13 Childhood TV Shows That Were a Little Too Scary

The kids’ television shows in the 1960s and 70s were creepy, and it’s surprising how many still actually aired. Before the strict guidelines of today, kids’ TV could be downright scary. Here are some childhood favorites that definitely would not pass the standards of today.

1. H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971)

Giant puppets and costumed characters have always been meant to look whimsical, and in many cases, they have crossed the line into nightmare territory. Witchiepoo’s cackling pursuit of Jimmy and his magic flute traumatized as many kids as it entertained. The visuals used in the show and the bizarre designs of the characters induce fever dreams.

2. Land of the Lost (1974-1976)

The dinosaurs in this show, along with Sleestak, lizard men, were terrifying. The Sleestak glowed, and their eyes hissed and made haunted many kids. If anything is going to stuck in your childhood memory, this show should do it because the thought of being lost in a prehistoric world with no way home is frightening enough. The show used dark settings and stop-motion, which only added to the creepy atmosphere.

3. Lidsville (1971-1973)

Another show by Sid and Marty Krofft, this show that features living hats was disturbing. HooDoo the magician was played by Charles Nelson Reilly, and his cackling together with the strange hat-people costumes all created a bizarre world of soft menace. Living hat world in which you are trapped was the unsettling core premise.

4. The Electric Company’s Spider-Man (1974-1977)

Most modern standards would call the Spider-Man educational clips and comics scenes of the manga drawn to the lowest standard of weird. They created a strange atmosphere that was mysteriously detached from all that should be comic book action. That’s the world of weird villains and the lowest standard of strange.

5. Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-1975)

The monsters in caves as well as Sigmunds monster family members are seaweed-covered and extremely frightening. The so-called friendly monsters are actually mean-spirited, sadistic, and cruel. This is a show that tries to use comedy and horror, but when they do, they tend to use the horror side more often than not.

6. The Bugaloos (1970-1972)

While the show is supposed to have a musical premise, there is also a scary witch called Benita Bizarre and scary robots that work for her. Cheerful insect-children and the dark forest that surrounds them creates an uncomfortable forest instead of just a forest. Young audiences found Martha Raye as Benita to be especially scary.

7. Dark Shadows (1966-1971)

This gothic soap opera was not a show meant for children, but children watched it anyway. Many children were scared of the vampires, witches, and ghosts. The way the lights were set up and the music that played in the background created a spooky environment that usually resulted in children having nightmares.

8. The New Zoo Revue (1972-1977)

The large, human-sized animal costumes with fixed expressions, dead eyes, and large heads are also terrifying. In addition to this, Henrietta Hippo and Freddie the Frog move in a way that is quite uncanny and stilted. Because of this, the unsettling appearance of the characters often overshadows the educational content.

9. The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (1971)

While the intention of this show is to be comedic, the Canadian show uses monster characters and a gothic setting which is scary. This creepy environment is created by Vincent Prices segments and some electronic music that is used to set the scene. The mix of horror and education was not received well by the target audience of young children.

10. Doctor Who (1963-1989)

The classic series, although adored by many, had genuinely terrifying monsters, such as the Daleks and the Cybermen. The unsettling nature of the series’ limited special effects only increased the frightening level of the creatures. Many children watched the episodes from behind the sofa, particularly during the episodes which featured more horror elements.

11. The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968-1970)

The characters in costume were very disturbing, especially since they had little puppeteering movement, which would create a very robotic effect. The show’s psychedelic visuals and odd episodes added to the desire defying discomfort. The disjunction created from the happy music and alters the costume character is truly disturbing.

12. Lost in Space (1965-1968)

The show is family friendly, though many episodes include downright scary alien creatures and situations. It’s true that Dr. Smith’s performance is creepy, and the dangers of space are always present, leading to a real sense of menace. Young viewers would find many of the show’s serious episodes to be genuinely frightening.

13. The Wonderful World of Disney – Horror Episodes (1960s)

While some Disney productions, like variations of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, also featured ghost stories and are scary, more recent productions do not scare children as much as these older productions. Well made and with good production realism, they also create well remembered frightening elements.