15 Best Horror TV Series

Twin Peaks is not only David Lynch's masterpiece, but is the closest thing to perfection in genre television history. Is that too bold? Its fascinating and diverse characters, its rich and distinctively warm visual aesthetic, and of course its captivating central mystery are all areas that other series have attempted, and failed, to match.

Pinning down precisely why Twin Peaks is such a horrifying show is complicated. The obvious answer is Frank Silva as malevolent entity Bob. That horrible scene of Bob clambering over the sofa towards a cowering Maddy Ferguson, that signature demented grin on his face, left its audience with a similar reaction to Maddy's. And then, of course, we have the infamous, extra-dimensional 'red room'. The concept of the Black Lodge in itself is a terrifying invention.

The revelation of the killer's identity part-way through the first season, which many consider to be the show's downfall, is still handled effectively. Lynch initially never intended to make this revelation at all, and ultimately did so reluctantly.

The scariest aspect of Twin Peaks is how unsettlingly 'perfect' its central community is. As he did so effectively with Blue Velvet, Lynch creates a lingering unease with the facade of an overly idealized small town, and lets the seedy ugliness underneath bleed through. Every main character - and there're a hell of a lot of them - has some sort of dirty secret waiting to be uncovered, and you spend you first viewing experience trying to guess what they all are. A repeat viewing is essential to allow you to fully appreciate how beautiful this show is. Its re-watch value is very high; you find yourself making a new observation each time, even after a dozen revisits.

The revival season often feels like a completely different show, but it's still thoroughly rewarding. In particular, that now infamous eighth episode is nothing short of spectacular.