Tag: Nickelodeon

Spoiler-Free Review of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Ghost Island” on Nickelodeon: Season Three has a Spooky Summer Feel

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Not every hotel is haunted…”

Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Ghost Island premiered on Nickelodeon on July 30th 2022. There will be four episodes in total that will air weekly. The series stars Telci Huynh, Dior Goodjohn, Luca Padovan, Chance Hurtsfield, and Conor Sherry. Each episode runs for approximately 50-90 minutes. 

Based on the original Are You Afraid of the Dark? series that aired in the 1990’s, this revival is now on its third season. Only we get a new cast, a new location, and an entirely new mystery. The Midnight Society is ready for the case when a group of friends stay at a hotel on Ghost Island, learning that room 13 may be haunted.

Here is the trailer:

Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Ghost Island has a spooky mystery at its core and a new group of characters to be excited about. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

A fun new premise.

The summer release for the third season of Are You Afraid of the Dark? is perfect for this new premise. The opening scene is actually kind of terrifying and the setting is beyond gorgeous, transporting me right to Ghost Island along with our new characters. I’m anxious to find out more about what’s truly going on with this particular ghost mystery and I think that the series is off to a good start, hooking its audience right away.

More layers for our new characters.

I really enjoyed the first two seasons of the reboot series, but so far I am really liking these characters the most because we are actually spending some time on character development. Our main character has a trauma in her past related to ghosts and I think that this was a smart decision because it’s helping me connect to our new Midnight Society that much more.

The new characters are a lot of fun and I think that the younger generation will really connect with them.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

Not as strong as season two yet…

I really like the new reboot series and I think it’s helping kids horror get some well deserved recognition so I don’t have too many cons here. The scares are watered down, but you should expect that. So far I still prefer season two with the Shadowman, but I’m keeping an open mind with this season because I think it has a lot of potential.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

I’m in!

This show is so much fun to watch and I think it is really helping the kids horror genre flourish. I can’t wait to watch more and I’m ready to book my next trip to Ghost Island!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Ghost Island in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows” on Nickelodeon: Season Two of the Revival Is Off to a Spooky Start

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Once you’ve been cursed, the Shadowman will come for you…”

Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows premiered on Nickelodeon on February 12th 2021. There will be six episodes in total that will air weekly. The series stars Bryce Gheisar, Malia Baker, Beatrice Kitsos, and Dominic Mariche. Each episode runs for approximately 50 minutes. 

Based on the original Are You Afraid of the Dark? series that aired in the 1990’s, this revival is now on its second season. Only we get a new cast, a new location, and an entirely new mystery. The Midnight Society is ready for the case when their leader goes missing, but they may have inherited a dangerous curse in the process.

Here is the trailer:

Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows lures us in right away with an intriguing mystery and a scary villain that may actually give you some nightmares. It seems like season two has effectively found its own voice while bringing us some welcomed nostalgia along the way. Does season two do enough to keep us coming back for more? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Are you Afraid of the dark 1

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

Jumps right into the mystery.

While I enjoyed season one of the revival, there was a lot of set-up and fluff centered around the new stranger joining the Midnight Society and what that actually was. Thankfully, we skip all of that in season two and get off to a quick and chilling start.

While I’m still warming up to the new Midnight Society, I think that this was a wise decision and this anthology approach could actually allow this show to branch out even further in the future.

Welcomed nostalgia.

Are You Afraid of the Dark Sardo

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

If you are a fan of the original series, then you will be pleased with season two’s efforts to pay the show some real tribute. The character of Sardo is back in the revival. While he is played by a different actor, this character is the owner of the Magic Mansion and his presence is livening up the show for sure.

The Cons:

Are You Afraid of the Dark 2

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

Watered down scares.

I wouldn’t say that this is necessarily a con, but this is a kids horror show and some of the scares and effects are a little cheesy. That being said, I think that the kids horror genre doesn’t get enough credit sometimes. The Shadowman is genuinely scary and there were quite a few moments that had me on the edge of my seat.

