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The Creepiest Shows In TV History

Updated January 11, 2021 48.2k votes 5.9k voters 74.8k views61 items

List RulesVote up the series almost too creepy for you to watch alone. In the dark. Naked.

Television loves to push the boundaries of what can be shown to a general audience. The medium has evolved from being a place filled with only family friendly programming to a platform to showcase anything the mind can imagine, no matter how scary and creepy it may be. The TV shows on this list are bursting with disturbing images, frightening plot lines, and horrors that haunt the viewer long after the TV has been shutoff.

Shows like Twin Peaks, Fringe, and The Walking Dead have tested the limits of what can be shown to audiences, with creepy moments that haunt viewers for years. Older, classic anthologies like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Masters of Horror feature mind-bending horror classics written by the genre's best auteurs.

What is your favorite creepy TV show in history? Do you prefer creepy monster of the week shows like Hannibal and The X-Files? Or do you like shorter stories and narrative arcs with more bite, such as American Horror Story and Alfred Hitchcock Presents?

Vote up the shows on this list that you think are the creepiest shows to ever hit the television airwaves.

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Tales from the Crypt
John Kassir, Roy Brocksmith
Premiered: 1989
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror... more on Wikipedia
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The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling, Robert McCord
Premiered: 1959
The Twilight Zone is a 1959 American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. It is... more on Wikipedia
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American Horror Story
Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott
Premiered: 2011
American Horror Story (FX, 2011) is an American anthology horror television series created by... more on Wikipedia
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The X-Files
David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson
Premiered: 1993
The X-Files is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by Chris... more on Wikipedia
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Tales from the Darkside
Paul Sparer
Premiered: 1983
Tales from the Darkside is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero;... more on Wikipedia
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Unsolved Mysteries
Robert Stack, Dennis Farina
Premiered: 1987
Unsolved Mysteries (NBC, 1987) is an American mystery documentary television show created by... more on Wikipedia
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The Outer Limits
Bob Johnson, Ben Wright
Premiered: 1995
The Outer Limits (ABC, 1963) is an American horror and speculative fiction anthology... more on Wikipedia
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Alfred Hičkok predstavlja
Alfred Hitchcock, Harry Tyler
Premiered: 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred... more on Wikipedia
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Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Ross Hull, Raine Pare-Coull
Premiered: 1991
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a Canadian horror fantasy-themed anthology television series.... more on Wikipedia
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Hannibal
Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen
Premiered: 2013
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Night Gallery
Rod Serling, Gary Collins
Premiered: 1970
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Penny Dreadful
Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton
Premiered: 2014
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The Haunting of Hill House
Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino
Premiered: 2018
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Supernatural
Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles
Premiered: 2005
Supernatural (The CW, 2005) is an American fantasy horror television series created by Eric... more on Wikipedia
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Goosebumps
R.L. Stine, Kathryn Short
Premiered: 1995
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The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal
Premiered: 2010
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Dexter
Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter
Premiered: 2006
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Bates Motel
Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore
Premiered: 2013
Bates Motel (A&E, 2013) is an American psychological horror drama television series based on... more on Wikipedia
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Twin Peaks
Kyle MacLachlan, Russ Tamblyn
Premiered: 1990
Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990) is an American mystery horror drama television series created by Mark... more on Wikipedia
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Black Mirror
Daniel Kaluuya, Toby Kebbell
Premiered: 2011
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A Haunting
Anthony D. Call, Mark Joy
Premiered: 2002
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Masters of Horror
Jessica Lowndes, Holly Marie Combs
Premiered: 2005
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The Exorcist
Alfonso Herrera, Geena Davis
Premiered: 2016
The Exorcist (Fox, 2016) is an American supernatural horror television series created by... more on Wikipedia
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Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Premiered: 1974
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Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Jonathan Frakes, Don LaFontaine
Premiered: 1997
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Twin Peaks

The Exorcist