5 Reality Shows To Stream For Halloween Season
It's one thing to experience a scary situation in real life. It's an entirely different thing to be able to watch it happen in our favorite reality series while we sit safely on our sofas.
From seeing some of the country's most haunted locations to watching people bring out some big knives (to carve pumpkins), there are lots of Halloween-inspired reality shows out there that are sure to add a little (pumpkin) spice to your usual favorites. Here are our top picks for the best reality series to stream during Halloween season.
Haunted Gingerbread Showdown
Gingerbread houses are a staple of the Christmas season, and now they're standard during the spooky season, too. In "Haunted Gingerbread Showdown," nine bakers compete to create some of the scariest and tastiest treats ever made — but they all must be made out of gingerbread.
The stakes are high, too. The winner of the season walks away with $25,000 after creating the creepiest gingerbread (haunted) house. "These people are artists and artisans," judge Gesine Prado told TV Insider, adding, "They have to have scientific skills but will also be a little crazy. And that's the perfect kind of person to make something 'haunted.'"
"Haunted Gingerbread Showdown" is available to stream on Discovery+.
Prank Encounters
If you love a good jump scare (from afar, of course), then you'll love watching "Prank Encounters." The reality series brings to life all of our biggest fears by pranking unsuspecting people. Everything from ghosts to aliens are showcased, and the stars have no idea they're even on camera. "Like a 'Punk'd' or a 'Scare Tactics' type of thing," "Stranger Things" star Gaten Matarazzo, who hosts the prank series, explained on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
Each episode shows two strangers who are the butt of a horror-themed joke by their friends — and if you've ever been in that situation yourself, you know how truly terrifying it can be.
"Prank Encounters" is available to stream on Netflix.
28 Days Haunted
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to spend the night in a haunted house, you're in luck. Teams of paranormal investigators on "28 Days Haunted" are determined to spend nearly an entire month in some of the scariest places in order to prove that they truly are haunted.
As one of the investigators admits in the trailer, "Once we go in here, we're never going to be the same," and neither will any of us watching from home (hidden under a blanket).
"28 Days Haunted" is available to start streaming Friday, October 21 on Netflix.
Face Off
If you enjoy watching makeup tutorials, then SyFy's "Face Off" could be your go-to show this scary season. The competition series showcases professional prosthetic makeup artists who can create everything from werewolves to aliens to any animal imaginable.
Each episode brings about a new makeup challenge, and each week, one artist is eliminated by a panel of judges who are widely known in the movie business. Even if a contestant is eliminated, it's an ultimate honor to be on the show. "To be on 'Face Off' was a huge step for me and something that I had really, really wanted," Season 3 contestant Nicole Chilelli told Entertainment Weekly. "Just getting there was the recognition that I am a good artist."
"Face Off" is available to stream on Hulu.
Outrageous Pumpkins
Each and every Halloween, people flock to pumpkin patches and find the perfect one to bring home and carve. In "Outrageous Pumpkins," viewers get to see some of the best of the best. The series showcases seven of the greatest pumpkin carvers in the entire country, who compete through themed challenges for a chance to win $25,000.
Though the skills of these carvers may be way out of your element, you're sure to learn a thing or two by watching. "This show has inspired me to up my game and has taught me so many great new tricks," "How I Met Your Mother" star Alyson Hannigan, who hosts the series, told the New York Post. "Who knew you could use crazy glue, or shave the skin of a pumpkin before carving it?!"
Go big or gourd home. "Outrageous Pumpkins" is available to stream on Discovery+.