Goosebumps is a Canadian-American children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's best-selling book series. It is an anthology of stories involving preteens and young teenagers in otherworldly scenarios. The series focuses on the same supernatural and occult themes as the novels, with most episodes directly adapting the original stories.
Production In April 1995, it was reported that the Fox Children's Network was in the process of Scholastic to produce an anthology series based on the Goosebumps series of children's horror novels by R. L. Stine under the working title of Goosebumps Theatre to premiere on the 1995 Fall schedule. Fox was expected to premiere the series as the lead-out program for that year's The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween special.
Goosebumps was filmed largely in Ontario, Canada, with different houses and historic properties in Toronto, Markham, and other outlying rural areas serving often as the sets for each episode rather than constructing artificial houses and buildings. Ontario offered a cost-effective filming location with a versatile aesthetic that could convincingly resemble the U.S. while preserving a sense of geographical ambiguity. Props for the series were designed by Ron Stefaniuk and Alan Doucette, while Stefaniuk retained many of the animatronic props at his own studio after Goosebumps was cancelled.
Episodes
Telecast history
Goosebumps originally began airing on YTV (in English) from 1995 to 2004, then again in 2016–2017 and Canal Famille (in French) in Canada.
In 2015, and from 13–18 August 2019, the series was aired on Teletoon and Télétoon (Quebec).
Since 2022, Family and WildBrainTV started airing reruns.
In other countries, Fox Kids both in Australia in 1995 and in the U.S. beginning on 27 October 1995 and ending on 16 November 1998, with repeats on Fox Family lasting until 6 September 1999 and 3 September 2001 respectively. Every October from 2007 to 2009, Cartoon Network aired the episodes. From 6 September 2011 until 5 October 2014, Hasbro's partially owned The Hub aired the series. From 2013 onwards, Netflix has streamed all 74 episodes of the TV series on its digital streaming service. In the United Kingdom, it aired on Children's BBC from 1997 to 1999, with repeats aired until 2001. CBBC airings subjected the episodes to heavy censoring, particularly to the twist endings, but the UK Fox Kids channel aired the episodes in mostly uncensored form (except for "A Shocker on Shock Street", which has Mr. Wright's death by electrocution omitted) In the United States, it is also available for streaming on Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Paramount+.
Marketing
To coincide with Fox's release of several tapes from the series, a Halloween 1998 tie-in marketing campaign with General Mills promoted the video series on 10 million packages, and included with each videocassette coupons for candy products such as Fruit Roll-Ups and Gushers.
Reception
According to Billboard, some of the VHS releases were among the best-selling children's videos in November 1998.
Home media VHS releases United Kingdom Release name Release date Classification Publisher Format Language Subtitles Notes REF The Haunted Mask 3 March 1997 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None The Werewolf of Fever Swamp 23 February 1998 12 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None This episode is the only one given a 12 certificate in the UK due to its moderate, supernatural threat and heavy themes/depictions of animals being hunted and killed. Night of the Living Dummy III 1 October 1999 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None Welcome to Camp Nightmare 1 October 1999 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None A Night in Terror Tower 1 October 1999 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None Stay Out of the Basement 1 October 1999 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None The Haunted Mask II 1 October 1999 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None One Day at HorrorLand 11 October 1999 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None Return of the Mummy 23 September 2002 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None Welcome to Dead House 30 September 2002 PG 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment PAL English None
United States Release name Release date Classification Publisher Stock Number Format Language Subtitles Notes REF The Haunted Mask 12 March 1996 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4461 NTSC English None Stay Out of the Basement 3 September 1996 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4464 NTSC English None A Night in Terror Tower 3 September 1996 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4463 NTSC English None The Werewolf of Fever Swamp 25 March 1997 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4394 NTSC English None The Haunted Mask II 29 July 1997 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4398 NTSC English None Welcome to Dead House 23 September 1997 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 6040 NTSC English None Night of the Living Dummy III 13 January 1998 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 4399 NTSC English None The Haunted MaskA Night in Terror TowerStay Out of the Basement 19 May 1998 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 446144634464 NTSC English None VHS Pack The Werewolf of Fever SwampThe Haunted Mask IIWelcome to Dead House 19 May 1998 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 439443986040 NTSC English None VHS Pack Bride of the Living DummyAn Old Story 15 September 1998 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 0498 NTSC English None 2 Episode on 1 VHS One Day at HorrorLand 15 September 1998 N/A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 0496 NTSC English None Part 1 & 2 Werewolf Skin 15 September 1998 N/A20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 0497 NTSC English None Part 1 & 2
DVD releases Beginning in 2004, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment started releasing the series on DVD in individual volumes containing one two-part episode per disc, but later changed sometimes two separate episodes per disc. Later releases included either two discs or multiple episodes on one disc.
