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22 Best Halloween TV Episodes of All Time

The Best Halloween TV

Episodes of All Time

By Lauren Hubbard

We love a good Halloween movie, but
sometimes you want your dose of the spooky
season a little more fun-sized, if not for the
purpose of being time conscious, there's always
the desire to get in as much seasonally-themed
content as possible. Whether you're craving the
Halloween adventures of your favorite sitcom
crew, some animated scares, or an inspiring
seasonal special, we've got all of the episodes
you need to get into the Halloween groove.

1 Brooklyn 99 — "Halloween"
Choosing just one of Brooklyn 99's
Halloween episodes is a nearly impossible task,
but when it comes down to it, the sitcom's yearly
of what's best about Modern Family, giving each toaster, "The Shinning" the show's spoof on The
tradition really owes itself to the very first—
character a challenge to overcome - being the Shining, and "Nightmare Cafeteria" in which
Season 1's "Halloween." It's not just that the
only person at the office wearing a costume, school officials find an innovative (and filling)
episode itself is inventive and hilarious, it's that
trying to reclaim ownership of the holiday, way to clear out crowded detention halls.
the bet to prove who is "The Ultimate
English as a second language - and bringing
Detective/Genius" is so effective it spun off one them all to a head in the most hilarious way 10 The Office — "Halloween"
of the greatest running gags in the show's
possible at Claire's over-the-top haunted house. The scare-factor is real life in the season
history.
two episode "Halloween." As Michael anxiously
6 MASH — "Trick or Treatment" tries (and repeatedly fails) to fire someone as per
2 Friends — "The One with the Halloween
Even wartime can't stop the 4077th from Jan's demands, Jim and Pam play a prank on
Party"
getting in some Halloween fun. They attempt to Dwight that could have real implications for
The aptly-named "The One with the
hold a Halloween party in celebration, with all their relationship. Though the prospect of losing
Halloween Party" comes to us from the eighth
of the doctors dressed up in makeshift costumes, their jobs is enough to give many at Dunder
season of Friends. Featuring Chandler as a pink
but before the festivities can begin, injured Mifflin chills, they still manage to make the
bunny, Ross as "Spud-nik", Rachel's failures soldiers begin arriving at camp. The episode most of the holiday with some truly creative
with trickor-treaters, Phoebe's evil twin Ursula,
manages to balance humor with the seriousness costumes and no shortage of cat ears.
and an arm-wrestling contest where there really
of the doctors's everyday lives in the way that
are no winners, this episode serves as a classic
only MASH could. 11 Freaks and Geeks — "Tricks and Treats"
reminder of how much we loved the Central
The awkwardness of adolescence was
Perk gang.
7 Buffy the Vampire Slayer — "Fear Itself" Freaks and Geeks bread and butter, and it's
As you might expect, as a show that played to full effect in season one's "Tricks and
3 It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
revolves around monsters and magic Buffy had Treats" While buttoned-up Lindsay decides to
While the rest of the Peanuts gang are
several notable Halloween episodes, but season go out for a more raucous (and potentially
busy with costumes and trick or treating and four's "Fear Itself" really takes the cake... er, illegal) kind of fun with her new friends, Sam
Halloween parties, Linus dedicates his night to
treat. Aiming for a normal Halloween night, the and his pals discover that things don't go so
what he sees as the true spirit of Halloween—
Scoobies head to a frat house costume party, but smoothly for high school-aged trick or treaters.
waiting for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin in
the evening takes a frightening turn when two
their pumpkin patch. For those who've seen it
frat brothers paint a demon symbol onto the 12 Community — "Epidemiology"
dozens of times, and those who've never
house as decoration and end up summoning a Community always excelled at clever
watched, this iconic special is a joy for all. The
demon that brings everyone's greatest fears to riffs on pop culture and that holds particularly
best part: the special airs every year just before
life. true in the season two Halloween episode
Halloween, so it's the perfect time to gather the
"Epidemiology" The Greendale gang find
family and start a Halloween tradition.
8 Frasier — "Halloween" themselves in the plot of a zombie movie when
It's a classic comedy of errors in this the Army surplus food the Dean purchased for
4 Parks and Recreation — "Greg Pikitis"
episode from Frasier's fifth season, all revolving the community college Halloween party turns
Parks and Rec had more than one stand-
around a possible pregnancy. Roz swears Frasier out to be contaminated with a zombifying virus.
out Halloween episode in its run, but we're
to secrecy when she discovers she may be
especially fond for the season 2 romp, "Greg
expecting, but a series of misinterpretations and 13 Bob's Burgers — "Full Bars"
Pikitis" While Ann tries (with mixed success) to
overheard conversations lead Niles to No one can resist the call of premium
throw a spectacular Halloween party, Leslie and
challenging his brother to a duel for Daphne's candy, least of all the Belcher kids as the trio
Andy team up with her boyfriend Dave to take
honor. travel to the nearby "rich neighborhood" of
down teen ne'er-do-well Greg Pikitis. Every King's Island for their trick or treating in the
year Pikitis vandalizes the town's mayoral
9 The Simpsons — "Treehouse of Horror V" season three episode "Full Bars." The full-sized
statue, but this year Leslie is determined to catch
In the world of TV specials, no TV show chocolate bars may not be worth it, though, as
him in the act. Pkitis, meanwhile, has his own
has made quite as much of an impact at The Tina, Louise, and Gene quickly find themselves
plans to keep Leslie on her toes - there's a reason
Simpsons. While the show has, to date, aired 28 being pursued by rowdy teenagers. Meanwhile,
she refers to him as her arch-nemesis, after all.
of its Treehouse of Horror specials - arguably Bob gets wrangled into going to his regular and
the best among them: Treehouse of Horror V. friend Teddy's Halloween party where he
5 Modern Family — "Halloween"
From the show's sixth season, this episodes evening of fun soon turns into a murder mystery.
We all love Halloween, but when it
features some of the show's most iconic
comes to family - especially the Pritchett- Halloween segments including "Time and
Dunphys - it can be a real horror show. The
Punishment" in which Homer accidentally alters (Continued on Page 23)
season 2 episode, "Halloween" brings out some
the course of history with a time-traveling