1) Buffy The Vampire Slayer
There was no way Buffy wasn’t going to be on this list; it’s the ideal teen comedy-fantasy show for those looking for laughs and lighter spooks this time of year. It mostly follows the monster-of-the-week format made iconic by The X Files, and is known for coining the common TV term ‘the big bad’. Pay particular attention to the Halloween-themed or otherwise special episodes: season two’s imaginatively named ‘Halloween’, season four’s ‘Hush’ or its own Halloween special, or the famous musical episode in season six – ‘Once More, With Feeling!’ A powerhouse in female characterisation and witty dialogue, Buffy will always exist in the TV hall of fame, and, for Halloween especially, it’s definitely worth a watch.
2) Stranger Things
The Netflix giant, which truly flourished in its third and most recent instalment, is the perfect sci-fi nostalgia blend if you’re looking for a blast from the past this Halloween. Visually stunning with a flourishing and talented young lead cast, the show especially comes into its own in the third season, and for any coming-of-age fans this show is the ideal mix of romance, comedy and creepy happenings to keep you going this October.
3) Black Mirror
Despite running the risk of having a dangerously Netflix-oriented list, I decided to include Black Mirror. Not scary in the traditional sense, Black Mirror plays with the uncanny and the near-possible possibilities of technology in order to instil thrills and techno-paranoia in its viewers. Late last year, Netflix released Bandersnatch, an interactive thriller film, for which the audience made decisions for the protagonist to help shape the narrative. The experimental style perfectly sums up Black Mirror’s near-reality method of horror.
4) Being Human (series one to three)
An important addendum to this recommendation is, of course, that I am referring to the U.K. series and, specifically, to the first three seasons before the narrative arc becomes messy, with a regrettable cast overall. The show blends fantasy drama with typical elements of the flatshare comedy, as John (Aidan Turner) the vampire, George (Russell Tovey) the werewolf and Annie the ghost (Lenora Crichlow) navigate the tribulations of living together. John and George, who have formed a close friendship despite their species’ ancient rivalry, attempt to fend off their respective predatory urges, while Annie seeks answers to her struggle to move onto the afterlife.
5) The X-Files
Iconic, and something you should have already watched, nothing quite instils a distrust in the government or our society’s authorial bodies like the nineties highflier The X Files. A commanding mix of satire, faithful supernatural storytelling and artistic vision, this show not only features potentially the greatest TV pairing in history in the form of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) but, during its run, it successfully explored every horror trope under the sun – without ever feeling hackneyed or lazy. Standout episodes for the spooky season include season one’s ‘Ice’, season three’s ‘Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose’ and ‘Jose Chung’s From Outer Space’ – which masterfully delves into equal parts self-parody and spooky government conspiracy, the show’s forte. Other necessary mentions include season four’s ‘Home’ and season five’s perfect-for-halloween noir episode,‘The Post-Modern Prometheus’.
6) Death Note
Besides anime behemoth Attack on Titan, Death Note is probably the most widely-recognised anime in the Anglophonic world. Following teenager Light Yagami, who comes across a fallen ‘Death Note’ (a notebook used by Japanese Gods of Death) belonging to Shinigami Ryuk. As Light begins to realise the true potential of the Death Note, and criminals start dying across Japan, detective K enters the field of play. The showdown between the two brilliant minds cements Death Note’s place as one of the greatest shows, both animated and otherwise, in televisual history. The eerie backdrop provided by Ryuk and other Shinigami, and the ethical darkness which saturates the show’s narrative, makes it ideal watching for this year’s spooky season.
7) Hannibal
Available to watch on Netflix, the acclaimed contemporary re-invention of The Silence of the Lambs series focuses on a talented young criminal profiler, Will Graham, who is recruited to the Behavioral Sciences unit of the FBI. He enlists the help of brilliant psychiatrist (and the show’s namesake) Hannibal Lecter and, together, the duo work to discover the identity of a serial killer in Minnesota. While Lecter continues his spree of epicurean killings, his interest in Graham develops and their bond deepens. The show has received critical acclaim for its acting, writing and visuals. Hannibal serves as a delightfully unique twist on a franchise with stratospheric recognisability, and is undoubtedly worth a watch for any of those with Hannibalistic tastes this October.
8) Castlevania
While season one of this game-to-TV adaptation was short and a little rocky, its second instalment was released in October 2018 and a third season has been confirmed. The show has flown a little under the radar, but flourished under the provision of twice as many episodes and character expansion. The graphics for the theme and the animation embodies a sense of almost campy nostalgia, with exaggerated silhouettes, bold colour palettes and the addition of often frisky, unceremonial dialogue. New faces are introduced in season two, more blood is spilled and more spells are cast as the show builds towards a long-anticipated climax.
