Cult Corner: Internet Urban Legends Come To Life In ‘Channel Zero’

When we talk about streaming culture, we’re usually enthusing about what’s new, but one of the best things about streaming is how it’s made old and obscure cult hits available to a new generation. Presenting Cult Corner: your weekly look into hidden gems and long-lost curiosities that you can find on streaming.

Either you’re terrified of the internet or you haven’t spent enough time on it. From Mr. Robot to Silicon Valley, several shows have been able to capture the unique dramas of the digital age. But at the moment, there’s only one show that excels at showcasing the web’s unique brand of horror. Nick Antosca’s anthology series Channel Zero exists to bring the online urban legends that once haunted your teenage years to life, and it executes its shocking brand of terror wonderfully.

Created by Syfy, Channel Zero continues the trend of horror anthology series. However, Channel Zero is a bit more expansive than Black Mirror but more contained than American Horror Story. Each season follows a different urban legend over the course of six episodes, with Season 1 focusing on the legend of “Candle Cove” and Season 2 covering “The No-End House.” What makes Channel Zero such a good watch is the feeling the actualization that surrounds each season. Anyone who has spent an extended amount of time on the internet late at night probably knows about Creepypasta, the web’s longstanding guide to insane urban legends. Even when it comes to tales that have come to define the internet, like the Slenderman and The Legend of Zelda ghost story, there’s always something off-putting and imperfect about Creepypasta legends. Many of the site’s stories require the reader to forgive too many plot holes and make too many leaps of logic to be actually terrifying. Channel Zero remedies that, using the web’s favorite terror factory as a source of inspiration as it delivers a chilling ghost story.

That’s where Channel Zero shines — it’s one of television’s truly scary shows. That’s especially the case in Season 2, which follows a group of friends who go to a house of horrors. However, as the season progresses, it becomes clear that the campy attraction is far more sinister than any of them may have guessed. If you’re craving a darker watch as counter-programming during this light-hearted and joyous time, give Channel Zero a shot. But you make have to watch with the lights on.

Stream Channel Zero on Syfy.com