Many people watch horror movies to celebrate the Halloween season, but there are plenty of spooky things to watch on TV as well. There are also Halloween-themed episodes for every level of horror fan — from sitcoms filled with funny costumes and silly gags to dramas that go to serious places with their Halloween tales. And, of course, there have to be some creepy episodes that will straight up terrify viewers, in the best of Halloween-y ways of course. It's kind of fun to be a little scared every once in a while.
For those of us who haven't yet watched all of these specific episodes, there are some mild and moderate spoilers ahead to set the context for the memorable-ness of the episodes. But the good thing is that, even if we haven't all watched the full seasons of these shows, no one has to miss out on watching them now. We can all hop right into these Halloween episodes and enjoy them as much as a die-hard fan would. Fortunately, that's how many holiday-themed TV episodes work. They often break from the show's regular plot to deliver on the theme, so they're easier for newbie fans to watch and understand.
Don't overlook these memorable Halloween TV episodes this October. From old classics to brand new tales, television has delivered a lot in the way of scary stories over the years.
With these 25 Halloween-specific episodes to watch, there are plenty of great ways to get into the holiday mood this year. All we need is a bowl of popcorn and some pre-Halloween candy and the Halloween spirit is sure to kick in!
Gotta enjoy it while we can!
'Boy Meets World' - 'And Then There Was Shawn'
Originally aired: February 27, 1998
When: Season five, episode 17
Technically, this episode didn't air during Halloween (it actually came out in February), but it's such a fun parody of horror slasher films that fans love to rewatch it during the Halloween season. Everything goes down when the students are locked in the school by themselves for detention, and things quickly turn spooky.
'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'
Originally aired: October 27, 1966
This Charlie Brown special is still a classic more than 50 years after it first came out. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown follows Linus' attempt to find the Great Pumpkin in a pumpkin patch on Halloween and is an always entertaining watch about the power of faith and the disappointment that comes with getting a rock instead of candy. Poor Charlie Brown.
'Friends' - 'The One with the Halloween Party'
Originally aired: November 1, 2001
When: Season eight, episode six
This Friends episode is most memorable for Ross' punny costume "spudnik" where he dresses as a Russian satellite potato. It's also the episode where Rachel tries to show off her maternal side but totally terrifies one of the children by yelling at him to "shut up." Technically, if she had to scare a child any time, Halloween is a good night to do that.
'Martin' - 'The Night He Came Home'
Originally aired: October 29, 1992
When: Season one, episode 10
What starts as an innocent Halloween night ghost story session ends in terror when the group contacts a ghost. Let this be a lesson to all of us — shouldn't have had a seance if they couldn't handle the outcome! Scary and funny? Yes please!
'How I Met Your Mother' - 'The Slutty Pumpkin Returns'
Originally aired: October 31, 2011
When: Season seven, episode eight
In the past, Ted had met a woman dressed as a slutty pumpkin at a Halloween party. He searched for her every year after that, convinced she could be his soul mate. When he finally tracked her down, they turned out to be totally incompatible. But the Katie Holmes cameo made this episode super memorable.
'Living Single' - 'Trick or Trust'
Originally aired: October 27, 1994
When: Season two, episode eight
Queen Latifah's character, Khadijah, has the Halloween scare of a lifetime when she thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her. Talk about a Halloween trick instead of a treat! Nothing sweet, but a whole lot of funny, when there is relationship drama on Halloween!
'Girlfriends' - 'Trick or Truth'
Originally aired: October 29, 2001
When: Season two, episode seven
What's sweeter than candy? Finding out the truth! Toni's Halloween is ruined when she finds out that Greg took her back only to try to get his revenge on her by cheating on her. (She previously cheated on him with a wealthier guy.) To add insult to injury, she also wasn't invited to Joan's Halloween party.
'Parks and Recreation' - 'Halloween Surprise'
Originally aired: October 25, 2012
When: Season five, episode five
This episode has it all: Ron forced to take small children trick-or-treating, a majorly sweet and romantic milestone in Leslie and Ben's relationship, and poor Jerry having to deal with a heart attack. This is classic Parks and Rec and a must watch every year.
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' - 'HalloVeen'
Originally aired: October 17, 2017
When: Season five, episode four
All of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine Halloween heist episodes are memorable, but this one stands out for the heartwarming ending. At the end of the episode, Jake finally proposes to Amy. Another sweet Halloween sitcom proposal in the books.
'Beverly Hills, 90210' - 'Halloween'
Originally aired: October 31, 1991
When: Season two, episode 13
This Beverly Hills, 90210 episode went a more serious route with its Halloween episode. Kelly nearly got assaulted by someone who felt that her sexy costume gave him permission to touch her, proving that the scariest thing on Halloween might not be a vampire or a werewolf.
'Modern Family' - 'Halloween'
Originally aired: October 27, 2010
When: Season two, episode six
There is extra and then there is Claire on Halloween levels of extra. Her character is always on the type A side but this episode made a splash just for how all-out Claire went on her haunted house. She's definitely one to spend a spooky Halloween with!
