Image Credit: FX
Rubber Man! The flukeman! The Man from Another Place! Television has a longstanding history of giving viewers the heebie-jeebies, whether it’s via a bald, nearly-silent observer who can seemingly read your mind, or a posse of desperate humans covered in guts so they can safely pass through a pack of zombies.
But what TV show has been the absolute best at slithering underneath our skin and haunting our slumber for days after it airs? Is it the newest addition to the horror show coterie, FX’s American Horror Story? Is is a short-lived-but-no-less-sinister mid-’90s show like American Gothic (with Gary Cole) or Millennium (with Lance Henriksen)? Is it the show that helped inspire The X-Files, the 1974 cult favorite Kolchak: The Night Stalker? Or is it a death match between the grandpappy of hair-raising television, The Twilight Zone, and its upstart cousin The Outer Limits? Vote in our poll below and then defend your choice in the comments! UPDATE: The poll is now closed, but let us know what you think of the results in the comments!
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Read more:
EW’s ‘American Horror Story’ recaps
EW’s ‘The Walking Dead’ recaps
EW’s ‘Fringe’ recaps
Fringe is the best, The Walking Dead & American Horror Story are awesome.
But The Twilight Zone is the creepest!!!!!
(Not seen The X-Files, is it cool?)
There is one episode of X-Files that I have occasional nightmares about to this day. FYI, I saw it as an adult
Well, which one was it? I’m curious
probably the eugene-episode. he had to eat livers every seven years…soooo creepy!
I think Moli’s talking about the inbred family episode where the agents pulled the arm-less and leg-less mother, who was used strictly for breeding, out from under the bed. GAH!
Jose Chung’s From Outer Space
There was one episode that really scared me but I can’t really remember it. It had something to do with killing pregnant women but I can’t remember.
The Wheelers
No, not the Wheelers – the Peacocks – that was their name!
@BLM I think that episode of the X-Files with the armless mother and the deformed dudes was the ickiest and scariest tv episode! Talk about trauma! I still get grossed out now just thinking about it.
Medium always creeped me out for some reason, I would have hated sleeping next to her, dead people were always hovering over the bed!
the X-File episode is called “HOME” – they only showed it once! It was only after the show went into sydication (or on FX) that you could see it. After I saw the night it premiere, I had to call some friends to see if that had watched – we all had – and are still bothered today.
Anything on the X-files that involved parasites! Every week I would watch while eating dinner and think Now why did I do that again????
The X-Files episode Irresistible, about the necrophiliac named Donnie Pfaster, still freaks me out. I try not to think about it. Home is also definitely a very disturbing episode.
Scariest X-Files episode was Roadrunners from Season 8. It was the one with that cult that worshiped this slug thing. They took the slug and put it in Scully. Creeped me out!
The X-Files episodes that got to me the most were:
Folie a Deux: The manager is a ugly bug monster that only one guy can see, then Mulder sees it too.
Detour: Things (people?) blend in with the forrest, I just remember the glowing red eyes.
The Căluşari: Little kid posessed by the devil, need I say more?
I could on because The X-Files was and is the bar that was set for all sci-fi shows. Yes, Fringe that is why you are so good, because your grand-daddy was so awesome.
Home is probably the single best stand-alone horror episode of any TV show, X-Files or otherwise. You’re right, they only aired it once on network, but it ran in syndication a few years later. Still creepy. I haven’t seen it in a while, but I wonder if it would be tame by today’s standards?
An X files episode that creeped me out was that one with the guy who could kill people by talking to them. He hypnotized them into killing themselves or even having heart attacks. It was really creepy. There was a follow up episode but it wasn’t as good though.
Chupacabra! The X-Files episode where illegal alien (from Mexico, not outerspace)… transmitted his disease. Scarred my childhood…
Actually, Donnie Pfaster was just a hair fetishist. He was written as a necrophiliac, but believe it or not, that was too much for Fox censors back then.
@Andy, I watched Home again a few months ago and no, I don’t think it would be considered tame now. It’s still messed up.
@Peter, either way — he freaked the heck out of me!
The one with the circus scared the crap out of me. I didn’t like to walk by sewer drains because I was afraid a little conjoined twin baby would get me. Still kind of creeps me out.
