‘Goosebumps’ EPs on the R.L. Stine Stories That Inspire Each Episode
Preview
From possessed puppets to sentient worms, horror author R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books spooked an entire generation of kids growing up in the 1990s. In this 10-episode series (which drops five episodes on Disney+ and Hulu before switching to weekly installments), the collection’s creepiest tales are brought back to life, all tying into a larger mystery.
Five teens—football star Isaiah (EastEnders’ Zach Morris), loner Margot (Isa Briones), sarcastic James (Miles McKenna), daredevil Lucas (Will Price) and shy Isabella (Ana Yi Puig)—each face down one of Stine’s iconic frights in their fictional Pacific Northwest town of Port Lawrence before realizing they’re all fighting the same battle. In the first hour, Isaiah snaps some shots on a haunted Polaroid camera (a plot taken from Stine’s Say Cheese and Die!), which offer a glimpse at a grim future.
But it isn’t all campy ghost stories and monster mashes, says executive producer Pavun Shetty: “These five kids are dealing with real, identifiable problems, and we’re also following their parents, who are dealing with real issues that adults face.”
Justin Long in ‘Goosebumps’ (Credit: Disney/David Astorga)
It all ties into a local tragedy from 30 years prior, involving the death of high schooler Harold Biddle (Ben Cockell). “As the kids are putting together that their hauntings are connected, they realize it might be something their parents were involved in and had been keeping from them,” says executive producer Conor Welch.
Meanwhile, Harold’s spirit, previously trapped in his abandoned home’s locked basement, takes up residence in new schoolteacher and aspiring author Nathan Bratt (Justin Long), who has moved into the Biddle place.
“While this possession is horrifying to Nathan, it actually provides some inspiration that he might need to write,” says Shetty. And it’ll allow Long to add some silliness to the sometimes serious moments of the series. Says Welch with a laugh: “To see how [his possession] plays out is really hysterical.”
Goosebumps, Series Premiere, Friday, October 13, Disney+
This is an excerpt from TV Insider‘s October issue. For more in-depth, reported coverage devoted to streaming shows from the publishers of TV Guide Magazine, pick up the issue, currently on newsstands, or purchase it online here. You can also subscribe to TV Insider Magazine here now.
