Freddy’s Nightmares: The Top 5 Episodes

Freddy’s Nightmares A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series

Freddy’s Nightmares was a television spin-off of the highly successful A Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise, airing during the height of Freddy Krueger’s popularity in the late 1980s.

The series followed the classic horror anthology format, similar to shows like The Twilight Zone revival, Tales from the Darkside and Friday the 13th: The Series. Each episode contained one or two separate, self-contained horror stories, generally with an ironic or gruesome twist ending. All of the stories are set in the fictional town of Springwood, Ohio, the same town the movies take place.

The same way Friday the 13th: The Series didn’t feature Jason Voorhes, most episodes of Freddy’s Nightmares didn’t feature Freddy Krueger either. Robert Englund reprised his iconic role as Freddy Krueger, serving primarily as the host of the show.

He was what the Crypt Keeper would become in Tales from the Crypt, appearing in the opening and closing segments, using his trademark dark humor and puns to introduce and wrap up the evening’s nightmares.

However, the few episodes where he was fully integrated into the plot are among the most famous and most popular.

In my neck of the woods Freddy’s Nightmares aired on Saturday night at 11pm. The show never found the right audience, maybe people wanted more Freddy and less horror-anthology? Of the 44 episodes only 8 featured Freddy Krueger as the antagonist.

Freddy’s Nightmares aired from October 1988 until March 1990. After it was canceled it would see new life on VHS and DVD. If you want to watch the series now you can watch all the episodes on Tubi TV.

As you’ll see in some of the promos below, Freddy’s Nightmares aired on Sundays at 6pm in some markets. That’s a wild time to air this show!

If you’ve never seen the show, here are a few episodes to watch this Halloween season. If you have seen the show, watch them again and enjoy the terror.

Judy Miller, Come on Down (S1E5)

I love game shows and so does Judy Miller. She’s in a deadend marriage and looking to get out. Or at least follow her own dreams and not her husbands. One day she gets picked to go on a game show and her dreams come true…so do her nightmares.

Can money save her marriage or will it only mkae things worse? Judy Miller is about to find out.

Do You Know Where Your Kids Are? (S2E10)

This is a great homage to old school psychological horror from the likes of Hitchcock.

Lisa Wax (with some awesome 80s hair!) agrees to babysit for a family with a young son and a daughter, locked in the basement. The only rule the parents give her for the night is to never open the basement door.

After hearing wails and screams from the basement Lisa decides to check on the daughter, only to get trapped in the basement.

I love this episode and it has a great Edgar Allan Poe type twist ending.

It’s My Party and You’ll Die If I Want You To (S2E12)

This one features Freddy as the main villain and it’s great.

Ruleen is a fake physic looking to scam people for money. When she starts to channel a fake spirit she channels Freddy Kruger instead. Through Ruleen, Freddy starts a murderous rampage.

In the second half of the episode Freddy’s high school class is celebrating their 20th reunion. Freddy decides he doesn’t want to miss out on the fun and shows up to terrorize and murder his classmates.

Freddy’s Tricks and Treats (S1E4)

This episode takes place on Halloween and stars a young Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU). Marsha (Hargitay) is studying for an important test while her boyfriend tries to get her to attend a Halloween party.

Marsha heads to the cadaver lab to study without interruption. She talks with the night watchman and he tells her the story of Freddy Kruger and how he was burned by the towns people. Marsha declares she doesn’t believe in ghosts or Freddy Krueger.

While examining a cadaver the word BOO! Is written across the forehead. While she is washing her hands she looks down and her hands are raw and bleeding. She continues to hallucinate, seeing her dead grandma and Freddy Kruger.

Freddy continues to haunt her dreams driving her to the brink of insanity.

The episode also stars Darren Dalton from The Outsiders and Red Dawn.

No More Mr. Nice Guy (S1E1) & My Sisters Keeper (S1E7)

The pilot episode, directed by horror master Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), served as a prequel to the first movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street.

It details the events leading up to Freddy Krueger’s origin: his trial for the murders of Springwood’s children, his release on a technicality, and the subsequent vigilante mob of parents who cornered and burned him alive, turning him into the dream demon.

The pilot episode established a significant part of Freddy Krueger’s backstory.

I included My Sister’s Keeper as part of the number 1 spot because it is a continuation of the first episode. It follows the twin duaghters of Lt. Timothy Blocker, the police officer who caught Freddy Kruger. When one twin sister gets hurt in a dream the other receives an identical wound.

The sisters team up in the dream world to try and defeat Freddy Krueger.

I don’t think Freddy’s Nightmares is canon to the franchise but “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Freddy’s Tricks and Treats” and the second half of “It’s My Party and You’ll Die If I Want You To” establish core elements of Freddy’s lore.

Did you watch Freddy’s Nightmares back in the day? What are your favorite episodes? Let’s us know in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media. The main Retro Network channel is @TRNSocial and I’m @PitfallGary.