When it comes to Halloween, many people flock to their favorite horror and horror movies to kick off the spooky season. However, not everyone likes to be afraid, which leaves many people wondering how they can celebrate the holidays. Fortunately, there are several TV shows over the years that have made some great, but not scary, Halloween-themed episodes.
While there are classic sitcom Halloween episodes to review, many people overlook the plethora of animated Halloween specials that were created for family and adult audiences. Classics like It’s the big pumpkin, Charlie Brown to hilarious special adult entertainment like The simpsons “Tree House Of Horror” episodes, there is an animated Halloween episode for everyone.
ten Looney Tunes: “The Howl of Bugs Bunny” (1978) – 7.1
Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes The gang has been entertaining audiences since the 1930s, and in 1978 the gang decided to combine several Halloween-themed cartoon shorts to create the special “Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Ween”.
One episode involves Bugs Bunny finding Witch Hazel’s haunted house while he is dressed as a witch. She tries to catch Bugs, but he manages to outsmart her, turning her into a bunny instead. Another episode follows Daffy Ducks’ own adventures with Witch Hazel’s haunted house. Overall, the episode features 10 Halloween cartoons from the Looney Tunes gang.
9 Family Guy: “Halloween On Spooner Street” (Season 9, Episode 4) – 7.9
With 18+ seasons, it’s no surprise that family guy has had its fair share of Halloween promotions over the years. However, most fans agree that the Season 9 episode, “Halloween On Spooner Street,” is the best.
In the episode, Brian is tasked with taking Stewie for the first time. Meanwhile, Peter and Joe explore the “stuff” part of Halloween by playing pranks on everyone. Even the unfairly treated Meg gets into the Halloween spirit by attending her first high school Halloween party.
8 The Scooby-Doo Show: “The Headless Halloween Horseman” (Season 1, Episode 5) – 7.9
All Scooby doo the episode is the perfect show for Halloween, but the episode “The Headless Halloween Horseman” from The Scooby-Doo show, remains a fan favorite when it comes to all things scary.
The episode takes place on Halloween with the Mystery Gang enjoying a well-earned fun time at a costume party. However, the fun is shortlived when Scooby and Shaggy accidentally meet the Headless Horseman. Once the gang finds out, they make it their mission to find out who is behind the pumpkin head.
7 The Flintstones: “A haunted house is not a house” (Season 5, Episode 7) – 8.1
The Flintstones taught the public a lot about the Stone Age, including the fact that they had time to celebrate Halloween. In fact, during Season 5, the show aired its own spooky-themed episode titled “A Haunted House Isn’t A House.”
In the episode, Fred learns that his uncle has passed away and left Fred his spooky mansion located on Nightmare Hill on one condition: Fred must spend a night in the mansion before he becomes him. Barney joins Fred on this mission and the two quickly learn that the mansion is full of nightmarish spirits.
6 Beavis and Butt-Head: “Bungholio: The Lord Of Harvest” (Season 6, Episode 1) – 8.2
Beavis and Butthead premiered on MTV in 1993 and quickly became a hit with adult audiences and critics alike, though the show likely wouldn’t fly by today’s standards. The series originally ran for seven seasons, during which the show featured a Halloween-themed episode titled “Bungholio: The Lord Of Harvest”.
In the Halloween episode, Beavis and Butt-head decide to go for a walk, despite being teenagers. As the night progresses, Beavis transforms into his iconic character, “The Great Cornholio,” which serves as the hilarious plot for the rest of the episode.
5 Charlie Brown: “That’s the big pumpkin, Charlie Brown” – 8.2
One of the most iconic Halloween-themed episodes ever and the best Peanuts special holiday is It’s the big pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The special first aired in 1966 and has been a staple on TV in October since then – minus its streaming-only stint in 2020.
The special focuses on Charlie Brown’s best friend Linus, who believes the “Big Pumpkin” will be visiting his local pumpkin this year. Determined to see him, Linus jumps the trap and even convinces Sally to join him. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown struggles to have fun thanks to his ghost costume gone awry.
4 Animaniacs: “Draculee, Draculaa / Phranken-Runt” (Season 1, Episode 30) – 8.4
While the Animans was recently rebooted for Apple TV + with a few major differences, it was the 1993 version that gave fans a memorable and revisable Halloween episode. In fact, he gave audiences two Halloween cartoons bundled into one episode.
In the first cartoon, the Warner siblings find themselves spending the night in Transylvania, where they meet Dracula whom they mistake for an Amish farmer. Dracula transforms into his Dracula form and proves to them that he is real. In the second cartoon, the Warner siblings find themselves caught in Dr. Phrankenstein’s path, as she attempts to destroy a village near her castle.
3 South Park: “Spookyfish” (Season 2, Episode 15) – 8.5
South Park is another adult animated show that has featured several Halloween-themed episodes over the years. However, one of the top-rated episodes dates back to the show’s second season, which aired in 1998.
“Spookyfish” focuses on Stan, who believes his new pet fish is secretly evil and eventually learns that he comes from a parallel universe. The episode also features a parallel Cartmen universe, who is kind to everyone instead of his usual obnoxious self. In addition to the story, the episode is memorable as the screen constantly featured images of Barbra Streisand with the words “Spooky Vision” written on the sides.
2 Bob’s Burgers: “The Hauntening” (Season 6, Episode 3) – 9.1
Bob’s burgers quickly became one of Fox Animations best original series and continues to be extremely popular. Now in its tenth season, the series has featured several Halloween-themed episodes, but the best one is “The Hauntening” from season 6.
The Belchers have a family tradition of visiting a haunted house for Halloween, but when Louise drops the bomb she never finds the house spooky, their plans change slightly. Determined to scare Louise, Bob and Linda hatch a plan, but it quickly backfires when the kids decide to scare their parents instead.
1 The Simpsons: “Treehouse Of Horror V” (Season 6, Episode 6) – 9.2
No one does Halloween animated episodes like The simpsons. From season 2, The simpsons presented the “Treehouse of Horror” series, which includes three segments all telling a spooky story. With 31 episodes released, there are plenty of episodes to watch, however, the Season 6 episode remains a fan favorite.
The first segment is a parody of The brilliant where Homer goes mad while working at Mr. Burns’ haunted lodge. The second segment centers around Homer accidentally turning his toaster into a time machine. The final segment finds Bart, Lisa, and their friends trying to escape Lunchlady Doris and Skinner, who have started killing and cooking children due to budget cuts.
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