Scariest TV Shows You Need to Watch in this Halloween 2018

We probably know Jack-o'-Lantern as a carved pumpkin lantern, but the original Jack O'Lantern was a turnip. According to Irish folklore, an Irishman named "Stingy Jack" was punished by Devil and he was ordered to keep wandering around on earth without a resting place. What he left was a glowing ember that the devil gave him to light his way. He put it into a carved turnip and made it a lantern. The Irish called him "Jack of the Lantern" or "Jack O'Lantern" for short.

You will see a witch in her black cloaks and black pointed hat riding her broomstick with her friend, the black cat. She is sometimes a good witch but many times evil. Her biggest power is witchcraft which is thought to be associated with the devil and black magic. Perhaps the most quintessential Halloween symbol of all is the witch.

Black cats are often considered as symbols of bad luck and misfortune in many cultures. Their black skins are associated with evil and death. It's said that black cats are transformed from witches but some people also believe that the black cats are "familiars" of witches. No matter what, if you see a witch on Halloween, you'll probably see a black cat nearby.

Bats have been associated with death, evil, mystery, and occult rituals for a long time. They usually live in tombs, abandoned churches, and caves. They are also commonly associated with vampires and witches because of the superstition that witches and vampires can transform into bats.

Goblins are small, ugly or grotesque sprites that are usually playful and mischievous but sometimes evil and malicious. They first appeared in stories from European folklore in the Middle Ages. Their supernatural power is similar to a fairy or demon.

Skeletons and skulls are the symbols of death. The skull, in particular, is a symbol used by many different cultures to represent either the brevity of human mortality, the fear of death, or danger that can result in death.

Ghosts, such as specter, wraith, and banshee, are the most basic of Halloween symbols. Halloween takes place on the night of October 31, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark and cold winter. But it was, in essence, a festival of the dead. It's believed that on Halloween night the boundary between the realms of the living and dead becomes blurred. The dead return as ghosts and they can walk among the living.

Release Date: 27 October 2008 (UK)
Episodes: 5
Status: Finished Airing
Genres: Comedy | Horror | Drama
IMDB Rated: 7.8/10
Introduction:
Dead Set is a British television horror serial of a zombie outbreak. While all contestants are running a real show on Big Brother house, zombies are crazily attacking all of the audience outside. They are unaware of the situation outside the house until Kelly, the show's runner, comes into the house and warm them against the zombies. Now, they need to sneak out of the house for supplies without being noticed by the zombies...

Release Date: 15 July 2016 (USA)
Episodes: 17 (Season 1-2)
Status: Finished Airing (Season 3 preparing)
Genres: Thriller | Mystery | Horror | Fantasy | Drama
IMDB Rated: 8.9/10
Introduction:
Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins during the early 1980s. One day, an eccentric incident triggers a chain of events that leads to a child missing, which begins to haunt the community. Government agencies and seemingly supernatural forces are gathering on the town but only a few locals realize what's really going on...

Release Date: 28 April 2014 (USA)
Episodes: 27 (Season 1-3)
Status: Finished Airing
Genres: Horror | Fantasy | Drama
IMDB Rated: 8.2/10
Introduction:
Penny Dreadful is a psychological thriller filled with dark mystery and suspense. Main character Sir Malcolm Murray who has lost his daughter and made up his mind to get her back at any cost, teams up with enigmatic heroine Vanessa Ives, American fighter Ethan Chandler, and Dr. Victor Frankenstein to combat the incoming supernatural threats in Victorian London. You'll see some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dorian Gray and Dr. Frankenstein...

Release Date: 4 April 2013 (USA)
Episodes: 39 (Season 1-3)
Status: Finished Airing
Genres: Horror | Crime | Drama | Thriller | Mystery
IMDB Rated: 8.5/10
Introduction:
Will Graham is a gifted FBI profiler who can analyze murderers' methods, motives, and even personalities. As Graham is investigating a serial killer in Minnesota, Jack Crawford, the head of Behavioral Sciences decides to have him supervised by a highly-respected psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter who is secretly a serial killer. Dr. Hannibal initially works to manipulate the FBI from within but when he finds out Graham's ability, he tries to distort his sanity in order to turn him into a killer...

Release Date: 12 October 2018 (USA)
Episodes: 10
Status: Finished Airing
Genres: Thriller | Fantasy | Drama | Horror | Mystery
IMDB Rated: 9.0/10
Introduction:
Hugh and Olivia Crain temporarily move into an old but haunted mansion, Hill House, along with their five children: Steven, Shirley, Theodora, Luke, and Nell. During their stay, the Crain family experiences paranormal occurrences and is forced to move out of the house without Olivia, who dies in the house. Now the children become adults, but they are haunted by the ghosts of their past and the Hill House again...

Release Date: 23 May 2016 (USA)
Episodes: 20 (Season 1-2)
Status: Finished Airing
Genres: Drama | Horror
IMDB Rated: 7.5/10
Introduction:
Outcast is a comic-based supernatural horror TV series and it tells a story about people who involve in demonic possession. Kyle Barnes, a depressed young man, has had a series of misfortunes in his life. His mother beat him when he was a child and he was accused of hurting his own daughter. After attending an exorcism in his town, he is convinced that his mother and his wife were possessed by a demon...

Release Date: 23 September 2016 (USA)
Episodes: 20 (Season 1-2)
Status: Finished Airing
Genres: Drama | Horror | Thriller
IMDB Rated: 8.2/10
Introduction:
The Exorcist is a psychological thriller and supernatural horror TV series. Weird things keep happening to the family in the series. Angela, who is haunted by frightening nightmares, her husband who is gradually losing his mind, her older daughter who locks herself in her room all day, and her younger daughter who even hears creepy noises from inside the walls, they fall into the battle against demonic possession...

Release Date: 25 March 2018 (USA)
Episodes: 10
Status: Finished Airing (Season 2 preparing)
Genres: Drama | Adventure | Thriller | Horror
IMDB Rated: 8.1/10
Introduction:
The Terror is an anthology horror TV series about two Royal Navy's polar explorer ships heading south toward King William island to explore uncharted territory. Right after they leave Beechey island, the ships are soon stuck, frozen and isolated. The people on board have to survive from the harsh weather conditions, dangerous situations, as well as each other...

It's not recommended to watch every single one of these TV series since some of them are long-running. Just pick one or two to surprise you Halloween day. Personally my must-watch recommendation for Halloween TV show is The Haunting of Hill House. Have a good holiday!

Published on November 3, 2018