| Abstrakt: |
Debates surrounding children, horror, and television in psychology and popular discourse have historically focused on the apparent need to defend young viewers from potentially damaging content. Yet, children have been among horror's most dedicated and passionate fans throughout the genre's history. Television functions as an important entryway into the horror genre. Horror television has been a staple of children's entertainment in family-friendly sitcoms such as The Addams Family (1964–1966) and in comedic children's series such as Scooby Doo: Where Are You! (1969–1970). 'Adult' anthology series such as The Twilight Zone (1959–1964) have also been highly popular with child audiences. Intentionally frightening programs, however, were typically aimed at older audiences or were not explicitly framed as horror. The 1990s and early 2000s saw the rise of children's television that openly embraced being frightening horror texts, including new anthology series such as Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990–2000) and Goosebumps (1995–1998). Focusing on millennial children's horror television that aired in Australia, this article uses a combination of textual analysis and audience research to explore the question: 'What are the meanings and impacts of these programs for their now adult audiences?' Through analysing patterns in survey and focus group responses, it examines the following key themes surrounding memories of children's horror television: the challenges and rewards of confronting fear; monsters as figures of self-acceptance and empathy; and formative impacts on taste and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
