While a niche channel like Shudder is always going to produce some hit and miss offerings, one series that has found the perfect home on the platform is Creepshow, the TV show based on the 1982 Stephen King and George A. Romero anthology movie of the same name. Having already produced three seasons, an Animated Special and a Holiday Special, fans of the glorious, practical effects-filled series will be happy to know that a fourth season is now on its way, per Deadline. Although there is nothing currently known about the content of the new episodes, it is safe to assume we can expect more of the gory, black-humored stories that have been the backbone of the show so far.
The Creepshow series made its debut on Shudder in 2019, opening with an episode based on the Stephen King short story, Grey Matter, and featuring other tales by masters of the genre such as Joe R. Lansdale and King’s son Joe Hill, as well as directors Greg Nicotero and Tom Savini. It didn’t take long for the series to gain a reputation, holding a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its mix of 80s throwback practical effect and cut away comic book connecting segments all bring back the memory of the original Creepshow movies.
While the series could have scrimped and saved on its cast budget, the show surprisingly pulled in some big names of the genre as well as a number of well-known stars across its series. The first season included appearances by Re-Animator star Jeffrey Combs, X-Men’s Bruce Davidson, David Arquette, Giancarlo Esposito and Saw icon Tobin Bell. The subsequent series continued the trend of featuring some genre icons with Hellraiser’s Ashley Laurence and The Walking Dead’s Josh McDermitt and Michael Rooker joining Ali Larter, Molly Ringwald, C. Thomas Howell, Ted Raimi, Kevin Dillon and Marilyn Manson, although Manson’s episode was pulled from the schedule following alleged abuse allegations about the singer.
Creepshow Provides a Nostalgic Practical Effects Trip Back To The 80s For Horror Fans
In a time when technology has advanced to a point that The Volume allows actors to be put in an environment rather than on a green screen background, Creepshow is one of those series that continues to hold its practical effects banner high. While CGI has created some stunning worlds, and has brought the likes of Gollum in Lord of The Rings and Thanos and his armies in the MCU to vivid and flawless life in the last two decades, the likes of The Mandalorian has proved that are still very much at the heart of films and TV shows that want to make a real impact.
Although Creepshow’s effects are hokey and low-budget, they are real and that kind of connection on screen is something that a completely CGI world, while spectacular to see, is not always going to be able to bring. It can be easy to shout “that’s a guy in a suit” at the screen, but if that guy in that werewolf suit appeared at your window in the middle of the night without warning, for just a moment you would believe it was real. Season 4 of Creepshow doesn’t currently have a release date, but we can look forward to seeing what creatures and demons it produces this time around.