Are You Afraid of the Dark? (television)
|
|
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a Nickelodeon television series. The original series ran between August 15, 1992 and February 3, 1996, and a revived series with new directors, new writers, and a new cast ran from 1999 to 2000.
Both Canadian-produced series revolved around a group of adolescents who referred to themselves as "The Midnight Society"; each night, one would tell a scary story to the group. (The actual story, rather than the telling thereof, would be displayed to the TV viewer.) Invariably, these stories' titles frequently began with "The Tale of the...", such as in "The Tale of the Phantom Cab" or "The Tale of the Pinball Wizard", as well as "The Tale of the Quiet Librarian" (which is about the ghost of a dead school librarian who insists that all children are supposed to keep silent everywhere). The themes usually revolved around paranormal phenomena, including ghosts, magic, and haunted houses.
Sources of these tales varied; many were adaptations of public domain fairytales and short stories. For example, "The Tale of the Twisted Claw" is considered to be an adaptation of W.W. Jacobs's short story "The Monkey's Paw".
Episode List
Season One
The Tale of the Phantom Cab gs: Brian Dooley (Flynn) Sean Ryan (Buzz) Aron Tager (Doctor Vink) Jason Tremblay (Denny) T.O. Dillon (Ranger)
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 victims go unless they solve a riddle. "What is lighter than air, can be seen by the naked eye, and if put in a barrel, will make the barrel lighter?"
The Tale of Laughing in the Dark gs: Daniel Finestone (Weegee) Christian Tessier (Josh) Erica Tough (Girl #2) Rebecca Henderson (Girl #1) Tamar Kozlov (Kathy) Aron Tager (Zeebo/Carney)
After a clown, Zeebo, stole some charity money from the circus, he ran from authorities and hid in the fun house. After it caught fire, killing Zeebo, it was believed that he started the fire on accident because he loved to smoke cigars. A teenager named Josh decides to prove that the fun house isn't haunted by stealing Zeebo's nose. He learns that the story isn't fiction when Zeebo comes back to collect.
The Tale of the Lonely Ghost gs: Laura Levin (Beth) Bethanny Nurse (Sally) Laura Bertram (Amanda) Jennie Lévesque (Ghost (uncredited)) Sheena Larkin (Nanny) Pauline Little (Aunt Dottie)
Amanda, a teenage girl, goes to stay with her aunt and cousin Beth for the summer. Her cousin isn't exactly friendly to Amanda, and she's told that she can only hang out with Beth and her friends if she spends a night alone in the house next door that's rumored to be inhabitted by the spirit of a pre-teen girl.
The Tale of the Twisted Claw gs: Noah Plener (Dougie) Gordon Masten (Gym Teacher) Ann Page (Miss Clove) Linda Smith (VII) (Mrs. Freeman) Paul Stewart (Mr. Freeman) Jason Tremblay (Bostick) Maxwell Medeiros (Kevin)
One night Dougie and Bostick, two friends, play a trick on an old woman who lives in a creepy house. On Halloween night, they trick or treat at her house, only to find that she has a special treat for them. They receive a magical twisted claw that can grant them three wishes a piece. However, they soon find out that the wishes come at a price.
The Tale of the Hungry Hounds gs: Jennifer Gula (Amy) Mia Kirshner (Pam) Ais Snyder (Beth) David Francis (Giles)
A young girl, Amy, goes to live with her relatvies. Her cousin Pam is in love with horses, but her mother won't let her ride because of a terrible accident that happened to her aunt. The girls accidentally release the aunt's spirit and Pam seems to be possessed by her dead aunt.
The Tale of the Super Specs gs: Tarah Anick (Marybeth Alter Ego) Eugene Byrd (Weeds) Richard Dumont (Sardo) Annette Bouzi (Katherine) Paul Frapper (Weeds Alter Ego) Errol Tennenbaum (Mark) Carole-Anne Gascon (Patty) Graidhne Lelieveld-Amiro (Marybeth "M.B.") Rachell Glait (Dark Lady/Phantom)
Weeds loves April Fool's Day and has planned numerous pranks for everyone that he knows- some on accident. After buying some 'Super Specs' from Sardo's store, they give his girlfriend Marybeth the power to see things from another dimension. Soon everywhere she looks, she sees strange figures covered in black.
