''Creeped Out'' is an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

horror television series created by Bede Blake and Robert Butler as a co-production between CBBC Productions and

DHX Media WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...

. It premiered in the United Kingdom on

CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...

on 31 October 2017 (Halloween), and in Canada on the Family Channel on 5 October 2018. In the United States, the show was released as a

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

original series. Each episode has an individual story and all are linked together by 'The Curious', a mysterious story collector who appears at the beginning and end of each episode. According to the creators Bede Blake and Robert Butler, inspiration was drawn from

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

and ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...

'' in particular.

Format

''Creeped Out'' is an

, with each episode featuring a new setting, story and new characters, although some details connect the stories together. This concept is quite similar to the American television show "''

"'', in the sense that almost every episode, major details will shift and change. Each episode begins and ends with an appearance from The Curious (played by William Romain), a mysterious man whose face is always concealed by a mask. His self-stated purpose is to be a collecter of stories. The setting of Karter Bay appears in the episodes "''Slapstick"'' and "''The Call"'', and Zucco's Pizzeria is mentioned in "''Trolled"'', “‘’No Filter”’’, "''Marti"'' and "''Kindlesticks"''. Talking about The Curious, co-creator Bede Blake said: "It's designed to be an evolving urban legend. You don't know what's under that mask... Story-wise, he's not a threat to the children. He has his name because he is naturally curious. He's not somebody out to do harm. He's an observer."

Production

''Creeped Out'' was first announced by the BBC on 28 March 2017, saying "the stories combine sci-fi, horror, adventure, suspense, fantasy and mystery to thrill young viewers." Talking about the show for a ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...

'' interview, co-creator Robert Butler said that both CBBC and DHX gave the creators a long leash and "freedom to pitch whatever the hell we liked," but also provided buffers and steering when required. According to ''Syfy Wire'', this was a great plan, and said Blake and Butler's plan was to make ''

'' mixed in with ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'', but aimed at a younger, modernized audience. After the airing of "''The Call"'', "''Creeped Out"'' took a month-long hiatus. The first episode airing after the hiatus was "Bravery Badge". On 9 August 2018, it was announced that "''Creeped Out"'' had been commissioned for a second series by two channels,

and Family Channel. The second series was released on 24 April 2019. No third season has been announced as of 2021.

Episodes

Series 1 (2017–18)

Series 2 (2019)

Reception

Critical response

The popular television magazine "

TVTimes ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine published by Future plc. It was originally published by Independent Television Publications, owned by the participating ITV companies. The magazine was acquired by IPC Media in 1989, which ...

" gave the series four stars, comparing it to '' Tales of the Unexpected,'' and called it a "series of eerie and mysterious stories, ending with a moral." Chris Bennion for

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

said, "the stories are pleasingly macabre and inventive." ''

'' called the series "unmissable" and "brilliantly chilling."

Accolades

''Creeped Out'' won a BAFTA for Best Drama at the Children’s BAFTAS 2019. It has been nominated for numerous other awards, including the Royal Television Society North Award for Best Drama, and the Kidscreen Award for Best New Series. It has also been nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards 2020, including one for Best Youth Show. For writing it has been nominated for a Writers Guild Of Great Britain Award and a British Screenwriters Award. In the acting department it has been nominated for a Young Artist Award for Berkley Silverman, Young Entertainer Award for Jordan Poole, and Young Artists Awards for both Jordan Poole and Justin Kelly, who also won a Joey Award for his role in episode "Kindlesticks."

References

External links

* * * {{IMDb title
''Creeped Out''
at

2017 British television series debuts 2019 British television series endings 2010s British children's television series BBC high definition shows BBC television game shows British children's horror television series 2010s British anthology television series 2010s Canadian anthology television series BBC children's television shows English-language television shows Canadian children's science fiction television series 2010s Canadian science fiction television series Television series by DHX Media Television series by BBC Studios Films scored by Joe Kraemer CBBC shows