10 Horror TV Shows That Had No Right To Be This Good

Arguably more so than any other genre, horror manages to evade the bounds of cinematic reason where quality is concerned. Thanks to studios regularly turning out low budget flicks to make a quick buck out of those of us always looking for a cheap scare, a far higher proportion of quote-unquote ‘bad’ horror media exists than in other genres, where such projects simply wouldn’t get made.

Even still, horror refuses to follow the conventional rules. A blockbuster plot or franchise entry that should in theory be a surefire win often ends up pelted with metaphorical tomatoes, while an initially ridiculous premise can end up a true classic, all by virtue of bloody good or bad execution - sometimes literally. While this is less prevalent on the small screen due to the increased time and logistics involved in producing an entire TV show, plenty of titles still make their way onto our screens that make us say, “There’s no way that should have worked. Or at the very least, worked that well.” And yet!

These shows had absolutely no right to be this good, but they certainly prove that what sounds wacky on paper can turn out to be some of the best horror in the business.

Any premise that is at all meta in nature can often be a finicky thing to adapt. Based on the 1982 Stephen King and George A. Romero film, a television continuation of this universe would inevitably prove difficult to get right. The initial anthology, having been thematically and visually an homage to comics such as Tales Of The Crypt, has since been turned into comics and graphic novels in its own right, meaning the show needed to successfully capture the magic of each of these mediums in a new format.

Few shows have committed to the bit as thoroughly as Creepshow. Fully stepping up to the challenge, Creeshow not only manages to squeeze two horror stories into each episode, complete with comic book-esque visuals, traits and special effects, but even includes fictitious advertisements of products presented in the comics bang splat in the middle of the narrative. Add to this the omnipresent puppet presenter of The Creep, who needs to be both humorous and taken seriously, and you have a concoction of elements that really ought not to have worked.

Instead, Creepshow is extremely successful as a niche genre offering, and as of 2022 has been renewed for a fourth season at Shudder, as well as spawning multiple tie-in novels and even a theme park event.