Disturbing kid's TV programs

[Floogal]

I remember growing up and seeing unpleasant shows on CBBC and CITV during the 80s and 90s that looking back were pretty heavy going, especially for kids.

Ones I remember we're children's ward. Especially when the girl (who ended up playing Maria in coronation Street) died.
Also this one called Dramarama with one off stories. I remember this particular episode about a boy who steals a rabbit and his dad thrashes him with a belt.
And this drama called the secret set partly in Eastbourne where these kids mum goes missing.

Seen footage of rainbow, Pipkins and jigsaw on the channel 5 nostalgia programs from the 70s. Petrifying.
Loved Worzel but the evil zombie scarecrows on the New Zealand TV series were scary.
Mumra and Hordack were scary AF too. Though I always liked skeletor and shredder.

Does anyone remember a sketch with a young, confident girl who kept outwitting two idiots, who were always trying to make money with dodgy schemes? Possibly from Zzzap or a similar show on a different channel.

@FadedRed

The Public Information films - shudder! Anything narrated by Patrick Allan or Michael Buerk gives a cold shiver down my back. As previously mentioned ‘Tripods’ was scary, and frustrating as the third series (presumably where humanity successfully overcame the rule of the Tripods) was never made. Anyone else remember ‘The Children of the Stones?” Happy Day…

m.youtube.com/watch?v=goky0Fs1u50

This is v funny about Children if the Stones and Changes…..

The old fashioned black and white Flash Gordon with Larry BC was quite disturbing imo

Oh my god. On CBBC When I was younger there was 'feather boy' that was the most terrifying thing ever. I still can't watch it!

Anyone remember the Boy who sold his laugh, it was incredibly dated, badly dubbed and filmed on a volcanic beach. Just depressing!

@woodhill

King of the Castle was pretty awful, late 70s

Wow, thanks for that. Just watched the end of the first episode with the lift. It freaked me out when I was a kid because I used to live in a tower block and it the stairs and lift were pretty much like that

@AnOnly

Is it all on You tube?

Feels so dated doesn't it?

Not a tv programme but does anybody recall the amazing mr blunden? My lord, that had it all, arson, murder, domestic violence, alcoholism.

@furbabymama87

The Riddlers. Ugly, creepy puppet things.

Yes!! Horrific.

Just remembered Buddy, they'd show it in school. About a deprived anxious boy who's dad is a petty crook. The nightmare scene with dead cats 😱 in the creepy house with a monster (who turns out to be a harmless brain damaged man). Was a few CBBC dramas bit similar. One bit I remember was where this boy was badly beaten by his friends for nearly letting a hamster escape. Forget name of the series though

@woodhill even the music is spooky and yes, really dated :)

Also Fantastic Journey with Roddy McDowell was disturbing particularly the one where the people are old but use powers to pretend to be young.

It was for adults too.

Thought the Riddler's were just irritating and the crap theme music

My son's teacher just suggested watching the Jim Henson storyteller series on Greek myths, but when we searched for it the original series with John Hurt came up and I had chills just seeing the episode titles. Brrr.

@CeeceeBloomingdale

I can't think of any from my childhood but remember the Numberjacks being scary to my daughter, particularly the number taker

The number taker came to mind when reading these. He was scarey. Wonder what was going through the production teams mind when they put that on!

@LaetitiaASD

Not sure it truly freaked me out, but I recall something in the 80s... I recall a detached house with a big lawn at the front... for some reason someone had removed all of the labels from the tinned food in the larder, and every meal time the husband wife and kids would have the rather unpleasant experience of having to open cans at random and try to make a meal out of it.

This sounds like the Bagthorpe books by Helen Cresswell. Maybe they made a tv series of them?

Ah - they did! m.imdb.com/title/tt0384718/

@squiddybear

Oh my god. On CBBC When I was younger there was 'feather boy' that was the most terrifying thing ever. I still can't watch it!

This!!How they think these ideas are suitable for children I'll never know!

I used to have nightmares about the Muppets ...

Also the Giants in Fraggle Rock..although I loved it 🤷‍♀️

I'm still wary of paintballing after the horror that was PJ getting shot in the eyes and going blind in Byker Grove

I know a real life kid who got hit in the eye at paintballing and has damaged sight

Misty comics - YES I had every one, and the annuals too. (still have them I think....)

I can remember when I was really small probably pre even being at school where there was something on tv where a man and woman were walking down a spooky canal path at night.

It must have been some sort of spooky drama from the 70s as it was all flares and platform heels. She was looking for her lost sister that had disappeared round the canal.

As they walked past some locks whist walking away a hand shot up out of the water.

I had nightmares for ages about it. Can still remember it and has left me feeling uneasy around large bodies of water at night.

I've never been able to find out if this was a real program or my imagination. Anyone else remember this. Must have been very early 80s

Children of the Stones was terrifying!
The public info film I remember was a boy and girl playing with a frisbee and the boy got electrocuted. "Jimmmmmyyyyyy!!!!"
There was also one about drowning with the Grim Reaper in it which used to scare me shitless.

@FancyFlipFlops - just had a bit of a Google re S&S and it was def more of a ‘family’ show like Dr Who.
It def wasn’t on in the after-school
Shot!

Ooh, I forgot that I was sh*t scared of the televised story of The Monkey’s Paw. They showed it to our class in year 6 so would’ve been v early 80s. Omg it still freaks me out thinking about it now.