If you are looking for something truly scary, you won’t get that here, but as long as you manage your expectations, you will be pleasantly surprised.

So am I in or out?

Are You Afraid of the Dark 3

Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

I’m in!

This show is a lot of fun and it presented us with a spooky mystery right away without too much set-up. I’m intrigued to find out more and I may be looking over my shoulder if the Shadowman appears…

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” (2019) Reboot on Nickelodeon: The Midnight Society gives us a Halloween treat!

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society…”

Nickelodeon provides kids and adults with a fun Halloween treat, releasing the Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019) reboot as a three part mini-series event.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? was a spooky anthology series that aired in the 1990’s for kids and I can tell you that I was absolutely a fan of this!  The Midnight Society would gather around a campfire to share some creepy stories.  When the narrator began their story, we would be transported to that actual story away from The Midnight Society, diving into a tale filled with terror and suspense.

Originally, the reboot was supposed to be a movie from my understanding, but they decided to go with the limited mini-series event for television instead.  The reboot features three episodes (50-55 minutes in length) and began airing on October 11th 2019 on Nickelodeon.  It stars Lyliana Wray, Sam Ashe Arnold, Miya Cech, Jeremy Ray Taylor, and Tamara Smart.

There is definitely room for this type of kids friendly horror, as we have recently seen Goosebumps and The House with a Clock in Its Walls provide us with some horror fun without scaring us to death.  But where does the Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot fit in?  Let’s find out!

The Pros:

Are you afraid of the dark 10 26 2
Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

The new Midnight Society still gives you a sense of nostalgia from the original show.

I love that we have a new Midnight Society for the kids of this generation, as they can discover this spooky adventure for themselves.  Even though this is a reboot, I thought that the show captured enough of the feel from the original series, while presenting us with some new and welcomed additions.

I love that the new show decided to use the scary story as a starting point, but it actually became all too real for the characters of the Midnight Society, which made it more interesting, allowing the story to branch out over three episodes, truly coming to life.

Horror Easter eggs and discussions for adults!

If you are watching with your child, fear not!  There is plenty for you to enjoy during this series.  We get several references to well known horror movies and some discussions that will make you laugh, as the kids start breaking down the difference between horror and sci-fi and how to truly classify it.  I thought this was super fun and it really helped me relate to the series that much more.

The characters are fantastic!

I was a little skeptical at first when I met the characters, but I loved seeing the friendship and bond between them grow as they all handled this threat together.  I’m a fan of horror shows and movies that include a group of Scoobies and the new Midnight Society certainly makes the cut!

The Cons:

Are you afraid of the dark 10 26 3
Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

The effects are really cheesy at times.

But I kind of expected that going into this since the show is targeted at a younger audience. The scares are not really scary, but there are some interesting foes and fears that come to light, which kept my attention.

The show ended so soon!

I know that this was meant to be a limited series, but there was a lot of setup in episode 1 and I didn’t start to really like the series until the following episode, which is tough since there are only three episodes in total.  Once I got to the end of the series, I was so invested and I wanted to see the new Midnight Society take on some more scares and threats.  These kids are fantastic and I want to see more!

So am I in or out? 

Are you afraid of the dark 10 26 1
Images courtesy of Nickelodeon

I’m in!  I went into this show expecting to be underwhelmed and instead I was pleasantly surprised.  The show balanced a nostalgia for the original series while creating a voice of its own, allowing a new generation of horror fans to emerge. 

The release of the limited series works well with this spooky time of year and I think it’s the perfect addition for your family friendly Halloween lineup!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019) in the comments section below.  Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

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Do you love horror series?  Of course you do!  Please also check out 12 Nights of Horror Series Coming Soon.  It’s your home for everything you need to know about new and returning horror television series including new trailers, premiere dates, reviews, recaps, and renewals!