Tales from the Darkside Episode Ratings Heatmap
1984 · 4 Seasons · 89 Episodes · Overall Score: 4.9/10 (89 rated)
Season 2 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 2 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 1.31), maintaining an average of 4.7.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 5.9 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 2 | 6.4 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| Ep 3 | 6.4 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Ep 4 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 5 | 4.4 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| Ep 6 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| Ep 7 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
| Ep 8 | 5.5 | 8.0 | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| Ep 9 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 2.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 10 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 11 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 4.0 |
| Ep 12 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| Ep 13 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 14 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| Ep 15 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 |
| Ep 16 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| Ep 17 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| Ep 18 | 3.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 19 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Ep 20 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 |
| Ep 21 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | – |
| Ep 22 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 6.0 | – |
| Ep 23 | 2.0 | 6.0 | – | – |
| Ep 24 | – | 2.3 | – | – |
| Season Avg | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 4 seasons and 89 episodes, Tales from the Darkside has earned an overall series rating of 4.9 out of 10. The series displays remarkable consistency across its narrative arc, maintaining reliable ratings from premiere to conclusion.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 2, Episode 5 ("Halloween Candy"), rated at an extraordinary 8.0/10 with 2 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 4, Episode 20 ("Basher Malone"), landing at 1.0/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 2 between Episode 9 ("The Trouble with Mary Jane", 8) and Episode 10 ("Ursa Minor", 4), a swing of 4 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Tales from the Darkside
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 2, Ep 5 | Halloween Candy | 8.0 | 2 | Oct 27, 1985 |
| #2 | Season 2, Ep 8 | Distant Signals | 8.0 | 2 | Nov 17, 1985 |
| #3 | Season 2, Ep 9 | The Trouble with Mary Jane | 8.0 | 2 | Nov 24, 1985 |
| #4 | Season 2, Ep 20 | A Choice of Dreams | 8.0 | 2 | May 4, 1986 |
| #5 | Season 4, Ep 15 | Do Not Open This Box | 8.0 | 1 | May 15, 1988 |
| #6 | Season 1, Ep 19 | Levitation | 7.7 | 3 | May 19, 1985 |
| #7 | Season 3, Ep 11 | Seasons of Belief | 7.5 | 2 | Dec 29, 1986 |
| #8 | Season 1, Ep 7 | Inside the Closet | 7.2 | 5 | Nov 18, 1984 |
| #9 | Season 2, Ep 7 | The Devil's Advocate | 7.0 | 2 | Nov 10, 1985 |
| #10 | Season 1, Ep 20 | It All Comes Out in the Wash | 7.0 | 1 | May 26, 1985 |