30 Years Ago Today, One Nickelodeon’s Best Shows Ended Too Soon (And Its Return Decades Later Was Perfect)

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Are You Afraid of the Dark? continues to be one of the most memorable franchises that Nickelodeon has ever released, and came to its initial end 30 years ago today, on February 3, 1996. The franchise would then return for a full reboot in 2019 that ran for three seasons, and it was so good that it continued to prove that the series ended its run way too soon. It was just too cool of an idea that continued to deliver years later because of the way it was able to get under kids’ skin.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Ended on Nickelodeon 30 Years Ago Today

courtesy of nickelodeon

Originally created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel, Are You Afraid of the Dark? made its debut with Nickelodeon in 1991 as a Halloween special before returning for its full series the next year. The series was unlike anything else fans got to see with the network at the time either. It followed a group of kids who would gather in the woods and tell each other scary stories. Forming the “Midnight Society,” these kids would try to out scare one another, and through this fans got to see a kid friendly horror anthology series with various setting, characters, and tricks.

In the same vein as other classic horror or thriller anthologies like The Twilight Zone or Tales From the Crypt, the “Midnight Society” was simply a way to package the stories themselves as the episode would then cut to the story when a person started telling it. Sometimes the stories were based on things that happened in a kid’s life that they were trying to work through, and sometimes these stories were based on other ideas that kids might not have been privy too.

As part of the SNICK line up on Saturday evenings on Nickelodeon, Are You Afraid of the Dark? actually had a very healthy run compared to other shows on the network at the time. The series ran for five seasons, and was even brought back after that initial finale with a revival series that ran for two more seasons. This introduced a new cast of characters making up the Midnight Society, but even brought back some familiar faces as it came to an end. But the more notable revival would come back many, many years later.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Had an Awesome Reboot

Courtesy of Nickelodeon

Are You Afraid of the Dark? actually made its grand return to Nickelodeon with a full reboot back in 2019. Returning as a special limited series with three episodes, this new take on the Midnight Society threw a group of characters in a very real type of horror. Rather than telling scary stories to one another, this new group of kids ended up facing off against a dark carnival that had been popping up in town and leading to all kinds of mysterious disappearances. It was very well received both critically and ratings wise too.

This reboot for Are You Afraid of the Dark? would then return for two more seasons, both having their own brand new stories with new groups of characters. It was in this way the reboot was able to tap into the anthology fun of the original series, but still tell more serious stories better fitting for the modern era. It was proof positive that the core idea of the franchise was still a strong one after multiple decades, and would survive some updates to the format to better introduce itself to new audiences.

There’s always room for Horror in children’s entertainment, and it’s why shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? are still so relevant even after all this time. The show was able to incorporate inspirations from all sorts of projects that kids at the time wouldn’t have seen, and it really opened up the world. Celebrating kids’ creativity above all else, and the power of storytelling, there’s just nothing that really scratches the same itch 30 years later. Maybe it’s time to bring it back for another round in the future.

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