The premiere of their season finale held viewers captive with laughter.
Midnight Visitor is New Haven’s only paranormal public access television series. The show blends lo-fi horror, campy humor, spooky stories, and curated 20th-century fringe experimental films.
Airing on New Haven’s public access station, “Citizens TV” on channel 27 on Tuesdays at 9 pm and Fridays at midnight, the show has a chilling allure. The recurring characters and themes have an uncanny ability to build on the humor we encounter in horror films. Episodes are archived online via the Midnight Visitor YouTube channel, which is great for newcomers to the fandom, which seems to grow with each episode.
Created by Sev Phillips, Mickey Coy, and partners Rex and Midge Morris, the show frequently hosts local screenings, pajama parties, or special horror features in collaboration with venues around New Haven, like Best Video or Volume 2. The team highlights the show's accessibility; it was created with viewers in mind.
The Halloween special started with a bang, with a performance by the host Dean Dream, played by Sev Philips, of “Sweet Transvestite” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show just two months after the tragic announcement of Tim Curry‘s passing this past August.
Midnight Visitors' ability to weave in current and historical events makes it all the more entertaining (as did their free snacks, socializing, and drinks). The entire event felt like a sleepover with friends, or a movie day in class, surrounded by peers mutually engaged and enjoying something made with such care and consideration.
The crew shows a deep reverence for the horror genre and a knack for culturally relevant callbacks, from the lost map in The Blair Witch Project to references to Stephen King’s In the Tall Grass. It’s obvious they’ve been horror fans for years – that love shows in the production's attention to detail, which shines through in the set created for the show. Ripe with Easter eggs and a deep appreciation for Connecticut's paranormal history (like their exploration of Twin Bridge Road in episode 1), the mansion Dean Dream hosts the show from feels cozy, despite its obvious ghoulish nature.
Dean Dream and Kenneth Walker (the show's paranormal investigator) have mind-blowing comedic timing. The chemistry between the cast and creators shines through in every episode (especially with the banter between Dean Dream and his skeletal Cohost, Dustin T. Dust) , and this series premiere solidifies Midnight Visitor as a horror-lover's staple.
Their community outreach doesn’t stop at public events; the show features call-ins from viewers who can share their own paranormal experiences and often collaborate with local businesses. That willingness to work with the community and audience you’ve built amplifies the show's growth.
Nosferatu’s (played by Sev) performance of "Creep" by Radiohead was by far the audience's favorite experience, based on the echoes of laughter. But the TV show’s Zaney cast of characters offers viewers a wide variety of unique experiences.
Midnight Visitor is impossible not to love. If you love film, comedy, horror, or any genre, for that matter, the team behind Midnight Visitor seems to do it all with style.