I loved all those stand-alone creepfest episodes of The X Files. It was the convoluted, boring, neverending “mythology” government-assisted alien invasion (or whatever the hell was going on) episodes that made me stop watching the show. But dang, all this reminiscing about the good, creepy episodes is making me want to catch some reruns – the ones without aliens.
Love all these mentions of The X-Files’ “Home.” Definitely my first choice for creepiest TV episode ever. Best part, “Maybe one day you’ll learn the pride, the LOVE when you know your boy will do anything for his mother.” Oh armless, legless Mrs. Peacock, your gravelly whisper and snouty face have haunted my nightmares for 15 years now.
‘Home’ still freaks me out!
I think BLM is right. That ep was like Wrong Turn gone wrong! Nasty, creepy, scary as hell. Eeek!
Home! “Heavenly shades of night are falling, it’s twilight time.”
cerulean blue
No way, the one with that mutant worm guy from the sewers who hid in the portapotty. I swear that episode had me looking down every time I used a portapotty for years.
I’ve never even seen the X-files but that brief description of an inbred limbless woman hiding under a bed will terrify me for the rest of my life…
The inbred family episode to this day gives me nightmares.
The X Files is an excellent tv show. You should really, really check it out.
how about that X-files episode with a man-bat? or that show with a man who could craw or slip through the sewers?! ick! tee-hee!
Anything by Tyler Perry on TBS
YES!!!!
How could you not have seen the X files?? it is one of the most relevant show of tv history.
Download it now!
I think LOST should have been in this list.
LOST.
I demand adding LOST to the poll.
Lost was lame. So are you.
Nah. Even though Lost had some genuinely creepy moments throughout the show’s six seasons, none of them made me lose any sleep.
I love LOST, but it ain’t creepy at all.
agree. When LOST tried to creep us out, it succeeded.
Of course very very cool, I have the whole set of DVD ,really nice show! ^_^
I’m saying the (x files)
Please watch The X-Files JJ – it’s phenomenal!
What about Nip/Tuck? That show was hella creepy.
Supernatural is better than Fringe!
700 club? oprah? little house on the prairie? anything on mtv or fox?
I would have said Twin Peaks, but after just a few episodes, Anerican Horror Story wins. It is seriously creepy, and not in a gory Walking Dead kind of way. Creepy characters, creepy setting, creepy storylines.
Nah, the creepiest show on tv was “Friends”.
Sorry no it was “Full House” Saget still gives me the creeps!
Nope, “Full House”. Olson Twins, doncha know….
Punky Brewster was the creepiest one that I can think of.
I have you all beat — Small Wonder! Not only was the girl creepy, and the special effects horrendous, but the theme song will make you wish you had never read this comment.
The Walking Dead fascinates me character-wise but I have to admit I am a big wuss when it comes to the heavy zombie scenes. So I usually only end up watching about 75% of the episode.
But come on people, doesn’t Are You Afraid of the Dark? deserve an honorable mention? The opening credits still creep me out and I’m 25!
oh my goodness!! Are You Afraid of the Dark was soooo awesome!! Totally freaked me out as a child. I still think about that one episode with the zoo of children. Creeped me out.
I’m not getting the love/hype for AHS. Three episodes in, we’ve not had a fraction of the tension we had in the first 45 minutes of last week’s Walking Dead premier. Is it because the maid has a glass eye? Because a guy has burn scars? Because a girl has Down’s Syndrome? Because someone had a rubber suit fetish? These things seem less creepy and more mean, in a making fun of someone different kind of way, which is odd, coming from the creators of Glee and the message they hit us in the face with every week over on Fox.
Or, is it the way you watch the show thinking, “wow, there’s something so familiar about this”? Then it hits you that you HAVE seen it before… in a movie (or movies) that were done much better (The Shining, The Strangers, Fatal Attraction).
Or is it the quick cuts/strobe light effect in the basement when someone gets attacked? Is it ghosts? Is it the haunted house? That stuff did scare me once, too, but something about the way it’s done on the show just doesn’t strike the right nerve, the way other/better shows and movies have. I can’t put my finger on why, I just know that it isn’t working for me personally.
Now, in terms of creepiness, how can you not put “Carnivale” at the top of the list? Not only did it have some great lines and one of the best ensemble casts ever, but there was some truly creepy imagery at play throughout the series.
