One of my favorite things as a kid was whenever different television series would do holiday-themed episodes, especially when it came time to celebrate Halloween in October. A lot of great shows over the years have done an great job of embracing our favorite holiday, and if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, here’s a collection of Halloween-themed TV specials currently available on Netflix Instant that should help get you guys ready for All Hallows’ Eve.
One Note: There are a handful of entries here that aren’t necessarily Halloween episodes, but they are still shows I love revisiting every October as they perfectly embody the spirit of the season.
American Dad (Season 6, Episode 3)
Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls: Stan's plan to out-do the neighbor's fancy haunted house backfires when Roger releases the serial killers he was borrowing from the CIA. Meanwhile, Steve faces Toshi's revenge when he takes a liking to his sister Akiko.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 6, Episode 7)
Who Got Dee Pregnant?: The gang gets a real 'scare' after Dee reveals she's pregnant, forcing the guys to recall their last hazy Halloween Party to determine if one of them might be the father.
Roseanne Collection (Collection 3, Episode 10)
Halloween - The Final Chapter: Roseanne goes into labor on her favorite holiday (Halloween) and gives birth on a pain-medication-induced psychedelic trip.
The Office (Season 2, Episode 5)
Halloween: Michael is pressured by corporate to fire someone, which puts a damper on the office Halloween party.
Bob’s Burgers (Season 3, Episode 2)
Full Bars: On Halloween, the kids run into bullies when they go trick-or-treating in the rich neighborhood, while Bob and Linda attend a party where someone kills Teddy's pet guinea pig.
Bob’s Burgers (Season 4, Episode 2)
Fort Night: Tricks and treats and lunatics abound.
American Horror Story (Season 4, Episodes 3 & 4)
Edward Mordrake (Part One): Elsa defies superstition to rehearse on Halloween, summoning the spirit of Edward Mordrake and his ghostly band of freaks.
Edward Mordrake (Part Two): Mordrake hunts for a freak soul to add to his ghost troupe. Jimmy and Maggie have a run-in with Twisty the clown.
That 70’s Show (Season 2, Episode 5)
Halloween: It's Halloween and the gang goes to their old abandoned, burnt down grammar school.
Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask Special (Parts 1 & 2)
Part One: Carly Beth falls for every prank played on her. So on Halloween, she buys the scariest mask possible at an off limits room at an old store. However, little does she know that the mask has a mind of its own.
Part Two: Frightened by her new face, Carly Beth begs the shop owner to remove the mask, he says he cannot. The only way it can be removed however is if she finds a Symbol of Love.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 2, Episode 6)
Halloween: On Halloween, Buffy and her friends patronize an unusual costume shop where customers turn into whatever costume they are wearing.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 4, Episode 4)
Fear Itself: On Halloween, Buffy and her friends find themselves trapped inside a haunted frat house complete with real bats, zombies, and a terrifying demon.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 6, Episode 6)
All the Way: Dawn lies to Buffy and goes out with a boy on Halloween, but when the boy turns out to be a vampire ignoring the Halloween-no-killing rule, Buffy and the guys must save her...again.
Cheers (Season 3, Episode 4)
Fairy Tales Can Come True: Cliff meets the woman of his dreams at the bar on Halloween night but is afraid of meeting her when he's not in costume, and Sam and Diane have their first non-romantic outing together after the breakup.
Animaniacs (Volume 1, Episode 29)
Draculee, Draculaa/Phranken-Runt: In "Draculee Draculaa," the first cartoon in a special Halloween episode, the wacky Warner siblings spend the night at Dracula's castle in Transylvania.
Parks and Recreation (Season 2, Episode 7)
Greg Pikitis: Leslie tries to stop a high school punk who vandalizes the park every Halloween, but will he get the last laugh? Meanwhile, Ann's Halloween party is a bore until Tom saves the day.
The X-Files (Season 4, Episode 2)
Home: The agents encounter a family of inbred, animal-like brothers living on a farm in a remote section of Pennsylvania.
Family Guy (Season 9, Episode 5)
Halloween on Spooner Street: Peter and Joe team up to execute a series of painful and humiliating Halloween pranks on unsuspecting family, friends and neighbors. While Brian shows Stewie the ropes of trick-or-treating, Meg sets out to attend her first high school Halloween party with high hopes for the evening.
Frasier (Season 5, Episode 3)
Halloween: Roz confesses to Frasier that she thinks she's pregnant. Niles hosts a costume party for the Library Association, with everyone dressed as literary characters. Frasier lets the news slip at the party. Niles, who is getting drunk, overhears it and misconstrues it to mean that Frasier has impregnated Daphne.
Angel (Season 5, Episode 5)
Life of the Party: When Lorne gets his sleep removed to prepare for the firm's Halloween Party, he doesn't realize the consequences. At the party, everyone has to do what he tells them to do, but mystically. In the end, Spike is thinking positively, Gunn is "marking his territory", Angel and Eve get a room, and Wes and Fred are drunk. They all have to get Lorne to sleep before...well, watch the episode.
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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