Tales from the Darkside (1983 — 1988)

Tales from the Darkside (1983–1988), created by George A. Romero, is an American anthology horror TV series that first aired in October 1983 with a pilot episode. It was later picked up for syndication in September 1984 and ran for four seasons until July 1988. Each episode was a unique short story with a plot twist, originally airing late at night on Tribune Broadcasting. The show explored the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and sometimes incorporated elements of black comedy or lighthearted themes. In October 2012, reruns began airing in the UK on Horror Channel.

On the brink of understanding, in a distant land, a young boy is captured by a cannibal who holds his father’s debts and demands an IOU. To stall for time, he shares chilling tales with the ogre. Some of the episodes were written or adapted from renowned authors such as Stephen King, Frederik Pohl, Harlan Ellison, and Clive Barker. The series even featured works from Michael Bishop, Robert Bloch, John Cheever, Michael McDowell, and Fredric Brown. In 1988, a book titled Tales from the Darkside: Volume One was published containing these stories and episode novelizations. Following its conclusion, the show was followed by another horror anthology called Monsters in 1988. This series also shared a similar style and was produced by Laurel and Richard P. Rubinstein, long-time collaborators with Romero.