Creepy horror series Channel Zero comes first and only to Showmax

Update: Channel Zero is no longer on Showmax. Find your next binge in the full series catalogue here.

If you’re looking for something terrifying to stream or download for a quick binge-view, Channel Zero (2016-current), a super-creepy horror anthology series with six episodes in the first two seasons, should fit the bill. Season 1, Candle Cove, is now available first and only on Showmax. Watch now »

Channel Zero is based on creepypasta stories. Sounds delicious, right? Wrong! A creepypasta is a legend of horror and terror that’s found online – and best of all, they’re short and sweet and to the blood-curdling-scream point. Ever heard of the child-attacking Slender Man, who’s become so popular online that he’s featured in shows like The X-Files and Supernatural?

“Formats change but our nightmares don’t,” says series creator and executive producer Nick Antosca. “Any kind of urban legends that permeate a culture are going to reflect the fears and collective nightmares of that culture. Creepypastas function in the same way that urban legends do… but they purport to be real. Like alligators in the sewer.”

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Here’s what to expect in Season 1

Unlike alligators in the sewer, there aren’t any scaled, toothed, angry reptiles in Channel Zero. Season 1 is called Candle Cove and follows a child psychologist who returns home to investigate a creepy children’s TV show.

What: A kiddies’ TV show called Candle Cove, featuring marionettes and a monocle-wearing, moustachioed villain, is linked to mysterious disappearances.

Who: Mike Painter returns to his hometown after 30 years. He’s a child psychologist and starts re-investigating the disappearance of his brother Eddie, who went missing in the 70s. But Mike isn’t convinced that a serial killer was to blame, despite what the cops said.

Nick says: “We watched really creepy children’s shows on YouTube, on VHS … anywhere we could find them. And you know you’ve watched enough when you’re feeling discomfited during the intro montage. We actually shot Candle Cove on cameras from that time and we created something that might actually have been a children’s TV show.”

The creepiest: Toothchild – this child is literally covered in in teeth from head to toe!

Sources: Endgadget.com, reddit.com, slashfilm

Cover image: NBC

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