5 Super Scary Stories on TV

Over the last decade, there has been a shift in genre popularity on television, due in large part to the ability of cable networks to flex its liberal muscles. As people start to tire from reality TV, a new genre comprised of scary tales and sci-fi thrillers is waiting in the wings. This new trend owes its apparent success to smash hit predecessors like “X-Files” and “True Blood.” Here are a few examples.

The Strain
The timing of this show is impeccable considering the current Ebola outbreak that has peaked concern all over the world. In this thriller, a plane of dead people shows up in New York City from Berlin. The cause of death is unknown, prompting the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to become involved. The scientists are led by an unlikely hero named Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), who plays detective type character who just happens to also be a scientist. His co-workers are like-minded scientists obsessed with finding the cause of death before it spreads. While investigating the circumstances, the group is confronted by a freaky doomsday advocate (David Bradley) telling scary tales about the impending end of civilization because of what lies in the box (coffin?) found on board. When the notion of vampires comes into play, the show becomes a modern horror story. Network: FX.

Bates Hotel
Beware, Norman Bates is coming to a cable channel near you. The show takes place in a small town in Oregon, depicting lives of Norman’s (Freddie Highmore) and his mother’s (Vera Farmiga) prior to the days of “Psycho.” When mother buys a local hotel after her husband’s death, the relationship between mom and son begins to evolve into a creepy, dark story of family dysfunction. Norman’s love interest is Emma (Olivia Cooke) who doesn’t know what to make of Norman’s increasingly strange behavior. When Norman is accused of a violent act, he is exposed for the disturbed person he was destined to become. The family is at continuous odds with the people of the town, including Sheriff Romero (Nestor Carbonelle) who fear something is up with this family. The screams may be missing, but the story still thrills. Network: A&E

Penny Dreadful
A dreary, mystical and dark Victorian English landscape is the backdrop for this tale of monsters, psycho-sexual behavior and romance. Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton of James Bond fame) is an explorer on a quest to find the horror and fear that lives through the visions of Vanessa Ives, a spiritualist with a strange ability to attract the occult. As Murray does his best Sherlock Holmes impression with his sidekick Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), they encounter the kind of evil that evokes screams and fear. Her visions are complicated by the real-life relationships she has with these monsters. Along the way, Murray encounters such characters as Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) and Dr. Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway). In their own unique way, each character has a demented personality and truly fascinating relationships. Network: Showtime

Helix
Where “The Strain” chooses to mix a mysterious virus with vampires, Helix chooses man-made viruses plus a crazy scientist determined to destroy humanity. The story takes place in the Arctic Circle where Dr. Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell) has been summoned to help investigate a couple of disease breakouts. As the head of the CDC, he is motivated to make the trip by the fact his brother Peter (Neil Napier) has been exposed to one of the biologically engineered viruses. It’s a story about good science battling bad science with a real Sci-FY flair. The show’s anti-Christ is the nice, but terrible Dr. Hiroshi Hatake (Hiroyuki Sanada), the man behind the bad science. With two viruses in play, time is of the essence as either one of the viruses is capable of wiping out civilization. Network: SyFy

American Horror Story
After encountering a lifetime of relationship difficulties that include affairs and a miscarriage, Ben (Dylan McDermott) and Vivien (Connie Britton) Harmon move into a mansion in Los Angeles with their bratty teenager. The move is intended to give the family a new start. What they get is an old haunted mansion filled with ghosts and witches. With one freaky event after another, the family is trapped in purgatory dealing with ghosts that are providing constant reminders of the very things the family was trying to forget. There is nothing mystical here as each creepy character, whether real or not, looks the part of ghosts, witches or ghouls. With no way to tell the characters apart, trouble lurks behind every door. Network: FX

Summary
This new TV genre is guaranteed to continuing growing based on the concept of supply and demand. Audiences are demanding to be frightened and cable television is obliged to meet that need. With a combination of horror/Sci-FY, the possibilities are only limited by the imagination.

Q. Which one of these shows is most likely to succeed?
A. As they stand now, “Penny Dreadful” has the most compelling characters and a larger pool of storyline possibilities. Of course the sexual overtones figure to captivate audiences as well. It is noteworthy that “Bates Motel” has already received Emmy consideration.