The Tale of the Captured Souls gs: Maria King (Danny) Ethan Tobman (Peter) Don Jordan (Doug) Barbara Harris (Sally) Griffith Brewer (Old Peter)
Danny and her parents vacation at a house overseen by a young boy who is very unusal. He has mirrors all over the house and never seems to like getting his picture taken. Danny soon learns why the boy is so strange and so young.
The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors gs: Suzanna Shebib (Emma Toll) Noah A. Godfrey (Dayday Toll) Carl Alacchi (Mr. Braun) Francoise Robertson (Mrs. Braun) Johnny Morina (Lex Braun) Mark Camacho (Delivery Workman) Harriet Dove (Mrs. Toll) Johnni Keyworth (Mr. Mitchell)
When a new family moves in next door to two youngsters, the kids can't get over their strange behavior. They notice that their new neighbors only come out at night and they always wear black. When several people start to get sick, they come to the conclusion that their new neighbors are vampires.
The Tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice gs: Emma Stevens (Dr. Oliver) Mathew Mackay (Dean) Stephen Hart (Goth) Chris Nash (Acolyte 1) Jane Gilchrist (Ms. Crenshaw) Staci Smith (Alix)
A high school outcast, Dean, falls under the spell of an evil wizard, Goth. After his friend discovers what's going on and is the only one that knows, and it's up to her alone to not only save Dean, but stop him from releasing the evil sorcerer.
The Tale of Jake and the Leprechaun gs: John Dunn-Hill (Erin) David Joseph Steinberg (Sean O'Grady) Jennifer Seguin (Lucy) Benjamin Plener (Jake) Frayne McCarthy (Carl/Goblin)
Young Jake is excited to be part of a play called "Will of the Wisp", a story about an elf saving a boy by changing him into a leprechaun. Soon Jake notices some unusal changes. Sort of like he's changing into a leprechaun himself.
The Tale of the Dark Music gs: Jennie Lévesque (Christina Carr) Graham Selkirk (Andy Carr) Kathryn Graves (Mrs. Carr) Leif Anderson (Koda) Fofi Tsatas (Doll) Ian MacDonald (Mr. Koda) A.J. Henderson (Carnival Barker)
A young boy sees some weird things in his basement. It seems that years ago his uncle made a pact with a creature inside the cellar. While listening to the radio, the boy soon learns the secret of the dark music.
The Tale of the Prom Queen gs: Amyas Godfrey (Chuck) Mathew Mackay (Ricky) Katie Griffin (DeDe/Judy Larson) Irene Kessler (Librarian) Graeme Millington (Jam) Andre Todorovic (Greg)
A long time ago a teenage girl was crowned prom queen. Her date decided to pick her up on a foggy night. A car drove right over her and didn't realize what it had done. Her boyfriend was so freaked out that he lost control and had a fatal accident. Rumor has it the teenage girl's ghost waits for the ride that she never got. Two guys, Chuck and Greg, decide to go on hunt for the prom queen's ghost.
The Tale of the Pinball Wizard gs: Joseph Posca (Ross) A.J. Henderson (Mr. Olson) Polly Shannon (Sophie) Nathalie Gauthier (Wicked Witch/Bag Lady) Tom Rack (Sheriff/Security Guard) Normand James (Executioner/Wrestler/Nutcracker)
A teenage boy by the name of Ross loves to play pinball at the local mall. Short on cash, he asks his friend Mr. Olson for a job in his repair shop. While asking Mr.Olson for a job, Ross discovers a pinball machine in the back of the store. Mr. Olson asks Ross to watch after the store while he is at lunch and tells him specifically to not touch the pinball machine in the back. Despite Mr. Olson's warning, Ross plays the game, loses track of the time, and gets locked inside the mall after closing. But what's worse is that the characters from the pinball game have entered the real world. Ross must now defeat a wicked witch, a group of zombies, and a terrifying man who wishes to be king. Ross also has to save Princess Sophie from their clutches. Ross must battle these larger than life pinball characters to save himself.
