Bone Chillers
Horror and humor at a haunted high school.
Bone Chillers is a children's horror fiction series created by Betsy Haynes, encompassing both a book series and a television adaptation. The TV show, similar in style and tone to Goosebumps, featured an educational segment at the end of each episode where Haynes encouraged young viewers to read, write, and be creative.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy horror
- Creator
- Adam Rifkin
- Based on
- Bone Chillers; by Betsy Haynes and Daniel Weiss
- Starring
- Linda Cardellini
- Saadia Persad
- Esteban Powell
- John Patrick White
- Charles Fleischer
- Theme music
- David Newman
- Composer
- Christopher Hoag
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
The series follows four freshmen at Edgar Allan Poe High School who navigate typical teenage pressures while confronting supernatural occurrences. Unlike the original books, which featured different protagonists, the TV show centered on a recurring cast. They are aided by Arnie the custodian, who lives in the school basement, and contend with the feared cook Carl, the ditzy Miss Dewberry, and the evil Principal Percival Pussman. Only three episodes were adapted from the books; the rest were original stories.
Development and broadcast history
Television executive Fred Silverman, seeking to rival the success of Goosebumps, discovered Haynes's book series. He focused on the book Back to School, which featured four teens in a haunted high school, and made them the core cast, believing the format would be a hit similar to Scooby-Doo, a series he had greenlit in the late 1960s. Haynes was involved in development, noting the series "couldn't hurt sales" of the books. The show was not successful and was pulled midseason, replaced by Nightmare Ned.
Book series
In Beware the Shopping Mall, Robin goes to Wonderland Mall where mannequins take over her friends' personalities. Little Pet Shop of Horrors features Cassie discovering a pet shop that turns kids into dogs. Back to School involves Fitz suspecting the new school cook when his friends gain monstrous appetites. Frankenturkey follows Kyle and Annie being targeted by a zombified turkey. Strange Brew has Tori finding a spellbook and losing control of magic. Teacher Creature sees Joey and Nate learning their science teacher is a mutant frog. Frankenturkey II returns the turkey after Kyle and Annie make wishes on its wishbone. Welcome to Alien Inn strands Matt at an inn where the guests are aliens. Attack of the Killer Ants has Ryan and Alex menaced by a giant ant. Slime Time features Jeremy's sneeze mucus becoming a threatening blob. Toilet Terror involves Hans and Ellie fighting a slimy toilet monster. Night of the Living Clay has Tasha battling clay monsters. The Thing Under the Bed is about a boy fighting a creature under his bed. A Terminal Case of the Uglies involves a school photographer turning students into monsters. Tiki Doll of Doom features Lucy's tiki doll necklace making dreams real. Queen of the Gargoyles has Isabella discovering living gargoyles. Why I Quit the Baby-Sitter's Club, mistakenly credited to David Bergantino, involves Rosie sitting for a monster child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Bone Chillers?
Bone Chillers was created by Adam Rifkin.
Who stars in Bone Chillers?
Bone Chillers stars Linda Cardellini, Saadia Persad, Esteban Powell, John Patrick White and Charles Fleischer.
How many episodes of Bone Chillers are there?
Bone Chillers has 13 episodes across 1 season.
When did Bone Chillers first air?
Bone Chillers first aired on 7 September 1996.
More in American Children's Fantasy Television Series
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