That's Pretty Dark

Kalyn Andrews & Christian Baxter Mott

A Frightfully Nostalgic Rewatch of Prime 80s and 90s Entertainment

  • 1 hour 53 minutes
    Episode 116 | Movie Night — The Last Unicorn — Part I

    Existentialism, unicornicopias, and speed dating EM SCHULZ… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! These ‘90s kids are beside themselves with anticipation to announce their new home—the ParaPods network, founded by Em Schulz and Christine Scheifer of And That’s Why We Drink podcast! First up, Em joins Kalyn for a Valentine’s extravaganza. Then, they get into your regularly scheduled programming with a trip through 1970s animation culture. The Last Unicorn, from earliest origins, is a tale for those who harbor a phantom, fading magic, and are up to the daunting task of finding their place in the world.

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    14 February 2026, 5:44 am
  • 1 hour 53 minutes
    Episode 115 | AYAOTD S2E12 — The Tale of the Hatching

    Reptilian subjugation, Walkman contraband, and Spunge… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for another Midnight Society gathering where nothing is as it seems. From boarding school horrors to binaural beats, they’ll unpack the psychological reasoning behind one of Are You Afraid of the Dark?’s most conspiracy-laden tales. It might seem coldblooded, but as usual, there are more layers to crack into than one might eggspect.

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    1 February 2026, 7:00 pm
  • 1 hour 42 minutes
    Episode 114 | AYAOTD S2E11 — The Tale of the Magician’s Assistant

    Demonic forces, prestidigitation, and a braided ficus… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids around the Midnight Society campfire for a mysterious, magnificent trip through the history and art of stage magic. They’ll explore the enduring legacy of magic as performance, ponder portals and vortexes, and uncover references buried so deep you might miss them if you didn’t know where to look…. kinda like a magic trick. 

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    16 January 2026, 10:45 pm
  • 1 hour 11 minutes
    2026 New Year's Campfire Chat

    Optimistic reflections, Ghost Host life, and introducing Editing Mason… Oh lawd, it’s about to get Pretty Dark as we ring in 2026! Join these ‘90s kids around the annual campfire to decompress, hear about editing triumphs and turmoils, and candidly discuss what made the Pretty Darkness most poignant in our collective and individual 2025 experiences. TPD is poised to grow in exciting ways this year, but one thing is for sure—we couldn’t be more grateful to be not-alone with our Darkling community.

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    9 January 2026, 10:00 pm
  • 1 hour 28 minutes
    Episode 113 | Dark Origins of Santa Claus

    Ancient gift-bringers, corporal punishment, and Santa’s manna… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for a long overdue folkloric account detailing the traditions that brought our most recognizable Christmas character into the mainstream. From spectral horsemen and old world saints to cautionary characters and medieval stage plays, this Pretty Dark version of Christmas cheer is sure to bring a chill to your spine and a Ruprecht to your door. Just trust us.

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    21 December 2025, 11:00 pm
  • 2 hours 3 minutes
    Episode 112 | Movie Night — Return to Oz — Part II

    Electroshock therapy, egg allergies, and sentient furniture… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Journey with these ‘90s kids through the most confusing, labyrinthian corners of either a far-off, fantastical world, or a traumatized young girl’s psyche. With haunting whispers of early 20th century quack psychiatry and multiple, varied dissections of self and identity, the idea that there’s “no place like home” takes on new meaning not only for Dorothy Gale, but any child willing to read between Baum’s sparkliest lines.

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    19 December 2025, 5:30 pm
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Episode 111 | Movie Night — Return to Oz — Part I

    Talkin' fowl, prosaic protection, and the importance of mannequins… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for a culturally-relevant trip through the life and times of 'The Wizard of Oz' originator L. Frank Baum, then peek behind the production curtain on what might be the darkest Oz adaptation to date. With ethereal grit only found in a kids’ film of the 1980s, it’s safe to say 'Return to Oz' confounded yet comforted your Ghost Hosts – and changed a generation of child audiences For Good.

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    23 November 2025, 10:00 pm
  • 2 hours 5 minutes
    Episode 110 | Movie Night — Halloweentown

    Pubescent parenting perils, ancient cycles, and the real trick to magic… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for a double-stuffed Halloween celebration as they unpack both the production details and plot behind of one of the finest DCOMs of the mortal world. They’ll revisit their own coming-of-age criticisms with new perspective, and by way of the witchy, underscore the importance of developmentally appropriate education. It’s a heavy helping of Halloween nostalgia and a timely reminder that when we honor our true selves (and the agency of those around us)…. it just might be enough to save the day.

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    30 October 2025, 10:00 pm
  • 1 hour 27 minutes
    Episode 109 | Movie Night — The Addams Family — Part II

    Annual seances, proverbial outcasts, and an undying sense of dark humor… Oh lawd, it’s about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids on a romp to remember as they reacquaint themselves with the 1991 Addams Family, whose gruesome yet affectionate nature has perplexed, delighted, and influenced audiences for a nearly a century, earning their macabre place in the annals of pretty dark history.

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    28 October 2025, 5:00 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Episode 108 | Movie Night — The Addams Family — Part I

    Death iconography, spooky satire, and mid-century screa-ums… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for the history behind everyone’s favorite ooky, spooky family. Straight from the morbidly curious mind of Charles Addams, these characters and their macabre sensibilities sent shockwaves throughout the 20th century. They and their disquieting hospitality evolved (along with the public) all the way into our ‘90s living rooms, paving the way for alternative thinking, self-assurance, and those of us who have never fit into the boxes society would prefer.

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    24 October 2025, 5:00 am
  • 1 hour 33 minutes
    Episode 107 | Hey Arnold! — Arnold’s Halloween

    Otherworldly invaders, radio Tricks, and Well(e)s of Treats… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they investigate one of America’s most notorious Halloween hijinks—the 1938 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast—through the lens of everyone’s favorite Football Head on All Hallows Eve. With a harrowing recap of the myths and realities of this historical “alien invasion” entwined with a walkthrough of Hillwood's own recreation, they’ll raise all kinds of questions about what we collectively believe and the mechanics of how and why we decide to believe it.

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    Give to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcast

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    14 October 2025, 11:00 pm
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