Get your Spooky Binge On

This year has proven to challenge us all. Every time we think it's getting better it seems that the time traveler trying to fix things messes it up again and throws us into another wave of chaos. This year has ushered in a new wave of binge-watchers since so many of us are stuck at home and want to fill our days with something to get our minds off the whirlwind that is happening outside the doors.

Personally, I've been a certified binge-watcher for years now. I have claimed on multiple occasions that I have seen everything there is to offer across all the platforms. Now, I will take all my years of watching and my love of all things Halloween and spooky to tell you what I think you should watch. In order to not make this article 60 years long, for this edition I will post TV Shows only.

Let's get into it

1. The Haunting of Hill House/ The Haunting of Bly Manor

Based on the novel by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House delves into the story of the estranged Crain family, brought back together by a family tragedy. The series travels through flashbacks of the time the Crain's lived in Hill House and the present, exploring ghosts of both the figurative...and literal sense.

The Haunting of Bly Manor was just released today!!! I am super excited to get to watch but from what I know so far it is based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The show features the same cast as the first season, but playing different roles (a la American Story) And, although I was rather attached to the Crain's, I am very excited to see what the new season has to offer.

Spoiler Alert: This show is very scary

2. Penny Dreadful

This show! Admittedly, it has been a few years since I have seen this one but it is definitely one that sticks in your mind....and one that deserved at least ONE other season. It was canceled after only three seasons but there is great news! The spin-off series- Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was just released this past April on Showtime. I'm going to be honest I am just finding out while writing that this was released and now I can't wait to go home and watch. It should be available on Showtime and on Hulu (with a premium subscription) Penny Dreadful follows the story of a group of people searching for a missing person. They are soon to discover that there are more sinister and dark entities than they ever imagined. Intertwined with the main cast the audience is introduced to many famous literary characters from Victorian London including Frankenstein (the "monster" and the scientist), and Dorian Grey (my fav!) It explores their origin stories in the dark and gritty setting and is just generally very very cool.

There are monsters and werewolves and witches and all kinds of other Supernatural creatures to make it on the Spooky list, I don't necessarily think it is /scary/ and would say it falls into more of the psychological thriller vibe.

3. Supernatural

Listen. I love Supernatural. I am obsessed with Supernatural. I have an Anti-Possession tattoo for Supernatural. If you have never seen the show I think now is the perfect time to start. There are a whopping 15 seasons.. they are finishing up number 15 now but half of the season is already released on Netflix. I say it is perfect to start during spooky month because season one? Actually kinda scary. For reference, the show follows two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester in the search for their missing father who "-went on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a few days" sigh. classic. Anyway, it is soon revealed that the family are Hunters. Regular humans who hunt and fight Supernatural creatures. In season one alone you are introduced to The Woman in White, LOTS of ghosts, a wendigo, and demons to name a few. As the seasons go along it does get less scary and goes more into relationship dynamics and more with angels and demons than hunting monsters but I still love it and it holds a special place in my heart. Worth the watch.

4. American Horror Story

I mean...duh, right? The name itself presents as the perfect show to get you in the spooky spirit...and maybe make you afraid to sleep at night. The show is set-up in the same way I mentioned in Haunting of Hill House with each season being a different plot but with the majority being the same cast. No matter the plot, however, each season comes with its own set of freakish delight and fright. They can get a little odd at times, but what is Halloween without its oddities? (Last I checked this series could also be found on Hulu)

5. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

If you're like me you grew up watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and dreamt of, not only having Sabrina's powers but her wardrobe as well. This series, however, is not quite as light-hearted and fun as the original sitcom. This Netflix Original stems from the Archie comics version of Sabrina, complete with her red smock and platinum blonde bob. Even so, this series proves to be much darker than even that, going off of the popular series, Riverdale. Sabrina's town is even neighbored /with/ Riverdale. The show follows Sabrina's path into becoming a witch and her choice between her magic and being a human as she is half-mortal. There's plenty of creepy stuff to make this show perfect for the spooky list from zombies to ghosts to Satan himself... perhaps this town could use a dose of the Winchesters.

6. Scream (The Tv Series)

Ok, I was really hesitant about this show when it first came out. I love the original scream movies and did not think a tv series could do it justice. I have to say, however, I was pleasantly proved wrong. Much like the original series the show follows a group of survivors as they fight against their own version of Ghostface. The show does a really great job of reinviting the masked serial killer to their own plot and the cast of teens is extremely likable. Also, since it's set in modern times while the original came out in the 90s, they are very clever in integrating new technology into "Ghostface's" work. Be warned though, the last season completely deviates from the first two season's plot, introducing a whole new cast of characters with a new villain. I still found it enjoyable, just be prepared for it.

Honorable Mentions: The Magicians, Bates Motel, Charmed (The Reboot), Van Helsing, and Dracula.

That's it for now! On my next post, I will give my recommendations for Spooky Series to watch on Hulu, and then maybe I'll list off movies for both platforms later on...and maybe Amazon Prime too. And maybe I can be convinced o get Shudder. What can I say, I love Horror Entertainment.

Stay Spooky!