Top 10 Unintentionally Scary Kids Shows...

[AGXStarseed]

A video I found by an Autistic Youtuber who counts down 10 TV shows from his childhood that were unintentionally scary:

Did you have any shows from your childhood that weren't meant to be scary but you found them to be so?

 

[pjcnet]

Nothing on TV really scared or bothered me, I liked watching Doctor Who (which was in my opinion much better in those days with Jon Pertwee followed by Tom Baker) and I loved other sci-fi like Blake's 7, but none of frightened me in the slightest and neither did any children's TV. In fact when I was a young child my Nan and Grandad used to let me stop up late and watch late night horror films which were my favourite, I loved the Omen 1976, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974, The Exorcist 1973 and many more (they would have been shown on TV a few years after release in those days), even these didn't frighten me in the slightest, in fact I often found them funny, but also engrossing. When my family got a VHS video recorder in around 1981 (I was still only 11 years old) I was able to record and watch horror movies all the time, by then however I was hooked on computers, but it didn't stop me using my computer while watching a horror movie on TV at the same time (my computer was downstairs in view of the main TV at the time, in 1980 I had a ZX80 followed by a ZX81).

I am however a strange one for not being afraid of things that most people would expect, for instance I have been to many paranormal locations since 1996 which started with Chingle Hall near Preston in the UK, which back then was allegedly the most haunted house in Great Britain. I have been in many places of activity and stood in the pitch dark, sometimes even alone and it doesn't bother me in the slightest and even when I experience paranormal activity I can remain totally calm. All the screaming on TV shows just makes me laugh (most paranormal TV shows are totally fake / grossly exaggerated by the way just to get viewers, paranormal activity doesn't happen all the time like on the shows, you have to be very patient and sadly so are many public investigations are also dodgy, I could tell you some stories from owners of locations when shows like Most Haunted visited detailing how they set things up).

Edit:

I've just thought of one children's TV programme that did actually frighten me that wasn't supposed to, but only because I was frightened about attending comprehensive school (and it turned out to be with good reason).

I first watched Grange Hill when I was still at junior school (the children's TV soap started in 1978). I was very disturbed at what I might be in for and I asked my parents repeatedly questions like, "it's not really like that at senior school is it?" and they kept reassuring me with answers like "of course not" and "it's only pretend", but in reality comprehensive school was a lot like Grange Hill including many of the things the kids got up to and of course the bullying (I was sent to a normal school against repeated expert advice to send me to a special school).

Grange Hill later covered some very controversial subjects including bullying (a young girl tragically hung herself at home due to bullying at my school as this was mentioned in her suicide note and I used to get bullied constantly) and even drug use (yes I even I saw this at my school). The only things that weren't very realistic on Grange Hill was they weren't allowed to swear during children's TV and some of the violence had to be toned down (yes, it could be worse in real life).

I will leave you with a few bullying scenes and what can happen:

(Note: There was a few incidents of children being hit by cars that attended my school, in fact a girl in my class was sadly killed after school, so again realistic, things are somewhat safer these days with traffic calming measures around schools for instance.)

 

[dragoncat16]

The Exorcist scared the living you know what out of me when I saw it on TV as a kid. I was so freaked out after seeing that movie, even to this day. Oh yeah, and the Amityville horror, to a lesser extent (the scene with the flies on the window comes to mind). I know those were supposed to be scary and we are discussing things that weren't supposed to be, but ugh those gave me the major heebie jeebies.

Now I totally love haunted houses and old castles and walking through cemeteries at night and stuff, but still the thought of that girl twisting her head right around with those weird glowing eyes and the weird raspy voice, yikes.

I can't think of anything that wasn't supposed to be scary actually being scary. There were some sounds on TV that were really annoying and made me not want to watch those shows, but that wasn't because I was scared.

 

[Idahocalypse]

As much as I love Spongebob, there were certain episodes that disturbed me.

