Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019)
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019)
Official Trailer for Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Episode 1: Submitted for Approval -full episode (2019)
The Midnight Society (2019)
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a 2019 reboot of the Canadian cult horror show that first aired on Nickelodeon in the 1990's. The reboot is a miniseries on the same network, consisting of three episodes airing on Fridays in the month of October.[4]
Plot
This reboot focuses on new girl in town, Rachel (portrayed by actress Lyliana Wray) and her initiation into the Midnight Society, a group of kids that meet in the woods at night to tell horror stories to one another around a campfire. After passing a test of her knowledge of ghouls and ghosts, Rachel is left with the final test-to make up a story that will frighten the Midnight Society around their campfire the next night.[5]
Rachel spends all the night and next day writing a story based on a reoccurring nightmare she has. That night, at the meeting of the Midnight Society, Rachel orates her tale of horror: The Carnival of Doom, a spooky carnival with a mysterious, evil ringmaster named Mr. Tophat (played by Rafael Casal). The kids are all blown away by Rachel's storytelling prowess and sneak back into their homes after the group meeting. At school the next morning, a child goes missing and fliers of an event are passed around class and the town: The Carnival of Doom is visiting.
The Midnight Society decides to investigate and dive in Rachel's nightmare come-to-life.
Is this the same carnival from her dreams?
Who is Mr. Tophat?
Can the kids survive the Carnival of Doom?
Reception
The original Are You Afraid of the Dark? was a cult classic that ran for 8 seasons in the early 1990s. The reboot seems to do the original justice, with subtle nods to its predecessor. On the relevance of recreating the series, writer BenDavid Grabinski stated,[8]
"I just feel very lucky [to be the one to reboot the show] because it’s very much tonally in my wheelhouse.
Also, it’s just exciting because I think the concept of it works for any generation.
As long as you’re kids, and as long as you like being scared, and as long as stories exist, it’s all kind of relevant."
Episodes
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
is a three part miniseries that kicked off on October 11, 2019 on the Nickelodeon network.[4]
| Episode | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Submitted For Approval | October 11, 2019 |
| Part 2 | Opening Night | October 18, 2019 |
| Part 3 | Destroy All Tophats | October 25, 2019 |