The 21st century saw a resurgence in the popularity of anthology series, a style of storytelling that features new characters and settings each episode. First gaining prominence on the small screen back in the ‘50s with cult classics Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone, anthology shows kept viewers on the edge of their seats as they witnessed tales of mystery, murder and mayhem unfold before their eyes each week. Such formats were extremely popular during the Golden Age of Television before their appeal slowly fizzled out. It was during the ‘90s that anthology series reappeared, with iconic shows such as Tales from the Crypt, Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? emerging and once again striking thrilling fear in audiences across the world.

The year 2011 saw the revitalization of the anthology style, with both American Horror Story and Black Mirror making their impressive debuts. Instead of a new premise and characters being introduced each episode, American Horror Story opted to shake things up on a season to season basis, something later seen in the excellent Channel Zero and The Terror. With the freedom to not be tied down for multiple seasons, the anthology approach to filming has attracted big name stars who want to dip their toes in the storytelling style. Let’s take a look at the best TV anthologies of all time.

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9 Alfred Hitchcock Presents

     NBCUniversal Television Distribution

From the “Master of Suspense” himself comes the classic anthology television series Alfred Hitchock Presents, telling an array of short stories covering various elements of horror, crime, comedy and drama all while depicting the director’s signature tension. The famed English filmmaker created, produced and hosted the show, which became well-known for its iconic title sequence in which the camera fades in on a caricature of Hitchcock to the tune of Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” and subsequently his silhouette. Many of Hollywood’s finest stars appeared in the series, such as Vincent Price, Steve McQueen, Joan Fontaine, and Bette Davis. Alfred Hitchock Presents ran from 1955 to 1962, before changing its name to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour for the final three seasons, concluding in 1965. Time magazine named the series as one of “The 100 Best TV Shows of All Time.”

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8 Fargo

     FX

Inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers classic of the same name, FX’s dark comedy-drama Fargo chronicles various instances of murder, deception and wonder centering around a frozen Minnesota and ultimately Fargo, North Dakota. Each season is set in a different era and location with usually a new cast and characters. Creator Noah Hawley’s adaptation impressed The Coens, who also serve as executive producers. Four seasons of the show have currently been released, featuring an assortment of talent such as Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Ewan McGregor, and Chris Rock throughout various seasons. Fargo has received numerous accolades and awards, winning multiple Emmys and Golden Globes, and a fifth season is currently in discussion.

7 Tales from the Crypt

     HBO

HBO’s famous horror anthology show Tales from the Crypt is based on the 1950s EC Comics series and its subsequent content, and debuted on the premium cable channel in 1989. Presented by the legendary Crypt Keeper (voiced by John Kassir), a menacing ghoul engrossed with horrific puns and gruesome humor, the series was edgy upon its release due to its depictions of profanity, graphic violence and sexual activity. The wisecracking, demented Crypt Keeper greets audiences with intentionally corny puns before introducing the tale of horror featured in the episode. A variety of notable guests have starred in episodes, including Brad Pitt, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tom Hanks. The success of the show led to numerous spin-offs and films, as well as a short-lived radio series and a canceled reboot from M. Night Shymalan.

6 The Twilight Zone

     CBS

Heavily regarded as one of the greatest television shows of all time, 1959’s The Twilight Zone featured stand-alone stories in which ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily surreal situations. Created and presented by Rod Serling, the anthology series ran for five seasons and featured both established actors and up-and-comers, often helping the latter gain future success. Serling came up with the premise of the show because he thought a science-fictional setting, showcasing supernatural occurrences, would give him more freedom and less resistance to express then-taboo topics and controversial ideas. The Twilight Zone won Serling two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award over the course of its 156 episodes. Its groundbreaking success (which interrogated the hypocrisy and immorality of society in fascinating ways) led to a feature film, TV movie and ’80s reboot, radio series, and an assortment of literature and spin-offs. Modern horror maestro Jordan Peele also made an honorable attempt at a reboot, but nothing has ever topped the original masterpiece.

5 Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Nickelodeon’s horror anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? follows a group of teenagers known as “The Midnight Society” who gather together in the woods around a campfire to tell spooky ghost stories. Created by D.J. MacHale and Ned Kandel, the series ran from 1991 to 1996 and featured creepy and bone-chilling tales about things that go bump in the night and haunted houses. Are You Afraid of the Dark? became a weekly staple for children and tweens during the ‘90s, with the show earning acclaim for its diversity and positive depiction of female characters. Co-creator MacHale once stated, “We wanted to depict a wide variety of stories, characters, and situations. It was all about diversity…girls got to be the imperfect heroes as often as the boys did.” The show has been revived twice; first from 1999-2000 and once again in 2019, with the most recent season airing in 2021.

4 The Outer Limits

     United Artists Television

An anthology series dedicated to telling insightful science fiction tales, 1963’s The Outer Limits debuted on ABC and drew direct comparisons to The Twilight Zone, despite emphasizing sci-fi stories more than supernatural ones. The show’s famous cold open features a narration by Vic Perrin over visuals of an oscilloscope, and uses the Orwellian theme of taking over your television. The series earned a faithful and loyal audience during its premiere season, with some viewers even taking their TV sets with them so they wouldn’t miss an episode. Despite only lasting two seasons, The Outer Limits inspired countless shows and creators, such as Star Trek and The Terminator, developed a cult-like following and inspired a revival of the series that ran from 1995 to 2002.

3 American Horror Story

One of the most critically-renowned and successful anthology series in recent years, American Horror Story centers on different settings and characters each season, focusing on themes such as sanity, oppression, infidelity and exploitation. Created by the genius minds of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the series has followed a nefarious haunted house, coven of witches, a circus of freaks, and an insane asylum. American Horror Story as a whole has largely been well-received, with its talented cast garnering widespread praise. Many actors on the show have returned for numerous seasons, like Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe; Lange won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her outstanding performances, and Paulson is always phenomenal. The show consistently draws high ratings for FX and has inspired American Crime Story and American Horror Stories, renewing interest in the anthology television format.

2 Black Mirror

     Netflix

Updating The Twilight Zone for the terrifying digital age, the 2011 British smash hit Black Mirror uses technology to comment on contemporary social issues, and explores near-future dystopias via a science-fiction format. Created by Charlie Brooker, the show debuted on the British network Channel 4 before moving to Netflix for its final three seasons. Black Mirror, along with American Horror Story, have been credited with popularizing the anthology genre again due to their profound success. Many famous faces have appeared in episodes of the series, such as Jon Hamm, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anthony Mackie, and Miley Cyrus. Black Mirror has been met with widespread critical acclaim, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie three times, and has spawned webisodes, board games, and soundtracks.

1 Goosebumps

     Scholastic Productions

Based on the beloved children’s horror novels by R.L. Stine, Goosebumps depicts a series of scary anthology stories in which tweens and young teens find themselves in creepy supernatural situations. Debuting in 1995, the show ran for four seasons and produced 74 episodes, becoming extremely popular among young audiences. Goosebumps covered various spooky tales, such as zombies, ghosts, puppets, and haunted houses, and Stine himself hosted 12 episodes, serving as a narrator. The show’s monumental success led to two film adaptations, one in 2015 starring Jack Black as R.L. Stine and a sequel in 2018; a reboot live-action TV series is currently in the works. The show and short novels hold a special, hallowed place in the minds of anyone with ’90s nostalgia.