Horror television programs have captivated audiences for decades and first gained popularity after World War II as the new source of entertainment to replace cinema. Horror TV was originally based on radio programs and stories including Lights Out, Intersanctum, The Monkey’s Paw, Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and adapted to Suspense. The 1960s to 1970s were anthology series and adaptations of classic horror films, followed by the 1980s and 1990s with popular film franchise adaptations.
During the early 2000s to now, horror TV has been inspired by classic horror figures, and focused on secret societies and groups investigating the supernatural. The evolution of Horror TV has created some of the most terrifying television shows of all time, which are ranked below by ratings and impact. From horror TV programs that aired in the 1960s to ones in the present day, here are the most terrifying TV episodes of all time ranked.
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8 American Horror Story, Murder House - “Halloween” (2011)
20th Television/Disney Platform Distribution
“Halloween” is a two-part episode consisting of the fourth and fifth episodes of the first season of the television series American Horror Story: Murder House. The two-part episode is about the spirits of Murder House becoming stronger, while blurring the line between life and death, and the notorious Rubberman returns. Part 1 was written by James Wong, airing on October 26, 2011, and Part 2 was written by Tim Minear, airing on November 2, 2011. Both were directed by David Semel and Part 1 received nominations for Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Halloween also garnered widespread critical acclaim, received an estimated 2.96 million viewers, and generated a 1.7 ratings share score among adults aged 18–49.
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7 Doctor Who - “Blink” (2007)
BBC One
“Blink” is the tenth episode of the third series of Doctor Who, a television series that first broadcast on BBC One on June 9, 2007. “Blink” is about the 10th Doctor, who is a time traveling alien, trapped in 1969, and trying to communicate with a young woman in 2007. The episode was directed by Hettie MacDonald and written by Steven Moffat, based on his short story, What I Did on My Christmas Holidays, By Sally Sparrow. Moffat won Best Writer at the BAFTA Craft and BAFTA Cymru awards, and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. “Blink” received 6.62 million viewers, garnered widespread critical acclaim, and readers of Doctor Who Magazine voted the episode the second-best Doctor Who story ever.
6 The Twilight Zone - “Eye of the Beholder” (1960)
CBS
“Eye of the Beholder” is season two, episode six of the television anthology series The Twilight Zone, and was first broadcast on November 11, 1960, on CBS. The episode is about a woman, Janet Tyler, who has undergone surgery to appear as what is considered normal in this dimension of The Twilight Zone. Janet’s surgery is a failure, and she is exiled to a village of her “own kind”, where her “ugly” appearance will not trouble the State. The ending narration asks, “What kind of world where ugliness is the norm and beauty the deviation from that norm?” To which the answer is, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. The episode was remade for the 2002–03 revival of the series and American Horror Stories.
5 The Twilight Zone - “Mirror Image” (1960)
“Mirror Image” is season one, episode 21 of the television anthology series The Twilight Zone, and was first broadcast on CBS on February 26, 1960. The episode involves Millicent Barnes, who waits at a bus stop as her sense of reality is challenged by circumstances occurring around her. Millicent encounters her doppelganger at the bus stop, and realizes her double intends to kill and replace her since only one can exist in that realm. After Millicent explains to Paul, a man she met at the bust stop, he calls the police, and she is taken away for alleged insanity. Paul then discovers his own double and the end narration concludes, “Obscure and metaphysical explanation to cover a phenomenon… Call it ‘parallel planes’ or just ‘insanity’.”
4 Hammer House of Horror - “The House that Bled to Death” (1980)
A&E Entertainment
“The House That Bled To Death” is from the anthology television series Hammer House of Horror, which originally broadcast on ITV in 1980 and consisted of 13 episodes. “The House That Bled To Death” is about a family who moves into a new house that they recently purchased for an unusually good price. A series of terrifying events follow, forcing them all to run for their lives. The episode was directed by Alan Gibson, Peter Sasdy and Tom Clegg, with story editor Anthony Read, and stars Nicholas Ball, Rachel Davies, Brian Croucher, and more. In 2003, Hammer House of Horror was ranked by Channel 4 at No. 50 of “100 Scariest Moments” in television shows, featuring a scene from “The House That Bled To Death”.
3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer - “Hush” (1999)
The WB
“Hush” is season four, episode 10 of the supernatural television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which aired December 14, 1999, on The WB Television Network. Hush is about ghouls named “The Gentlemen” that steal the townspeople’s voices, leaving them unable to scream when their hearts are cut out by them. The episode was written and directed by Joss Whedon, after reading critical responses, which praised the dialogue as the most successful aspect of the show. Whedon was then motivated to write an episode without any speech, so “Hush” has only 17 minutes of dialogue presented throughout the entire 44 minutes. “Hush” received widespread acclaim and nominations for an Emmy Award in Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series.
2 Twin Peaks - “Lonely Souls” (1990)
“Lonely Souls”, also called “Episode 14”, is the seventh episode and fifteenth overall of the second season of the mystery drama television series Twin Peaks. In “Lonely Souls”, Laura Palmer’s killer is revealed by Cooper and Truman with help from the one-armed man, while Hawk discovers Harold Smith dead, with a suicide note and Laura’s diary ripped apart, and Leo and Bobby discuss “new shoes”. The episode was created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, and is recognized as terrifying for its portrayal of death. Twin Peaks received awards and nominations at the Casting Society of America Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards, Saturn Awards, TCA Awards, Directors Guild of America Awards, Golden Reel Awards, Satellite Awards, and Viewers for Quality Television Awards.
1 The X-Files - “Home” (1996)
20th Century Fox
“Home” is the second episode in season four of the science fiction television series The X-Files, which first aired on Fox on October 11, 1996. The episode is about a woman in the small town of Home, Pennsylvania, who gives birth to a deformed baby and the investigation that follows. Home was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, directed by Kim Manners, and is cited as a seminal episode by critics and crew members. The episode was watched by 18.85 million viewers, received a Nielsen rating of 11.9, was The X-Files’ only episode with a TV-MA rating upon broadcast; and the first to receive a viewer discretion warning, since the TV Parental Guidelines rating system was not enforced until two months after.
