It’s that time of year; spooky season is in full effect!
Whether your pick of poison is fictitious horror or the shock and awe of true crime, October certainly brings the blood-curdling screams and jumps we all need to keep the old heart pumping.
Throughout this month, I will devote my weekly articles to discussing Halloween-inspired things. So get your candy, apple cider and pumpkin spice accessories ready. It’s about to get petrifying in here!
Rolling in this month, what will soon commence the movie marathons of the “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th,” “Halloween,” “Saw,” “Hellraiser” and “Chucky” franchises on repeat, there’s one that I believe has gotten the shaft on bewitching choices and lack of television air time, I might add. It’s none other than the psychological thriller: “Channel Zero.”
Contrary to the title, “Channel Zero” was a four-season horror anthology series that was materialized by stories written by everyday Creepypasta users. Developed by Nick Antosca, each season told accounts vastly different from the previous season.
But one thing that remained the same was that every season left watchers honing their imagination skills to guess whether or not what they saw actually happened or if it was part of an illusion. The show ran from 2016 – 2018 before its cancellation on Syfy.
As I previously mentioned, each season was produced from a story found on Creepypasta. For those unfamiliar, Creepypasta is a user-generated website where people test out their storytelling skills by composing horror tales. These stories range anywhere from ghosts, supernatural forces, zombies, murder and general shock horror.
Keeping to the original scripts, Antosca shined a light on four stories found on the website to fit into an allotted hour-long program. The rest was history.
The initial season, “Candle Cove,” revolves around our childhood and the eerie – well, what we didn’t think about at the time – yet compelling television shows we used to find comfort in.
The premiere episode follows child psychologist, Mike Painter, who returns to his hometown of Iron Hill, Ohio, which is still reeling from an unknown serial killer who murdered five local children, including his twin brother, Eddie.
Returning to the crime scene 30 years later, a disturbing yet gratifying show Mike and his brother used to watch, “Candle Cove,” comes back to him.
Wondering if this show had anything to do with his brother’s murder, Mike obsessively reexamines the show in hopes it will land him more clues on what happened to his brother.
That’s all I’m going to give about the first season.
In the second season, “No-End House,” a group of friends visit a life-altering house of horrors that leaves them questioning its significance. Each visitor recounts different scenarios of what they saw.
Not every recollection is the same. So, remember kids: history always has a way of creeping up on you. Don’t do anything you’ll live to regret revisiting one day.
In the third season, “Butcher’s Block,” it’s all about awakening supernatural forces as two sisters (one who is schizophrenic) must piece together who or what is the culprit behind the reoccurring disappearances of local residents. One jarring clue has to do with a mysterious staircase.
The final season, “The Dream Door,” is all about reaping what you sow, as newlyweds Jillian and Tom are both entering their marriage with past secrets.
But what they don’t realize is like karma, these secrets will menacingly bite them. As these secrets come to light and threaten them and their home, can their marriage and themselves survive the psychological torment?
Even though “Channel Zero” was a short-lived series, there has never been such a thought-provoking horror series that captured viewers the way this show did. Antosca mastered TV horror without anyone noticing. Well, maybe, someone will now!
“Channel Zero” is available to stream on AMC+, YouTube and Shudder.
Brie Coder can be reached at bmcoder@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.