One was "Naughty Nautical Neighbors", where there is a scene of Squidward choking on a fork and then blacking out. Choking scenes frighten me a lot, because I had several choking incidents as a child that caused me to develop a phobia of it.

Another unrelated episode of Spongebob that used to bother me was "Spongehenge". It's hard to explain but the entire episode had a very creepy vibe to it.

My brother once admitted that he used to be afraid of the Spongebob episode where Sandy goes into hibernation (the same episode that brought us the "I'm Dirty Dan" joke).

 

[Katleya]

Scooby Doo -the original cartoons, not the movie. I still remember being terrified by a particular episode where some kind of pantherlike monster was terrorizing people.

It's hard to be taken seriously when Scooby Doo scares the heck out of you, even if you're 6.

 

[Katleya]

Oh yeah, I remember that one. In fact, I remember when Scooby Doo was fired aired. A couple years later there was a rip-off called the "Funky Phantom." I actually enjoyed the show, but it was short-lived:

If you happen to remember any other plot element than might help me track the episode and watch it to finally get over it, I'd be very grateful.

For some reason, that rip-off seems familiar. The bulldog especially.

Edit: turns out if was the Jaguaro episode of Scooby Doo. Not sure I actually feel up to watching it because, uhh... this is a little embarrassing, but just reading the plot of the episode was enough for me. I'll never be ready for horror movies, I guess

 

[Katleya]

I must have seen that episode as a rerun, because it was aired when I was still in boot-camp (October 1978). Perhaps my DI reminded me of the Jagauro.

Well, as long as boot camp wasn't in the Amazonian forest, you were safe

 

[Joel's Hear]

As much as I love Spongebob, there were certain episodes that disturbed me.

One was "Naughty Nautical Neighbors", where there is a scene of Squidward choking on a fork and then blacking out. Choking scenes frighten me a lot, because I had several choking incidents as a child that caused me to develop a phobia of it.

Another unrelated episode of Spongebob that used to bother me was "Spongehenge". It's hard to explain but the entire episode had a very creepy vibe to it.

My brother once admitted that he used to be afraid of the Spongebob episode where Sandy goes into hibernation (the same episode that brought us the "I'm Dirty Dan" joke).

I read recently that Stonehenge may have had quite a dark, ritual past, maybe that is why it scares you. I liked the music from that ep. (So I'm calling them eps now?) Sandy indeed is quite scary in the hibernation cartoon.

 

[Idahocalypse]

I read recently that Stonehenge may have had quite a dark, ritual past, maybe that is why it scares you. I liked the music from that ep. (So I'm calling them eps now?) Sandy indeed is quite scary in the hibernation cartoon.

Hmm that's very interesting regarding Stonehenge. Maybe the writers for the episode knew of the real Stonehenge's dark past and incorporated it into the episodes overall theme/tone? It wouldn't be the first nor last time they sneaked in references to dark and/or obscure subject matter into a Spongebob episode.

Also, I always thought Sandy was more funny than scary in the hibernation episode. Squirrels are just inherently humorous creatures to me and I don't think I could ever be truly frightened of one.

 

[Bella Pines]

A cartoon called Ulysses, there was a episode where he fell down a hole that looked a bit like the pit of sarlac and then went through this "Groundhog Day" type repetition. He would live it over and over and over again, falling down the hole, escaping, falling down the hole.

As a child, it terrified me. As an adult, I now know why, it's my life.

 

[VioletHaze_03]

Oddly enough, disney movies. most were okay, and i watched mostly all of them, but there was one scene that i found really unnerving. some of the villians scared me, most just seemed kind of stuck up. but nothing made me shiver as much as those cats from lady and the tramp. their song made my skin crawl, and their design also freaked me out, to the point where i started having nightmares about the dang song. the hyenas from the lion king also creeped me out just a bit, but it wasn't as bad as the cats. strangely enough, none of the other famous disney villains really scared me like that. in terms of other, non disney movies, coraline was kind of creepy, but that was just plain disturbing and i wasn't scared at all. i think it was just the button eye thing that was slightly creepy. i was also a little older when i watched and had prepared myself.

