Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest on the streaming services. Note that streaming availability can change with little to no notice.
What Is It?
Tales from the Crypt is a horror anthology series that aired on HBO from 1989 to 1996, featuring standalone episodes that blend macabre storytelling with dark humor. Hosted by the wisecracking, corpse-like Crypt Keeper (voiced by John Kassir), each episode delivers a twisted morality tale often involving crime, greed, betrayal, and supernatural comeuppance. The show drew from the classic EC Comics of the 1950s, bringing their ghoulish tone and ironic endings to television with a mix of horror, satire, and camp.
Aired: HBO, 1989-96, 7 Seasons Totaling 93 Episodes
Notable Guest Stars: Demi Moore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas, Christopher Reeve, Steve Buscemi, Tim Curry
Developed By: William Gaines, Steven Dodd
Why Watch It?
Tales from the Crypt helped redefine what television–particularly cable–could do with genre storytelling. Airing on HBO, it was free from the content restrictions of broadcast TV, allowing it to push boundaries with violence, language, and adult themes in ways that were uncommon at the time. That creative freedom attracted a wide range of high-profile talent both in front of and behind the camera, including actors like Demi Moore and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as directors such as Robert Zemeckis and Richard Donner.
The series also had a notable impact on television with its wry yet mature approach, and became another important genre entry to find success away from the broadcast networks at that time like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, and Hercules the Legendary Journeys. Its blend of horror and dark comedy, along with its signature twist endings, made it a cultural touchstone of late-’80s and ’90s television and helped revive the legacy of EC Comics for a new generation.
Where Is It Streaming?
This series is now available on streaming for the first time on Shudder and AMC+. The first season arrived on May 1st and additional seasons will premiere each Friday through June until all seven are available for streaming. You can subscribe to the horror-focused Shudder service starting at $7.99 per month (more price plans at this link). Or you can upgrade to AMC+, which includes everything from Shudder along with many of AMC’s prior shows, right now for $29.99 for a full year (see all the price plans at this link). Tales from the Crypt is certainly one that is worth seeking out, especially for horror fans, and both Shudder and AMC+ offer plenty of additional entertainment as well.
Read about more sci fi and fantasy TV shows available for streaming at this link.
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