Q. On the flip side, which show is most likely to end up on the cutting room floor?
A. That’s a little more difficult to predict, but “American Horror Story” is a bit cheesy. The story-lines are weak and the only redeeming quality of the show is a few decent special effects.

Q. Mention was made about the recent Ebola breakout. Will there be any ramifications for “The Strain” and “Helix”?
A. The reality is that both shows figure to benefit from this terrible current event. People will tune in hoping to learn about the effects of uncontrollable diseases. Thank goodness these are only shows with no basis in reality, at least for now.

What Is The Difference Between Ghosts And Spirits?
Have you ever contemplated what the difference was? Are they the same thing? Are they words that co-inside with each other or is there more to it than just semantics? Let’s take a closer look at the definitions of each and try to make some sense out of the difference.

Definitions

The definition of a ghost is the following: a dead person’s soul, a disembodied spirit imagined, usually as a vague, evanescent or shadowy form, wandering among or haunting living persons. Looking at this, one would get the impression that a ghost is a troubled person that has died and who may be trapped between earth and a greater place, creating trouble for people who are alive.

Now let us take a look at the definition of a spirit
: a supernatural, non-material being, especially one inhabiting a place or an object. Reading this definition, the feeling is of someone that is invisible but still here. The definition does not say that they are going anywhere, but that they are inhabiting a home or an object.

What Do Ghosts Do?

The common assumption is that they are known to haunt houses. There is a lot of documentation and information out there that humans have felt and seen apparitions in their houses, usually during night, when it is dark outside. They aren’t always evil though. There are many stories of people who just see or hear things, without an explanation.

Paranormal activity is thought to be trapped souls doing things to catch our attention. These souls are named poltergeists. They are known to cause objects to move in an attempt to scare people and as a means of showing their anger with being trapped. Things may fly off of shelves or fall onto the floor without a human anywhere near them. This activity is common in homes that are thought to be haunted.

Are they trying to get our attention? Or are they so upset that they are stuck here that they feel they need to haunt us until they get where they are going?

They are thought to be troubled and trapped between realms. They are here because they may have some unfinished business to attend to before moving on. However, they may be unaware of this and are feeling they are imprisoned and unsure of how to proceed. Because of this they often haunt homes and do the paranormal things out of anger or fear.

Spirits – What Is Their Story?

They have a different story. They are thought to be invisible souls that are still here after death has happened. No one really sees them though. They are felt. They are people that are still here but not to been seen or to have haunt you.

After death they can stay here to watch over family and friends. They are here for a purpose. Unbeknownst to the living, they may be trying to give them guidance through subtle hints that can be given without being seen.

They have already seen the light of the other side, any higher power. They know already what is out there. They are here to help us and are hanging around to give us signs to help us through.

What Can I Do To Help?

If you have felt a presence in your home, you may be afraid. You might not know who or what you are dealing with. What should you do?

Try to relax and call out to the presence to see if you get any results. If things move around and you feel an anger in the air, try to calm the ghost by letting them know that you understand their pain. Tell them that you are friendly and wish to help.

You may have to live with the presence for a while until they find what it is that they are looking for. There are hunters of the paranormal that you could call to come and help, if you are very scared. A paranormal specialist can be found with a quick search on the internet.

Will They Show Themselves?

There are stories of some sightings. Usually an apparition or a foggy shadow. This is very spooky if you witness it. It may involve mirrors. The best thing to do is continue to be calm, and to let them know you are not a threat.

How Can I Make Them Go Away?

After awhile you may luck out that they have finally found the answer to their problem and they will vacate on their own. If it goes on for some time, you might want to hire the service of a paranormal hunter to help determine what you are dealing with and to give you pointers on how to have them move on. They have electronic devices that can let you know if your home is affected or not and where they are vacating. They may be able to help.

If it is a visiting loved one however, you may feel that presence your whole life. And that is someone who you know, that wants to look after you, not to have you feel haunted in the night. So you probably don’t want that to go away at all. That is something you should cherish.

Summary

Any information obtained through stories or your own viewing should be passed around to others so they are aware of the differences. A lot of people are scared of hauntings and they don’t understand what they mean. They are also afraid of the feeling of someone being there with them, and that might be the spirit they feel.