The opening credits still creep me out and I’m 33. “Are You Afraid” had a ton of great episodes, but the opening credits were often the creepiest part!
I don’t know, I find American Horror Story to be disturbing but even its worst bits are homages to other work. It’s really nothing we haven’t seen before. For truly creepy, it’ll always be The Twilight Zone for me.
Agreed. Rod Serling was the original. The fact that it is just as relevant today as it was then is a testament to his genius.
Yes – there will always be episodes of the Twilight Zone that haunt me. Living Doll is one. To this day, I can’t have a doll in the house.
I put the Twilight Zone too. Maybe because when I was a child it was always in syndication and I would watch it after school. Yes, that doll one creeped me out so bad! I became afraid of my dolls after that. I loved The X-files, but really there were only a couple of episodes that truly creeped me out. I did have nightmares after the first episode of American Horror Story, but I decided I’m not going to watch it anymore because I find the characters completely unsympathetic. I need to actually care about the characters I watch on a TV show.
Twilight Zone? Creepy? With just a couple of episodes as exceptions, I never really thought so – it was a lot more preachy and heavy-handed, although it did have one punch line twist that will never be topped: “It’s a cookbook!”
The scariest scene I ever saw was from Twin Peaks—the moment we find out who killed Laura Palmer.
The scene where you see her murder is pretty disturbing.
I chose Twin Peaks, though I didn’t get into it till years after it aired. I 1st. saw its prequel, “Fire Walk With Me” & was hooked. I had to get all eps. If there can be a tie, X-Files…it scared the crap out of me at times, made me want to puke at times & sometimes did both in the same episode!
And I think David Lynch never did better than his Twin Peaks. Even his baby Blue Velvet.
Totally agree! That was intense!
LOST.
Ethan Claire, flight manifest, anyone? The Others. Ma Baby. Black Smoke. Daniel Roussaue.. Don’t Tell Me What I CAN’T do. My Destiny. We were not supposed to leave. We Have to Go Back. Oceanic 815.We have to lie. Lottery Numbers. Santa Rosa Mental hospital. Jacob Cabin Save Me. Penny’s Boat. Charles Widmore. Elewis Hawking. Ben Linus. If this is John Lock, who’s in there. Richard Alpert. Henry Gale My people will capture your people *chills* they Come, Destroy, Leave. The sickness. and more.
Raised by Another. Excodus. The Long Con. Two for the Road. Flashes Before Your Eyes. Stranger in a Strange Land. The Man Behind the Curtain. Through The Looking Glass. Meet Kevin Johnson. The Shape of Things to Come. The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. What They Died For. The Beginning of the End. The End.
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I’d have to say Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but since it isn’t listed, I’ll go with The Twilight Zone.
The X-Files, especially for the episode “Home”. Other things on the list may be way gorier, but this was easily one of the creepiest.
Just reading the name of that episode gave me the heebie-jeebies. I was honestly scared to look under my bed after that one.
Was that the one with the inbred family? That was the episode I first thought of reading this article.
That’s the one. Between the “used only for breeding” limbless woman under the bed, to the beating death of the sheriff and his wife (another woman under a bed, but she’s in hiding and watching the blood of her husband flow towards her), and the booby-trap death of the deputy, that ep was just UPSETTING. And then seeing the woman and her living son in a car travelling to find a new home — ACK! I completely knew it was fiction, but part of me wondered if that family would settle near where I lived.
The truly great creepy shows are the ones that create in you a completely irrational fear. I saw “Jaws” in the theater as a kid (back when it came out, I’m old) and from then on, I couldn’t swim in a SWIMMING POOL without being terrified that something was going to bite my legs off. So it was with “X-Files.” I had no reason to think that some nasty inbred family with horrible deformitites and murderous intent were going to move in next door, but damn if I didn’t wonder sometimes ….
My sister had never watched X-Files, but I finally convinced her to and that was the episode. Needless to say, she refused to ever watch again and still talks about how disturbing it was to this day!
THIS.
The Peacock Brothers! One of the most disturbing episodes I’ve ever watched – beyond creepy!
It’s a shame few will vote for Millenium … not many saw it. But those first two seasons were very, very disturbing. Great television.
