Top 10 Creepiest Stories About Lost TV Episodes
#10: The Lost Episode
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“Ed, Edd n Eddy” (1999-2009) An incredibly popular show from Cartoon Network, “Ed, Edd n Eddy” follows the titular trio as they attempt to make money through various scams. According to one creepypasta, a now-lost episode was accidentally aired in October of 2003. The animation was choppy and substandard, the characters behaved in a bizarrely agitated fashion, and it sounded like the voice actors were on the verge of tears. Since then, some fans have had fun with the concept, creating approximations of what the episode was purported to be like. However, if real, this is one episode that will likely never see the light of day.
#9: “Akuryō Bubbles”
“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005) Another Cartoon Network classic, “The Powerpuff Girls” chronicles the titular superheroes as they battle crime in the city of Townsville. The show contained its fair share of violence, but nothing to the extent of “Akuryō Bubbles.” As the creepypasta goes, a father goes on eBay to find a present for his daughter, only to come across a strange “Powerpuff Girls” DVD he’d never seen before. The cover was enticing, and the title was in Japanese - it translated to “Evil Spirit.” What follows is a truly incredible - and horrifying - experience that neither the buyer nor the reader are soon to forget.
#8: “Candle Cove”
There are creepypastas, and then there’s “Candle Cove.” A very popular web story written by Kris Straub, “Candle Cove” was inspired by an Onion article and details a weird children’s show that can only be remembered by a small number of adults. The story is told in the style of a web forum, with different users remembering different aspects of the old show. In some cases, their recollections don’t even align, adding a further depth of mystery to it. The story was quick to make its way through the Internet and was later made into the first season of the Syfy anthology “Channel Zero.”
#7: The Famous Bootleg Episode
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-) This Nickelodeon show has inspired countless memes throughout the years. And also one very effective creepypasta. The story goes that some teenagers were exploring an abandoned mental hospital when they came across a mysterious tape. It consisted of a corrupted episode of “SpongeBob.” The audio was heavily distorted, and the image displayed nothing more than trippy static and colors. However, one eerie frame was captured from the bootleg, and it shows SpongeBob in a trance-like state with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Of the five teenagers who explored the hospital, one went missing and two others died. The tape was subsequently given to paranormal investigators, but has since gone missing…
#6: “The Grieving”
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“The Amazing World of Gumball” (2011-19) Another Cartoon Network program, “The Amazing World of Gumball” follows the titular blue cat and his adoptive goldfish brother. It’s also the subject of another creative creepypasta. The story begins with an older narrator who was watching Adult Swim - the mature, late-night programming of Cartoon Network - in the wee hours of the morning. At 4:00, a “special” episode of “Gumball” called “The Grieving” began to air. It’s immediately obvious that something’s not quite right, and the episode gets more unsettling as it goes. It’s a disturbing read that’s full of grotesque and unforgettable imagery.
#5: “Sweet Revenge”
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“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17) The narrator of this creepypasta is a huge “Fairly OddParents” fan and borrows the Season 5 DVD from a friend. However, they immediately notice that something is off - the Nickelodeon sticker is missing from the front cover. Furthermore, the set contained twenty-one episodes - one more than the typical twenty. The twenty-first was titled “Sweet Revenge.” Popping it on, they found a bizarre episode in which Timmy’s dad kills Cosmo and some neighbors in horrific fashion. But that’s not all. It also contains a “Ring”-like interactive element and directly addresses the viewer through binary code. The episode sounds scary enough but the code pushes it over the edge into pure nightmare territory.
#4: “Death”
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“Barney & Friends” (1992-2010) While flipping through the TV Guide, a father of twin boys reportedly spotted something weird - that night, a supposedly lost episode of “Barney & Friends” would be airing on television. Sitting down with his kids to watch the episode, the father was met with a strange noise. Barney was speaking in his usual voice, but there was also a darker and more demonic-sounding tone to it, almost as if another voice had been layered on top. The episode then descends into pure chaos as Barney teaches the children about death in brutally horrific ways. This story eventually found its way to TikTok, and various users have reported witnessing the ghastly episode themselves.
#3: “Dead Bart”
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“The Simpsons” (1989-) This iconic cartoon has aired hundreds upon hundreds of episodes throughout the decades. Chances are that one or two have slipped through the production cracks. This creepypasta claims that “Dead Bart” is a lost episode from the first season. Bart dies after getting sucked out of an airplane and the family grieves for the rest of the episode. When they finally visit the cemetery, the graves show the correct death dates of all the future guest stars of the show, including Michael Jackson and George Harrison. The creepypasta also features a very unnerving picture and some staticy footage of the episode itself, both of which certainly lend credence to its supposed existence.
#2: “Tom’s Basement”
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“Tom and Jerry” (1940-67) This famous cartoon is rather violent, but it never strayed into the realm of horrifying realism. Well, except for one supposedly lost episode called “Tom’s Basement.” In this one, Tom’s owner tells the cat never to enter the basement, and even resorts to physical violence when he gets too close to the door. Jerry eventually takes pity on the wounded Tom and kills his owner. The two then drag his body into the basement, which is harboring many deceased individuals. Jerry then kills Tom and sells the house before the episode ends on a menacing note.
#1: The Squidward Episode
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-) Perhaps the most infamous lost episode of all time, this one is something else. The story comes from an anonymous narrator who worked as an intern at Nickelodeon. They worked on “SpongeBob SquarePants” and watched an episode whose exact title we can’t repeat here. In it, Squidward bombs at a concert and cries on his bed. Intensely graphic pictures periodically flash across the screen as Squidward wails, and the character eventually takes his own life. It’s an extremely upsetting story that imprints horrible images into the reader’s mind, and the accompanying footage is an audio-visual experience unlike any other.
