Fruits of the loins from the late ’70s, ’80s or early ’90s, can probably remember that sweet, repetitive October television and all its glory with the magic of Halloween specials that only aired once a year. While yes, television still continues the trend of annual Halloween traditions with certain programs to look forward to such as The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, The Great Pumpkin, and the beloved, and, I’m going to say it, annoying repetitive viewings of Hocus Pocus with, of course, the occasional Primetime sitcom that runs its yearly Halloween episode. However, the issue I have in the modern age of the boob tube is that most of the holiday programming that many of us looked forward to so fondly has fallen into obscurity regarding annual airings. There is no rhyme or reason why they have become so obsolete in the world of primetime, and I’m going to be quite frank here- I’m a little pissed off about it. The era of streaming, I’m sure it has a bit to do with thine predicament. But nevertheless, in so many words- it kinda blows. Especially since you have to subscribe Apple TV to even watch IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN!
Actually, if you just look around, you can find it on the internet- like this lovely upload from VIMEO.
During my early writing years, I had compiled a similar list that has since been swallowed by time and the ugly Internet. So I’m here to remedy the situation, update the fucker, and daydream of the glory days that revolved around a disco-dancing vampire and Gilda Radner as a bumbling animated witch.
And OK… my own as well.
10. The Midnight Hour (1985)
Originally premiering as a TV movie on ABC in 1985, The Midnight Hour follows four friends who unwittingly awaken one of their dead ancestors, who just happens to be a witch hellbent on bringing back the dead. With a ’50s cheerleader ghost by their side, it’s up to the group of kids to return things to normal. The Midnight Hour was briefly released on VHS in 1999 and then on DVD in 2000. However, it has long since been out of print and is among a treasured rare films to have in your possession and is highly valued among collectors. So start searching your parent’s garage or your local yard sales. If you find this gem, I suggest you snatch it up! But in the meantime, here’s a pretty clear copy on YouTube.
9. Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977)
According to Suessfandom.com, Halloween Is Grinch Night is actually a prequel to How The Grinch Stole Christmas. And how this has fallen into Halloween special obscurity is about as understandable as pubic hair. This Grinchy Tale premiered on ABC in 1977, played for a few years, and fell to the wayside. Halloween is Grinch Night takes place one evening when a ‘sour-sweet wind’ blows through Whoville and warns the Whos’ that the Grinch is coming down from Mt.Crumpit to celebrate the much-feared “Grinch Night.” One boy, named Euchariah, is swept away by the wind and comes face to face with the Grinch himself. Now Euchariah must stall the Grinch until the wind dies down, even if he has to face the horrors in the Paraphernalia Wagon. Yeah, you read that right. Paraphernalia Wagon.
Fantastic stuff folks.
8. Mr. Boogedy
Originally broadcast as part of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, Mr. Boogedy (and later sequel) was a staple of Disney’s rotated Halloween programming for a number of years up until the mid-’90s. This long-forgotten classic follows a novelty salesman and his family of pranksters that have moved to a town called Lucifer Falls- rad. And of course their new humble abode is haunted by a three-hundred-year-old ghost by the name of Mr. Boogedy, known in life as William Hanover before he sold his soul to the devil. With stars such as Richard Masur (Adult Stan inIT), a young Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), David Faustino ( Bud from Married With Children), and the legendary John Astin (Gomez Addams), I gotta give Disney a thumbs up for this one. While this one is not available fully for free on the Youtubes, you can absolutely watch this on a shady website! Don’t worry, it’s safe, I used myself as a guinea pig.
7. The Worst Witch (1986)
The Worst Witch is a cult fan favorite among many and in my opinion, any film where Tim Curry sings is a delight and a privilege and we should be goddamn grateful this film exists. This Halloween necessity first aired on HBO and the Disney Channel in 1986 for the Halloween season and continued into around the late 90s. The bewitching tale about, duh, a witch academy (move over J.K Rawlings) centers around Mildred Hubble, the school’s “worst witch” her misadventures within, and a scheming plot that threatens the school. Because every great empowerment story needs a touch of drama, right? And with all the Halloween splendor aside, that is exactly why I adore everything about The Worst Witch. The message of self-love and acceptance behind all the dazzling of Tim Curry magnificently banging on tambourines is a lesson that should always be taught to our children. Based on the 1974 children’s book by Jill Murphy, The Worst Witch stars Diana Rigg, a young Fairuza Balk, the fabulous Charlotte Rae, and Tim Curry as the Grand Wizard. If you have the bones to break out of your wallet, you can get a copy here from Amazon.
