Are You Afraid of the Dark?
A children's horror anthology centered on the Midnight Society.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a children's horror anthology series from the United States, created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel. The original run began on Nickelodeon on August 15, 1992, and ended on February 3, 1996, with Canadian broadcasts on YTV. A pilot episode had previously aired as a Halloween special on October 25, 1991. Two revivals followed: one from February 6, 1999, to June 11, 2000, and another from October 11, 2019, to August 13, 2022. Reruns of the original series continued until October 31, 2002, and later aired on Nicktoons from October 20 to 31, 2008.
Nickelodeon picked up the original series in 1992. MacHale, Kandel, and the network partnered with the Canadian company CINAR, leading to principal filming in Montreal, Quebec, with additional work in Richmond, British Columbia. The production teams were represented by the ACTRA and STCVQ labour unions. The pilot re-aired six days after its debut as part of "The Haunting of Nickelodeon," a Halloween block that also included *Mystery Magical Special*. The series officially premiered on Nickelodeon's SNICK block on August 15, 1992, and on the Family Channel on September 2, 1992. It moved from the Family Channel to YTV on September 6, 1993, and the original series concluded on February 3, 1996.
In 1999, the show was revived for two more seasons, bringing back most of the original crew alongside new directors, writers, and cast. Nickelodeon produced it, airing on SNICK from February 6, 1999, to June 11, 2000. In Canada, it moved to the Family Channel because YTV held the rights to the original series. Tucker (Daniel DeSanto) was the only original cast member to return for both seasons of this revival, though Gary (Ross Hull) appeared in the concluding episode.
On November 13, 2017, Paramount Players announced a live-action feature film adaptation, but it was later removed from the schedule. On February 14, 2019, a limited series reboot was announced, premiering on October 11, 2019. On February 19, 2020, this revival was renewed for a second season, *Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows*, which premiered on February 12, 2021, with a different cast. In March 2022, a third and final season was ordered, premiering on July 30, 2022.
The show was filmed in Montreal by CINAR and created by American producer D. J. MacHale. It was a co-production between CINAR Films and Nickelodeon.
- Field
- Television
- Nationality
- American
- Known for
- Children's horror anthology series featuring the Midnight Society
- Original run
- August 15, 1992 – February 3, 1996
- Creators
- D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel
- Network
- Nickelodeon (U.S.), YTV (Canada)
Lore & Background
The series was created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel. The pilot episode first aired as a Halloween special on October 25, 1991. The original series was picked up by Nickelodeon in 1992 and filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec, with some additional filming in Richmond, British Columbia, as a co-production between CINAR and Nickelodeon. The show aired on Nickelodeon's SNICK block from August 15, 1992, and on Family Channel in Canada from September 2, 1992, before moving to YTV on September 6, 1993. Reruns continued until October 31, 2002, and later aired on Nicktoons from October 20 to 31, 2008.
Each episode features a member of the Midnight Society telling a story, beginning with the phrase 'Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story...' and tossing 'midnight dust' (Coffee-Mate) into a campfire. The stories often involve paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, witches, vampires, and haunted houses, and many are adaptations of public domain tales or urban legends. The series had two revivals: the first aired from February 6, 1999, to June 11, 2000, and the second from October 11, 2019, to August 13, 2022.
Reader's Guide
Are You Afraid of the Dark? holds significance as a landmark children's horror anthology that introduced a generation to the genre through its campfire storytelling format. Its low-budget practical effects and focus on moral lessons within horror stories made it distinctive. The series' structure—with the Midnight Society framing device—allowed for a rotating cast of child storytellers, each with distinct themes. The show's influence is seen in its two revivals and a planned live-action feature film adaptation announced in 2017, though later removed from Paramount's schedule. The series is frequently compared to The Twilight Zone and Dark Shadows, and its legacy endures through its reruns and continued cultural reference as a touchstone of 1990s Nickelodeon programming.
Did You Know?
- The 'midnight dust' thrown into the campfire was actually Coffee-Mate.
- The line 'submitted for the approval of' was a nod to Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone.
- The series was filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec, by CINAR.
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