We’ve picked out the 10 best Halloween TV specials to get you in the silly spooky spirit.
One of the best ways to get into the Halloween spirit is to curl up with some spooky content. If you can’t sit through multiple hours of a truly scary movie, something short and mildly thrilling, but mostly funny, will hit the spot. Watching your favorite TV families getting dressed up in their costumes and celebrating is a great way to get into the season without losing your voice. Whether you’re watching Phoebe and Monica argue about their costumes at a Halloween party or Dre and Bow taking their kids out trick-or-treating, we know the characters in these 10 episodes will make everyone in your household smile — kids, too! We’ve also included one of the most wonderful Halloween TV treasures in modern history…let’s just say it’s a song about religious werewolves.
The Funniest Halloween Episodes
Parks and Rec Halloween Episode (Peacock)
“Greg Pikitis” (Season 2, Episode 7)
Parks and Rec made a total of three Halloween episodes, all of them wonderfully wacky, but the first one is our favorite because it really captures Leslie in her element. The premise is this: Leslie has an “arch-nemesis” — a high schooler named Greg Pikitis — who vandalizes the park every Halloween. This year, Leslie is determined to stop him and see that justice is served.
Friends Halloween Episode (Max)
“The One With the Halloween Party” (Season 8, Episode 6)
It may have taken Friends eight full seasons to make a Halloween episode, but it was worth the way. This episode, which takes place at Monica’s Halloween party, has a delightful appearance by Ursula, Phoebe’s evil twin sister. Ross’s “spud-nik” costume— a satellite made of potatoes that looks more like a pile of poop— will have you in stitches.
The Big Bang Theory Halloween Episode (Max)
“The Holographic Excitation” (Season 6, Episode 5)
Another sitcom that has a number of Halloween episodes to choose from, The Big Bang Theory hasn’t disappointed when it comes to themed episodes. We chose this one as our favorite because the costumes are just fantastic. In the episode, Raj helps Stuart plan a Halloween party at the comic book store to meet girls. Howard and Bernadette as smurfs are truly a Halloween inspiration.
How I Met Your Mother Halloween Episode (Amazon Prime)
“The Slutty Pumpkin” (Season 1, Episode 6)
We love a Ted and Barney episode, and this one does not disappoint. In the episode, Ted and Barney go to the same Halloween party they go to every year, and Ted finally reunites with a woman (played by guest star Katie Holmes) who stole his heart when dressed as a “slutty pumpkin” at the party 10 years earlier.
New Girl Halloween Episode (Hulu)
“Halloween” (Season 2, Episode 6)
In this episode, Jess works at a haunted house for Halloween, wearing a costume which Schmidt describes as “Zombie Woody Allen” and Nick thinks looks more like a “sexy undead Driver’s Ed teacher.” A bunch of relationship issues arise for each of the roommates, but the episode ends with a pretty epic scene in which Nick is attacked by a bunch of haunted house zombies.
Modern Family Halloween Episode (Peacock)
“Halloween” (Season 2)
Modern Family’s Halloween episodes have become the stuff of legend, but it’s our first introduction to Claire’s love of Halloween in season 2 that will really put you into the spooky spirit. The way she goes all-out to decorate the Dunphy home for the holiday will inspire you to break out the gravestones and skeletons and create your own haunted house.
Boy Meets World Halloween Episode (Disney+)
“And Then There Was Shawn” (Season 5, Episode 17)
This might just be the best Boy Meets World episode of all time, and we do not say that lightly, as the show is a masterpiece. In an era when Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer were still the hottest Halloween movies to pop into your VCR, this episode is like its own mini teen horror flick (and even has a guest appearance by Jennifer Love Hewitt!). When Cory, Shawn, Topanga, Angela, and Kenny all end up in detention together things start getting creepy — alone in the detention room, the gang finds “NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE” written in blood on the blackboard…and it becomes clear that there’s a killer on the loose in the school.
Gilmore Girls Halloween Episode (Netflix)
“21 Is The Loneliest Number” (Season 6, Episode 7)
Stars Hollow is the type of TV town that seems like it always smells like a crisp, autumn morning, so it’s the perfect setting for Halloween. The episode itself is more about Emily planning Rory’s 21st birthday because Rory and Lorelai are fighting, but it also features Lorelai convincing Luke to put on a Halloween “skit” with her to scare trick-or-treaters. Sausage links made to look like intestines are involved. It’s an instant classic.
The Office Halloween Episode (Peacock)
“Halloween” (Season 2, Episode 5)
It’s Halloween at Dunder Mifflin, so of course there’s a holiday party, and of course, Angela is pissed because Pam brought brownies instead of chips and dip. Meanwhile, Michael is stressed out because he’s been informed by corporate that he needs to fire someone on one of his favorite holidays. Seeing him so upset while dressed as “two-headed Michael,” a costume that involves him sticking a paper-mache version of his own head on his shoulder, is ridiculously funny.
Black-ish Halloween Episode (Hulu)
“Jacked O’Lantern” (Season 2, Episode 6)
Dre’s scary cousin Junebug (played by Michael Strahan) and his kids join the Johnson family for trick-or-treating, much to everyone’s chagrin. We love this episode because the whole family gets together for their costume as the Obama family, complete with Jack as the first dog, Bo.
Honorable Mention: 30 Rock (Peacock)
“Jack Gets In the Game” (Season 2, Episode 2)
So technically this isn’t a Halloween episode at all, but it’s the episode that gave us the best Halloween song since “The Monster Mash”: the Tracy Jordan hit, “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.” It’s a cutaway joke that’s less than five seconds long, but thank goodness for those genius writers for gifting us the entire song in the credits.
