Do you want some good Halloween season scares, but you do not have the time to indulge in a full scary movie? Don’t worry, the Nerd Factor has got you covered. Check out these television show episodes:
Twilight Zone “Terror at Twenty Thousand Feet” (October 11, 1963)
Where?: Paramount+
The oldest episode on the list, “Terror,” is an exquisite study of rising tension. No one believes a plane traveler who sees something or someone on the wing of the plane. The effects are a bit dated, but William Shatner gives a bravura performance as a man who cannot convince people that something is desperately wrong.
The X-Files “Home” (October 11, 1996)
Where?: Hulu
There are plenty of scary episodes of The X-Files. This “FBI investigates the unknown” series blended both monster-of-the-week scares and paranoid conspiracy-theory adventures. While it worked in the former mode, this episode was something else. I remember watching it that night with the lights off, genuinely stunned that its grisly horror was actually on network TV (the episode was sometimes banned from reruns). In rural Pennsylvania, our stalwart investigators Mulder and Scully encounter the Peacock family, a murderous clan capable of brutal violence.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Hush” (December 14, 1999)
Where?: Hulu
Buffy was also a series designed to provide scares. There were plenty of terrifying stories and horror fans should really watch the whole thing. But if you just want a sampler, watch what happens when the Slayer and her friends encounter the Gentlemen, a lethal set of supernatural foes who steal the voices of everyone in Sunnydale. What do you do when you can’t shout for help? Fight for your life, basically.
Doctor Who “Blink” (June 9, 2007)
Where?: Currently not on a streaming service
I politely disagree with the prevailing fan wisdom that this is the best episode the show has offered in its sixty-two years of existence. “Blink” is an atypical adventure for the time-travelling Doctor and his companion Martha Jones. However, no one can deny the genuine terror of the Weeping Angels, lethal creatures that cannot move… as long as you keep looking at them.
Doctor Who “The Well” (April 26, 2025)
Where?: Disney+
In a more classic series mode, the Doctor and his companion Belinda Chandra find themselves on a mysterious alien mining planet in the far future. When they join a military party investigating a massacre there, they meet the sole survivor. Why is she still alive? And why does everyone keep seeing something just behind her?
Black Mirror “Metalhead” (December 29, 2017)
Where?: Netflix
Black Mirror is not a show one should ever watch while experiencing a bad mental health day. The series specializes in existential dread, often by speculating on the impact of technology on society. From time to time, though, the series indulges in purer horror. “Metalhead” is the story of one lone woman trying to survive against an onslaught of artificially intelligent dog-sized killers.
Black Mirror “Mazey Day” (June 15, 2023)
Where?: Netflix
It’s tough not to spoil this episode. Perhaps it is best to say that it appears to be a surprisingly calm and gentle episode of the series. And then suddenly it simply is not. The show broke its mold a bit here and played with straight-up horror. And it delivers.
Love, Death, and Robots “How Zeke Got Religion” (May 15, 2025)
Where?: Netflix
At fifteen minutes long, this animated episode is the shortest suggestion on the list. Horror strikes when the crew of a World War II-era bomber plane encounters the results of a dangerous Nazi occult ceremony. This episode recently won an Emmy award for its creative use of animation. And believe me, this episode truly deserved it!
Alien: Earth “Neverland” and “Mr. October” (August 12, 2025)
Where?: Hulu
Okay, including this is a cheat. The two episodes together are about the length of a movie. Still, if you like horror, you need to check out this show. Returning to the universe of the Alien franchise, this series pushes in new directions while also writing a love letter to the look and feel of the original Alien movies. When a returning commercial spacecraft crashes on Earth, all kinds of alien creatures get loose.
