King of the Hill

Check out the episode “Hilloween” on King of the Hill - Season 2 - Disc 1 (1997)

Hank Hill: Last time I looked, it wasn’t Junie Harper’s face in the stained glass window at Arlen First Methodist.

Sick of Xmas specials like the Brady Bunch one where Cindy learns the spirit of Yule when ‘Mom’ Carol gets her voice back and can sing in church on the big day after all? Try this homage to the Pagan ritual as Hank Hill dons his way-too-tight childhood devil suit and takes son Bobby over to the dark side of Halloween. Goody-goody Sally Field guest stars as Arlen’s answer to Fred Nile, devoted churchgoer Junie Harper. Junie manages to brainwash the local school, city council and gullible Luanne with the notion trick-or-treating is the work of Lucifer. Can Hank drag his son and his friends away from Junie’s Hallelujah House party with his own haunted house and stash of lollies?

Boston Legal

Check out the episode “Witches of Mass Destruction” on Boston Legal - Season 2 - Disc 2 (2005)

Alan Shore: Denny, you look pretty in pink.

Law firm Crane, Poole and Schmidt take on the case of the Christian and Wicca parents suing to stop a public school ‘celebrating’ Halloween; the Christian parents do not approve of the satanic imagery, while the Wicca’s feel stereotyped by the ritual. Meanwhile a rift develops between Alan (James Spader) and Denny (William Shatner) when Alan takes on the US Government over the death of a soldier in the Iraq War. Watch for Brad being spooked by Alan’s smoking briefcase, Sara’s Condoleezza Rice costume, and one of the greatest pop culture in-jokes ever to make it to a television screen - when Alan and Denny go to the firm’s Halloween party dressed as flamingos, Alan compliments Denny with the line ‘you look pretty in pink’! (Pretty in Pink being the John Hughes teen film James Spader starred in during the 80s).

South Park

Check out the episode “Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery” on South Park - Volume 10 (1999)

The fifth graders scare Stan and the gang with their creepy tale of the pirate ghosts of the South Park docks (a nice reference to John Carpenter’s The Fog). Seeking revenge, the gang’s plan involves digging up Kyle’s dead granny Cleo Broflovski. Things go awry when a dog eats the exhumed remains. Rock band Korn turn up to play Chef’s annual Halloween party in their “Mystery Machine” in a nod to the classic cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You!. Priest Maxi whips the town into frenzy over Korn, blaming them for the eerie happenings gripping the town. Can the boys expose the truth behind the pirate ghosts and help restore the cancelled Halloween Haunt? All this, plus the arrival of a mail-order life size anatomically correct blow-up Antonio Banderas Love Doll.

Beavis and Butt-Head

Check out the cartoon “Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest” on Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection: Vol 2 - Disc 2 (2006)

“Trick or treat, you son of a bitch”

Perhaps the coolest Halloween costumes ever! Beavis puts underpants on his head and transforms into ‘a nad’, while Butt-Head pours melted cheese over himself to become nachos. Then after too much sugar as a result of trick or treating, Beavis transforms into his alter-ego Cornholio. The pair encounter local hoodlum Todd, who for the first time in his life, seems to back down when confronted by a Spanish-talking crazed Cornholio. Unfortunately for Butt-Head though, Todd kidnaps him in the boot of his car and dumps him at a mad farmer’s place. Here the whole thing warps into a Texas Chainsaw Massacre homage concluding with a chainsaw-wielding Butt-Head chasing Beavis.

Spongebob Squarepants

Check out the cartoon “Imitation Krabs” on Spongebob Squarepants - Halloween (2002)

The cartoon “Imitation Crabs” has a nice Roger Ramjet-like plot involving Sheldon J. Plankton (from rival fast-food joint “The Chum Bucket”) using robots to try to fool Spongebob into giving out The Krusty Krab’s secret krabby patty recipe. All five installments on this Halloween-themed seasonal treat featuring the character who ‘who lives in a pineapple under the sea’ are spookily special though. ‘Frankendoodle’ is a take on the Frankenstein genre, ‘I Was a Teenage Gary’ pays homage to the ’50s horror “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, while "Squidward, the Unfriendly Ghost" references the classic cartoon “Casper the Friendly Ghost”.

