5 Horror TV Dramas You Probably Never Heard Of

 

Spooky season is the perfect time for some good dramas to check out. Dramas like Stranger Things, Masters Of Horror, Black Mirror, From, and the American Horror Story series. Are all well beloved and known amongst horror enthusiast and the general public. For each one of these series that are popular, there are several that just never caught on. With that here are 5 horror dramas you probably don't remember.

All Souls-UPN

Debuting on UPN in April of 2001, this horror drama actually was a interesting concept. It followed the staff at a teaching hospital that is haunted, beget by the spirits of the hospital dating back to the civil war. Victims of various experiments that have been conducted at the hospital over the years. The show created a mythology for the series that was to be revealed as it progressed, but the show was pulled after 2 episodes. Remaining episodes were aired later that summer, but All Souls was cancelled with only 6 episodes airing.

GvsE-USA network

G vs E was a USA network drama that aired during the days of Pacific Blue and La Femme Nikkita. Entertaining series in their own right, but not the quality of later USA network originals like Suits and Burn Notice. Debuting in the summer of 1999, the drama had a comedic tone to it as well and a very 70's aesthetic. It followed partners Chandler and Henry agents of the "Force", a agency that works under the leadership in heaven against "The Morlocks" who operate as soldiers for hell. 

Even though they are technically dead, Chandler and Henry walk amongst the mortals and have strict rules about their mission and the rules they abide by to survive. The show was later retitled to Good vs Evil, moved to the Sci-Fi Channel and lasted one more season. Which is a shame because it had potential.

Midnight, Texas-NBC

A fairly recent drama that no one seems to remember, Midnight, Texas debuted on NBC in 2017. Main character Manfred Bernardo (François Arnaud) who is a psychic, guided by the spirit of his grandmother to travel to the town of Midnight. Once there he finds a community of various "types", vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, fallen angels etc. All who have come to the small town to get away from something, and be around common type of people. While uniting to combat outside threats. 

The show managed to get 2 seasons before being cancelled, and lost in the consciousness of people's minds.

Fear Itself-NBC

 
                                  

This 2008 horror drama Fear Itself  was an anthology series much in the same vain as Twilight Zone or Masters of Horror. Actors and actresses such as Eric Roberts, Elizabeth Smart, Wendell Pierce, Anna Kendrick, and Brandon Routh all appeared in various episodes for the series. While having buzz and potential the show never caught on. Debuting in June of that year, it was never really given a chance being preempted for the Olympics that summer. With no definitive date on when it would return, the show only aired for eight episodes, with an additional four filmed and completed never to be seen.

50 States Of Fright-Quibi

50 States Of Fright caught a raw deal, it was released during the height of the pandemic on a upstart streaming platform that was shut down by the end of the year. Executive produced by Sam Raimi, 50 States of Fright was an anthology horror series, that told a horror story from each state. Since Quibi was intended to provide short form storytelling, each episode was only around 10 minutes long. Thus the show was able to produce 20 episodes spilting them into 2 seasons before the service was dissolved.

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The Wire's 2nd Season Is Criminally Underrated

 

The HBO classic series The Wire recently turned 22 earlier this month. I rewatched the series a few months ago with my wife who had never watched the show. For five seasons The Wire introduced institutions in Baltimore which truthfully represented all American cities, and how these institutions were letting common folks down. Without a doubt season 4 is the best overall season, season 5 while still a good season, did not meet the standards fans had come to expect from the series, Season 1 and 3 are honestly neck and neck, it's really a matter of personal preference on which one is the "better" season.

Then there is season 2, which upon it's debut caught a lot of flack for kind of straying from the story that season 1 laid down. The Wire is revered for its realism, and season 2 was very real. Looking back that season is a very underrated season, because it included a component of crime and the war on drugs that weren't exactly covered at that time. The organizations at times very sophisticated and connected criminal organizations that arrange for drugs and other contraband to come into the country. As well as it showed the struggles the every man goes through just to make ends meets with the port of Baltimore dock workers representing the everyman.

Just like Walter White in Breaking Bad, dock workers like Frank Sabotka and his crew made some tough, morally wrong decisions to simply make it in this rough ass world. As a teenager when I first watched the show I didn't get it. Now as an adult, in this rough economy where everything is sky high but compensation, and the increasing divide between the haves and the haves not. And the shrinking middle class, which really propels this country you understand they dilemma they had. 20 plus years later, the unfortunate collapse of the Key bridge in Baltimore earlier this year, which severely affected work at the ports for many working families. Highlighted just how important the port is to the city of Baltimore, and the dock workers. Which the series creators of course had no idea would happen, but makes the season and the story of these men told even more relevant.

Along with the dock workers, the story used the criminal organization led by the mysterious Greek to connect the dots on the partnership between these big players bringing the drugs in, and the players on the street level selling them. While alluding to on a global scale how small the drug organizations are in the big picture. The Greek's would also come into play in later seasons which made that whole idea of all the pieces fitting the puzzle matter even more.

I will admit when season 2 debuted in 2003, I was very on the fence about it downright debating about not watching the season. As it progressed and everything came together I understood the purpose of the season, especially as later seasons followed it. Now, I downright appreciate it and the story it was telling in the grand scheme of things. Still to this day it is the most underrated season of The Wire and deserves more credit. 

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X-Men In The MCU..Should Be A TV Series

Back in 2018 when Disney bought 20th Century Fox Studios, fans couldn't wait for the X-Men to be apart of the MCU. It looks like that time is here, as it was recently announced Marvel has started developing an X-Men series called "The Mutants". We don't know much about it other than it'll be a movie.

Personally I think introducing the X-Men into the MCU would be better served as a Disney Plus series. Right now Disney plus and MCU are coming off the hit WandaVision series, with Falcon and The Winter Soldier debuting next week. This summer the Loki series will be released this summer, and a dozen or so series are already in development. Disney and MCU also seem to be spending blockbuster quality budgets on the series. 

Besides that we have had two X-Men film series within the past twentie years, with both falling off the rails with the third film. Both films also have retreated the same stories, and for the most part relied on the same characters through both films.

A TV series could do a few things. If a decision is made to rehash Magneto's and Charles Xaviers story it could be completed in 2-3 episodes, before diving deep into the battle of the respective mutant idealogies. Fan favorite stories that were adapted to film like Age of  Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix and Days of Future Past could be fleshed out through a entire season, giving them proper time to develop and be executed. The same could be said for other popular stories like House of M, God Loves, Man Kills, and E for Extinction could be adapted as well. 10-12 episodes to allow these stories to play out with promises of more,  Disney Plus would never have to worry about losing subscribers.

Another thing a series could do is give other mutants like Gambit, Sunfire, Bishop, Banshee, and many more screentime. Possibly rotating the majority of the roster out each season, keeping a holdover or two for continuity. On the villain side, Bella Donna, Callisto, Exodus, and Mister Sinister could get their time to shine. 

Marvel has been highly successful with the MCU, and there's no doubt in my mind they have a grand plan on how the concept of mutants will work in that world. Just my two cents, give us a good TV show before moving to movies. 

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