Skip to main content

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Halloween/Haunted Episodes (1995-Present)

Following up on last week's Top 10 Halloween/Haunted Episodes from before 1995, this week is my Top 10 Halloween/Haunted Episodes (1995-Present)












Close Calls:
Superstore "Sal's Dead"
That 70s Show "Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die"
This is Us "The 20s"

10. Friends "The One with the Halloween Party" (November 1, 2001)
The only Friends Halloween episode features Chandler as a giant pink bunny so that has to count for something. It's not a standout for a Friends episode but just fun to see them celebrating a holiday other than Thanksgiving. It also features a strong guest appearance from Sean Penn.

9. Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Halloween" (October 22, 2013)
The first season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine kicked off an annual episode that continues each season to the present - the Halloween Heist. There are many great heist episodes (and I'm a sucker for them) but the one that establishes the bet and the ground rules is the most original of them.

8. The Office "Halloween" (October 18, 2005)
The first Halloween episode of The Office is so funny thanks to the episode-long story of Michael needing to fire someone by the end of the day. It allows for many Office characters in hilarious costumes a chance to shine in individual scenes with Michael.

7. 8 Simple Rules "Trick or Treehouse" (October 29, 2002)
Similar to an episode still to come, this first season episode of 8 Simple Rules has to do with the ending of traditions. Paul wants all his kids to be excited about sleeping in the treehouse on Halloween but his kids are now teens and not that interested. Of course it's a family sitcom so it ends in a very sweet and satisfying way.

6. That 70s Show "Halloween" (October 26, 1999)
The first Halloween episode of That 70s Show has a unique setting with the friends revisiting their old grammar school. It's both a little bit spooky and a little bit sentimental and a show that is well known for fantasy and flashback sequences completely nails it in this one.

5. The Middle "Halloween V" (October 29, 2014)
This fifth Halloween episode of The Middle features a great take-off on "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" with perpetual optimist Sue trying to host a gathering at the pumpkin patch. There's equally good stories with the other two kids: a slightly eerie story about Axl stuck in a library and perhaps the strangest one of all - Brick with a potential girlfriend! The Middle did tons of Halloween episodes (and holiday episodes in general) but this was the best one.

4. How I Met Your Mother "Slutty Pumpkin" (October 24, 2005)
The first season of How I Met Your Mother has so much charm as Ted is looking for his soulmate and each episode seems to hint like he might be closer than he actually was. The "Slutty Pumpkin" episode was all a big tease but in the best kind of way with a very funny costume for Ted and other funny Halloween antics.

3. Modern Family "Halloween" (October 27, 2010)
The first of many Modern Family Halloween episodes is easily the best one. Claire, like Roseanne and others is a sitcom character who absolutely loves Halloween and this episode really plays that up. There's also a very funny story with Mitchell dressed as Spiderman in an office where no one dresses up as well as Gloria's "Ho Ho Ho, welcome to your nightmare" line delivery.

2. Parks and Recreation "Halloween Surprise" (October 25, 2012)
Parks and Recreation was always interesting with how they handled holiday episodes. They rarely were full fledged themed episodes but instead incorporated it into their stories to large or small degrees. So this may not be the most Halloweenie episode, but it's an amazing episode that IS a Halloween episode. That is of course because it ends with the beautiful engagement of Leslie and Ben that comes by surprise (hence the title).

1. Freaks and Geeks "Tricks and Treats"(October 30, 1999)
A heartbreaking and yet very real episode from one of TV's best one season shows ever, "Tricks and Treats" focuses mainly on growing up and growing out of traditions. That manifests in two ways: Lindsay not being excited about handing out candy with her mom and the "geeks" still trying to trick or treat. The latter is something every kid experiences at some point. The former was a beautifully told story from both parent and child perspective.

Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at 1980s flop Maggie!
Next Tuesday: Top 10 TV Elected Officials!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: That 70s Show Season Seven

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Seven of  That 70s Show ! THAT 70s SHOW: SEASON SEVEN 2004-2005 25 episodes The seventh season of  That 70s Show  is the final season with Topher Grace as a series regular and also the final full season for Ashton Kutcher. Despite still having both of those cast member, the show finds itself flailing especially with Topher Grace's Eric, who is stuck in a terrible arc for most of the season. The show also brings many characters back at one point or another but everything just feels tired. This season actually graded out the worst for me. Even worse than the often maligned final season (more on that next week). Every title this season is named for a Rolling Stones song. Starring Topher Grace as Eric Forman  (25 episodes) Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart  (25 episodes) Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso  (25 episodes) Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde  (25 e...
Post a Comment
Read more

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more