The Addams Family

Check out the episode “Halloween with the Addams Family” on The Addams Family -Vol. 1 - Disc 1 (1964)

‘Try again? I’d rather wrestle a lion’

Before his cinematic comeback in the 90s as Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise, the 1970s saw Vegas legend Don Rickles as the chief ham regularly delivering at the celeb-gabfests that were Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts. Go back further to the 60s and you’ll find Don as part of a criminal team on the run mistaken for trick-or-treaters by Gomez Addams. When Gomez offers them apples, then bags of cash (that he presumably made on the stock market) as Halloween treats, the crims look set to make a killing and get outtathere – but they haven’t reckoned on Thing swapping their guns for bananas, or the Addams family’s traditions of lion wrestling (featuring pet Kitty) and bobbing for live crabs. Look out for Gomez carving a pumpkin into the shape of Uncle Fester’s head – alas no imitation light bulb in the mouth.

Roseanne

Check out the episode “Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down” on - Roseanne Season 4 - Disc 1 (1990)

Dan and Roseanne produce a twisted ventriloquist act (Deadgar Bergen and Mortuary Snerd, based on the famous duo Edgar Bergen and Mortimer Snerd), while Jackie flirts with an amorous guest dressed as a moose - only to discover later it’s George Clooney (reprising his earlier role of ex-boyfriend Booker). Halloween was obviously a big Lanford, Illinois tradition judging by the many themed episodes that were produced during Roseanne’s nine season run. This was one was written by Amy Sherman-Palladino before she went on to create Gilmore Girls

Charmed

Check out the episode “All Halliwell's Eve” on - Charmed - Season 3 - Disc 2 (2000)

Phoebe: Hey, Halloween is now officially my favorite holiday.

In preparation for their Halloween party (complete with Goth band Snake River Conspiracy) at their bar p3, Piper is dressed as Glenda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz, Prue is a fairy tale witch, and Phoebe is Elivira, Mistress of the Dark - but beware, the Grimlocks from season one are back using some All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) demonic sorcery. As well, the sisters are thrown back to the 1600s to save a soon-to-be-born magical baby. They find an unlikely ally in Cole (Julian McMahon) who is under orders to stop the Grimlocks, although his real mission is to also go back in time to stop the Halliwell family line from ever forming. Check out Judy Geeson (star of To Sir with Love, and sister of Bless This House star Sally) as Ruth Cobb, the witch in league with Cole, throwing her own take on a Halloween party. Nice directorial work too from former Happy Days star Anson ‘Potsie Weber’ Williams.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Check out the episode “Fear, Itself” on - Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 4 - Disc 1 (1999)

Challenging for coolest Halloween garb is the Scooby gang from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. Buffy is fetching in her childhood Little Red Riding Hood costume that Mum has let out, Xander is James Bond, Willow is Joan of Arc, Anya a giant pink and white bunny, and Oz is God (well, his name tag says so anyway). The gang heads to a Halloween party at the Alpha Delta frat house. The hosts paint what they think is a harmless symbol on the floor, but when Oz cuts his hand and blood seeps into the image, accidental magic is conjured transforming the house into one where everybody’s fears come to life. Look out for the bowl full of grapes turn into a bowl full of eyeballs, and Giles almost stealing the show resplendent in sombrero.

Ned and Stacey - Season 1 - Disc 1 (1995)

Check out the episode “Halloween Story” on - Ned and Stacey - Season 1 - Disc 1 (1995)

This show runs on the well-worn premise of an arranged marriage of convenience, and whether the underlying sexual tension between the couple will ever be realised. So it’s never too early to use the old stolen kiss through mistaken identity plotline … (see also Jackie and Booker in Roseanne above). Another Halloween costume party, though this one has a decidedly un-horror like theme. Ned’s dressed as Zorro, while his flat-mate, the presently morose Stacey, stays at home feasting on left over trick-or-treat goodies. Back at the party, Ned’s getting along okay with a woman dressed as a bumblebee, while Stacey’s sister Amanda spots an old flame of Stacey’s also dressed as Zorro. Amanda departs to inform Stacey of the old beau’s presence, and drag her back to the party to see if the spark is still there. Of course Stacey just happens to also be dressed as a bumblebee … which, cutting to the chase, leads to Ned and Stacey kissing each other while the whole time thinking they’re lip locked to the other people dressed in the same costume at the party. Pretty straightforward screwball comedy device really. Of course it’s way too early in this show’s history to actually resolve any of this URST.