'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' - 'Who Got Dee Pregnant?'
Originally aired: October 28, 2010
When: Season six, episode seven
Always Sunny had to write in actress Kaitlin Olson's real-life pregnancy, so the show had the father of her baby be a mystery. The episode flashes back to the Halloween party where she got pregnant, and the gang tries to figure out who the dad might be. Hijinks ensue, as the always do with the Always Sunny gang.
'Community' - 'Epidemiology'
Originally aired: October 28, 2010
When: Season two, episode six
Community always goes all out with episodes that are an homage to classic movie and TV tropes, so of course the Halloween episode wouldn't be any different! Tainted food at the community college Halloween party turns all the guests into zombies and turns the episode into a classic of the zombie genre.
'American Horror Story' - 'Halloween'
Originally aired: October 26, 2011 and November 2, 2011
When: Season one, episodes four and five
American Horror Story is always scary, but it dedicated two episodes in its first season specifically to the spooky holiday of Halloween. On this special night, the Murder House is filled with even more ghosts than usual, and things are even more terrifying.
"Part One" of this two-episode special was actually nominated for an Emmy for outstanding costumes.
'The Office' - 'Halloween'
Originally aired: October 18, 2005
When: Season two, episode five
The Office's first Halloween episode is one of its most memorable ones. The costumes are classic — like three-hole-punch Jim — but the real scares come from Michael trying to decide which employee to fire. Why did he wait until Halloween? Well, it's a fitting day to deliver bad news.
'Stranger Things' - 'Trick or Treat, Freak'
Originally aired: October 27, 2017
When: Season two, episode two
Stranger Things brought viewers back to Halloween in the '80s where Ghostbusters costumes were everywhere. Fortunately the terrifying monsters Will sees on Halloween night didn't actually exist back then (or now). This whole show has creepy vibes, so this episode is also one that is maybe not so friendly for little viewers.
'That '70s Show' - 'Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die'
Originally aired: October 31, 2000
When: Season three, episode four
This Halloween episode paid homage to one of the great masters of horror: Alfred Hitchcock. Throughout the episode, references are made to Hitchcock's famous films like The Birds, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Vertigo, and even Psycho — where Ashton Kutcher's character gets surprised in the shower.
'Cheers' - 'Fairy Tales Can Come True'
Originally aired: October 25, 1984
When: Season three, episode four
This heartwarming episode sees the not exactly suave Cliff Clavin finally finding love — with a Tinkerbell he meets on Halloween. He just has to pluck up the courage to meet her out of costume, too.
'Frasier' - 'Halloween'
Originally aired: October 28, 1997
When: Season five, episode three
This episode features a Halloween party with a telephone game gone wrong. Roz tells Frasier that she thinks she's pregnant, and her news is overhead and quickly shared throughout the party — except the contents of the secret get changed when people begin to mishear the information. Soon, her secret has morphed into something completely crazy.
'The Simpsons' - 'Treehouse of Horror V'
Originally aired: October 30, 1994
When: Season six, episode six
The Simpsons is known for its Halloween-themed "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. The fifth one was especially memorable as it contained a parody of The Shining. In his version of the classic film, Homer tries to "off" his family after losing access to his beer and TV.
Classic Homer.
'MASH' - 'Trick or Treatment'
Originally aired: November 1, 1982
When: Season 11, episode two
War is never funny, but MASH is an iconic TV series because it always found a way to show the humanity of the members of the 4077, including a Halloween episode that included Colonel Potter as a cowboy and Hawkeye as Superman. Add in a Marine with a billiard ball stuck in his mouth and some other surprises and you’ve got a classic MASH episode
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' - 'Fear Itself'
Originally aired: October 26, 1999
When: Season four, episode four
One might not think that a show that is always about vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night would need to do a Halloween episode, but this creepy Buffy episode proves otherwise! Viewers of this episode may never want to set foot in a haunted house again after watching the Buffy crew battle the real-life version.
'Lucifer' - 'Monster'
Originally aired: October 31, 2016
__When: Season two, episode six __
When the main character of a show is the devil himself, it just makes sense that they’d eventually do an episode about the creepiest night of the year! The highlight of this episode has to be the demon Maze pairing up with the ultra adorable Trixie for a night of trick-or-treating that involves the little girl getting allllllll the candy (and more than a little cash!).
'Superstore' - 'Costume Contest'
Originally Aired: October 25, 2018
When: Season four, episode four aired 10-25-18
Superstore has always been a show that combines laugh-out-loud comedy with some real issues, and this Halloween episode is no different. What starts as an innocent attempt at costume competition fun turns into a great exploration of cultural appropriation. This is a great one for tween/teen audiences
'New Girl' - 'Halloween'
Originally aired: October 31, 2012
When: Season two, episode six
Jess gets a job at a haunted house but has to face the even scarier task of confessing that she wants a commitment from her hook-up buddy, Sam. Meanwhile Nick deals with his secret fear of haunted houses and Winston, well, Winston is Winston.