Season Two
The Tale of the Final Wish gs: Bobcat Goldthwait (Sandman) Samantha Chemerika (Jill Petterson) Jane Wheeler (Mrs. Petterson) Thomas Stevewright (Jon Petterson) Ian Finlay (Mr. Petterson)
Jill is a thirteen year old that still loves things her peers have grown out of, such as unicorns and fairy tales. One night she wishes that she could be in a fairy tale world forever. After her wish is granted, she finds that living in a fairy tale isn't as happy as she'd once imagined.
The Tale of the Midnight Madness gs: Eddie T. Robinson (Pete Matt) Christopher Heyerdahl (Nosferatu) Harry Standjofski (Mr. Kristoph) Aron Tager (Doctor Vink) Melanie Wiesenthal (Katie Halloran)
An old movie theater has two weeks before they close down for good. Ever since the multiplex came into town, the older movie theater has made less than six dollars per day. All of a sudden, the mysterious Dr. Vink appears and offers them a horror movie he made decades ago. He promises the owner and his staff that his movie would save them from closing down and it works! Dr. Vink's horror movie, Nosferatu: The Demon Vampire, starts attracting more than fifty people a night. The staff wonders what attracts people to this film and unfortunately they find out. The terrifying vampire jumps out of the movie and into the real world where it can have all the victims it wants. Now the staff must pull the plug on the movie before it gets out of hand!
The Tale of Locker 22 gs: Karen Elkin (Julie Dufaux) Jennifer Irwin (Candy) Jonathan Koensgen (Mr. Shaffner) Cory King (Chris) David John LeBlanc (Fritz) Sean Tataryn (Donny)
In the 1970s, a young girl named Candy Warren was forced to work on her Chemistry assignment after school. However, neither she nor her teacher noticed that the gas line of her Bunsen burner was frayed. This caused an accident, claiming Candy's life. Years later, a young girl gets Candy's locker and soon finds herself haunted by Candy's ghost.
The Tale of the Thirteenth Floor gs: Susan Glover (Olga) Christopher Heyerdahl (Leonid) Johnni Keyworth (Gus) Raymond Leblanc (Raymond) Aaron Ashmore (Billy) Trish Lindstrom (Karin)
Two siblings generally spend all their free time playing hockey on the 13th floor of their apartment building. However, one day the regular elevator operator disappears and they find that the floor is now being used by a company to manufacture toys and games. However, the toys that they're creating aren't exactly from this world.
The Tale of the Dream Machine gs: Michael Hong (Sean Hackett) Nicole Lyn (Jennifer) Joel Gordon (Billy) Rikee Madoff (Mrs. Dodds) Tim Post (Black Robed Figure)
Sean Hackett finds a strange old typewriter in his house that once belonged to a writer who mysteriously vanished. He loves to write short stories, but soon finds that whatever he types comes to life as it's read. Things seem harmless enough until he writes a story for English class in which his best friend dies.
The Tale of the Dark Dragon gs: Cara Pifko (Mariah) Chuck Campbell (Keith/KC) Eleanor Noble (Shelly Bergman) Richard Dumont (Sardo) Sean Hayes (II) (Gary)
A teenager buys a potion from Sardo's magic shop hoping to make himself cooler, since he was in a accident that caused him to have to wear a brace on his leg. He soon finds himself changing, but also discovers that the potion has some very bad side effects.
