Aw, come on, there was one episode of Charmed with the horror movie characters come to life that was pretty creepy. I specifically remember the Bloody Mary lady that couldn't be killed unless she fell out the window. That one scared me a bit.

Also, even though Barbas, the demon that could find out your worst fears and use them against you was acted in the most god-awful way, the concept is terrifying. Think of your worst fear and then imagine having it used against you by your worst enemy. *shudder*

Point Pleasant was truly sucktacular and the only scary thing was them trying make LA look like New Jersey.

I haven't seen it since, but Kolchak was pretty darn scary to my 5-year-old self - though I admit that may not be the best measure of scariness.

I seem to recall 'Haunted' actually being fairly scary, but maybe I'm subconsciously replacing "actually scary" with "lots of potential to be actually scary." I haven't seen it since it aired, so it's possible.

Don't forget the show that couldn't decide if it was about crime solving (season 1) or supernatural crime solving (season 2). Either way it made an entire generation want to claw their eyes out.
With fish people, sea monsters, voodoo, UFO's and vampires who could forget the short lived and under appreciated: Baywatch Nights

You are all so mean, I loved Charmed.

Yes okay I only watched it because every so often Alyssa Milano would be writhing around with no clothes on, but that's a perfectly good reason to tune in to a TV show.

After all without that appeal the CW would have nothing to put on...

I loved Charmed. It was my favorite show. I also like Ghost Whisperer. I liked them because I don't like really scary shows, but they are just enough. Yeah I know - I'm a wimp!

I suspect Dark Shadows is likewise being unfairly judged by 2008's standards rather than the standards of its time. I wasn't around to watch it first-run, so I may be wrong, but... You can't apply 2008 special-effects and production expectations to something made in 1966. Effects have advanced a long way now, and soaps are no longer broadcast live so they actually have the opportunity to re-shoot bad performances or awkward takes (which Dark Shadows did not). Of course it looks dumb when you do that.

I also submit that it doesn't seem to me that Dark Shadows was even trying to be scary. Or funny. I don't think it fits into the two-category system proposed. It was trying to be a soap opera about the supernatural, and oddly enough, that's exactly what it achieved.

Dark Shadows was VERY scary at my house. The characters all had the same names as members of the family. It was very hard not to identify with the characters.

Jeff you are right.

What about "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" from Nickelodeon? When you were a kid...some of those stories could actually freak you out!

Completely wrong about Kolchak unless you are talking about the horrendous remake. It was a great show by any standard- it was a mystery show, not a horror show. Mostly wrong on Dark Shadows- brilliant for a soap opera. Most everything else you name isn't just not scary, it's not any good, with the possible exception of Ghost Whisperer, a knockoff of Medium which is an exceptional program. Lastly, anyone who wasn't actually there for the 1970s shouldn't be talking about it as a standard. and...
BOO!

Cosigning the objections to labelling Dark Shadows and Kolchak lame. Both were spooky, and not in a "for their time" kind of way. By the way, what did you mean, "even by 70s standards"? Hate to tell you, but those 70s storytelling standards were sheer gold, in TV and in film. To make such a sweeping dismissive comment is, and I don't mean this unkindly, pretty ignorant.

You forgot Erie, Indiana!

Kolchak was abad@$$ for its time. Without it we wouldn't have a good slew of other sci-fi/horror shows. And personally, I think the Others was decent. It had a lot of potential.

Saw an episode of 'Night Stalker' when I was in the fifth grade that scared the pants off me. It featured a creature that could take any human form and then it would eat its prey. I couldn't even call my parents to comfort me because I couldn't be sure that they weren't actually human eating zombies that just looked like my mom and dad.

May the ghost of Darrin McGavin haunt you forever.

Re Dark Shadows:
"Or the priest bricked up in the cellar...." YEA! Jerry Lacy as Reverend Trask. Brilliant!

Roswell never intended on being a scary show, nor did it 'sell itself' as one. And as for XFiles...if you didnt find some of those episodes scary..you gots problems....

I thought Sabrina The Teenage Witch was just an excuse for Melissa Joan Hart to wear as little as she possibly could on network TV.

Night Stalker was good. Supprised no one has mentioned the Twlight Zone. Most of the stuff that passes for scary today is nothing but slasher trash.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a great show, Melissa Joan Heart has an awesome butt, and the cat was hilarious. I gave it three stars. Again, love that plump caboose and those pretty eyes.

"Did I miss the spell? Did English go away?"