Horror for kids and adolescents wasn’t yet as popular as it would later become when Are You Afraid of the Dark? first premiered in 1992. The children’s horror anthology was the gateway for a generation of kids—and parents—to a genre that, before it, went a little too hard and was geared toward adults. This same generation would grow up to lift up the genre, and many franchises would be born out of millennials fascination with horror.
But, if you wanted to watch the horror series today, what order should you watch it in? And does it even matter, considering they’re adaptations. Here’s how to watch Are You Afraid of the Dark? in order.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark (1992-1996)
The original Are You Afraid of the Dark? lasted five seasons, premiering in 1992 and ending in 1996. The premise is pretty simple, a group of teenagers, who refer to themselves as "The Midnight Society," meet at a secret location in the woods, where every episode, a different member tells a scary story to the group. Each episode focuses on the story being told, and not the meeting, which means every episode is a different story. In this original series the storytelling is usually tied to the personalities of each of the members of the club.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (1999-2000)
Only a few years after the original ended, the show got a revival in 1999. The first Are You Afraid of the Dark? revival only went on for two seasons, but it was very successful. Once again, the format is an anthology, though the narrative worries a lot less about tying the story being told to the member of the club telling it. Instead, the characters tell stories that have to do with things that happened when they’re away from the meetings and not their personal likes or dislikes. That made the series a little more random, but also allowed the show to tell the kind of stories narrative constraints didn’t really allow them to in the original series.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (2019-2022)
Once again, another revival of Are You Afraid Of The Dark?! This time it took a little bit longer, but the combination of nostalgia for a generation that grew up with the Midnight Society and an increased appetite for horror brought the story back one more time for three seasons. The first season of this revival is known as "Carnival of Doom," the second season as "Curse of the Shadows," and the third season as "Ghost Island." The series was originally meant to be a miniseries, but the success of the first season meant it came back for a second and third season. And if we’ve learned one thing about it is that you can never count the Midnight Society out.
Where To Watch All 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark?' Shows In Order
To discover more about Are You Afraid of the Dark? TV shows and movies currently streaming in the US, check out the JustWatch streaming guide! You can filter your search by streaming service, genre, price, age rating, and score. Be sure to build your watchlist and receive helpful notifications on what to watch next based on your preferences!
