The Canceled British Horror Series That Was So Controversial The BBC Allegedly Erased It

The horror genre has produced lots of great TV shows throughout the years, with many dating back to the earliest days of television. Even now, fans of fright fare can still enjoy the many excellent episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and check out the lesser-known horror anthology series Rod Serling made afterward — to name but a couple examples of the classics that are readily available for your viewing anxiety. Unfortunately, some old shows are lost in the fogs of time — similar to the spirits that haunt people in their stories — and will never see the light of day again. This brings us to "Late Night Horror," an obscure British anthology series from the 1960s that was allegedly purged for being too controversial.

As documented by Atlas Obscura, "Late Night Horror" hit the airwaves in 1968, producing six episodes in total. Similar to "The Twilight Zone," the series is an anthology whose episodes are lifted from stories by known genre writers, including Richard Matheson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Roald Dahl. The series was also notable for being one of the first BBC shows to be broadcast in color, making the bloodletting all the more shocking.

"Late Night Horror" received repeat airings in 1970 and was seemingly erased from history afterward. The rumors claim that the BBC destroyed the footage after viewers called in to complain about its violence and disturbing subject matter... though it is more likely that the series was poorly archived (like so much other media from that time period). Regardless of why or how "Late Night Horror" disappeared, fans will never get to experience it in all of its glory — but one episode still exists if you are brave enough to track it down and succumb to its creepy charms.

Everyone knows kids can be very cruel sometimes, and the "Late Night Horror" episode "The Corpse Can't Play" proves that there is some truth to this sentiment. The story, which was penned by British author John Burke, centers around a children's party that goes awry after Simon Potter (Michael Newport) — an unpopular kid who is frequently teased by his classmates — shows up at the door uninvited. After being accepted into the party, Ronnie (Frank Barry) and his friends mock young Simon about his father's death, but they soon learn that their actions have consequences.

What ensues is 20+ minutes of Simon being tormented until the episode's bloody climax arrives. The horrific events aren't more gruesome than the types of films studios like Hammer and Amicus were producing in the United Kingdom at the time, but the child characters are still exposed to blood and dismembered organs, so there might be some truth to the rumors about the show angering viewers.

If you are interested in checking out this blast from the past, you can pick up a DVD copy of the episode in its original color format. Alternatively, you can find a black-and-white version in certain corners of the internet. It's just a shame that "The Corpse Can't Play" is probably the only episode that we will ever see, as it would be interesting to find out how chilling and gruesome the other installments are.