Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a Canadian-American television series that originally aired from 1992 to 1996. It unofficially premiered with the episode "The Tale of the Twisted Claw" as a pilot on October 31, 1990, on Nickelodeon.[citation needed] The pilot aired on the Canadian television network YTV on October 25, 1991, as a Halloween special. The series officially premiered the following year on Nickelodeon's SNICK on August 15, 1992, and on Family Channel on September 2, 1992.[1] The series moved from Family Channel to YTV on September 6, 1993.[2] The original series ended on February 3, 1996.
In 1999 a revival series with two season aired on Nickelodeon and the Family Channel from February 6, 1999 to June 11, 2000. In February 2019, it was announced that the series would be Rebooted again for a limited series,[3] which premiered on October 11, 2019.[4] In February 2020, the revival of Are You Afraid of the Dark? was renewed for a second season, subtitled Curse of the Shadows, which premiered on February 12, 2021, featuring a different cast.[5][6][7] In March 2022, the revival was renewed for a third season, subtitled Ghost Island, which premiered on July 30, 2022.[8][9]
During the course of the series, 104 episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? aired seven seasons for the original and revival series and three season for the reboot.
Two brothers, while lost in the woods, come across a mysterious cab driver and a very unusual man named Dr. Vink, who won't let any of his visitors go unless they solve a riddle.
Josh decides to prove that a funhouse isn't haunted by stealing the nose of Zeebo, the clown who's supposed to haunt the place. He learns that the story isn't fiction when Zeebo pays him a little visit.
Amanda, who desperately wants to fit in with her snotty cousin and her group of friends, agrees to spend the night in the haunted house next door to become part of the group.
In a twist of "The Monkey's Paw", two boys play a prank on an old woman the night before Halloween. The next night, she gives them a wooden vulture foot that grants wishes with unintended terrifying consequences.
Storyteller : David
Villain : Twisted Claw
The Tale of the Twisted Claw previously served show's pilot episode, airing as a Halloween special on Nickelodeon on October 31, 1990, and then on YTV on October 25, 1991, before Are You Afraid of the Dark? became a regular television series.
5
5
"The Tale of the Hungry Hounds"
D.J. MacHale
Anne Appelton
September 19, 1992 (1992-09-19)
105
Amy and Pam discover their late aunt's old horse-riding jacket in a trunk. When Pam puts on the jacket, she becomes possessed by the aunt's spirit, who must feed her hungry dogs in order to rest in peace.
Weeds, a prankster, buys his girlfriend Marybeth a pair of super spec glasses as part of his April Fools' Day collection, but the joke's on Weeds and Marybeth when they begin to see faceless humans from another dimension.
A family moves into a small summer home run by a young man, and things get weird when the daughter, Dani, notices mirrors everywhere and discovers that she and her parents are growing older by the day.
Emma thinks her new Ukrainian neighbors are vampires, and must do what she can to keep them away from her and her family.
Storyteller : Betty Ann
Villain : The Brauns
9
9
"The Tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice"
D.J. MacHale
Stephen Zoller
October 17, 1992 (1992-10-17)
111
Dean, a troubled student, awakens an ancient secret hidden in the school.
Storyteller : Betty Ann
Villain : Dr. Oilver and Goth the Sorcerer
10
10
"The Tale of Jake and the Leprechaun"
D.J. MacHale
Nick Webb
October 24, 1992 (1992-10-24)
110
Jake, an aspiring young actor, is in a play where, during rehearsals, strange things start happening to him when it's only a matter of time before opening night.
Storyteller : Eric
Villain : Erin
11
11
"The Tale of the Dark Music"
Ron Oliver
D.J. MacHale
October 31, 1992 (1992-10-31)
109
Andy Carr and his family inherit their deceased uncle's large home. When they move in, things don't start right until Andy figures out of a hidden entity inside the basement. After suffering constant harassment from his next-door neighbor, local teen bully Koda, Andy uses the entity to teach him a lesson.
Storyteller : Eric
Villain : Cellar Demon
12
12
"The Tale of the Prom Queen"
Jean-Marie Comeau
Chloe Brown
November 7, 1992 (1992-11-07)
112
Loosely based on Resurrection Mary, three kids investigate the urban legend of a girl who died on a bridge while waiting for her prom date.
Storyteller : Kristen
Villain : None
13
13
"The Tale of the Pinball Wizard"
D.J. MacHale
Louise Lamarre & Tom Rack
November 14, 1992 (1992-11-14)
113
Ross, a mischievous kid, goes to the shopping mall and plays a pinball game that comes to life when the mall closes at night.