RIP Tim Curry.
6. Witch’s Night Out (1978)
Witch’s Night Out premiered in 1978 on NBC. And AGAIN, aired on the Disney Channel in the ’80s through the late ’90s. This personal favorite of mine follows this ridiculous witch ( Gilda Radner) who feels unloved and forgotten. Upon hearing the wishes of two children, Small and Tender, who want nothing more than to scare the jerkoff adults on Halloween, the witch accompanies the pair of Halloweenies and their babysitter (Bazooey) to a Halloween party. Where Miss Witch transforms them into a werewolf, a ghost, and Frankenstein’s Monster. The kids get their wish and scare the crap out of town, resulting in a mob chasing them through the night. Also featuring the voice of Catherine O’Hara as Malicious, Witch’s Night Out is a fun take-me-back for kids and adults alike. You can watch it for FREE ON FAWSOME!
5. Vincent Price: Once Upon A Midnight Scary (1979)
My only question is, why the hell wasn’t there more of these?! I mean the master of horror himself hosting his own Halloween special. It’s a national treasure really. It sort of reminds me of one of those really cheesy but awesome after-school specials. But again. VINCENT PRICE. So it makes up for the rest. Originally broadcast on CBS in 1979, Price introduces three different spooky stories based on children’s books in his own creepy yet flamboyant way that every Vincent fan knows him for: The Ghost Belonged To Me by Richard Peck (1976), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820), and The House With a Clock In Its Walls by John Bellairs (1973). It was released on VHS, but the chances of a DVD release are slim to none. A shame really.
4. Casper’s Halloween Special
I fondly remember this little diddy being one of my favorites to watch during the Trick or Treat countdown toward the annual sugar coma. Also, I’m being upfront with you guys here and HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN about this treasured retro gem myself until I sat and thought about what I was going to put into this list. As a lover of Wendy the Witch- I’m a little ashamed about this, (even though she has nothing to do with this Halloween special whatsoever but hey, she is connected to the Casper fellow). However, it just goes to show how these nostalgic bits of childhood can fall into obscurity. Especially with the stresses of having to adult- and stuff.
Anyways, enough rambling.
“Casper’s Halloween Special” first debuted on All Hallow’s Eve 1979 during NBC’s Halloween hour and serves as a classic Casper tale of the friendly ghost doing what he does best- you know, being friendly and shit. Casper’s fellow dead dudes, Hairy Scary, Screech Ghost, and Winifred Witch are obviously excited about spooktacular Halloween shenanigans they have planned that involve scaring the ever-loving crap out of trick-or-treaters and invite Casper to partake. But, of course, he declines and decides to take the opportunity to join the living in trick-or-treating fun. You know, denial and stuff are strong Casper. Regardless, after hitting a few bumps in the road to candy, Casper falls upon a group of orphans who see him for who he REALLY is, and invite him to hang for the night. However, the other ghosts see all this and are hell-bent on ruining the night for them.
3. The Halloween Tree
If you grew up in the ’90s, there was a very specific magic to October television. Before endless streaming, you had to catch the seasonal specials when they actually aired, and when Hanna-Barbera’s The Halloween Tree debuted on Cartoon Network back in October 1993, it immediately felt different from everything else on TV.
It didn’t treat Halloween like a silly gimmick. Narrated by Ray Bradbury himself with a mesmerizing, theatrical performance by Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Moundshroud, the movie took us on a gorgeous, hand-drawn trip through time to discover why we wear masks and carve jack-o’-lanterns. Rewatching it today instantly teleports you back to sitting on the living room floor in front of a boxy CRT television, ambient amber streetlights glowing outside the window, waiting for the commercial breaks to end. It captures the bittersweet ache of childhood autumn—the crisp leaf-scented air, the deep bonds with neighborhood friends, and the quiet realization that growing up is its own kind of transformation. It isn’t just a nostalgic cartoon; it’s a timeless, cozy masterpiece that hits even harder as an adult. Again, step into the shady side of the internet and watch it FOR FREE HERE.
