Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Popular book series makes for chilling thrills for tweens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Spooksville
What's the Story?
After his mother's disappearance, Adam (Keean Johnson) and his dad move to Springville, a tiny town that they hope will give them a fresh start. But right from the beginning, Adam senses that everything is not as it seems in sleepy "Spooksville." His suspicions are quickly confirmed by his new friends, Watch (Nick Purcha) and Sally (Katie Douglas), who spin him a tale about a centuries-old curse handed down by Madeline Templeton (Kimberly Sustad), an accused witch put to death in the town more than 300 years ago. Now, her beautiful modern-day descendant Ann (Morgan Taylor) is a mysterious presence in Adam's life, much to Sally's chagrin, and the influence of her lurking chauffeur, Moorpark (Peter Bryant), does nothing to assuage Sally's suspicions about Ann's true intentions. As time passes, all signs point to Adam being the key to unraveling the clues behind Springville's very strange occurrences.
Is It Any Good?
SPOOKSVILLE is further evidence that popular book series can successfully navigate the leap to TV. Much like the well-known TV adaptation of the Goosebumps collection, Spooksville turns author Christopher Pike's creations into enticing visual entertainment, aided in no small part by quality special effects that put real emphasis on the stories' paranormal creations. As opposed to Goosebumps, though, Spooksville chronicles a continued story, making it even more essential to tweens that they watch every episode to stay current on the characters' findings. Happily this is such a fun watch, you might find yourself falling into its web with your kids.
Of course, the downside to the show's multilayered mysteries and excellent visual quality is its scares are easily believed, so take care in deciding whether your kids are ready for it. It's never a sure bet what kind of creature or presence the characters will encounter next, plus there's the whole supernatural-beings-masquerading-as-people angle that might be worrisome for some. But, for tweens who like their thrills, Spooksville is sure to fit the bill.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why scary stories are so appealing. Tweens: Do you like to be scared by movies or TV? Is this series scary to you? What kinds of frightful content are you most sensitive to?
Tweens: Do you believe in the supernatural? This series implies the validity of magical curses and otherworldly creatures. Is there any evidence that supports this? Does a lack of evidence necessarily disprove it?
Have you read the Spooksville book series? If so, how did you like this TV adaptation? What challenges exist in fitting book characters to the screen? Which of your favorite books do you think would make good shows or movies?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 26, 2013
- Cast : Katie Douglas , Keean Johnson , Nick Purcha
- Network : Discovery Family Channel
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Book Characters , Friendship
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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