7 Classic Halloween TV Specials3

By Keith Lindsey, Oct 28, 2010 in McCracken Live!, Pop Culture

7 Classic Halloween TV Specials

The time-honored traditions of Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic myth which says that the worlds of the living and dead could blur at this time of year. It was believed that in order to protect oneself from harmful spirits, you could disguise yourself as one and fool them… stupid spirits! Well, as with all holiday celebrations, they become somewhat watered down, and what we’re left with today is merely an excuse to gorge ourselves on candy, get our homes egged by teenagers, and attend gatherings in slutty costumes normally reserved for frat parties.

I don’t know about you, but I long for a time when it was just about trick-or-treating with neighborhood kids then returning home to the family to watch our favorite scary movies and Halloween specials on television. But whereas Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter all have tons of special programming available, I’ve noticed a disturbing lack of “new” Halloween material on the airwaves. I’m not talking about Halloween-themed episodes of our favorite shows, but bona fide made-for-television movies and specials.

Wouldn’t it be great to tune in to The Office: The Spooktacular TV Movie where the entire staff needs to work out of a haunted house because their building is being tented? How about Dexter: The All-Stars Halloween Special where Dexter battles Freddy Krueger in his dreams? Or maybe HOUSE: Pandemic, where a whole town contracts necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria), and they need to work quickly to save the town and stop the spread before the world is eaten alive!?

Alas, anything of the sort is not in the cards.  We did, however, get Dreamworks’ animated Scared Shrekless, the Glee Rocky Horror Picture Show episode, and McCracken Live’s McHalloween Special (the frenetic do-it-yourself series features a rather bloody recipe for Carrot Cake and Candy Corn Cupcakes).

Still, there is something wholesome and nostalgic in the old, dusty Halloween Specials of years gone by. Whether classic or cheese ball, they embodied (or disembodied) what Halloween was all about – pretending.

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1. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

A perennial favorite for this time of year, It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has been playing every year since its original release in 1966. The classic tells the tale of The Great Pumpkin, Linus’ mythical Santa Claus figure that rises out of the pumpkin patch he deems most sincere and then flies around delivering toys around the world. Often parodied, this year we can look forward to pop-culture aficionado Seth MacFarlane’s It’s The Great Pancake, Cleveland Brown.

2. Mr Boogedy

Originally aired in 1986 on ABC as part of the Disney Sunday Movie Series, this made-for-tv movie was about a family that moves to New England only to discover that their house is haunted by spirits of the colonial past. Despite being dated now, it was pretty spooky for its time and featured Richard Masur, David Faustino, Kristy Swanson and the original Gomez Addams, John Astin. It was popular enough to spawn the sequel, “Bride of Boogedy.”

3. The Worst Witch

Based on the children’s books by Jim Murphy, this delightfully tacky movie debuted in 1986 on HBO and featured Diana Rigg, Charlotte Rae, Fairuza Balk, and Tim Curry. The story follows Mildred Hubble, a bumbling but good-hearted witch-in-training who attends Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches, a girls’ boarding school in a stone castle atop a mountain. Curry steals the show with his musical rendition of “Anything Can Happen on Halloween,” complete with state of the art green screen effects straight out of your 8th grade audio/visual club.

4. The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

In 1976, Actor/Comedian Paul Lynde (Bewitched) put together a ridiculous list of guest stars for this variety show comedy special, including Margaret Hamilton (The Original Wicked Witch), Tim Conway, Florence Henderson, Betty White, Donny and Marie Osmond and musical guest KISS… wait a minute… KISS? This classic makes me long for someone to successfully revive the variety show format. Where else can Betty White share the same stage as KISS?

5. Disney’s Halloween Treat

Not really a “made for television” special, 1983’s conglomeration of Disney short cartoons and excerpts was a one of my favorite ways to relax on Halloween night. Narrated by the Magic Mirror from Snow White, it featured some classic Silly Symphonies like the “Skeleton Dance” and “Lonesome Ghosts” and was also the first time I witnessed the glory of Disney’s Sleepy Hollow.

6. The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t

Originally airing in 1979, with repeated viewings on the Disney Channel all the way up through the 90′s, this telefilm was based on the premise that Dracula was upset by rumors that Halloween would end (because it was no longer scary) and decided to assemble a who’s who of monsters to reclaim their frightful roots and save the day. Judd Hirsch (Taxi) played Dracula, and they eventually changed the title to “The Night Dracula Saved the World.”

7. The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror

By far the longest running and most successful series of Halloween specials, The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror was initially inspired by 1950s comics and made its first appearance in the second season of the series. It has been 20 years since it was introduced to Simpsons fans and this year’s episode premieres on November 7th.

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Keith Lindsey, originally from Miami Florida, is a purveyor and critic of all things “pop culture.” His writing can be found in various publications and Internet sites and focuses primarily on the absurdity of today’s pop scene and a nostalgic longing for simpler times.