TV’s Best Fright Nights

When it comes to scaring people, broadcast television is constrained somewhat by the fact that it is such a public medium. Movies can pretty much trot out all the blood and guts they want, but TV has to be a bit more subtle.

That isn’t necessarily such a bad thing. In fact, some of television’s scarier shows were on broadcast TV. They turned the trick by being clever and imaginative, rather than just plain gross.

What are some of the best of the best?

Entertainment Weekly looked at the history of the genre and come up with its list of TV’s Best Fright Nights. Here’s a sampling:

The Twilight Zone (1959-64)

The X-Files (1993-2002)

The Outer Limits (1963-65)

Night Gallery (1970-73)

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-75)

Twin Peaks (1990-91)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62)

See these, and some of cable’s best, read all about them, and check out a slideshow at Entertainment Weekly.