For the moment, I saw a group of children, calling themselves "the Midnight Society" in August of 1992, meeting up around a campfire in a secret location to share tales I had found with my people. We would then see the tale unfold, before cutting back to the group, throwing water over the fire (Good to know that practising for safety), and declaring that this meeting of The Midnight Society closed (which now, as a practising pagan, it has similar to the end of many rituals). I knew I had found my programme. I dreamt of the day that I would have my own Midnight Society, and I never did.
The series is episodic, with each member of The Midnight Society telling a different horrifying tale. I found the show thrilling. So, at the same time, there were Goosebumps, but that never crossed my path; I am unsure if it came to the UK or, due to the lurid covers, it was something that my mother steered me away from. But I loved the thrill of sitting in bed, in the dark, with nothing but the glowing screen awaiting the next silly and spooky episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? While it was ticked approved, my mother would not sit and watch it with me. Are You Afraid of the Dark? had quite a rogues gallery of scary monsters and creatures.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? ran for four years and soon became a milestone in many childhoods. And because of this, it was quickly rebooted (which I have not seen). These are tales about teens told by teens in their safe space, make Are You Afraid of the Dark? the same. We always knew that the tales would be notified by many the same people (although David and Rachel did leave).
Some of the highlights include:
The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner.
The Tale of Dead Man's Float.
The Tale of Laughing In The Dark.
The Tale of The Lonely Ghost.
The Tale of The Doll Maker.
While my mother was trying to limit my exposure to horror, Are You Afraid of the Dark? was seen as something I could handle. I could not help but notice some elements of this show in Stranger Things. It is part of my childhood that I would be happy to return to again and again.
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