Halloween-themed shows have invaded October TV, and you can only watch so many before you start to look like a zombie yourself. Mama’s here to help you choose based on what will best meet your fright needs:
* You like to lie awake at night wondering if the radiator clanking is actually the former tenant’s ghost:
“Bedlam” (Saturday, 9 p.m., BBC America) Filled with an apartment building of revenge-minded ghosts, “Bedlam” finds the balance, presenting a beautiful but affable cast that we want to follow into ridiculous scenarios each week. In last week’s premiere, we were introduced to Bedlam Heights manager Kate (Charlotte Salt) and her cousin, Jed (Theo James), who sees the ghosts that haunt the tastefully redecorated insane asylum.
* You prefer your undead with a limp:
“The Walking Dead” (Sunday, Oct. 16, 9 p.m., AMC) Mama enjoyed the six-episode inaugural season, which was about all she could take of the brain-noshers. Unfortunately, the second season premiere didn’t instill much confidence that the show had worked as hard on character development as it did on the special effects. Lots of extra-scary zombies can’t make up for a storyline that leads all the characters to a church to pray. Don’t want to go all theologian on you, but wasn’t that guy on the cross raised from the dead, too?
* You enjoy feeling nauseous after watching a program:
“American Horror Story” (Wednesday, 10 p.m., FX) Last night’s premiere of the haunted house set in the neighborhood from hell gave Mama nightmares, so it must be doing something right. But after a peek at the next couple episodes, Mama counted at least nine people who have unrealistically been able to break into that house, and too many other outlandish, nonsensical plot devices to count — a convicted murderer is set free because he’s ill? Not even Dylan McDermott’s bare backside can help Mama stomach much more of this gory story.