Channel Zero (TV series)

Did You Know?

• Showcase broadcasts each season in Canada after Syfy has finished airing it within the United States.
• The horror streaming service Shudder streams all four seasons of the series as of October 10, 2019.
• An advance screening of the first episode of season 2 premiered at San Diego Comic-Con.

Plot

In season one, Candle Cove, a child psychologist goes back to his hometown to investigate if his missing brother is linked to other disappearances and a strange children's show that was on TV at the same time. Season two, No-End House, follows a young woman and her friends as they explore a horror house, soon doubting if it's just a tourist spot or something far more dangerous. For season three, Butcher's Block, a woman and her sister, who has schizophrenia, relocate to a city troubled by many missing people. After thinking these events might tie into a strange rumor, the sisters join forces to uncover what is hunting the town's inhabitants. In season four, The Dream Door, newlyweds Jillian and Tom hide secrets from each other. After finding a door in their basement, those hidden truths begin to endanger both their marriage and their lives.

Production

Syfy ordered twelve episodes of Channel Zero in 2015, split into two six-episode seasons. The first season adapted the creepypasta Candle Cove, while the second used The No-End House. Universal Cable Production handled production, with Max Landis and Nick Antosca as executive producers. Craig William Macneill was hired to direct season one in February 2016. Paul Schneider and Fiona Shaw joined the cast that June, Schneider playing child psychologist Mike Painter, whose twin brother vanished years earlier, and Shaw playing his reluctant mother. Natalie Brown and Shaun Benson also starred. Filming for season one ran 46 days in Selkirk, Manitoba, from May to July 28, 2016. Season two began shooting September 13, 2016, in Oakbank, Manitoba. Season three was filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from July to August 30, 2017. Season four started filming in early May 2018 and wrapped that July.

Music score

The second season features Cat Power's "Bathysphere" closing the first episode, Fever Ray's "Concrete Walls" ending the third, and Madeleine Peyroux's "Between the Bars" opening the sixth. In the third season, parts of Philip Glass's "Koyaanisqatsi" appear in the fifth and sixth episodes, while the Kyrie from György Ligeti's Requiem is also heard in the sixth. Selections from The Caretaker's An Empty Bliss Beyond This World serve as recurring motifs across all six episodes of that season.

Reception

Critics were largely kind to the first season of Channel Zero. On Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 21 reviews are positive, giving it an average score of 6.83 out of 10. The site’s summary calls it creepy, unsettling, and unique, praising how it taps into childhood fears while building a mysterious, spine-tingling story. Metacritic gave it a 75 out of 100 based on 5 reviews. The second season performed even better, earning a perfect 100% from 14 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Critics noted its central mystery was stronger and scarier than the first season, cementing the show as one of TV’s scariest horror offerings. The third season also scored a flawless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 11 reviews, averaging 8.5 out of 10. The consensus described it as creepier than ever, delivering disturbing horror with a solid narrative. The fourth season dropped slightly to 88% approval based on 8 reviews, with a Metacritic score of 75 out of 100 from 5 reviews.