That time when Are You Afraid Of The Dark? had a ghastly case of writer’s block

By Rob Dean | November 10, 2014 | 5:33pm

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That time when Are You Afraid Of The Dark? had a ghastly case of writer’s block

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Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society is a macabre tale of fear of public speaking, lack of preparation, and awkward silences. Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, the popular Nickelodeon frightfest that produced 91 episodes over seven seasons between 1990 and 2000, is having a bit of a cultural resurgence lately. First, someone posted every episode for viewing on YouTube, introducing a whole new generation to the terrors of a lonesome rowboat and a teenage Ryan Gosling. Then, a spoof was made that used the various tales of Bill Murray’s nigh impossible escapades as fodder for its spooky stories. Original Are You Afraid Of The Dark? actor Ross Hull, who played intrepid de facto leader Gary, got in on the fun as he spun his own ghoulish yarn about being haunted by his many appearances on that show. And while the setup seems simple enough, if kids are gathering in the woods to tell a frightening story around a campfire, what happens if everyone showed up but no one had a tale to tell?

Comedy group Loose Meat uploaded “Are You Afraid Of The Dark?: No One Goes” in which the Midnight Society continues to stall for time and exchange furtive glances before the session reaches its anticlimactic end. By cutting together various scenes from the openings of episodes, Loose Meat creates a short, lost episode where ultimately none of the members, not even the most beautiful girl (in the room) Rachel Blanchard, have anything to contribute except growing impatience. Thus concludes this session of the Midnight Society and, quite probably, Are You Afraid Of The Dark?’s sudden and inexplicable resurgence in pop culture consciousness.