Note : The Tale of the Pinball Wizard was filmed at the Rockland Centre in Mount Royal, Quebec, as can be seen in the end credits. It is also the last appearance of Eric. The reason for his departure was never explained.
Jill, a 13-year old girl who loves fairytales, learns that there's an evil side to "Happily ever after" when The Sandman drags her under the bed and places her family and friends under a sleeping curse.
A young French immigrant from the 1990s discovers that the locker at her new school is haunted by a hippie chick named Candy Warren who died in a chemistry lab accident in 1968 and needs the 1990s girl's help in fixing the past.
Siblings Karen and Billy find that their usual hangout -- an unused 13th floor of a building -- has been replaced by a strange factory filled with extraterrestrial toys and gadgets.
An aspiring writer finds a typewriter that makes whatever is written come true.
Storyteller : Kiki (told by Gary due to Kiki's laryngitis)
Villain : None
Note : The Tale of the Dream Machine is the only episode to have a story be typed and not told by the actual person who came up with the story.
19
6
"The Tale of the Dark Dragon"
D.J. MacHale
Allison Lea Bingeman
July 24, 1993 (1993-07-24)
206
A teenager who was injured in a car crash buys a potion from a magic shop to become the popular boy he wishes he could be, but his deep-seated insecurities begin turning him into a monster, and things get worse when a girl who has a crush on him steals the potion for herself.
Storyteller : David (for Gary's birthday, borrowing Sardo)
Two boys from a tough city move into a new neighborhood where a group of kids invite them to play hide and seek in a cemetery, rumored to be haunted by a ghost known as Old Man Corcoran.
Storyteller : Kiki
Villain : Old Man Corcoran
Note : The Tale of Old Man Corcoran is David (Nathaniel Moreau) and Kristen's (Rachel Blanchard) final episode. In "The Tale of the Midnight Ride," Gary mentions that their characters had moved away.
Stacey and her Mom move into a new apartment only to find that the apartment next door to theirs is occupied by a kindly old woman who's been dead for ten years.
A new girl in town trying to makes friends buys a magic stone, which causes her to go back in time to the 1890s to meet another lonely child who lived in the house.
A boy and his sister, wishing to spend more time with their father, get more than they bargained for when their father's work comes home, in the form of an Egyptian curse and a live mummy.
After complaining about his school picture, a boy is gifted a camera by the school photographer and begins using it...only to find that the camera's photos predict doom.
A lonely, teenaged janitor named Johnny finds a ring in his locker and puts it on. At the same time, a young woman named Donna begins appearing around him and a chain of strange events make Johnny think Donna is out to get him.
Two boys move into a house that once belonged to a girl who died in a fire trying to exorcise a demon known as "Quicksilver", and now the only way the boys can get rid of Quicksilver is to get help from the dead girl's living twin.
After a bratty little boy blows his brother's money meant for their mother's birthday, the other brother warns him that The Crimson Clown, a clown doll at an antique shop, will come after him for being a bad kid. The bratty boy doesn't think the story is real...until he finds the clown doll in his room.
A young man and a waitress discover the terrifying secret behind their restaurant's most popular item on the menu, and why the staff members keep quitting.
A boy who enjoys playing pranks goes too far one day and is punished by being trapped in a virtual reality game where a demonic virus sets out to infect his brain.
Storyteller : Gary
Villain : Virus
41
2
"The Tale of the Long Ago Locket"
David Winning
Gerald Wexler
October 8, 1994 (1994-10-08)
406
A boy is transported back to the Revolutionary War, where he must help a soldier return to his girlfriend before he is killed on the battlefield.
Notes : The Tale of Cutter's Treasue: Part 2 was both Dumont's and Tager's fifth appearance in the series. It was also Tager's final appearance as Dr. Vink in the series. It was the only time that Dr. Vink was an ally to the protagonist.
A forgotten book forces two bitter rivals to work together to avoid the clutches of a former librarian's spirit who insists that "silence is golden" and traps anyone and anything who makes noise in the library.
Storyteller : Kiki
Villain : The Quiet Librarian
46
7
"The Tale of the Silent Servant"
Jean-Marie Comeau
Wendy Brotherlin
November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12)
407
Two kids bring a scarecrow to life to do their chores on a farm. It seems like a good idea, until the scarecrow inadvertently is given orders to kill.
A pilot killed in combat during World War II, haunts the man he believes killed him and stole his girlfriend, the latter of whom is a psychic who allegedly communicates with the dead.
Storyteller : Sam
Villain : None
48
9
"The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner"
Ron Oliver
Ron Oliver
December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03)
409
A young, struggling comic book artist unleashes a villain from a rare comic book, who turns people into drooling, giggling Idiots.
