Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

The Nickelodeon Horror Show That Traumatized ’90s Kids Is Somehow Even Creepier Than You Remember

The Nickelodeon horror series was made for kids, but episodes like “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” still feel wild decades later.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

Nickelodeon was pushing just about every boundary for kids’ television in the 90s. From adult jokes to horror that left a lasting impression on the audience, Are You Afraid of the Dark? falls under the latter category. It’s questionable how it even passed the suits at Nickelodeon for television airtime.

For comparison, Goosebumps, which was AYAOTD’s direct competition, wasn’t even as scary. Sure, it had more dark endings, but because AYAOTD used it more sparingly, it was all the more frightening for kids.

Not only was the subject matter borderline too adult for a kids’ program, but the show’s editing—the suspense, darkness, and generally negative atmosphere—still........

© Vice