As far as horror concepts go, the upcoming Fantasy Island film is unique. Because essentially, it’s a reboot of a nostalgic TV show from the 70s. Featuring multiple guest stars per episode, the show was about an island where anyone’s fantasies became reality. 

However, these fantasies often had an unexpected negative twist to them which gave Fantasy Island a subtly dark tone. So turning this concept into a straightforward horror movie seems like the next logical step. Thus, it makes one wonder what other nostalgic TV shows could work with a horror makeover and here are just a few examples.

The Inside Story with Slim Goodbody

While this short-lived PBS show may not sound familiar, the character should be to those who grew up with Captain Kangaroo where he debuted. A man who wore a bodysuit showing the human body’s interior, Slim’s mission was to teach kids about how the body worked and promote wellness.

Now the mission itself is certainly noble, though the concept of a skinless man teaching kids is kind of creepy. In fact, given what special effects are capable of now, imagine what Slim would look like realistically. In short, he’d be terrifying and thus perfect material for a horror reboot.

Space Academy

Following the original Star Wars movie’s release, many shows attempted to cash in on its popularity such as the first Battlestar Galactica series and Space Academy. The difference was their plots, as Space Academy revolved around a futuristic institution on a traveling asteroid.

Its cast consisted of an elderly professor (played by Jonathan Harris who was Dr. Smith in the original Lost in Space show) and several teenage students with special powers. There was even a mysterious kid found on a dying planet in the pilot episode, who also had powers such as teleportation. So imagine if this was turned into something like Stranger Things, but in space.

My Mother the Car

During the 1960s, many family oriented sitcoms had a certain gimmick. While some of these gimmicks were relatively harmless, such as a talking horse with Mister Ed, others are somewhat disturbing like My Mother the Car.

Starring Dick Van Dyke’s younger brother Jerry, this sitcom was about a man who buys an old car that turns out to be his deceased mother reborn. She’s even able to talk to him via the car radio, and generally helps her son resulting in comedic hi-jinx. But this could easily turn into something like Christine, where the car tries to kill people with an underlying Oedipal tone.

The Zack Files

Following the success of The X-Files, many similar shows came in its wake. Arguably one of these was The Zack Files, which ran in the early 2000s. Premise-wise, it was about the titular Zack who always had paranormal things happen to him. 

This would then involve his friends, including Spence who was always trying to prove the paranormal existed using cameras and other equipment. While the show wasn’t particularly scary, it would be interesting to see a modern horror remake that uses current special effects. It could even have Spence utilizing things like smartphones for his paranormal investigations.

Out of This World

Premiering in the late 80s, Out of This World is arguably a precursor to shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Because like Sabrina, it’s about a teenage girl who discovers she has special powers and has to deal with them on a daily basis.

Only the twist here is that the girl isn’t a witch, but the daughter of an extraterrestrial man who communicates to her via a crystal-like device. Thus, we have the possibility of a female equivalent to Brightburn. With more horror emphasis on the powers and giving the girl’s father a sinister motive, it could go where Brightburn failed.

The Secret World of Alex Mack

Premiering on Nickelodeon’s SNICK program in the 90s, The Secret World of Alex Mack was one of the network’s popular live-action shows. As the title implies, it was primarily about its titular heroine who gets exposed to a strange chemical and develops unusual abilities.

These included being able to turn into a clear liquid blob that moves on its own, telekinesis and electricity. While the series was more drama oriented with Alex having to keep her abilities a secret from everyone, it could easily be rebooted into a horror story. Something like Carrie,but with a body horror emphasis.

Animorphs

If one grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, one might’ve seen books of kids changing into different animals with every stage of the transformation shown in great detail. These were from the Animorphs book series, which like Goosebumps has gotten a nostalgic reputation lately. The books were even popular enough to spawn a live-action series on Nickelodeon. 

Unfortunately, it only lasted two seasons. Though with a possible movie in the works, let us hope that the special effects are better than the show’s. Plus, it could use more of a horror upgrade since the story does revolve around shape-shifting kids battling parasitic aliens.

The Love Boat

Part of the same television lineup as Fantasy Island, The Love Boat was also known for having many guest stars in each episode. The show’s tone, though, was more light-hearted as it focused on the ship’s crew getting involved in romantic-comedy situations.

With that said, the show’s setting offers many possibilities in terms of a horror reboot. For instance, there could be a serial killer on board like in the movie Triangle, or we could have a Ghost Ship-type situation and have the crew dealing with ghosts. Yet another possible concept is having the ship’s crew be sadistic killers themselves in a fictional variation of Deadly Voyage.

Bewitched

Before there was Sabrina, let alone Charmed, the only witch-related show on television was the family sitcom Bewitched. Premiering in the mid-60s, it was about a witch marrying a mortal man and dealing either with spell-related mishaps or disapproving magical relatives.

Though the show was mostly harmless, its depiction of women is debated among modern critics in terms of whether it’s feminist or not. Now apart from a poorly received film adaptation, a reboot is currently being made. With that said, the show could work if it went in a horror direction like American Horror Story: Coven or Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Gilligan’s Island

One of the most iconic television shows ever made, Gilligan’s Island continues to be fondly remembered and referenced in pop-culture. This is largely due to its comedic elements, creative situations, and eccentric but likable characters. 

Even so, a planned reboot that’s been in development for many years doesn’t have a definite release date. Thus, it’s up to our imagination of what this would look like. If it was rebooted as a horror story, though, it’d be perfect. Some possible directions it might go in could involve supernatural stuff like Lost or psychological elements as seen in the movie Cast Away.