Storyteller : Betty Ann
Villain : the Ghastly Grinner
49
10
"The Tale of the Fire Ghost"
Jean-Marie Comeau
Scott Peters
December 10, 1994 (1994-12-10)
410
While celebrating their dad's birthday at the firehouse, Jimmy and Roxanne are left alone when the firemen go on call. They soon find that there is an incendiary ghost who's seeking revenge against firemen.
Storyteller : Tucker
Villain : The Fire Ghost
50
11
"The Tale of the Closet Keepers"
Iain Paterson
Story by : Michael Kevis Teleplay by : David Preston
January 7, 1995 (1995-01-07)
412
A deaf girl and her bully get lost in a strange building, which turns out to be an intergalactic zoo which houses kids from all over the world as the main exhibit.
Storyteller : Kiki
Villain : Keeper
51
12
"The Tale of the Unfinished Painting"
David Winning
Lucy Falcone
January 14, 1995 (1995-01-14)
411
An aspiring young artist apprentices under the owner of a studio who uses cursed paintbrushes to trap victims inside the paintings they complete and sign.
A young boy, obsessed with trains and railroads because of his deceased conductor father, starts playing with a toy train set that transports him inside a train and takes him on a deadly ride.
A science geek named Zeke and his crush, swimming team member Clorice, discover the school's abandoned swimming pool and demand that it be reopened...unaware that there was a bloody reason why the pool was shut down in the first place.
A youth obsessed with death discovers a radio station which takes its listeners to the afterlife -- and is mistaken for a recently-deceased man by the radio station's obnoxiously loud, squinty-eyed psychopomp/DJ.
A teenage girl named Cindy gets a job at a local make-up shop run by a former beauty queen, but a chain of strange events and disappearances lead Cindy to discover the real reason behind her boss's beauty.
A family moves into a house by the lake where an ancient jukebox revives the memory of a fallen soldier.
Storyteller : Sam
Villain : None
Note : The Tale of C7 was the last episode to be directed by David Winning.
59
7
"The Tale of the Manaha"
Will Dixon
Gerald Wexler
December 9, 1995 (1995-12-09)
508
A blithe boy name Jonah enlists in a camping expedition with a group of misfits where an ancient, Native American legend has awoken in the woods and is out to feast.
Two teenage boys accidentally contact aliens through the sound equipment on one of their father's computers.
Storyteller : Kiki
Villain : Aliens
61
9
"The Tale of the Vacant Lot"
Lorette LeBlanc
Gerald Wexler
December 30, 1995 (1995-12-30)
511
A shy young girl discovers a mysterious, open-air market run by a woman in a burqa who provides her everything she needs to be popular...for a very high price.
Storyteller : Kiki
Villain : Marie
62
10
"The Tale of a Door Left Unlocked"
Ron Oliver
Scott Peters
January 13, 1996 (1996-01-13)
512
Sardo sells a magic door to a teenage boy which, once he opens, reveals the future, and must use the door to save his crush from impending doom.
Storyteller : Gary
Villain : None
Note : The Tale of a Door Unlocked was Dumont's sixth and final appearance as Sardo in the original series.
63
11
"The Tale of the Night Shift"
D.J. MacHale
Chloe Brown
January 20, 1996 (1996-01-20)
513
A night shift hospital volunteer named Amanda soon discovers that a vampire is lurking the halls and feeding off the staff and patients.
Note : The Tale of the Night Shift was the final episode produced under the original series run, but sadly this episode wasn't the final one to air that honor when to The Tale of Badge.
64
12
"The Tale of the Jagged Sign"
Will Dixon
Susan Kim
January 27, 1996 (1996-01-27)
502
Spending her summer break at her aunt's retirement home was not Claudia's first choice, but it turns out to be more interesting than she expected when a ghostly boy begins stalking her.
Gwen, an insecure girl who doesn't believe in her musical talent, gets a chance to test her gift when a creature called Badge kidnaps her brother and the girl discovers that she's next in line to carry on the magic on the Irish side of her family.
Storyteller : Gary
Villain : Badge
Note : The Tale of Badge aired as the final episode of the original series, This was the last tale to be told, the last to have the original midnight society, and the time the original credits music played.
Two boys, Tommy and David, suspect that their chubby, overly-cheery new neighbors may be cannibals.
Storyteller : Megan
Villain : None
Guest Start : Kathleen Fee as Dotty
Note : The Tale of the Gruesome Gourmets was Kathnleen Fee's second appearance in the series overall (Her first was in The Tale of the Night Shift, as Nurse Hantin).