Agreed. Not the best but certainly the creepiest. I still have nightmares about that show. Although it’s hard to beat the X-files “inbred family” episode for just pure ew factor.
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Yeah, a little too “creepy” for my liking. Borderline sick.
Millenium, that is…
its a shame no one knows Kolchak!
Kolchak was Good ! Darren McGaven was GREAT ! If they remade that show again I wonder who would play the lead.
I remember watching the Night Stalker with my dad as a kid and thinking it was the scariest show on TV. I would have to watch again to see if it still holds up – although I have a feeling it would.
The Home episode of X Files was pretty creepy – even from the beginning when the kids find the body of the deformed baby out in the field.
Kolchak scared me every darn week when I was a kid. Such a great show!
I know I’m showing my age, but Kokchak was AWESOME! That episode with the vampire and him hiding out in the church still creeps me out 40 years later….
@ Mik….They DID remake Kolchak a few years ago on abc and Stuart Townsend (ex of Charlize Theron) played the lead….it tanked in the ratings and died a fast death.It was nowhere near as good as the original but it was watchable.
Totally agree – I was surprised it was listed. The minute I read the headline I immediately thought of Millennium. So very good.
they did a short-lived remake of the night stalker on abc i think wiki should have the answers though.
Millenium was definitely good too! X-Files is great though! Between the Flukeman, Peacock Brothers, Tooms, Pfaster, Mothmen and the Jersey Devil…it was definitely the creepiest!
It’s true. It’s a woefully underestimated show.
Love Millenium. Hard to choose just one show off this list…
I loved Millenium. Lance Henriksen was perfect and that show was way creepy. I also really liked American Gothic, it was fun seeing Gary Cole in such a bad-guy role. Kinda sexy but bad.
Millenium was fantastic! What stands out to me was the season 2 ender when Frank Black’s friend went completely nuts. She kept rolling the dice and they had some weird, trippy sequence with her.
The true creepiest show of all time is Unsolved Mysteries!!! That show TERRIFIED ME!!!
Thank you! the music and the hosts voice just gave me nightmares alone
Yes! Even the most dry, mundane stories seemed sinister when delivered by Robert Stack. 6 year-old me had no choice but to believe everything he said was absolutely true – I mean, that voice!
Yes, I agree, to this day i think of the theme music creepy all by it self
Yes! Unsolved mysteries was very scary. I’d watch it as a kid. As an aside: growing up I thought William Shatner and Robert Stack were the same person!
Creepiest theme song for sure!
Twin Peaks had the creepiest (and most awesome) theme song.
Robert Stack could make Doris Day scary.
THIS. I would always be terrified when I watched that as a kid. Super scary because it’s real stuff.
My God, I remember watching an episode of unsolved mysteries when I was younger about the Unibomber and i was so freaked out I cried!
remember the chair of death episode? i did not want to sit in a chair for weeks. that was just crazy. i cried like a baby to sit in or touch brown wood chairs
Yes, yes yes…. this was my 2nd after X-Files. Damn creepy music and re-enactments.
Omg, Matthew, you’re right.
I always asked my mom if our doors were locked before watching it. Scared me to the core!
Couldn’t even watch it. I was convinced every criminal in the world was coming to Bangor, Maine to get me. Thankfully I don’t live there anymore, so now they’ll have trouble finding me.
Yes! Especially their Halloween episodes! Oh, how I loved getting creeped out by those shows…
Twin Peaks, no doubt about it. I STILL have nightmares of BOB!!!
Twin Peaks freaked me out. I still get chills from watching repeats.
Twin Peaks messed me up for life. The strobe light, the red curtains, the talking backwards—don’ t even get me started on Bob. Oh—and he scene in the pilot when the mom remembers seeing Bob in Laura’s room—still gives me nightmares!
That first image of Bob is truly one of the most troubling scenes ever.
I love AHS, but you can see how it’s paying homage to the things that came before. Twin Peaks however, was really it’s own thing.
Twin Peaks probably my favorite of all of them ! You missed one episode and you were basically screwed ! I loved the theme music and the twists and turns ! This was truly a VERY weird show and I made sure I was home to watch it .
I don’t see “The View” on the list. Oh, the horror.
This deserves a like button.
*like*
Really like.
