I recently subscribed to SHUDDER because… well, that’s what guys like me do. While browsing their respectable catalog, I came across a show I had never heard of called Channel Zero. I was quickly obsessed.
I was also surprised to discover that the show originally aired on SYFY. I have never been a fan of the SYFY channel. Most of their shows seemed like filler, low-budget crap to me, with the exception of the rare Battlestar Galactica.
The show was created by Nick Antosca and filmed in Canada, with a mostly unfamiliar cast… a different story told in each 6-episode season, all based on popular Creepypasta tales.
I was skeptical at first, wondering what new SYFY disappointment this would be… but intrigued by the unfamiliar landscapes and cast.
I can’t say too much, not for fear of spoiling, but because this show is so unique and original that to describe it might lead to (cue maniacal laughter)… madness.
The best comparison I come up with—and this applies to pretty much all four seasons–is a similarity to the surreal, beautiful, and disturbing realms of Clive Barker. You know, where you’re in your own world but you turn a corner and suddenly things are askew, not quite right… unsettling.
And like Clive Barker, Antcosca’s vision does not necessarily explain everything down to the final detail. But the level of ambiguity, to me at least, was acceptable given the power of the other elements… the visuals, the cast, and the overall story.
Yes… when others do this it can be annoying. Very annoying. Everyone wants answers.
But Antcosca’s worlds are not too different from dreaming, real yet unreal… and rarely do I seek explanations for the bizarre details of my own slumberland.
Instead of synopsizing the four seasons, I will just give you a title and a picture and let you decide if you’re captivated enough to invest…
CANDLE COVE
NEAR-END HOUSE
BUTCHER’S BLOCK
THE DREAM DOOR
The show was canceled after four short seasons on SYFY. I am hoping that someone will pick it up, perhaps SHUDDER, as the first three seasons are airing there now. Whether that happens or not, I can guarantee I will be looking for Nick Antcosca’s name on future projects. He is a visionary… and his visions are original.
And we all know… originality is hard to come by in the world of entertainment.
If you are not a SHUDDER subscriber, all four seasons of Channel Zero are also available on the SYFY app.
–Tim
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