These Are the 5 Scariest Shows to Watch on TV This Summer

By Tessa Trudeau
Jun 28, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
Katie Yu/Freeform

Summer is marked every year by the reemergence of shorts and sandals, sunny days spent at the pool, and late, carefree nights with friends; but it seems there’s a new trend for summer 2016 that we didn’t see coming. While many scary TV shows typically make their debut in the fall—right in time for Halloween—we noticed that there are a number of horror and murder mystery series appearing on the small screen this summer.

Freeform's new supernatural horror series, Dead of Summer, premieres tonight, June 28, but that's not the only show that might make you lose some sleep this season. Below are five spooky series you'll want to tune into, whether it's date night, girls' night, or you're just that person who's into being scared. But be warned, these shows are sure to give you nightmares.

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Freeform's Dead of Summer

Katie Yu/Freeform

Dead of Summer brings you back to those fun summers away at camp, but this time, those days spent at the lake and nights sitting around a campfire come with a dark, supernatural twist. An ancient evil awakens this summer at Camp Stillwater and the counselors and campers will have to fight to make it out alive. (June 28 at 9:00 p.m. ET on Freeform)

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Cinemax's Outcast

Niko Tavernise/FOX

This spooky supernatural thriller follows a young man named Kyle Barnes (Patrick Fugit) who returns to his hometown to face his demons--literally. All his life, Barnes has been plagued by possession, and even those closest to him have been affected by these evil entities. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Barnes finally fights to gain control of his possession and uncovers many things from his past that could change everything. (June 3 at 10 p.m. ET on Cinemax)

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CBS's American Gothic

Courtesy of CBS

You may think your family has secrets, but none are as dark and twisted as the family at the center of American Gothic. After the patriarch of a powerful Boston family dies, they discover that he is linked to a string of decades-old murders. In trying to piece together what really happened, the family is faced with putting their lives back together while suspicion arises that someone in the family may have been an accomplice. (June 22 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS)

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HBO's The Night Of

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO

The Night Of is an eight-part limited series surrounding the murder of a young woman in New York City. In the attempt to solve the case, the series takes a close look at the police investigation and the legal proceedings that follow. Shadowed by cultural and political issues, the series examines the criminal justice system as a whole and the corruption that plagues it. (July 10 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO)

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Netflix's Stranger Things

Curtis Baker/Netflix

Stranger Things is set in 1980s Indiana, where a young boy mysteriously disappears without a trace. As his mother (Winona Ryder), the police, and friends and family try to find him, dark secrets about the town and its inhabitants are uncovered, and it's not what anyone would have expected. (July 15, all episodes available on Netflix)

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