2. The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t (1979)
Also entitled The Night That Dracula Saved The World, this gem of a tv short aired regularly on The Disney Channel until the late 90s. Notice the trend here?! Time to write a strong-worded letter to that Robert Iger fellow. This remarkable short centers around Dracula (Judd Hirsh) and his monsters trying to stop the Halloween witch, bitter from not getting top-billing in the monster world, from destroying Halloween forever. This is one of my all-time personal favorites because of all the great monster elements it has to offer. Along with a nice little history of Halloween, it really keeps you entertained with humorous jokes and gags. Also, clearly, Adam Sandler took some Hotel Transylvania notes from the impeccable Hirsh. Although it was released on VHS, it never made it to DVD. I believe I may start a petition for this one. Complete with a monster disco attached.
1. Garfield’s Halloween Adventure
And here we are. In my opinion, the Holy Grail of Halloween specials: from 1985- “Garfield’s Halloween Adventure”! From the catchy tunes that relentlessly get stuck in my head contained within this national treasure, to the aesthetic ambiance of a true ’80s Halloween experience, it is a classic that will NEVER go out of style. Fully equipped for trick-or-treating in an endless pursuit of candy, ghost pirates, and a creepy 110-year-old man, this 30-minute piece of Halloween Heaven sets the tone for what is to become the scariest night ever for the lasagna lover and his pal, Odie. I remember being a child watching this over and over on a recorded TV VHS tape, and the scenes with the ghost pirates were actually a bit frightening. But that also illuminates why I watched “Garfield’s Halloween Adventure“ many times as a kid and returned to it regularly as an adult.
And no- I didn’t forget Disney’s Halloween Treat. (Insert maniacal laughter here)!
Bonus Track: Disney’s Halloween Treat
Aside from The Great Pumpkin, which I think I personally is just a common-sense watch as well as becoming a part of EVERYONE’S tradition for Halloween viewing (hence why I excluded it to make room for deeper cuts), Disney’s Halloween Treat is a close second in traditions for the masses to Linus ruining his own Halloween night. But, being as how it’s an entire pain in the ass to find it streaming, (unbelievable it’s not even on Disney+), perhaps the beloved Halloween Treat isn’t as popular because of the lack of showings, making it more of a nostalgic memory than anything else.
That is, of course, unless you have the gold-standard VHS clamshell copy. One of my favorite treasures here.
The Halloween-themed hour-long feature features clips of Disney’s more unsettling shorts and highlights some evil baddies throughout the last 50 years of the company’s film and cartoon productions; first airing on CBS on October 30th, 1982.
A lot of people remember the host as a magic mirror (Hans Conried) and while that’s technically accurate, the original narrator was a puppet jack-o-lantern voiced by Hal Douglas. The following year in 1983, an updated version of this program, the Disney Channel exclusive, “A Disney Halloween” aired which incorporated segments from both “Disney’s Halloween Treat” and “Disney’s Greatest Villains” (1977), which is where the magic mirror actually came from and basically cut out the pumpkin narrator entirely. Now, you can only basically see it through uploads or again, if you have the 1982 VHS copy.
I mean, or right here. I much prefer this version.
Disney’s Halloween Treat was rebroadcast throughout the 1980s up until the mid-1990s until it basically just dropped off the face of the Earth. However, you can watch it in its (almost entirety) below- OR– there is an incredible remastered version done by JLH MEDIA that you can watch here.
Well, there you have it. Nightmare Nostalgia’s most memorable and personal favorite Halloween specials! Now gather your spawns around the computer and give them a taste of why ’70s and ’80s Halloween TV was simply spooktacular. And while you’re at it, comment below with your personal favorite! I’d love to hear from you!!
Happy Halloween!
