New To Horror, But Don’t Want To Watch Movies?

There’s no such thing as being new to horror, in my opinion. Horror inspires fear, and that’s something everyone has had. But I am more talking about horror media. And chances are, if you consumed media as a kid. You are kind of familiar with some form of horror. Kids tv shows like Scooby Doo, Gravity Falls, and The Owl House have varying forms of scares throughout, whether they are prevelant the whole time, like in Scooby Doo. Or if they just build to a certain point.

Well, maybe you didn’t watch tv? Maybe you were more of a reader. Books like the Goosebumps series were huge back when I was a kid. Series’s like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys utilized certain aspects of Horror. Hell, even fairy tales have influences of horror. Hansel and Gretel going to a witch’s house made out of candy, and narrowly avoid being food for a hungry witch!

There are many gateways to horror, and the cool thing about horror is that there are so many different types of horror. Thrillers, Slashers, Supernatural, Psychological. There are many forms that horror can take. And sometimes, you don’t feel like sitting down and watching a movie.

I mentioned Scooby Doo and Gravity Falls specifically earlier in the post. These shows (specifically Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated for the Scooby franchise.) are prime examples of shows that could easily get someone into horror from a young age. Scooby, the gang, and the Pines family are fun characters to follow along with as the adventures they go on… started to get more connected and sinister. And of course there are villain characters that get more and more scary the more you learn about them (i.e Bill Cipher and Professor Pericles.) And these are just kid shows.

If you are looking to get into horror, and you’re a bit older. I have some wonderful suggestions of some shows I have either watched or am currently watching that would make for a fun dip into the realms of horror media.

And while I do think shows like Doctor Who and Supernatural are also good for people who like a little sci-fi or religion mixed with their horror, those are more well-known shows.

1. Goosebumps (Watch it now on Hulu!)
   I mentioned the books as a gateway earlier, but this show should not be overlooked. Especially if you were a fan of the books as a kid. The adaptation is by no means perfect, but it is a good watch. The acting from the main cast and horror icon, Justin Long, is really good and the story is easy to follow and really worth getting into. There are good scares throughout the series too. Enough to wet the pallete.
2. Wreck (Watch it now on Hulu!)
   Part teen thriller, part slasher parody, this show is actually pretty good from how much I have watched of it. It surrounds Jamie, who has boarded a cruise ship pretending to be a friend of his, so he can look for his missing sister. There are killers in DUCK COSTUMES. Isn’t that just so much fun?! And the show is British.
3. Stranger Things (Netflix)
   I am cheating with this one, but yeah. If you want to give your family a taste of more creepy other-worldly horror, Stranger Things is a good start. It’s nerdy and has some ties in to DnD. It’s got loveable characters, and a great musical score. And the storyline is just beautiful almost every single time.
4. Any Mike Flanagan show on Netflix.
   I am a huge fan of every single one of these shows and would reccommend any of them to a new horror fan, because each is a good taste of what horror is, and it builds throughout each episode, and each has a wonderful story. My top recommendation for horror newbies is The Midnight Club. Just trust me. If you like your scary shows with a heavy dose of feelings (both good and bad) watch The Midnight Club.
   • The Haunting of Hill House
   • The Haunting of Bly Manor
   • Midnight Mass
   • The Mindnight Club
   • The Fall of the House of Usher
5. Dead End: Paranormal Park
   It’s animated! It has a queer main character and Alex Brightman voicing a dog! AND IT HAS A MUSICAL EPISODE! Dead End is a show about a young trans man named Barney, who runs away from his home to live at/work at an amusement park. Hijinks happen. This two season Netflix show is one of my favorites (that I need to finish.) No I do not care that it is animated. It is still just as scary as any of these other shows, and if you have younger horror fans, and you’re not afraid to let them watch a show with a trans-masc main character. This is the show for you.
6. Astrid & Lilly Save The World
   This comedy horror series is one I am putting on this list because it’s horror comedy. I have had my eye on it for a while, and I am strongly considering making the jump and watching it (On Tubi.) If you’ve seen this show and think it doesn’t belong on this list, let me know. But from what I have seen, it seems like a decent place to start for someone just getting into the horror genre.
7. R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour
   Despite being more kid-friendly horror, this show has some decent scary episodes in it. Most of these episodes are worth watching, even though each one is able to mostly stand on it’s own.

These twelve shows are varying degrees of scares. I tried not to put any intense horror shows like Scream or Slasher. I want to help ease people in. Not traumatize them on their first watch. And these shows have great stories to follow. (Especially the Flanagan shows.)

If you want a list of more intense horror shows that I reccommend, let me know. I love reccommending stuff, especially horror.