It wouldn’t be Halloween without TV traditions
like "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” but there are plenty of great
Halloween-themed episodes of classic television shows as well. Check out these
Halloween-inspired retro TV episodes.
Bewitched - "Trick or
Treat" (1965)
This classic series about a typical suburban witch boasted a
Halloween episode almost every year during its eight season run. The 1965 episode “Trick or Treat,” kicked things off when ad
man Darrin Stephens (Dick York) ordered his witchy wife Samantha (Elizabeth
Montgomery) to skip her annual witches Halloween ceremony. His furious mother-in-
law Endora (Agnes Moorehead) zapped a spell on him, which gradually turned him
into a werewolf. Child actress Maureen McCormick (Marcia on The Brady
Bunch) made a cameo as a young Endora. But this witchy show cooked up
several more Halloween episodes, including the classic 1967 episode "A
Safe and Sane Halloween.”
The Brady Bunch -
"Fright Night" (1972)
This episode originally aired in October 1972 and although
Halloween wasn't mentioned in the theme, it was definitely a spooky episode.
The Brady kids take to playing scary pranks on each other, but
when their parents (Robert Reed and Florence Henderson) tell them to stop it,
they decide to team up and scare the heck out of Alice (Ann B. Davis), the
family housekeeper. The prank backfires and a disaster occurs, at least by
Brady standards.
Happy Days -
"Haunted" (1974)
This '70s show about the '50s featured several
Halloween episodes, but this episode from the second season reigns as a
classic. Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) is nervous about going to his buddy
Ralph's Halloween party, which is being held at the old Simpson house,
allegedly home of the headless ghost old lady Simpson.
Little House on the
Prairie - "The Monster of Walnut Grove" (1976)
When Laura and Mary Ingalls
(Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson) go out to pull Halloween prank at
the local mercantile, Laura "thinks" she sees mercantile owner Mr.
Olsen behead his wife. But was her mind playing tricks on her?
M*A*S*H - "Trick or
Treatment" (1982)
The members of the 4077th are going to a Halloween party at
Rosie's, but are interrupted when casualties are brought in. They then take
turns telling ghost stories. Comedian Andrew Dice Clay makes a brief cameo in
this episode.
Roseanne -"Boo!" (1989)
This sitcom series was known for its annual Halloween
episodes and there are several good ones to choose from. In "Boo,” the
Conner family gets ready for their favorite holiday of the year, complete with
costumes, pranks and a scary "tunnel of terror."
Simpsons - "Treehouse
of Horror V" (1994)
Like Roseanne, the animated FOX series The
Simpsons is known for their annual Halloween episodes, dubbed
"Treehouse of Horror.” Since 1990, The
Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" series has developed a major
cult following. Each Halloween episode features several different segments,
some of them spoofing old horror flicks. 1994's selections were the best,
featuring shorts called "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment"
and "Nightmare Cafeteria.” Nineteen different "Treehouse of
Horror" episodes have aired since 1990.
My So Called Life -
"Halloween" (1994)
On this underrated ABC series (which later developed a cult
following on MTV), the students of
Liberty High are spooked by the 1963 death of a former student. Angela Chase
(Clare Danes) finds herself transported back into the 1960s.
No comments:
Post a Comment