I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, Snick on Nickolodeon was the highlight of my weekend (except for Tales from the Crypt).   So many classic Nick shows.  From Clarissa Explains It All to Ren & Stimpy, so many memories and so many laughs.

And, of course, there was this little gem.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? premiered on Nickelodeon in the early 90s and taught kids my age the art of the scary story.  Stories were based on urban legends, supernatural beings, or fairy tales, and they always had a twist.  They were like Tales from the Crypt or The Twilight Zone for a younger audience, except instead of the Cryptkeeper or Rod Serling, it had the Midnight Society, a group of kids who met at midnight around a campfire to tell scary stories.  I always thought the Midnight Society was the coolest thing ever, and I wanted so badly to have a group like that of my own.

But whose parents are just going to let their 10-year-old out at midnight to hang around a campfire at a secret location in the woods?  Not many.

There were so many awesome stories and characters.  Some of my favorite episodes were:

• The Tale of Laughing in the Dark:  A kid visits a local carnival’s haunted house and steals the nose of Zeebo, an animatronic clown that turns out to be a little attached to his missing body part.
• The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors: New neighbors arouse the suspicion of children in the house next door, who suspect they might be vampires.
• The Tale of the Frozen Ghost: A kid and his babysitter visit his aunt’s house and encounter a spirit haunting the area.  (To this day, I still utter a sad little “I’m cold” when I’m freezing.  Watch it. You’ll know what I mean.)
• The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner: A boy accidentally unleashes a comic book villain who terrorizes his town.
• The Tale of the Dangerous Soup: A teen starts working in a restaurant and finds out their best-selling soup has an interesting ingredient.

I might just have to watch some of these again.  They might be for a younger crowd, but I’ve never really grown up, so it’s okay.

Anyone out there have some favorite episodes they want to share?  What are your favorite scary shows from your childhood?