# Top three horror TV episodes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [October 16, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323 "2022-10-16T05:20:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/1 "2022-10-16T05:20:03Z")
1. “It’s a Good Life”. _Twilight Zone_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QxTMbIxEj-E/hqdefault.jpg "The Twilight Zone (Classic): It's A Good Life - A Very Bad Man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTMbIxEj-E) 1. “Lonely Souls”. _Twin Peaks_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PKFTxQVH0uE/maxresdefault.jpg "Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991) "It Is Happening Again" Clip #7 HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKFTxQVH0uE) 1. “The Zombie” _Kolchak:The Night Stalker_ > ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/2 "2022-10-16T09:25:41Z")
The pilot for the _Night Gallery_ series – Rod Serling’s followon to _The Twilight Zone_ – contains three different stories that IMHO are contenders for this category. But my favourite by far, _Escape Route_, concerns a Nazi war criminal hiding out in Argentina. He is a frequent visitor to an art gallery where he is strongly attracted to a peaceful painting of an old man fishing from a rowboat. In his quest for serenity, he finds that by concentrating deeply he can, by sheer power of will, enter the painting and become that old man. Later, pursued by Israeli agents, he uses that uncanny power once again, only to find himself facing a horrible retribution. > **["Night Gallery" Pilot (TV Episode 1969) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064725/)** > > Pilot: Directed by Boris Sagal, Barry Shear, Steven Spielberg. With Joan Crawford, Ossie Davis, Richard Kiley, Roddy McDowall. A seemingly haunted painting drives a greedy man insane. A rich blind woman gets a new pair of eyes that allow her to see... ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/3 "2022-10-16T11:12:58Z")
The original **Outer Limits** show had plenty of worthy contenders for top horror episodes. _The Zanti Misfits_ will certainly quicken your pulse and make you quake with fear: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KbPfzp5nMXA/maxresdefault.jpg "Zanti Misfit 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbPfzp5nMXA) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/4 "2022-10-16T11:24:01Z")
**Night Gallery: The Caterpillar** is why I always pull the covers over my ears. [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EpoClxoqMtM/U4dTVngvCJI/AAAAAAAAtZk/kZ7tQeB3Vm4/s1600/caterpillar1.png) ](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EpoClxoqMtM/U4dTVngvCJI/AAAAAAAAtZk/kZ7tQeB3Vm4/s1600/caterpillar1.png) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/5 "2022-10-16T11:28:53Z")
Actually, I was going to mention that one. Besides the three great stories in the pilot that I mentioned, _The Caterpillar_ is very memorable, in a horrific sort of way! The pilot and the episode with that story are part of my small _Night Gallery_ collection. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/6 "2022-10-16T13:39:32Z")
Part 3 of “Trilogy of Terror”, with the Zuni fetish doll, has gotta be right up there. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/7 "2022-10-16T14:01:11Z")
Aw, the Zanti Misfits would eat the Zuni fetish dolls for lunch! 😄 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/8 "2022-10-16T14:21:16Z")
The pilot episode (“Days Gone Bye”) of _The Walking Dead_ is my favorite, followed by the opening _Night Gallery_ pilot story “The Cemetery.” Third place goes to the _Night Gallery_ sequence where Leslie Nielsen overnights in a haunted house on a bet and loses big time. [Beware! Some runs of NG are half hour episodes and the Nielsen story will make no sense as 10 to 15 minutes are cut for commercials.] Honorable mention: _The Outer Limits_ Martian(?) sand shark epi with Adam West. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/9 "2022-10-16T14:27:58Z")
**The Bent-Neck Lady** - You will need to watch the four previous episodes of Haunting of Hill House, but this episode is an all-time great. **Imprint** - This was an episode so horrific, Showtime refused to show it on their show Masters of Horror. I was able to stream it on Hoopla, the library streaming network. Yeah…that was kind of insane. **Home** - This is the X-files episode that everyone remembers as “the one Fox didn’t re-air in syndication”. It’s horrific, but one of the very odd things is that when you watch it, it actually contains an odd level of humor, almost out-of-place for how messed up the overall episode is. A great X-files, though. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/10 "2022-10-16T14:53:08Z")
“Nightcrawlers” from _The New Twilight Zone,_ especially in its original airing, with no commercials. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CfGT4kzTevI/hqdefault.jpg "The Twilight Zone 1x11 Nightcrawlers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfGT4kzTevI) “Specimen: Unknown” from _The Outer Limits_ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/11 "2022-10-16T15:02:45Z")
**Talking Tina** (_Living Doll_). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/12 "2022-10-16T15:24:58Z")
^ Doll Repairman: Yep. Here’s your problem. Someone set this thing to “evil.” ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/13 "2022-10-16T21:47:22Z")
The insane cuts to NG is why i bought it on DVD…same for Night Stalker. Well I havent bought them yet, but I will. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/14 "2022-10-16T21:50:44Z")
Nice call. I might have added that to my list and replaced two or three, had I remembered it. There’s some kids horror my children were watching, Goosebumps or such…the episode is about a school mascot that is actually the monster it pretends to be. At the end, the middle school protagonist tries calling his two buddies, and a ringing can be heard coming from the stomach of the creature where a cutaway reveals the two children screaming in its stomach. I ran scrambling to find out what happened in part two but there was no part two. That was it. I was stunned. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/15 "2022-10-16T21:52:15Z")
Night Gallery’s “Pickman’s Model”. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/16 "2022-10-16T22:21:24Z")
Lotta love for Night Gallery in these parts. There’s a very short episode, like 10 minutes featuring Diane Keaton who is manipulated into murdering her BF in jealousy. She’s a delight. Just being her normal frantic Diane Keaton self. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/17 "2022-10-16T22:46:15Z")
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hush Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ted The X-Files: Squeeze ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/18 "2022-10-16T23:07:25Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > The insane cuts to NG is why i bought it on DVD…same for Night Stalker. Well I havent bought them yet, but I will. Beware, Part II: some NG video collections omit an episode with Ruth Buzzi and some other ladies as a witches’ coven and I have no idea why. Beware, Part III: Some NG TV runs jam in episodes of _Tales of the Unexpected_ to boost the number of eps to 100 for syndication purposes. This thread made me pull up the pilot on YouTube just to hear Roddy McDowall yelling for Portefoy. And later, Portefoy screaming at Jeremy to get back in the ground where he belongs. I love it! There’s a series on Hulu called _Bite Size Hallowe’en_ that features short horror films. Worth a look, once. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/19 "2022-10-16T23:32:01Z")
Twilight Zone - “The Howling Man” Somebody already mentioned my other choices. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323/20 "2022-10-17T00:05:40Z")
Alfred Hitchcock Hour - “The Jar”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-three-horror-tv-episodes/973323.md?page=2)