The 1970s are home to some of the best horror series of all time, many of which are still worth watching today. The decade is best known for its spooky anthology series that grouped an assortment of eerie tales into one episode. Though most of the horror series at the time had a similar structure, there was a surprising amount of variety, which has allowed the quality of each show to carry on into the following years.

Each of these horror TV shows is imaginative and does an incredible job of immersing audiences in their eerie worlds. Many series feature strange narratives that are brought to life by some of the decade's biggest stars and names in horror. Whether it's an anthology series that adapts the works of famous authors, or it puts an innovative spin on classic supernatural figures within the genre, some truly great horror shows come from the 1970s and are worth checking out.

10 Armchair Thriller (1978-1981)

Horror Novels Are Adapted On The Small Screen

Armchair Thriller has an entertaining mix of mystery, horror, and drama stories to grab hold of the audience's attention with every episode. The format of the show sees a number of unrelated serials presented in a 25-minute episode. Each story seen in the show is adapted from a variety of novels, mostly in the horror genre.

The show is known for its shadowy-figure mascot that appears in the opening theme, slowly walking toward an armchair before sitting down. The imagery is simple, yet incredibly effective at immersing audiences in the series' chilling atmosphere. Armchair Thriller's score was composed by Roxy Music's Andy Mackay, and throughout the series' two seasons, several recognizable actors make an appearance, including Ian McKellen and Denis Lawson.

9 Cliffhangers (1979)

Stories In Three Different Genres Are Presented In Each Episode

In an attempt to bring back movie serials in a TV format, each episode of Cliffhangers was split into three 20-minute segments in which a story in varying genres was presented. The three segments included a mystery, a sci-fi and Western mash-up, and a horror story, the latter being titled The Curse of Dracula.

The Curse of Dracula sees the title character (Michael Nouri) posing as a college professor in San Francisco and centers around a young woman set on getting revenge against him. The characterization of Dracula was humorous and combined both modern and archetypal components of the famous character. The horror story was the only one of the three to conclude before Cliffhangers' cancelation. Airing at the same time as Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, the innovative horror series was unable to compete with the more successful shows' ratings.

8 Beasts (1976)

A Variety Of Monsters Affect The Minds Of People

Consisting of six self-contained episodes, Beasts has a recurring theme of bestial horror throughout its run. Though some episodes are a bit more general, depicting typical supernatural occurrences, most deal with psychological horror. Each of these episodes sees its protagonist haunted by some sort of animal, including "What Big Eyes," where a man obsessed with wolves believes he is one.

Screenwriter and author Nigel Kneale, who is celebrated for his influential horror and thriller TV series, is the creator of Beasts.

Screenwriter and author Nigel Kneale, who is celebrated for his influential horror and thriller TV series, is the creator of Beasts. With a career spanning over 50 years, Kneale's talents helped Beasts stand apart from other horror anthology shows at the time. The series, while noticeably dated in some areas, does its best to remain timeless by avoiding as many monster horror clichès.

7 Supernatural (1977)

Of A Club Take Turns Telling Spooky Stories

While some horror series rely on violence and a large amount of blood to scare audiences, others employ a heavy amount of suspense and tension. The British anthology series Supernatural aims to do the latter, encapsulating the characteristics of horror films from the 1920s and 1930s.

The series has a unique premise, which sees various of the "Club of the Damned" go around and tell a horror story to the group. The stories, revolving around ghosts, vampires, and other supernatural creatures, are then judged depending on how frightening they are. If the stories aren't scary enough, the person is killed. Unfortunately, Supernatural aired during the summer, with its goth tone not being aligned with the season, resulting in low ratings and an inevitable cancelation after one season.

6 Monster Squad (1976)

Iconic Monsters Fight Off Supervillains

Not to be confused with the horror movie of the same name released a decade later, Monster Squad is a TV series that ran for 13 episodes on Saturday mornings on NBC. Like Fred Dekker's movie, the TV series featured iconic monsters like Dracula (Henry Polic II), the Wolfman (Buck Kartalian), and Frankenstein's monster (Michael Lane).