Like
“The Monsters are Due on Maple Drive” episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
Definitely one of the creepiest, because it could so easily happen.
Easily…the Republican debates.
Not creepy… TERRIFYING.
Twilight Zone…it didn’t have lots of gore or special effects, but the episodes can still creep me out today.
What’s funny are the special effects, they show these on local television and its hilarious!!!! There was one epi where the ‘monster; was a guy in a sheet with hair thrown on it. Or the one with the ‘alien blob thing’ tooo funny
After only three episodes, isn’t it premature to put AHS on the ballot? Oh wait. This is EW. After the pilot, Glee was ranked alongside the moon landing as the greatest footage of all time.
Ahahahaha. This!
True. American Horror Story is terrible to boot. Despite their best efforts to explain, it makes zero sense why they wouldn’t pack up their things and leave.
American Horror Story wishes it were in the same ranks as The X-Files, Twin Peaks, etc.
I don’t think you realize that there is a difference between what they see and what we see. In the Pilot, nothing creepy happens to them. They know the previous owners died, they find the weird gimp suit, there’s weird stuff in the basement, and their neighbor is a whacko b!tch… but that’s it (well, the daughter saw stuff but she actually WANTS to stay). So far, no reason to move. Then there is the home invasion… creepy, but still within limits of the real world. They do not recognize yet that Moira is a ghost, especially since even outsiders can see her.
there would not be show if they do that!
Because if they live there will be no more American Horror Story! Haha! These are the clichés in every TV Series or Movies (Sci-Fi, Terror and Fantasy). BTW, X-Files is my fave creepest TV show.
A. They have no money. Moving from Boston and buying the house used up what they had available. Ben is starting over in his practice and probably doesn’t have enough clients yet to make ends meet.
B. Their investment broker messed up their investments so they have no reserves to draw from either. The housing market is in the tank and they can’t afford to take a loss on the house.
C. Vivien has a high risk pregnancy and the doc said ‘no moving’ because the stress level would pose a threat.
A lot of Americans in real life are stuck in similar circumstances, minus the supernatural element: their housing values have dropped, they are upside down in their mortgages, unemployment is rampant, people can’t sell their homes for enough to get out from under. American Horror Story is a scary series because, underneath all the ghosts and murderous goings on, the horrors in this family are far too common these days.
I agree totally with McNulty. EW will see a tv show or movie and in a blink of an eye call it one of the greatest of all time.They usually do so in a photo gallery. A photo of the best medical programs include a doctor show they saw last night. A photo gallery of the best romantic films include a movie they saw last weekend. EW has the quickest claim that a movie or tv show “is the greatest ever” in the west.
Agree, they need older more experienced researchers and writers.
Agreed. Whatever they can put on the cover this week is “THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!” I understand that they have to sell hard copies in order to make money and let us use their site to voice our opinions, but it does put a big asterisk on what they say when you know that whatever comes along next season will be the new “GREATEST OF ALL TIME!”
keeping up with the kardashians??? jersey shore??? what else…
Anything with Chaz Bono?
Nice and I totally agree
Nice and I totally agree – not with Chaz Bono comment though – jeez
What about Supernatural?
I agree that Supernatural should have been on the ballot, but I still would have voted for The X Files.
Agreed. At least have it as an option. Some really creepy things happen on Supernatural.
Remember “The Kids Aren’t Alright?” With the changelings that took the form of children, and fed on their parents while they slept? And when you see their reflection, it’s this demented circular mouth filled with needle-like fangs?
Creeeepppyyyy.
Gotta agree, @Wil. That Supernatural was horribly creepy.
I was hoping someone would mention Supernatural. If it were on the list, it would definitely get my vote.
SUPERNATURAL RULES!!
Supernatural Rocks! I can’t believe no mentions for Night Gallery or Tales From The Crypt..I know it’s a puppet..but that Crypt Keepers a creepy dude!
I am so glad someone mentioned Supernatural. This show doesn’t get the credit it deserves. The fact that Fringe makes the poll but not Supernatural dumb founds me. On another note, is “Home” from X-Files about the guy who was obsessed with red hair and Scully would see 666 on her alarm clock?
Rachel Ray…. Creepiest ever
C’mon. Rachel Ray is a cutie pie.