One of the dead children was Eddie, Mike’s brother, and “Candle Cove,” based on a story by Kris Straub, alternates between past and present, with the creepy details being doled out at an admirably patient pace. “Channel Zero” is to be an anthology series like “American Horror Story” — a second season has already been announced — but if “Candle Cove” is any indication, it will be more restrained and less garish than that popular franchise. Here, when a child is stabbed with a hook, we don’t see the goring, just a quick shot of blood dripping from the weapon.

This isn’t just any murdered-children yarn; those youngsters back in 1988 were enthralled by a cheaply made TV show called “Candle Cove” that appeared only briefly and may have been nothing but television static enhanced by vivid imaginations. When the show stopped, the murders stopped. Oh, and did I mention the humanoid figure made entirely of children’s teeth?

Yes, you read that right; this is one nightmare-scape of a show. It’s based on a piece of creepypasta, micro-stories online that attract cultish followings. Who knows whether devotees of that genre will like this TV adaptation, which was written by Nick Antosca, but it’s stylishly served and, for the uninitiated just looking for Halloween-month fare, rather addictive.

A more frenetic option, one aimed at a teenage demographic, is “Freakish,” whose 10 episodes go up Monday on Hulu. Remember how “Hairspray” made detention look cool? Well, kids, this show is closer to the truth. Behave yourselves, or else.