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Read MoreThe Brilliance of the TV Halloween Sitcom Episode
I absolutely love the Halloween episodes of television shows. I always have. When I was a kid, it was the perfect thing to watch during October because I knew it would be slightly scary, but nothing I couldn’t handle. In some cases I still did have nightmares (*ahem Stevil from Family Matters*), but in most cases it was a level of horror that was digestible for a young me. It was finally something horror-adjacent that I could watch with my older brothers and they wouldn’t think it was beneath them.
My parents didn’t exactly monitor what we viewed, so I could’ve watched actually scary movies but I think I was self-aware enough (ie. a terrified coward) to know that I absolutely could not handle Friday the 13th at age 9. I was genuinely fearful of what I might see in a regular horror movie so I stayed away. I was 12 when I stole my brother’s VHS of Scream and watched it in his room in the basement standing up the entire time incase anyone came in and caught me. I didn’t sleep for a month. It was equal parts 1) the coolest thing I’d ever seen and 2) a horrifying, full blown possibility of choosing the wrong boyfriend one day. I loved how scared it made me but knew that I wasn’t really ready for more.
Halloween sitcoms were my sweet spot between actual horror and lighthearted sitcoms. They remain perfect in my eyes, especially the ones from the 90s. They seemed almost more magical than scary. And in some cases, human logic could be suspended just for one episode, just for fun and no one questioned it. It was a Halloween episode after all - nothing to take too seriously. I don’t know that that still happens in modern day TV shows and I’m not sure why. The TGIF lineup on the Friday before Halloween was the best Friday of the entire year for me. You could also argue that nostalgia definitely clouds my thinking here, but I’m comfortable with that. Of course a lot of them are getting watched this week - sometimes it’s nice to remember how it felt seeing them for the first time.
There are so many great episodes out there, but here’s a list of my very favourites.
Part Four - Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sitcom Halloween Episodes - The Final Part
Shows That Had Only One or Two Great Halloween Episodes
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Hex and the Single Guy (Also, I know that Fresh Prince had another Halloween episode, but this one was world's better, so it's the only one worth mentioning.)
Saved by the Bell - Mystery Weekend (Yes, this isn't a Halloween one, but murder mystery weekends count.)
The special, two-part season six Halloween episode of Growing Pains (part one & part two)
Blossom - Season Three - All Hallows Eve
Living Single - Trick or Trust
Who’s The Boss - Misery (not a Halloween one, but it’s a Misery parody and it’s perfect)
Modern Family - okay I don’t like this show, but I love these two episodes: Halloween and The Last Halloween
Bob's Burgers (list below) (clearly I should add an entire new post for this show)
Runner Ups - Shows That Had Some Great Halloween Episodes
Family Matters
Community
Frasier
Clueless
Perfect Strangers
Can't even tell you how giddy this screenshot always makes me.
If you're wondering where my Simpsons Halloween post is - aww, you're really cute. Of course I love those episodes, but I can't possibly list my favourites for you to peruse. That's the joy of watching those episodes, picking and choosing a few different ones to watch each year since there are so many to choose from!
And for the last time, here are the links to my previous posts on Halloween sitcom episodes:
Part Seven - Two Guys and a Girl Halloween Episodes
Two Guys and A Girl used to be Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place. (My boyfriend knew this tiny piece of information, which impressed the hell out me on our first date; I'm easily impressed.) This show was probably the best thing to ever happen to ABC and only lasted four beautiful seasons.
And the season four episode The Satanic Curses? Might be my favourite television Halloween episode of all time. Everything about it is perfect. Me and my brother Robbie lost our minds laughing at the part when Ryan Reynolds' arms fall off. Fuck. So funny. And the other two episodes listed are great, too. The season two episode is surprisingly good, too - especially Ryan Reynolds reaction at 15 minutes, 55 seconds. Makes me laugh so much. Watch! Links below.
