With Halloween only a few weeks away, we get into the holiday spirit with some scary Channel Surfing TV picks. American Horror Stories finishes off its third season. The children of a small English village are a little off in The Midwich Cuckoos: Village of the Damned. Then, Satanic Panic breaks out in a quiet suburb in Hysteria!.
Happy Huluween
Like many Hollywood projects, American Horror Stories was affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023. We are only now receiving the last remaining five episodes almost a year after the first half of season three launched.
The titles of the final episodes include “The Thing Under the Bed,” “Backrooms,” “Clone,” “Leprechaun,” and “X.” They contain some real star power with actors such as Victor Garber, Michael Imperioli, and Henry Winkler.
American Horror Stories season three part two drops Tuesday, October 15, on Hulu.
The Bloodening
John Wyndham’s The Midwich Cuckoos has received several adaptations, with the first being Village of the Damned from the 1960s. The children from the film will forever have a place in pop culture with their freakishly white hair and hypnotizing eyes. The Midwich Cuckoos: Village of the Damned is the latest version to hit our screens.
One summer evening, the people of Midwich all fall unconscious. When they come to, many of the women soon discover they are inexplicably pregnant. Years later, the children born from this “dayout” event act very peculiar making everyone uncomfortable. The show is created by David Farr and stars Keeley Hawes.
The Midwich Cuckoos: Village of the Damned premieres Thursday, October 17, on Acorn TV.
The Devil’s Music
The 80s were a wild time. Many mild mannered and conservative parents grasped at their pearls while they thought the devil’s influence spread amongst the youth due to imagery found in things such as Dungeons & Dragons to heavy metal music. Hysteria! draws inspiration from this period as a backdrop.
When the popular jock of the local high school mysteriously disappears, a town is overcome by Satanic Panic. A trio of outcasts embrace the occult in their rock shows to bring in bigger audiences. However, they begin to have second thoughts when their newfound notoriety draws the attention of the authorities.
Hysteria! debuts Friday, October 18, on Peacock.