Original releases (With two episodes per disc, except for Chillogy): +Region 1DVD title Season(s) Episode count Release date Episodes The Haunted Mask II227 September 2004 30-31 ("The Haunted Mask II") Night of the Living Dummy III 43-44 ("Night of the Living Dummy III") Welcome to Dead House 39-40 ("Welcome to Dead House") The Werewolf of Fever Swamp 1 18-19 ("The Werewolf of Fever Swamp") Cry of the Cat412 April 2005 71-72 ("Cry of the Cat") Deep Trouble 73-74 ("Deep Trouble") How I Got My Shrunken Head 67-68 ("How I Got My Shrunken Head") Chillogy 3 36 September 2005 63-65 ("Chillogy") The Ghost Next Door 42 69-70 ("The Ghost Next Door") Scary House3 47 ("The House of No Return") and 54 ("The Haunted House Game") A Shocker on Shock Street5 September 2006 45 ("A Shocker on Shock Street") and 49 ("Click") My Best Friend Is Invisible 50 ("An Old Story") and 46 ("My Best Friend Is Invisible") Perfect School 55-56 ("Perfect School") It Came from Beneath the Sink!1, 311 September 2007 14 ("It Came from Beneath the Sink") and 61 ("Strained Peas") Night of the Living Dummy 10 ("Night of the Living Dummy II") and 60 ("Bride of the Living Dummy") Say Cheese and Die! 15 ("Say Cheese and Die") and 62 ("Say Cheese and Die... Again")
Double features On 16 September 2008, twelve of the above sixteen discs were re-released in new double-feature sets, containing the same episodes as before.
Release name UK release date(region 2) Australian release date(region 4) North American release date(region 1) Notes Night of the Living Dummy/How I Got My Shrunken Head-- 16 September 2008 Scary House/Chillogy – – 16 September 2008 Perfect School/My Best Friend Is Invisible – – 16 September 2008 It Came from Beneath the Sink/Deep Trouble – – 16 September 2008 Ghost Next Door/Shocker on Shock Street – – 16 September 2008 Cry of the Cat/Say Cheese and Die – – 16 September 2008
Revival releases Starting in 2008, new DVD sets were released to coincide with the Goosebumps HorrorLand revival books. These DVDs were a big upgrade from the previous releases, with menus and enhanced audio and picture quality. Unlike the original releases, these sets include three to four 22-minute episodes, instead of two. They also feature new cover art, as opposed to previous releases which used the cover art for the corresponding series book. Many of the previously released titles have been re-released as well, but only new releases are included in this list. Out of all of these DVD releases, 69 out of the 74 episodes have been released on DVD in the United States, excluding "The Haunted Mask" Parts 1 and 2, "Werewolf Skin" Parts 1 and 2, and "The Cuckoo Clock of Doom". "The Haunted Mask" and "Werewolf Skin", however, were previously released on VHS. Release name UK release date(region 2) Australian release date(region 4) North American release date(region 1) Notes A Night in Terror Tower – – 16 September 2008 Also contains Stay Out of the Basement Monster Blood – – 16 September 2008 Also contains More Monster Blood, How to Kill a Monster, and The Girl Who Cried Monster One Day at HorrorLand – – 16 September 2008 Also contains Welcome To Camp Nightmare Return of the Mummy – – 31 March 2009 Also contains Don't Wake Mummy and You Can't Scare Me! The Scarecrow Walks At Midnight – – 31 March 2009 Also contains Don't Go To Sleep! and Calling All Creeps The Headless Ghost – – 8 September 2009 Also contains Teacher's Pet and Awesome Ants Attack of the Jack O'Lanterns – – 8 September 2009 Also contains Vampire Breath and Let's Get Invisible! The Blob That Ate Everyone – – 7 September 2010Goosebumps news: More titles coming Also contains Piano Lessons Can Be Murder and My Hairiest Adventure Go Eat Worms! – – 7 September 2010 Also contains Bad Hare Day and Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes Ghost Beach – – 13 September 2011 Also contains The Barking Ghost and Be Careful What You Wish For... Attack of the Mutant – – 13 September 2011 Also contains Phantom of the Auditorium Release name UK release date(region 2) Australian release date(region 4) North American release date(region 1) Notes The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight/A Night in Terror Tower – – 11 September 2012 The Headless Ghost/Ghost Beach – – 11 September 2012 One Day at HorrorLand/Go Eat Worms! – – 11 September 2012
Season sets On 26 November 2012, Revelation Films started to release season sets of the series in the United Kingdom (DVD region 2). These releases contained the episodes' mostly uncensored versions as presented on the defunct British Fox Kids channel (albeit still truncating the ending of "A Shocker on Shock Street"); a description on the back of the DVD cases mentions the heavy censoring the episodes were subjected to when they aired on CBBC. Unlike on Fox Kids, all six hour-long specials from across the first and second seasons are presented in their entirety, rather than being split into two-part episodes. Curiously, all the episodes of Season 4 have the Season 2 opening, though their end credits retain the Season 3–4 theme.
Release name Release date Notes Season One 26 November 2012 Season Two 25 March 2013 Seasons Three and Four 19 August 2013 The Complete Collection 28 October 2013
On 2 April 2014, Madman Entertainment released the entire series in four DVD sets as well as a "Most Wanted Collection" in Australia and New Zealand (DVD region 4).
Release name Release date Notes Season One 4 February 2014 Season Two 7 May 2014 Season Three 4 June 2014 Season Four 9 July 2014 Goosebumps - Most Wanted 9 July 2014
Online The complete series is now on iTunes. The series was available for streaming on Netflix (North America and United Kingdom). The full series is available for free on Tubi in the United States.
Goosebumps Presents