10 Horror TV Shows That Broke All The Rules

9. Harper’s Island - A Slasher With No Jump Scares

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This series is from 2009, but you wouldn’t need me to tell you that if you simply looked at everyone’s outfits and listened to the first ten minutes of dialogue. It is so 2000’s that you can practically hear the distant Britney Spears and sense the GAP jeans.

It’s easy-watching noughties at its best: serving up an ensemble cast, a simple premise and all the PG-13 slasher fun you could ask for. The benefit of it being sanitised enough for general consumption? No jump-scares!

It is a rule, it seems, of slashers that they have to be full of jump-scares; it’s hard these days to find an engaging horror series that doesn’t hit you with the same trick over and over. American Horror Story, The Haunting Of Hill House, et cetera - as seriously as these shows take themselves, they aren’t afraid to hit you with a jump-scare every now and then.

If that’s the sort of thing you’re after, in fact, then fear not because we’ve got you covered with a whole article on great horror TV shows sans the jump-scares.

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WhatCulture's shortest contributor (probably). Lover of cats, baked goods and Netflix Originals.