The Tale of the Whispering Walls gs: Robert Higden (Master Raymond) Vivian Liu (Louise Lam) Ryan Gifford (Andrew Dickens) Una Kay (Elegant Lady) Tamar Lee (Claire Dickens)
While driving to a carnival, a babysitter and the two children she's looking after get lost. When their car breaks down, she goes inside a house to call for help. Trouble begins when she disappears and the kids soon find out that while they aren't the only ones in the house, they're the only ones that are alive.
The Tale of the Frozen Ghost gs: Melissa Joan Hart (Daphne) Michael Caloz (Ghost) Sandra Scott (Gretta) Sara Lee Stadleman (Maylene) Andrew Henry (Charles)
When Daphne takes Charlie to stay with his aunts, they mention something about a ghost. Charlie's terrified when he keeps seeing a strange, glowing boy complaining that he's cold.
The Tale of the Full Moon gs: Dominic Zamprogna (Jed) Carl Alacchi (Werewolf/Gordon) Peter Colvey (Boyfriend) Ellen David (Ellen) Jesse Lavendel (Hughie)
Two young pet detectives try to figure out where all the neighborhood cats are disappearing to. They find a clue when looking through a neighbor's back yard. He seems to have a rather large collection of cat collars hidden in his backyard. They begin to suspect that he's a werewolf, but unfortunately, no one believes them.
The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle gs: Matthew Edison (Mike Buckley) Jamieson Boulanger (Ben Buckley) Benjamin Shirinian (Ricky Hagerty) Mark Camacho (Leonard Buckley) Pauline Little (Ruth Buckley) Joanna Noyes (Mrs. Westwood) Amanda Strawn (Nurse) Jamie Elman (Friend)
Years ago a boy named Ricky Hagerdy drowned. His close friend Mike Buckley tried to save him, but failed. Ever since that day he's felt guilty for what happened. Trouble begins when he starts seeing Ricky's ghost everywhere he looks.
The Tale of the Magician's Assistant gs: James Bradford (Shandu) Mark Bromilow (Nazrak (Demon)) Wendii Fulford (Nazrak (Woman)) Noah Plener (Todd Marker) Sally Singal (Mrs. Marker)
A young boy, Todd, starts doing the one thing that he's wanted to do since his father died, further his interest in magic. He becomes an assistant to the great magician Shandu and learns the rules of being a magician: Only let the audience see what you want them to see, never touch another magician's wand unless he hands it to you, and never get caught in your own reflection. But trouble ensues when Todd makes an unwise decision to take Shandu's wand and use it for himself.
The Tale of the Hatching gs: Heather Brown (Jasmine "Jazz" Wilson) Maria Heidler (Mrs. Taylor) Pierre Lenoir (Mr. Wilson) Liz MacRae (Mrs. Wilson) Philip Spensley (Mr. Taylor) Kenny Vadas (Willy) Illya Woloshyn (Augie Wilson) Genevieve Smith (Marie)
Two siblings, Jazz and Augie, are sent to boarding school while their parents are away. They immediately notice that the school is quite different and has some rather strange rules. For example, only calm, soothing tones are allowed inside the school and the students are only given the option to eat something called 'sponge' for meals daily. Jazz and Augie soon learn why the owners are so strange and have these odd rules in place.
The Tale of Old Man Corcoran gs: Adam Bonneau (Jack Harris) Michael Alexander Jackson (Kenny Harris) Jonathan Cameron (Marshall McClain) Tamar Kozlov (Cissy Vernun) David Francis (Old Man Corcoran)
Two boys befriend a group of hide 'n' seekers who play their game in a graveyard that's rumored to be haunted by a caretakers's ghost. They soon find out that it might not be just a rumor.
Season Three
The Tale of the Midnight Ride
The Tale of Apartment 214
The Tale of Watcher's Woods
The Tale of the Phone Police
The Tale of the Doll Maker
The Tale of the Bookish Babysitter
The Tale of the Carved Stone
The Tale of the Guardian's Curse
The Tale of the Curious Camera
The Tale of the Dream Girl
The Tale of the Quicksilver
The Tale of the Crimson Clown
The Tale of the Dangerous Soup