Horror is a genre of entertainment that has been around for centuries and continues to captivate audiences today. It captivates viewers by creating suspenseful, thrilling, and often times frightening experiences. Streaming TV has become a major platform for the horror genre, allowing for creative freedom and access to larger audiences.
What is Horror?
Horror is a genre of entertainment that is often characterized by fear, dread, and terror. It is generally intended to evoke emotional responses from viewers, including fear, suspense, and terror. Horror can be found in literature, films, television series, video games, and other forms of media.
Why is Horror Popular?
Horror is a popular genre because it has the ability to captivate viewers and create an intense emotional experience. It can be used to explore a variety of topics, such as morality, human nature, and the unknown. It is also popular because it is often seen as a way to confront one’s own mortality and the unknown, which can be a thrilling experience for some viewers.
What is Streaming TV?
Streaming TV is a form of television programming that is delivered over the internet. Unlike traditional television, streaming services allow viewers to watch shows on demand, rather than having to wait for a specific time or day. Streaming services also offer a wide variety of content, from movies and television series to live shows and sports.
History of Horror in Streaming TV
Early Streaming TV Horror
The first streaming TV service, Netflix, began streaming in 1997. In the early 2000s, Netflix began to focus on horror films, with titles such as The Ring, The Descent, and Final Destination. However, it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that streaming services began to focus more on television series, with horror series such as Supernatural and The Walking Dead.
Horror in the 2000s
In the 2000s, streaming services began to focus on developing their own original content, with series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood being some of the first streaming TV horror series. These series were popular with viewers and helped to expand the horror genre in streaming TV.
Horror in the 2010s
The 2010s saw a surge in the popularity of horror in streaming TV. Series such as American Horror Story, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and The Haunting of Hill House have become hugely popular and helped to expand the reach of horror in streaming TV.
Current State of Horror in Streaming TV
Popular Horror Streaming TV Shows
There are a variety of popular horror streaming TV shows available.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is an anthology series that follows different storylines each season. It has become one of the most popular horror streaming TV shows and has been critically acclaimed for its performances, writing, and production.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror is a British anthology series that explores the dark side of technology and its potential impact on society. It has gained a cult following and has become one of the most popular streaming TV series of all time.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a science fiction horror series that follows a group of friends as they investigate mysterious supernatural occurrences in their small town. It has become one of the most popular streaming TV series of all time, and has been praised for its writing, performances, and production.
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House is a psychological horror series based on the novel of the same name. It follows the lives of a family who are haunted by the ghosts of their past. It has become one of the most popular horror streaming TV shows and has been praised for its performances, writing, and production.
Horror Genres in Streaming TV
Horror in streaming TV can be divided into a variety of genres, including slasher, psychological, supernatural, gore, and comedy.
Slasher
Slasher horror is characterized by its use of violence and gore. It often follows a serial killer or other antagonist and is focused on the suspense and fear created by the killer’s actions.
Psychological
Psychological horror is focused on the psychological impact of fear, often exploring the darker aspects of the human psyche. It often relies on suspense and atmosphere rather than violence and gore.
Supernatural
Supernatural horror focuses on the unknown, exploring the paranormal and supernatural. It often relies on atmosphere and suspense rather than violence and gore.
Gore
Gore horror focuses on graphic violence and gore. It often follows a killer or other antagonist and is focused on the suspense and fear created by the killer’s actions.
Comedy
Comedy horror is a genre that combines elements of comedy and horror. It often plays on horror tropes for comedic effect and often focuses on the humorous aspects of fear.
How Streaming TV Has Impacted Horror
Streaming TV has had a major impact on the horror genre, allowing for creative freedom and access to larger audiences.
Making Horror Accessible
Streaming TV has made horror more accessible to viewers, with streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu offering a variety of horror content. This has allowed viewers to access a wide variety of horror content from all over the world.
Creative Freedom
Streaming TV has allowed creators to explore new and creative ways to tell horror stories. Series such as American Horror Story and Black Mirror have been praised for their creative storytelling and have helped to expand the boundaries of horror in streaming TV.
Expanding Audience
Streaming TV has helped to expand the audience for horror, with series such as Stranger Things and The Haunting of Hill House becoming popular with viewers all over the world. This has helped to bring horror to a wider audience and has helped to make the genre more popular.
Future of Horror in Streaming TV
Emerging Trends in Horror Streaming TV
There are a variety of emerging trends in horror streaming TV, including interactive TV, anthology series, crossovers, and reimagining classic stories.
Interactive TV
Interactive TV is a form of television programming that allows viewers to interact with the show, making choices that affect the outcome of the story. This has become popular in horror streaming TV, with series such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch exploring this concept.
Anthology Series
Anthology series have become popular in horror streaming TV, with series such as American Horror Story and Black Mirror exploring different stories and characters each season.
Crossovers
Crossovers have become popular in horror streaming TV, with series such as Stranger Things and The Haunting of Hill House crossing over with other shows.
Reimagining Classic Stories
Reimagining classic stories has become popular in horror streaming TV, with series such as The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina exploring classic horror stories from a modern perspective.
Biggest Challenges Facing Horror Streaming TV
The biggest challenges facing horror streaming TV are finding new stories, changing audience tastes, and competition from other platforms.
Finding New Stories
Finding new stories is a challenge for horror streaming TV, as viewers are often looking for fresh ideas and stories. This can be difficult, as there are only so many stories that can be told.
Changing Audience Tastes
Audience tastes are constantly changing, and streaming services must be able to adapt to these changes in order to stay relevant. This can be a challenge, as it can be difficult to predict what viewers will want to watch.
Competition From Other Platforms
Streaming services are facing increasing competition from other platforms, such as movie theaters and traditional television. This can make it difficult for streaming services to stand out and attract viewers.
Conclusion
Horror in streaming TV has come a long way in recent years, with series such as American Horror Story, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and The Haunting of Hill House becoming hugely popular. Streaming TV has allowed for creative freedom and access to larger audiences, and has helped to expand the reach of horror. However, streaming services are facing challenges, such as finding new stories, changing audience tastes, and competition from other platforms.
References
Chow, L. (2020, October 8). What is streaming TV? Retrieved from https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-is-streaming-tv/
Collins, K. (2018, October 26). 10 Popular Horror Genres to Explore. Retrieved from https://www.ranker.com/list/popular-horror-genres/kristen-collins
Horror Genres. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/features/genre/horror/
Livingstone, S. (2019, October 21). The Evolution of Horror in Streaming TV. Retrieved from https://www.ranker.com/list/evolution-of-horror-in-streaming-tv/stephanie-livingstone
Wigler, M. (2016, October 18). A Beginner’s Guide to Horror Genres. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/horror-genres-guide_b_6033138
