Horror comic host The Creep invites readers into Creepshow’s pages, which come to life as live-action horror tales in Shudder’s new anthology series.

George A Romero’s 1982 classic and Michael Gornick’s less successful 1987 sequel (let’s ignore the in-name-only Creepshow III) are portmanteau horror movies based on Stephen King stories, ushering in TV series like Tales from the Darkside and Monsters. Structured like EC Comics’ notorious 1950s publications, the stories are topped and tailed by a supernatural host, in this case a skeletal ghoul.

Helmed by showrunner Greg Nicotero, each episode comprises two unrelated half-hour segments. Gray Matter is a faithful adaptation of King’s short story, collected in his Night Shift collection, adapted for TV by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi. Set in a town that’s bracing itself for a major storm, Doc (The Mandalorian’s Giancarlo Esposito) and Chief (Saw’s Tobin Bell) investigate when a teen tries to buy some beer for his father, revealing that something very wrong is happening at home. The shop owner (Adrienne Barbeau from the original Creepshow) feeds the youngster, the reality of the situation finally dawning on her. It’s good, sticky fun, directed with verve by Nicotero.

Second tale The House of the Head is written by John Malerman (Bird Box), which first appeared in New Fears, and directed by Creepshow and Tales from the Darkside veteran John Harrison. Little Evie’s generous parents have just bought her a huge dolls house, the only problem being that the family are being terrorised by a detached head, and every time she returns to play, more carnage has occurred. It’s a fun, high concept idea, and we even get a doll-sized appearance from Creepshow 2’s Chief Wooden Head.

If you like Easter Eggs of the King variety, there’s plenty to nourish you here! From a newspaper headline announcing that the Grady twins have gone missing (The Shining) to a toy car Plymouth Fury (Christine) to a dolls house crate (Creepshow) to a yellow raincoat (It) and the ubiquitous ash tray from the first movie, there’s plenty to keep your eye out for.

Verdict: A confident opener with two well-polished episodes that rely on scares and practical effects to amuse and shock in equal measure. Not groundbreaking in any way, but reassuringly nostalgic. 8/10

Nick Joy