Top 10 Worst Horror TV Shows
#10: “Blade” (2006)
Trust us when we say that the “Blade” series is nowhere near the quality of modern Marvel shows. The “Blade” series aired on Spike throughout the summer of 2006, and it starred rapper Sticky Fingaz in the title role. He was certainly no Wesley Snipes, although he wasn’t completely terrible, either. You know, that pretty much sums up the entire show. It wasn’t terrible per se, it was just… completely and utterly forgettable, populated by a boring plot, boring actors, and boring action. Despite being a ratings success for Spike, the show was cancelled after just twelve episodes reportedly for budgetary reasons.
#9: “Van Helsing” (2016-)
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“Van Helsing” is a Syfy production starring Kelly Overton as Vanessa Van Helsing, whose blood can help cure vampirism. Like most Syfy productions, “Van Helsing” was clearly made on the cheap, and as such, it features all the staples of a C-level horror show. These include wooden acting, fake-looking makeup, stilted dialogue, and shoddy sets and visual effects. That said, it is incredibly gory, so if that’s your thing, then you’ll have a blast with “Van Helsing.” But then again, you could just watch movie gore compilations on YouTube and have just as much fun. Probably even more.
#8: “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)
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We understand that “The Vampire Diaries” was very popular. But let’s not pretend that it was a good horror show. Like most shows found on The CW, “The Vampire Diaries” was aimed primarily at teenagers, and as such, it never ventured as far into the horror or mature themes as it should have. It’s also a little silly and melodramatic, bordering on trashy soap opera, and it’s filled to the brim with standard teenage drama clichés. So, it’s a CW show! If you’re REALLY curious, maybe watch the first three or four seasons. Just… keep your expectations in check.
#7: “The Purge” (2018-)
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“The Purge” movies are certainly not masterpieces, but they’re a decent way to pass a couple hours. “The Purge” series is a travesty. It serves as an anthology of sorts, as it follows seemingly unconnected characters throughout their Purge-related adventures. It’s an interesting concept, and it had the potential to explore various intriguing scenarios and themes. This is summed up by the title of the first episode, “What Is America?,” a title that promises a flood of rich, thematic material. However, the concept is wasted on generic characters and pedestrian storylines that seem like rightfully discarded movie subplots. It’s a senseless cash grab meant to capitalize on the success of “The Purge” and nothing more.
#6: “The Mist” (2017)
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“The Mist” is a Spike series based off the novella by Stephen King, which sees a mysterious mist enveloping a small town in Maine and unleashing various otherworldly monsters. Expectations were understandably quite high due to Stephen King’s name and the beloved Frank Darabont movie from 2007. And while the show DID manage to generate a somewhat spooky atmosphere, it failed at pretty much every other aspect. The acting and characters were bland, the special effects wonky and unconvincing, and the writing is about what you would expect from Spike. The show struggled to find viewers (which isn’t a surprise) and was cancelled after just ten episodes.
#5: “Jinn” (2019-)
“Jinn” is a Jordanian series that premiered on Netflix in June of 2019. It follows a group of teenagers who hunt jinn and prevent them from taking over the world. Many Jordanian citizens were excited to be at the center of an international Netflix production, but were left immensely disappointed by the final result. The writing, and particularly the translation work, was abysmal and inorganic, and the acting was horrendous. Basically, “Jinn” was an amateurish farce that did not do service to the quality entertainment and talent actually found in Jordan. Add in some insulting cultural missteps and you have yourself one terrible Netflix show.
#4: “Hemlock Grove” (2013-15)
“Hemlock Grove” was arguably Netflix’s first bomb, and what a bomb it was. Around the time that “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” were getting millions of viewers and sweeping awards shows, Netflix unleashed “Hemlock Grove,” a horror series that follows the weird and supernatural goings on of the titular town. Aside from that popular and disgusting werewolf transformation scene, there really wasn’t much to recommend about this show. It was filled with common horror tropes, and the writing was particularly dreadful. In fact, you could say that the writing was the scariest thing about this show! With “Hemlock Grove,” Netflix proved that they can’t all be winners.
#3: “Chambers” (2019)
“Chambers” is yet another Netflix horror dud, joining the Hall of Shame with “Hemlock Grove” and “Jinn.” This one follows Sasha Yazzie, a teenager who receives a heart transplant and begins experiencing spooky occurrences and changes in her personality. It sounds rather high concept and more than a little silly, and it would have made for a decent little B-movie or something. Unfortunately, the show takes itself far too seriously and begins to venture into unintentional comedy. It stars Uma Thurman, and, you know, she’s always good. But that’s about it. The rest is a sluggish, poorly paced, and unnecessarily bloated mess, which is certainly nothing new for a Netflix original.
#2: “Nightflyers” (2018)
Say what you will about the final season of “Game of Thrones,” but at least it wasn’t “Nightflyers,” which is based off George R.R. Martin’s novella and subsequent short story collection. While “Nightflyers” aired on Syfy throughout December of 2018, it received an international release through Netflix the following February. The critics tarnished the generic “Nightflyers,” criticizing everything but the visual effects, which were inexplicably nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award. It wasn’t scary OR expansive, meaning it failed in both the horror and science fiction demographics. And when a sci-fi horror show does that, you know it’s an utter failure. Before we look at the worst horror show of all time, here are a few dishonorable mentions. “Superstition” (2017-18) “South of Hell” (2015) “Dead of Summer” (2016) “Lore” (2017-18) “Haunted” (2018-)
#1: “Baywatch Nights” (1995-97)
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Yes, there was a show called “Baywatch Nights.” Yes, it was a spinoff of “Baywatch.” And yes, it was every bit as terrible as it sounds. The first season was an unassuming “Baywatch” spinoff, but it was the show’s second season that really took it off the rails. It was then that “Baywatch Nights” veered into sci-fi horror similar to “The X-Files” (which was huge at the time), and Sgt. Garner Ellerbee was replaced by a paranormal expert named Diamont Teague. Needless to say, the show was corny, poorly made nonsense that didn’t hold a candle to “The X-Files,” and it was quickly erased from the collective public memory. Maybe the Men in Black intervened and spared us from this atrocity.
