True stories of murder and mayhem morph into urban legends like the boogeyman or the monster under the bed – haunting our childhoods and scaring us throughout our lives. Investigation Discovery’s (ID) upcoming series TRUE NIGHTMARES brings to life the true stories that spawned these hair-raising tales, proving once again that truth will always be scarier than fiction. Performer Todd Robbins, best known for his fascination with eccentric and arcane forms of entertainment, brings his shadowy and sardonic self to deliver six spine-tingling episodes, revealing that sometimes, our fears aren’t mere figments of our imagination after all. Acting as an on-screen narrator, Robbins appears in and out of scenes, using his ominous tone and eerie charisma to masterfully weave together three stories each hour, playfully hinting that there is always more to the story to reveal. Watch out American Horror Story, there’s a new terror in town when TRUE NIGHTMARES with Todd Robbins premieres on Wednesday, October 14 at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.

“As no stranger to oddities himself, Todd Robbins leads TRUE NIGHTMARES’ viewers on a thrill ride of chilling tales filled with unpredictable twists and surprising turns,” said Kevin Bennett, general manager, Investigation Discovery. “Employing a new storytelling style for ID where Todd is interwoven in the scenes, Todd drives the narrative along with a mischievous wit, akin to the Alfred Hitchcock of our time.”

“I could creep you out with ghost stories and unsettling urban legends, but in TRUE NIGHTMARES, you can’t deny that these terrifying things really happened,” said host Todd Robbins. “The scary part is that there’s a possibility that these could happen again, and what’s even scarier is that there’s a possibility that this could happen to you.”

In the premiere episode on Wednesday, October 14 at 10/9c, Todd introduces three sinister stories of unrequited love, betrayal, and even being buried alive. First, men start disappearing on widow Belle Gunness’ farm. With farmhand Ray Lamphere madly in love with Belle, how far is he going to capture her heart? Then, young Angelo Hays’ lifeless body is dragged away after a curious motorbike accident, but with a life insurance policy just taken on him, is there something far more morbid to the story? Then, Army Sergeant Stephen Shap is a quintessential American hero and a devoted husband to his wife. To Shap, an oath is sacred and when vows are violated, someone has to pay dearly.

TRUE NIGHTMARES is produced for Investigation Discovery by Discovery Studios. For Discovery Studios, Mike Masland, Eddie Barbini and Jeff Kuntz are executive producers. For Investigation Discovery, Tim Baney is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is group president.

Todd Robbins Bio

Todd Robbins is an award-winning New York City-based performer and creative artist that has spent decades specializing in arcane forms of popular entertainment, offbeat amusements and intriguing deceptions. Todd is renowned for his work in the shadowy world of Coney Island and its sideshow, is an expert in bizarre magic, a seasoned veteran of tawdry traveling circuses, the go-to-guy when it comes to the murky realm of con artists and their scams, is well versed in the workings of spiritualist mediums and folks that talk to the dead, and is one of the foremost figures on scene today when it comes to low down ragtime piano and rough and crude New Orleans jazz. In addition to being a featured performer, Todd has often been called upon to speak as an authority on all things unusual, having been a consultant on numerous TV shows and movies. Recently he was seen in the acclaimed off-Broadway theater show Play Dead, a joyous evening of true ghost stories about real people and unholy resurrection that he created with Teller (of Penn & Teller).