Season Two - Two Guys, a Girl and a Psycho Halloween
Season Three - Halloween 2: Mind Over Body
Season Four - The Satanic Curses
More Halloween TV Episodes For Your Viewing Pleasure:
Part Six - Martin Halloween Episodes
Don't judge me, I love these episodes. I bought season one a long time ago when I suddenly remembered this show's existence, so I came home and put it on and could only watch a few episodes. It's really hard to watch more than a few 'cause of how dated and ridiculous it is now. Nevertheless, these episodes? Gems. Links are below.
Season One - The Night He Came Home
Season Five - Boo's In The House
More Halloween TV Episodes For Your Viewing Pleasure:
Part Five - Dawson's Creek Halloween Episodes
I remember watching this beloved show every Wednesday night on The WB with my brother Robbie. It was a simpler time. I know that teen dramas aren't really known for their Halloween episodes, but these still stand out in my mind when I think about the ones I remember most.
Yes, some of these are not Halloween episodes, but they're still scary. Seasons one and three are probably the favourites here. Links below.
Season One - The Scare
Season Three - Escape From Witch Island
Season Five - Four Scary Stories
Season Six - Living Dead Girl
More Halloween TV Episodes For Your Viewing Pleasure:
Part Four - Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Halloween Episodes
Okay, you might think is a lame show to include in the list. I, however, am the owner of this site, so I'm afraid you'll have to deal with it. Would I probably not be as into this show as I was when I was 14? Maybe not. But that doesn't that take away from how fun it was to watch in 1999. Sure, some of it was really bad - but it also had its moments. Such as my favourite things:
Salem, the cat
Um, I don't know - MAGIC!
As a kid, I always liked to see what the new outfit she'd wear at the end of the opening credits would be.
(Did you think I was going to list Harvey here? Bitch, please! Never liked him. Too vanilla. Sabrina could always do better.)
All of these episodes are available on YouTube because YouTube cares about you and wants you to have these in your life. Personally, I liked seasons one, two and six the best.
Season One - A Halloween Story
Season Two - A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It
Season Three - Good Will Haunting
Season Four - Episode LXXXI: The Phantom Menace
Season Five - The Halloween Scene
Season Six - Murder on the Halloween Express
Other Shows For Your Halloween Viewing Pleasure Include:
Part Three - Boy Meets World Halloween Episodes
All you need to know about Boy Meets World?
This last episode listed in this post is one that I'm still in love with and still makes me warm inside.
Cory's brother Eric is too far beyond great/hilarious, especially in the final season. Buy that season.
Topanga will forever be the hottest thing to come out of ABC Family Channel.
I know there was technically a season one Halloween episode, but it really had nothing to do with the wondrousness of this holiday so I've omitted it. Links below!
Season Two - Who's Afraid of Cory Wolf?
Season Five - The Witches of Pennbrook
Season Five (not really a Halloween one, but scary) - And Then There Was Shawn (this episode also happens to be THE BEST ONE OF ALL)
(If you're into Halloween episodes in general, go on over here and here to read parts one and two of this series.)
Part One - Home Improvement Halloween Episodes
To put it simply, the Halloween episodes of sitcoms are a passion of mine. I’ve seen all of the good ones and I have four six-hour long taped VHS tapes to prove it. I can’t go on in detail about each of these shows in just one post since you would immediately stop reading, so I'll do them in parts. Part one? Home Improvement.
Ignoring the fact that Tim Allen is an adonis of a man (2023 UPDATE: yes he’s awful, but I was very attracted to him in 2013 when I first wrote this), these Halloween episodes are spectacular. All of them. The links are attached to the episode names below if you somehow can't remember how good they were and need to see for yourself. (To be completely honest, season three, seven and eight are the best ones, in my opinion.)
Season Two - The Haunting of The Taylor House
Season Three - Crazy For You
Season Six - I Was A Teenager Taylor
Season Seven - A Night To Dismember
Season Eight - Bewitched
For other great Halloween sitcom episodes, click below.
Part Four - Sabrina, the Teenage Witch