, Slappy.

Those episodes included season 1, episode 10, “Night of the Living Dummy II,” as well as the two-part special “Night of the Living Dummy III,” which rounded out season 2 (and, as an extra plus for ’90s kids, starred none other than Hayden Christensen). While Slappy certainly gave kids nightmares, though, this wasn’t the only story arc that was genuinely terrifying. In fact, the very first episodes, comprising yet another two-part special, centered on one of the show’s scariest storylines, which involved a haunted mask that would meld to one’s face and control them.

Tales From the Crypt

While Goosebumps was a scary show that was geared towards kids, Tales from the Crypt wasn’t actually intended for young audiences. However, as kids so often do, children of the ’90s paid little mind to that and watched it anyway (which is perhaps why it eventually got a more kid-friendly animated spinoff, Tales from the Cryptkeeper). Particularly given that this show was actually a horror series for older audiences, it’s easy to imagine why this show would give children nightmares—and it absolutely did.

From yet another creepy ventriloquist dummy, which was apparently a common theme in the late ’80s and early ’90s, to gory axe murderers and a range of other truly disturbing characters and story arcs, Tales from the Crypt was among the scarier horror shows on the screen during this era. And, just to make sure it fully terrified any kids who were watching when they shouldn’t have been, the show also included a killer Santa Claus.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Finally, any ’90s kid who was interested in horror when they were growing up (and many ’90s kids who weren’t) will remember Are You Afraid of the Dark? Like Goosebumps, this show was meant for children/young teens, but that didn’t make it any less scary. In fact, that was the entire point of the show, as the very premise was that teenagers were coming together to tell scary stories to one another. Clearly, that framework was enough for a solid run, as the show was on TV from 1990 to 2000.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? made use of some of the most classic horror concepts, including ghosts, clowns, haunted dolls, and various other monsters, and it generally did so in a way that was much darker than Goosebumps. Considering that the show was actually meant for children and was this scary, Are You Afraid of the Dark? has to rank highest among horror shows from 1995 that gave ’90s kids genuine nightmares—and, as an odd coincidence, this show likewise starred Hayden Christensen.

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