Whatever Happened to These Past Halloween TV Treats For Kids?

Move over, Charlie Brown -- a new fall special is about to haunt the pumpkin patch! Just in time for Halloween, the beloved characters from the "Toy Story" trio of movies are taking over the small screen once again in a spooky special set to air on ABC. Buzz and Woody (Tim Allen and Tom Hanks) are back, and so is Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Carl Weathers as Combat Carl (and his Jr. counterpart) in "Toy Story of Terror."

The premise? Proud toy-owner Bonnie (voiced by Emily Hahn) goes on a road trip to grandma's house (her toys are in the trunk, of course!), but when the car gets a flat tire the characters are forced to spend the night at a creepy motel. That's when toys start disappearing.

The Disney Pixar animated special took inspiration from not-so-kid-friendly horror flicks like "Alien," "Psycho," and "Night of the Living Dead," so it's no surprise that the original pitch was actually toned down after it was deemed too scary by Pixar execs.

"There was some concern early on about not making it too scary for kids," director Angus MacLane told TV Guide. "I think we've done a good job of balancing, staying true to 'Toy Story' and staying true to the genre. As far as adults are concerned, I've always thought that we make these movies for ourselves. I think it's funny, and like the other 'Toy Story' films, I think there is plenty of stuff in there that only adults will get." So will "Toy Story of Terror" terrorize your tykes? MacLane told the Wall Street Journal, "If the title is too scary for you or makes your kids jump, the movie is too scary for you."

The mini "Toy Story" treat will also include the Easter eggs that Pixar is so well known for hiding in their films. According to Hypable, keep an eye out for these hidden treasures: The graveyard scene at the beginning of the TV short includes tombstones of dead Pixar characters (R.I.P. Ellie Fredricksen?), while the artwork above the motel beds is a nod to Pixar's next film, "The Good Dinosaur."

Of course, "Toy Story of Terror" is the new kid on the block in a long line of animated Halloween specials aimed at kids. Can it match these memorable TV treats?

The beloved CBS special "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" made its debut in 1966 and still airs annually (now on ABC). The Emmy nominated Halloween cartoon -- which featured Snoopy's first foray as a flying ace and Linus's all-nighter in a pumpkin patch -- was a favorite of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, according to the Washington Post. "[Schulz] liked the Christmas show, but he really liked 'The Great Pumpkin,'" director Bill Mendelson said. "It was the culmination of better animation and adapting the comic in the best possible way."

See a clip from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown": 

The 1978  “Bugs Bunny Howl-oween Special” was a compilation of several Looney Tunes shorts from the 1950s and '60s, including " A-Haunting We Will Go" and "Hyde and Hare," but it was Bugs's confrontation with a vain witch that stole the show.

June Foray, who received a Governor’s Award at this year's Creative Arts Emmys, voiced the cackling Witch Hazel in the animated segment "Broom-Stick Bunny." The legendary voice actress is known for voicing everything from Rocky the Flying Squirrel to Cindy Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to the creepy talking doll in the 1963 "Twilight Zone" episode "Living Doll," but her role as Witch Hazel is a personal favorite, according to Animation World Magazine. Foray was even the model for the animated "pretty" version of the witch. Va va broom!

So where's this classic special today? It's no longer shown on TV, but it's available on DVD.

Watch a clip from "Broomstick Bunny": 

In 1977, “Halloween is Grinch Night” premiered on ABC. The prequel to the Dr. Seuss holiday classic may not be as well known as the classic 1966 Christmas cartoon, but it actually won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program in 1978. Boris Karloff, the original voice of the Grinch, passed away in 1969, so for the 1977 Whoville revisit, Hans Conried voiced the role of the green recluse. "Halloween is Grinch Night" makes its ABC Family debut on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

Check out "'Halloween Is Grinch Night": 

And no Halloween adventure would be complete without “Garfield's Halloween Adventure.” The 1985 CBS animated special (also an Emmy winner) is based on the Jim Davis comic strip and features the famous feline and his pal Odie in tale that's actually pretty spooky. (An ominous old man, ghostly images, and creepy clowns? It's all in there!) The soundtrack boasts two songs by the legendary Lou Rawls.

This retired TV special is hard to find, but you can check out some of the best moments of "Garfield's Halloween Adventure":