This Horror Series Is Adapting One Of The Creepiest Internet Stories Of All Time

Channel Zero isn't the first horror anthology TV series, but it may be the most chilling. Across three seasons, Syfy's Channel Zero has transformed some of the internet's most popular urban legends — or "creepypastas" — into televised terror, and has become a staple horror program for the network. Season 3, subtitled Butcher's Block, concludes on March 14. But fans will be happy to hear that they may not have to wait long for Channel Zero Season 4 to premiere, as the show seems to be closing the gap between seasons.

After all, there was barely any wait between Seasons 2 and 3 of the modern horror series. Channel Zero: No End House came to its conclusion on Oct. 25, 2017, and Butcher's Block premiered just a few months later — Feb. 7, 2018, to be exact. The quick turnaround time between seasons may be due to the fact that Syfy ordered Seasons 3 and 4 of Channel Zero in February of 2017, according to Deadline, meaning that the creative team behind the series could work on Seasons 2, 3, and 4 at the same time. While Channel Zero Season 4 does not yet have an official release date release date, horror website Bloody Disgusting revealed that Season 4 would be inspired by the story "I Found a Hidden Door in My Cellar And I Think I’ve Made a Big Mistake."

That story was published to the popular horror short story community r/nosleep on Oct. 24, 2016 by Reddit user v0ids. The short tale is about a man and his wife, who are looking to renovate their basement, but discover that their cellar is hiding an alarming secret. The couple crack open a hidden door that they believe leads to their neighbor's cellar, only to find an impossible hallway. At the end of this hallway, the protagonist finds a human male wearing a suit and cap, who's facing away from him. The mysterious man begins running backwards towards the man, who shuts the door and runs out of the house. He and his wife call the police from outside of the house, but are unable to find any proof of the man. The story ends with the protagonist feeling that he "set something free that day, something that someone had locked up for a reason."

Channel Zero showrunner, creator, and executive producer Nick Antosca listed the story amongst his favorites in an interview with IGN. Antosca says that the story resonated with him, because "your home is supposed to be a place of solace." He continued, "You know it — every nook and cranny. And then one day you stumble across a door..."

The story itself is a quick read, but as evidenced by past seasons of Channel Zero, the original tale is really just a springboard. Antosca told SlashFilm, "Every season I think of as a kind of fan fiction of the original Creepypasta. In a way it’s our version of — it’s a new mythology of the original story." The original stories stand on their own, but Antacosta imagines "each season as kind of like a nightmare that you might have after reading the original story that it’s based on."

Channel Zero has made its name by taking stories that can be read in about 10 minutes and expanded them into six-hour journeys through the darkest corners of visual storytelling. Season 4 is happening, and chances are the next season will sneak up on viewers sooner than they expect. So be prepared to have some trouble sleeping when the show does return. It's no accident if it mimics yours nightmares.