Note : The Tale of the Zombie Dice was Baruchel's first appearance in the revival series and second appearance overall.
69
4
"The Tale of the Misfortune Cookie"
Adam Weissman
Mark D. Perry
February 27, 1999 (1999-02-27)
604
David, a struggling comic book artist slaving away at his parents' failing Chinese restaurant, take his grandfather's golden fortune cookies and wishes that his life would be better, which sends him into an alternate reality where he's famous and the restaurant is successful, but his family doesn't know who he is and a samurai clad in black is after David.
A struggling ice hockey player named Wiley finds a former hockey great's stick and uses it to ace the try-outs, but soon discovers that the stick has cursed him into becoming a snake.
Storyteller : Tucker
Villain : Jake "The Snake" Desomond
71
6
"The Tale of the Virtual Pets"
Iain Patterson
Alice Eve Cohen
March 20, 1999 (1999-03-20)
606
When all the kids at school get virtual pets, it changes them in a very scary way. Luckily, Kate isn't tech-savvy, and must save her friends from becoming slaves to the Diggers that live inside the toys.
Storyteller : Vange
Villain : The Digger
72
7
"The Tale of the Hunted"
Lorette LeBlanc
Gaylen James
March 27, 1999 (1999-03-27)
607
A girl living in rural Canada is pressured by her dad and friends to go wolf hunting with them, and a mysterious wolf known as The Blaze curses the girl to live life as an animal being hunted for sport.
Storyteller : Andy
Villain : The Hunters
73
8
"The Tale of the Wisdom Glass"
Jacques Laberge
Mark D. Perry
April 3, 1999 (1999-04-03)
608
Allan and Jimmy are in for a cyber shock after Allan tricks Jimmy into shoplifting a computer game called "The Wisdom Glass" and find themselves transported to a strange game-world where they end up on trial for the theft of the game.
Storyteller : Quinn
Villain : The people in the Cyberworld
74
9
"The Tale of the Walking Shadow"
Lorrete LeBlanc
Matthew Cope
April 10, 1999 (1999-04-10)
609
When the local high school decides to do the stage play Macbeth (known as "The Scottish Play" due to the popular theater superstition of not mentioning Macbeth by name), it unleashes some terrifying ghosts lurking backstage. Ross and Vanessa find out why the play is haunted and must get rid of the curse without getting blood on their hands.
Note : The Tale of the Walking Shadow was Baruchel's second appearance in the first revived era and third appearance overall.
75
10
"The Tale of Vampire Town"
Mark Soulard
Allison Lea Bingeman
April 17, 1999 (1999-04-17)
610
Adder, a spoiled goth boy obsessed with vampire lore, finds himself getting more than he bargained when he finds himself face-to-face with real-life bloodsucking fiends.
Note : Downes had previously appeared in "The Tale of the Forever Game" as a different character. The Tale of Vampire Town was his last appearance.
76
11
"The Tale of Oblivion"
Jim Donovan
James Morris
April 24, 1999 (1999-04-24)
611
A boy, tired of being pushed into lame recreational activities and lessons, learns how to erase his problems, literally with an enchanted art kit, complete with a pencil that makes drawings real and an eraser that sends them to a dimension where all that's forgotten reside...including a bloodthirsty Viking that was kept there due to being too dangerous to live in the real world.
Shy Meggie is thrilled when she discovers she has a secret admirer, but her excitement turns to fear when she realizes her admirer is from beyond the grave...and out for revenge.
In search of their missing friend, Gina, siblings Danielle and Kirk venture into a mountain area haunted by a creature who captures its prey in the darkness.
Gary, the President of The Midnight Society from the original episodes, is back and needs the help of his brother Tucker and his friends to help track down the members of the First Midnight Society from 1937. Together, they must solve an ancient mystery and prevent an evil force from being unleashed on the world. The first episode of the Tale of the Silver Sight focuses on Tucker and Gary's search for "The General" and his clue to the puzzle.
The Midnight Society splits up and goes in search of the original members who each hold a clue to the mystery. The second episode of the Tale of the Silver Sight focuses on Quinn's search for "The Homecoming Queen" and Megan's search for "The Tycoon".
The Midnight Society continues to go in search of the original members who each hold a clue to the mystery. The third and final episode of the Tale of the Silver Sight focuses on Vange and Andy's search for "The Riddle Man".
Note : The 3 part The Tale of the Silver Sight Episode was the final episode produce under the entire series and was supposed to be the Grand Finale, but it wasn't the last one to air that honor went to The Tale of the Night Nurse.
