Second Sight, Out 30 Oct, Blu-ray and DVD  

‘Did you ever see Candle Cove?’

Stranger Things, IT – even the Thor trailers. The 1980s are huge right now, so what better time for another ‘anthology’ show which draws on that same kind of nostalgia? In fact, Channel Zero is an original Syfy series which began airing in late 2016, not long after Stranger Things, and the second season is just drawing to a close in the States. Based on ‘creepypasta’ micro-fiction and internet legends, this takes one tale and builds it over several episodes, choosing a different arc per season – a little like American Horror Story. But where AHS’s over the top modus operandi tends to favour the scattershot method, throwing everything into the mix, CZ’s focus is incredibly tight. It knows exactly what it wants to achieve – not to mention how to effectively spook the audience.

‘Candle Cove’ begins with child psychologist and writer Mike Painter (the wonderfully world-weary Paul Schneider from The Tunnel) returning to his hometown Iron Hills after experiencing an unsettling event on live TV. Once home, he begins to start looking into what happened years ago to make him leave – a series of child murders and the death of his twin, Eddie (Luca Villacis). History is seemingly repeating itself, and it’s all connected with a TV series the children watched back in the 1980s: a disturbing puppet show called Candle Cove, that may or may not have existed.

The more digging Mike does, however – at the same time having to deal with estranged mother Marla (a terrific turn from Harry Potter’s Fiona Shaw), a school friend from the old days he was close to, Jessica (The Strain’s Natalie Brown) who now has kids of her own, and his own memories – the more resistance he encounters, not least from another face from the past, Jessica’s husband and local sheriff Gary (Shaun Benson). He’s also apparently suffering from strange hallucinations, which bring characters from Candle Cove to life – and throw doubt on Mike’s very sanity, leading to him becoming a prime suspect in the crimes

But what has all this got to do with the monstrous ‘Tooth Child’, the appearance of Mike’s daughter Lily (Arrival’s Abigail Pniowski) when she should be miles away with her mother, a gang of masked kids on the rampage or teacher Mrs Booth (Marina Stephenson)’s odd behaviour? You’re just going to have to watch till the end to find out.

Channel Zero: Candle Cove is one of those rare blends of original and absorbing storytelling with effective scares, characters you care about – played to perfection by an outstanding cast – and ideas that will stay with you long after the final credits have rolled. A Hannibal alumni, creator Nick Antosca knows that value of drawing viewers in gradually, not explaining too much too soon, and in Kris Staub’s tale he’s found the perfect match. Couple that with collaborators such as Max Landis (Chronicle) and Chucky creator Don Mancini, and you have utterly unmissable TV, nostalgia or not. Extras include a 10 minute interview with Antosca, and 3 minutes of deleted scenes – all from the puppet show, which would have added nothing much really and you can see why they went.

Verdict: Channel all your energy into getting this one. 10/10      

Paul Kane