 

[AGXStarseed]

A cartoon called Ulysses, there was a episode where he fell down a hole that looked a bit like the pit of sarlac and then went through this "Groundhog Day" type repetition. He would live it over and over and over again, falling down the hole, escaping, falling down the hole.

As a child, it terrified me. As an adult, I now know why, it's my life.

Do you mean this show?

 

[Aeolienne]

I was frightened by the Take a Chance game in Crackerjack!. To me it looked as though the celebrities were being puked upon from a height. And worst of all, Stu Francis acted as if he enjoyed it - repulsive man.

 

[Aeolienne]

I was frightened by the Take a Chance game in Crackerjack!. To me it looked as though the celebrities were being puked upon from a height. And worst of all, Stu Francis acted as if he enjoyed it - repulsive man.

Eek!

Crackerjack: Classic BBC children's TV series returning to screens after 35 years

That said, all the reports I've seen so far indicate that it's going to be more Double & Drop than Take a Chance - but I'm still giving it a wide berth.

 

[AGXStarseed]

Speaking of scary kids shows, HeadphonesUK - the Autistic YouTuber who posted the video at the star of this thread - has made a 'sequel'.

 

[tlc]

I can't see Youtube so don't know if these have been posted.

I'm 42 so we are talking about 35 years ago.

The part on Sesame Street when the letter of the day was M. They showed a mountain shaking and crumbling in the darkness, with the booming orchestral music.

The episode of Webster where he went behind the grandfather clock, up a ladder, and found a hidden room with a woman sitting in a rocking chair. When he tried to talk to her, she wouldn't respond.

An episode of Scooby Doo where they tried to find the Spector but couldn't. Afterward the Spector was looking out the window at them.

An episode of Sanford and Son when they kept playing the theme music to Mission Impossible. That music always scared me.

The commercials for Smokey the Bear, with the dark figure and deep voice saying "only YOU can prevent forest fires".

The old Universal Pictures logo which was darker back then.

Music from Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, Tales From The Darkside. The theme from This Old House. And pretty much any orchestral music.

It was the little things that scared me.

I did watch movies like Dark Night Of The Scarecrow, which didn't scare me at all. It took until I was much older to understand psychological thrillers. Freddy movies and things like that I didn't find scary either, just disgusting and repulsive.

 

[Cinnamon115]

I don't know why, but I was always terrified of Sesame Street. I remember always running out of the room when the show came on. I think it had something to do with the credits they used. I was also terrified of anything claymation because of a Wallace and Gromit episode that scared me. I can't remember anything about the episode, other than it involved sheep. Oh, and the "Wormy" episode of Spongebob made my fear of butterflies get way worse.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I don't know why, but I was always terrified of Sesame Street. I remember always running out of the room when the show came on. I think it had something to do with the credits they used. I was also terrified of anything claymation because of a Wallace and Gromit episode that scared me. I can't remember anything about the episode, other than it involved sheep. Oh, and the "Wormy" episode of Spongebob made my fear of butterflies get way worse.

The Wallace and Gromit 'episode' sounds like the 3rd short film - A Close Shave. That one had sheep in it, and a killer robot dog called Preston.

Here's a picture of Preston:

Spoiler: If you're brave enough to look...I won't force you...

 

[Cinnamon115]

I think that is the episode, I kind of remember seeing it on a VHS label. It does sound like the type of thing that would have scared me as a little kid.

 

[Kyou Nukui]

Rentaghost. Particularly the evil pantomime horse "Dobbin", and the evil jester "Mr Claypole".

Terrifying.

Bagpuss. Particularly the mice in the mouse organ and Professor Yaffle, and the unblinking Madeliene.. and the morbid endings where the characters become inanimate objects... basically, they die every day.

Traumatising.

And who can erase the memory of Pipkins, featuring many horrifying creatures including the evil creepy hare "Hartley".

Disturbing.