In the series, the three monsters are originally wax figures but are brought to life by the wax museum's night guard, Walt (Fred Grandy). Determined to right their past wrongdoings, the monsters become superheroes and take on a variety of villains in each episode with Walt's help. The beloved monsters are paired against exaggerated villains, which makes Monster Squad an extremely lighthearted show and easy to watch.

5 Tales Of The Unexpected (1979-1988)

Many Of Roald Dahl's Dark Stories Are Brought To Life

Airing for nearly a decade, many episodes of Tales of the Unexpected adapted Roald Dahl's darker short stories. Dahl introduced many of these episodes by sharing with audiences what inspired him to write them. Compared to other supernatural TV shows at the time, the stories in Tales of the Unexpected had realistic settings, which easily allowed audiences to picture themselves in the unsettling scenarios unfolding on TV.

Though the show was produced on a low budget, it still managed to impress, both in its ability to scare and with its featured guest stars, which include names like Joan Hackett and Brad Dourif. The spooky imagery throughout the show and the mix of odd characters in each episode are nightmare fuel, making Tales of the Unexpected a classic TV show that's genuinely terrifying.

4 Night Gallery (1970-1973)

A Macabre Anthology Series Hosted By Rod Serling

Following The Twilight Zone's finale a few years earlier, Rod Serling continued to work as an anthology series host. This time, Serling was the face of NBC's Night Gallery. With Serling as the show's host, each episode would open with him standing in an art gallery, unveiling a series of paintings whose images were representative of the stories audiences could expect throughout the episode.

Differing from most other anthology series at the time, Night Gallery wasn't as concerned with sci-fi stories. Instead, the horrific tales presented to audiences dealt with the supernatural, giving the show a distinctly eerie feel. However, much to Serling's displeasure, the second season of the show saw a slight shift in tone. In season 2, Night Gallery began including shorter comedic sketches in between the standard scary stories the series had become known for.

3 The Evil Touch (1973-1974)

A Varied Anthology Horror Series

While it may not be one of the best anthology horror series ever made, The Evil Touch is still an exciting watch. Originally broadcast in Australia, each episode of the anthology series featured a self-contained story in the thriller or horror genre, which starred a number of notable guest stars, including Leslie Nielsen and Darren McGavin.

Anthony Quayle opened and closed each episode with a chilling message that tied into the haunting atmosphere of the show. Like any good anthology series, the variety offered by The Evil Touch meant there was always something for everyone to enjoy. While some episodes dealt with the occult, others had a bit more suspense to them as they detailed chilling murder schemes, presenting audiences with a fun whodunit mystery to solve.

2 Salem's Lot (1979)

A Writer Discovers His Hometown Is Full Of Vampires

Stephen King is known as the "King of Horror," with many of his novels having been adapted into films and TV shows over the years. It's not always guaranteed that the small or big screen adaptation of King's work will be a success, but one that's beloved by many is 1979's Salem's Lot.

The two-part miniseries adapts King's novel of the same name and makes a handful of appreciated revisions. Like the book, the series revolves around an author who returns to his hometown only to discover its residents are turning into vampires. The ancient vampire behind the town's chaos, Kurt Barlow, is less of a human, as described by King, and is more so what audiences would expect a classic, frightful vampire to look like.

1 Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975)

The Follow-Up Adventures Of The Titular Supernatural Reporter

Darren McGavin's Carl Kolchak was first introduced in the 1972 made-for-TV horror film, The Night Stalker, which holds up well to theatrical horror releases and earned impressive ratings at the time. The success of the movie led to the ABC series a few years later with McGavin returning as the famous investigative reporter.

Kolchak often relied on coincidence in obtaining proof of the supernatural, which allowed audiences to have fun predicting the ways the reporter would succeed in the end.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker expands on the premise of the original film, with Kolchak taking on a series of investigations dealing with supernatural activity. Kolchak often relied on coincidence in obtaining proof of the supernatural, which allowed audiences to have fun predicting the ways the reporter would succeed in the end. Kolchak: The Night Stalker didn't gain the same viewership success as its preceding film, but despite being canceled after its first season, it's still considered a cult favorite.