On February 26, 2018, Amazon renewed the series for a second season.[3] The second season premiered on October 19, 2018. On July 27, 2019, the series was cancelled.[4]
Initial critical reception was mixed. As of August 15, 2019, Season 1 had earned an aggregate rating of 68% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 critic ratings.[6]Dread Central praised the series awarding it five out of five stars and saying "The only negative I can find is that there aren’t more episodes. It’s just that good."[7]IGN gave it 9.0 and said " It is a wonderful piece of entertainment for horror fans and casual viewers alike to learn more about the monsters we thought we knew so well."[8]Nerdist gave it 4 out of 5 burned heart burritos.[9]
Before we knew how disease spread, medicine was as much superstition as it was science. And in the small New England towns of the 1800s, there is a belief that consumption can only be stopped by making sure the dead are actually dead. This episode speculates that America invented the word Vampire and that Mercy Brown was the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Dr. Walter Freeman is the father of the ice pick lobotomy. He believes the ten-minute procedure will all but end the need for the mental hospital. He has the best of intentions but winds up creating an entirely new kind of horror story.
In 19th century Ireland, folklore has a strong hold. Michael Cleary is convinced his wife, Bridget, has been replaced by a fairy called a changeling. And his belief drives him to the most extreme act.
In 19th century America, at the height of the Spiritualist Movement, a haunted house is not just the stuff of ghost stories. Many believe the dead can talk and, sometimes, will come back from the other side to wreak havoc on the living.
Robert Gene Otto is a child without friends. That is, until he receives a doll as a gift. He names the doll after himself, Robert. They become fast friends and soon the boy believes the doll is real. But to everyone else... Robert the Doll is a curse.
The story of William Burke and William Hare, two Irish immigrants who became very well known for being grave robbers, but later went on to become a famous serial killing duo.
Elizabeth Bathory became famous as the Countess of Blood, killing young girls via draining their youth to keep herself young. When she runs out of girls, she befriends a noble, keeping her true intentions a secret.
The Gruber family has suspicions that a ghost is living in the walls and attic of their quiet German farm house. The ensuing investigation delves into the family’s strange and puzzling murder and the culprit, who is still unknown today.
The Black Plague was believed to be a curse set upon the city of Prague and two clockmaker brothers must race against the large clock in the city square to break the curse before it’s too late.
Just a decade before the Salem burnings, Mary Webster's small, but very religious town turns against her and accuses her of being a witch. She must rely on herself to prove them wrong.
Jack Parsons was well known for his belief that rockets could one day be sent to outer space. He also believed that one could summon a demon and manages to successfully summon the Scarlet Woman, whom Parsons eventually becomes obsessed with, ignoring his current love, Marjorie Cameron.
