We include a pair of scary stories and a historical western in this week’s Channel Surfing TV picks. Master of horror, Mike Flannagan does his modern take on Edgar Allen Poe in The Fall of the House of Usher. Also drawing from literature, the teen book series Goosebumps receives another adaptation. Then, follow the story of one of the West’s most infamous outlaws in a new season of Billy the Kid.
Inspired by a Classic
Mike Flanagan has been a hit machine creating such horror series as The Haunting of Hill House to last year’s The Midnight Club. There’s always a lot of buzz whenever he has a new project coming out. His latest is The Fall of the House of Usher.
Though the show shares a name with an Edgar Allen Poe work, it is only loosely based on the short story. Flanagan’s version follows siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher who have built a pharmaceutical empire. However, they didn’t accumulate their wealth without turning to shady practices. All their dark secrets are revealed as the heirs perish one by one due to an enigmatic woman from their past.
Stream The Fall of the House of Usher beginning Thursday, October 12, on Netflix.
Paying for the Sins of the Past
Goosebumps is a bestselling horror book series from writer R.L. Stine geared towards younger readers. Because of its popularity, the stories have received several adaptations including a 90s television show, and more recently, a pair of films. Now the franchise is receiving another series for TV.
This time, a group of five teens investigate the death of a teen that occurred three decades before their time. Their journey will take them to some shadowy places as they uncover secrets and learn of their parents’ involvement all those years prior.
The first five episodes of Goosebumps will release Friday, October 13, on Disney+ and Hulu.
An American Outlaw
The legend of William H. Bonney has been told for years even before his death in 1881. The freewheeling youthful gunman and outlaw captured people’s imaginations. Epix developed a new series centered on Billy the Kid that premiered last year. It was a slow burn focusing mainly on his early days and left off right before the Lincoln County War.
Season two looks to be more action packed as war breaks out. There will be plenty of exciting shootouts and Billy must confront his one-time ally, Jesse Evans, and his gang. More dangerous is the secretive and corrupt Santa Fe Ring that pulls the strings and rules the area from the shadows.
The season two premiere of Billy the Kid airs Sunday, October 15, on MGM+.
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