R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour

2010–20144 seasonsTV-PGEnglish

HorroRated verdict

Recommended

2010sAnthologyFamily HorrorSupernaturalTeen Horror

Created by: R.L. Stine

Collections

Anthologies Family Horror Supernatural Teen Horror Evil Children

Why it’s HorroRated

The Haunting Hour sits in a specific pocket of children's horror that takes its young audience seriously rather than softening everything down to comfort. The anthology format means consistent tonal variety and the best episodes produce the kind of dread that tends to follow children into adulthood. It doesn't have the cultural footprint of Goosebumps but it's arguably the more unsettling of the two Stine adaptations. Worth rediscovering if you grew up watching it.

Synopsis

Stine's Haunting Hour source books were always darker than Goosebumps and this series respects that, producing standalone half-hour episodes that go further than most children's horror television was willing to go. Cursed objects, body-swapping parasites, creatures that only certain people can see — the premise range is wide and the execution is more committed than the budget should allow. It earned a dedicated following for good reason.