The 12 most memorably terrifying TV episodes ever

What are the TV episodes that scared the heck out of you THEN that you still remember NOW? In the 90s, right after I graduated from college, Buffy‘s “Hush” scared the crap out of me. It might’ve come out in December but it felt pure Halloween 180%. After that, Dr. Who’s “Blink” comes a close second. Like “Hush,” I watched it on my couch, while clutching a pillow, utterly terrified. No joke. I am still afraid of stone angels to this day.

So, I called the CliqueClack gang to ask people about the most memorable TV episode that scared the crap out of them. Although almost everyone claimed they didn’t watch scary TV, almost everyone had one. Interestingly enough, Bob pointed out that no American Horror Story episode made the list. Although I couldn’t include as-of-yet unaired episodes of The Following or The Cult on the list. James Purefoy in The Following gives me nightmares.

So, in no particular order, find the most memorably terrifying TV episodes ever from the CliqueClack gang.

• “Blink” – Dr. Who
• “The Empty Child“/”The Doctor Dances” – Dr. Who
• “Hush” – Buffy
• “Home” – X-Files
• “A Private Life” – Six Feet Under
• “Lonely Souls” – Twin Peaks
• “Green Fingers” - Night Gallery
• “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” – Twilight Zone
• “The Tale of the Dollmaker” – Are You Afraid of the Dark
• “Bert and Ernie in a Pyramid” – Sesame Street
• Boris Karloff’s Thriller series
• Without Warning
• Nothing from American Horror Story

An: My scariest TV ep ever is “Blink” from Dr. Who. But my favorite scariest TV episode for the 2012-2013 season is the Following pilot (which I know isn’t out yet, but seriously it scares me) and, after that, this season’s Haven premiere. Any other thoughts?

Katie: I’d still say the two-parter “The Empty Child”/”The Doctor Dances” on Dr. Who. You will never not be afraid of the word mummy after it (and not in the way you might think).

Christina: I am not much into scary stuff (don’t get scared by the usual stuff), so I’d go with those Who episodes as well. Oh, and the Gentlemen from the Buffy episode “Hush” were pretty creepy.

Brett: For me, the X-Files episode “Home” still tops the list.

Bob: Is that the one with the “surprise” under the bed?

Brett: Indeed. The most frightening “under the bed” reveal ever.

Michael: To date, I can’t find this episode. I want to say it’s in Boris Karloff’s Thriller series, but I’m uncertain and IMDB doesn’t tell me anything:

When I was a kid, I remember seeing an episode about a burglar who broke into an undertaker’s business to steal from the dead. A dead woman, who the robber was burgling the rings from her atrophying fingers, suddenly opened her eyes. I believe he thought her eyes were open originally and shut them timidly, only to feel her move as he tried to remove one particular ring. He looked up and she was staring at him menacingly. Scared the shit out of me.