- New TV shows for spooky season include adaptations of classic horror novels, British comedy legends in a vampire comedy, and a prequel to Friday the 13th.
- Thriller series feature a fisherman facing a sea creature, a successful author using herself as bait to trap a killer, and a serial killer causing chaos from prison.
- Halloween specials include a comedy show where laughter is prohibited, a dark magic series with Schitt’s Creek star Noah Reid, and a thriller about a young man with a fear of the number 13.
Welcome to spooky season! While it is all well and good enjoying hockey romances, period dramas and medical dramas, this is the season for horror fans – and oh, telly is about to deliver this year!
Personally, I love a good scare, the jumpier the better – but don’t worry. Whether you can balance on the edge of your seat, can hardly bear to watch Casper the Friendly Ghost, or are a die-hard horror fan, there is something on my list of spooky season brand-new TV picks for everyone…
Carrie – Available now, Prime Video
Is it really Halloween without a Stephen King adaptation? Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) has adapted this classic novel about a young girl with terrifying powers. Set in a modern setting with the feel of a detective drama, I did initially think that we didn’t need a new Carrie adaptation, but this one has a fresh enough feel – and is definitely worth the watch.
The Reluctant Vampire – Available now, BBC
With a cast stuffed with British comedy legends – from Fleabag star Sian Clifford to This Country’s Charlie Cooper and, of course, starring the iconic Slow Horses actor Lenny Rush – the story follows a young man attempting to make his father proud as a vampire. Only he isn’t actually a vampire at all.
Below – 8 October, Netflix
Josh Hartnett stars as Calvin, a fisherman living in a small town with skeletons in his closet. But when a sea creature begins to terrorise his hometown, he must “fight to hold his close-knit community together”. Full of humour while playing with local myths and carrying a thriller vibe, this is a great, twisty show to sink your teeth into!
Crystal Lake – 15 October & 19 October, Sky
This Friday the 13th prequel, starring the legendary Linda Cardellini, follows a single mother who is devastated and unable to let go of her grief after her son tragically drowned in the town lake. After strangers arrive at her door, a disturbing chain of events is set in motion.
The Trap – 13 October, Netflix
This German export follows a successful author who hasn’t left her home in a decade after witnessing the murder of her sister, Anna. When she recognises her sister’s killer on television, she becomes determined to trap him by using herself as bait – writing a book that only the two of them know is all about him. If you love a stressful thriller, this is the one for you!
American Horror Story: 13 – Disney+
Ryan Murphy is the Alexander Hamilton of writing TV shows – that man appears to write every second he’s alive, which explains why AHS is back for season 13! This time, the show is centred around a young man with a fear of the number 13 who takes on a job in a building where characters from past seasons mysteriously reside.
Last One Laughing: Halloween Special – 23 October, Prime Video
If you can’t stand horror, enjoy Halloween television all the same by tuning into LOL’s first special. It sees comedians Jack Dee, Phil Wang, Lou Sanders, Daisy May Cooper, Reece Shearsmith, Harriet Dyer and Tom Allen attempt to make their counterparts laugh when laughing is strictly prohibited.
Nocturne – 30 October, Apple TV+
Stephen Graham is back and better than ever in this Apple TV+ thriller about a serial killer who, while imprisoned, continues to cause chaos for the FBI as they attempt to discover what happened to his final victim. When they struggle to find answers, they send one of their own into the fray.
YAGA – 31 October, Sky
Schitt’s Creek star Noah Reid stars alongside The Matrix star Carrie-Anne Moss and Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams in this dark magic show about a private investigator looking into the disappearance of a young man when ancient magic overrules all logical explanations.
