Nickelodeon’s three-part revival of ’90s series Are You Afraid of the Dark? was quite a treat during the 2019 Halloween season, introducing a brand new Midnight Society and making them the stars of the show in a life-and-death battle against the evil Mr. Tophat and his sinister Carnival of Doom. The limited series, penned by BenDavid Grabinski and directed by Dean Israelite (Skiptrace, Happily), managed to hit that “gateway horror” sweet spot.
In the new series, “The members of the Midnight Society tell a terrifying tale of the Carnival of Doom and its evil ringmaster, Mr. Top Hat, only to witness the shocking story come frightfully to life and prepare for an adventure beyond their wildest nightmares.”
In Part One, "Submitted For Approval", tormented by nightmares, the new girl in school feels and out of place until a mysterious group invites her to join. All she has to do is tell a truly terrifying story.
In Part Two, "Opening Night", when a friend's disappearance seems to be linked to Rachel's story, the Midnight Society decides to attend the Carnival of Doom. Is it the same carnival from her nightmares? How?
In Part Three, "Destroy All Tophats", with her friends' lives at stake, Rachel decides to take charge and end Mr. Tophat's reign of terror. Will the story have a happy ending, or is the Midnight Society doomed?
And no matter what happens, remember, it's All Part Of The Show!
The new members of the Midnight Society are: Rachel, played by Lyliana Wray (Top Gun: Maverick); Gavin, played by Sam Ashe Arnold (Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever.); Akiko, played by Miya Cech (The Astronauts, Rim of the World, Always Be My Maybe); Graham, played by Jeremy Taylor (IT: Chapter Two, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween); and Louise, played by Tamara Smart (Artemis Fowl, The Worst Witch), with the Carnival of Doom’s ringmaster, Mr. Tophat, played by Rafael Casal (Blindspotting).
All three parts of Are You Afraid of the Dark? ranked as the most co-viewed show on broadcast and TV each week, with 33% of Adults 18-49 watching with a Kid 6-11. It was the number-one live-action series on cable TV in all kids’ demos (2-11, 6-11 and tweens 9-14). And with an industry standard of shows targeting 6-11-year-olds experiencing roughly 20% lifts in L3 time shifted ratings compared to Live Same Day, Are You Afraid of the Dark? scored 35% lifts among Kids 6-11 and 36% overall with the Kids 2-11 demo in L3 versus LSD.
In addition to the reboot, fans can catch episodes from the classic '90s series on NickRewind, as well as stream the original series and The Carnival of Doom on Paramount+. Visit ParamountPlus.com for a free trial!
Nickelodeon followed up Are You Afraid of the Dark?: The Carnival of Doom with a second season, Curse of the Shadows, which aired on Nickelodeon earlier this year.
More Nick: Nickelodeon Renews 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' for Season Two!
Sources: Film Daily, TV Guide, Anime Superhero Forum /@CartoonLover2604, @KidsSchedule. Special thanks to What's on Netflix!
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More Nick: Nickelodeon Renews 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' for Season Two!
Sources: Film Daily, TV Guide, Anime Superhero Forum /@CartoonLover2604, @KidsSchedule. Special thanks to What's on Netflix!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Are You Afraid of the Dark? News and Highlights!
