10 TV Shows That Make You Question Your Own Reality
3. Channel Zero
Channel Zero is an anthology horror series produced by SyFy, running for 4 seasons from 2016 to 2018. Based on the popular online string of creepypastas, most famous for driving the disturbing Slenderman character into the wider spread horror canon, the series is an unsettling rumination on things that go bump in the night, and as with all best horrors, it's quiet moments prey on the tension of the racing possibilities of terror in the viewer’s mind.
Channel Zero’s first season, titled Candle Cove, is an examination of memory as a group of adults remember the existence of a mysterious children’s programme that aired in the ‘80s. When they try to research the broadcast history, they discover that there is no record of the show ever airing on any channel, and something far more sinister is afoot that is grabbing a hold of the community that has existed since their childhood and is returning decades later in terrifying circumstances.
As children, I think we all remember snatched images of shows that we used to watch that we can’t quite fully remember the details of, and it’s a clever analysis of the limitations in the development of memory through maturing from childhood. As a horror show, the creeping doubts that plague the mind of the viewer while absorbing the show is subtle and an excellent set-up for the reveal of some really disturbing monsters. An underrated show, it’s worth seeking out if you feel prone to that eerie feeling that you can’t quite put a finger on an old memory or two.