In a loose parody of the Greek story Pygmalion, a boy named Kevin (who just broke up with his girlfriend, Julie) happens upon a stone statue of a maiden and drinks from the water flowing out of its urn...only to learn that the "water" is actually a potion that turns anyone who drinks it to stone and that the statue was meant to have a mate.
Storyteller : Megan
Villain : The Maiden Statue
Guest star : Kathleen Fee as the sculptor Vivian White.
Note : The Tale of the Stone Maiden was Kathleen Fee's third appearance overall.
83
5
"The Tale of the Laser Maze"
Mark Soulard
Peggy Sarlin
April 16, 2000 (2000-04-16)
702
Athletic, overly-competitive twins Ashley and Kara must learn together if they stand any chance of escaping a strange version of laser tag in which the winners get cloned and sent to other planets.
In a loose homage to the 1985 comedy horror film, Re-Animator, a girl works at a greenhouse with her boss, a widowed scientist who just invented a chemical that can bring plants to life, but many unforeseen side effects on humans.
Storyteller : Quinn
Villain : Reanimated Zombie
85
7
"The Tale of the Lunar Locusts"
Jim Donovan
Michael Koegel
April 30, 2000 (2000-04-30)
704
A new, mysterious girl shows up at school and knows about a threat that could kill off the planet, and only the help of a dumb jock and a snobby popular girl can save the world.
Best friends Craig and Justin fix up a wrecked V8 from a junkyard and get caught up in a dark deal with a group of ghosts from the 1960s.
Storyteller : Quinn
Villain : None
Guest stars : Benjamin Plener as Justin and Adam MacDonald as Bulldog
Note : It was Plener's second appearance in the series overall (his first in Season 1 Episode 10 - The Tale of Jake and the Leprechaun, as Jake). It was also MacDonald's second appearance in the series overall (his first in Season 6 Episode 4 - The Tale of the Misfortune Cookie, as Eddy West).
87
9
"The Tale of the Photo Finish"
Mark Soulard
Alan Kingsberg
May 14, 2000 (2000-05-14)
706
Two boys who have been accepted to a boarding school -- one on scholarship, the other as a legacy since he had ancestors who were alumni -- try to save their friendship when the legacy gets accepted into a secret society that's being haunted by a bullied student who uses photography to trap those who caused his death.
Storyteller : Andy
Villain : Jasper Davis
88
10
"The Tale of the Last Dance"
Jim Donovan
Mark D. Perry
May 21, 2000 (2000-05-21)
707
In a loose homage to Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, Tara is a violinist who wishes someone would appreciate her talents, as her boyfriend does not, and gets her wish from a strange mutant figure who lives inside the school.
Storyteller : Andy
Villain : None
89
11
"The Tale of the Time Trap"
Mark Soulard
Peggy Sarlin
May 28, 2000 (2000-05-28)
708
A boy who sees himself as a loser buys a Persian victory box at Sardo's curio shop...and gets more than he bargained for when a tastelessly-dressed genie named Belle comes out of the box and grants the boy's wishes -- with disastrous results.
Note : The Tale of the Time Trap were the final appearances of Jay Baruchel and Richard Dumont as Sardo of the revival series and the series overall.
90
12
"The Tale of Many Faces"
Lorette LeBlanc
Alan Kingsberg
June 4, 2000 (2000-06-04)
709
A self-conscious teen model unwittingly joins a cult of faceless girls who had their looks stolen from them by a Madame Visage and makes them her slaves.
Two African-American teen girls spend the week at their grandfather's house and find themselves reliving the events that led to one of their ancestors dying at the hands of a white live-in nurse.
Storyteller : Vange
Villain : The nurse (unintentionally)
Note : The Tale of the Night Nurse aired as the series finale for the entire series.
As the new girl in school, Rachel feels out of place until The Midnight Society invites her to join the group. All she has to do is tell a terrifying story.
Five kids investigate the disappearance of their friend, the leader of The Midnight Society, whose fate may be tied to a mysterious curse that haunts their seaside town.
On the eve of the school dance, the Midnight Society wrestles with the possibility that evil still lurks among them and the nightmare is far from over.
A group of friends, Kayla, Leo, Summer and Ferris, formally The Midnight Society, travel to an island resort, called The Veil, following the wishes of their deceased friend. However, they find more than they bargained for as the hotel has a dark history involving the mysterious Room 13, where any guests who've stayed in it all disappeared.
After hearing about Room 13, the former Midnight Society tries to find answers to its strange disappearances over the years. But are the people who vanished really gone from the hotel?
With the spirit from the mirror released, the group scrambles to hide to avoid her wrath, then through a mysterious diary discover the ghost's origins and just how the curse on Room 13 came to be.
