# Tales from the Darkside (1984)

> A syndicated horror anthology in which each short episode delivers a self-contained macabre tale ending in a twist.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1302

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 89
- Episode runtime: 20 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: horror, science fiction, fantasy
- Created by: George A. Romero
- Network: Syndication
- Cast: Paul Sparer, David Groh, Alison Sweeney, Farley Granger, Ronee Blakley, Coleen Gray, J.D. Roth, Mabel King
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086814/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: eerie, wry, campy, macabre, cautionary

## What critics say

Viewers rate the anthology positively overall, valuing its unpredictable short stories and twist endings, though it is often considered less polished than its predecessors.

## Synopsis

Tales from the Darkside (1984-1988) is an American horror anthology series created by George A. Romero for syndication. Across four seasons and 89 twenty-minute episodes, each self-contained story is a fresh tale with new characters, anchored only by the voice of narrator Paul Sparer. Stories mix horror, science fiction, and fantasy, with several episodes leaning into black comedy or lighter material. Principal performers across the run include David Groh, Alison Sweeney, Farley Granger, Ronee Blakley, Coleen Gray, Mabel King, and Jessica Harper, each appearing in a single tale or two. The engine is the pleasure of not knowing what the next episode will hold: an ordinary person drifts toward a strange bargain, a cursed object, or a supernatural reckoning, and the story builds unease until a closing reversal reframes everything that came before. The tone is eerie and wry, with a campy, cautionary flavor typical of 1980s television horror. Fans of Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, and Monsters will find the same mix of moral unease, sharp endings, and playful dread. Because each episode stands alone, the show suits a quick scare at any hour and works especially well as seasonal viewing in the Halloween spirit.

## Shows like Tales from the Darkside

- [Creepshow (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73632)
- [Tales of the Unexpected (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/2085)
- [R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/31153)
- [The Outer Limits (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/19862)
- [Monsters (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/5931)
- [Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/2771)
- [Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/71344)
- [The Hitchhiker (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/9632)
- [Night Visions (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/4310)
- [Hammer House of Horror (1980)](https://ember.film/tv/39530)

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